International Travel Health Insurance Should Not Be An Option

If you are travelling abroad then one item which should not be an optional extra is travel health insurance.

If you are traveling overseas, whether on business or on pleasure and for merely a few days or many weeks, you should not depart before you have bought suitable international travel health insurance coverage.

Health care can be extremely expensive abroad and in many areas you will discover that you will be unable to receive medical treatment, even in emergency situations, unless you are in a position to pay up front. If you think this is strange then trust me � it is fact.

On a recent trip I went with a friend to the local hospital in a popular Far Eastern holiday city following a luckily minor road traffic accident in which he suffered a nasty gash to his thigh requiring stitches and, as well as the nurses and doctors in the emergency room, we also ran into one of the hospital cashiers who requested details of my friend's health insurance or a credit card/cash payment before treatment could be started.

International travel health insurance is designed to provide medical cover for people traveling abroad and is a very flexible type of health insurance cover. It often allows for daily rates (rates based on the number of days for which you will be traveling) and can generally be bought without any requirement to answer health questions and regardless of age. Cover is also usually available on a worldwide basis or can be arranged to provide cover for travel to specific countries.

One especially important thing to consider when purchasing international travel health insurance however is just where you will be traveling to and what standard of medical care will be available on arrival. Against this background, you should make sure that any policy covers you for every eventuality including things like hospitalization, ambulance fees and, most importantly, cover for repatriation if this proves to be necessary.

Remember too that, if you are traveling as a family, any plan should cover all members of the family and provide for such things as bills should it be necessary for you to stay in hospital with a sick child or to travel home with a child by air ambulance.

One of the last things that we ever imagine occurring when we travel abroad, especially on holiday, is being involved in an accident or being taken ill while we are away with anything more than an upset stomach. However, accidents do happen every day and serious illness can strike without warning. Indeed, the chances of such an event are considerably raised when we are out of our usual environment, so why take the risk.

When it comes to purchasing international travel health insurance the principles are exactly the same as those that apply to purchasing any other type of insurance. Take your time and shop around looking at plans from several companies before making any decision. Consider only well know major insurers, with an international reputation, and read carefully through the small print of any policy document before signing on the dotted line.

Finally, bear in mind that dealing with medical problems when you are ill and hundreds or thousands of miles away from home is something that needs to be quick and simple. So, do not cut corners when arranging your plan! You might pay a bit more than you might perhaps wish to but, if you have to call on your policy, you will be extremely happy you spent those few extra dollars.

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