Categories
Travel Insurance

4 common travel insurance mistakes to avoid

You’ve purchased your tickets, checked that your visa and passport documentation is valid, purchased your holiday money and you’re all set to go. Well not quite, in the rush to get everything done prior to your trip it is easy to forget about travel insurance. In this article, we will take a look at some of the common errors travellers make when it comes to travel health insurance.

1. Forgoing vaccinations

If you are travelling to a country where diseases such as typhoid, yellow fever or malaria are commonplace, you will need to make sure you are vaccinated. Failure to do so will not only have the potential to make you seriously ill, but you’ll end up footing the bill for all the medical treatment you receive.

2. Failing to declare pre-existing medical conditions

Your travel insurance will not pay out should you fall ill due to a pre-existing medical condition if you have not declared it when taking out your policy. Not only will you then be liable for costs of medical treatment whilst abroad, but you will also have to foot the bill for any flights or changes to your travel plans that come as a result of your enforced rest.

3. Buying travel insurance just before you travel

Because travel insurance covers more than just falling ill when you are away, you need to sign up to a travel insurance policy as soon as you know you will be leaving the country. Airline strike disruption, flights cancelled due to adverse weather or cancelling your travel plans due to personal reasons can all be covered by a good travel insurance policy.

4. Don’t rely on free insurance policies

Many credit card companies and banks offer travel insurance perks, but you’ll need to read the small print carefully, as these policies typically cover emergencies only, and you will need a more comprehensive policy for peace of mind.

Summary

A travel insurance policy should give you peace of mind in the event of something unexpected happening, be it a medical emergency or flight cancellation, baggage loss etc, but always double-check your any travel insurance policy offers the best coverage before you buy.

Photo: Free image by Pixabay