Travel Insurance
When asking the question, ‘Do I need travel insurance?’, first consider the following potential benefits. Insuring your trip in the case of unforeseen events is one of the best ways to make sure it isn’t ruined by expensive emergency bills or sudden expenses. Travel insurance can offer protection against a range of unforeseen events, including; medical emergencies, flight cancellations, emergency accommodation and vehicle accidents.
BENEFITS
Here we go through some of the benefits which you might expect to enjoy by having insurance when you travel at home or abroad.
- Support in a Medical Emergency:
Some Australian health insurance policies won’t cover you in other countries should you experience a medical event that requires hospitalisation or attention at a local medical centre. Travel insurance can cover these eventualities. Even something as simple as a cut could necessitate a trip to the doctor, and the last thing you want is to ignore it and have it end up as something worse.
- Coverage in Remote Areas:
If you are visiting a remote part of a different country have you considered what medical facilities are available in the area? If you suffer an accident or sudden illness in a remote part of the country, you may require air lifting to a hospital or even back to Australia. Something as safe as hiking could quickly turn dangerous if you twist your ankle or lose your sense of direction. The cost of an emergency medivac may run into the thousands of dollars, even more if you need to be flown back to Australia.
- Dental Emergencies:
When travelling, you have just as much of a chance of chipping a tooth in a nasty fall as you do at home. Imagine how agonising something as small, yet painful, as a chipped tooth would be as you are forced to wait for your flight to return home for treatment. Having overseas dental emergencies covered under your travel insurance policy means you could be back enjoying your pain-free holiday in no time.
- Reclaim Your Cancellation and Rescheduled Flight Costs:
Cancelled or rescheduled flights can wreak havoc on the best-made travel plans. Weather, technical issues and strikes could lead you to miss your connecting flight or fail to even get off the ground in the first place. Not being left out of pocket, is a reason to buy travel insurance to cover these expenses, so you won’t be over budget before you even set off.
- Protection for Your Frequent Flyer Points:
One of the reasons why travel insurance is important for frequent flyers is to protect your points. If you’ve paid for part or all of your flights with points, and aren’t able to recover them, travel insurance can compensate you for the value you have lost.
- Stress-free Stays:
If you’re sick, injured or some other emergency occurs keeping you in your holiday destination, travel insurance may be able to recompense you for any emergency accommodation until you’re able to fly.
- Replacement of Stolen or Lost Luggage:
Unfortunately, losing your luggage and individual items, or having them stolen, is not uncommon while away from home. Perhaps you are out looking at the local sights and return to find your backpack or suitcase is missing. What is the cost of replacing everything? Even if you travel light the expense might be high. You may need to pay to replace your passport and any other travel documents for example or buy a new set of clothes. Travel insurance can reimburse you for these expenses.
- Stress-free Car Hire:
If you hire a car and are then involved in an accident, you’ll often have to pay excess even if it wasn’t your fault. Your accident, even if it was minor, may end up costing you more than you thought and could ruin your long-awaited holiday. Travel insurance can take care of this unexpected financial expense and is yet another reason to purchase it.
- Coverage for the Whole Family:
A reason why travel insurance is often considered important by families, is because it can cover everyone on the trip, such as dependent children travelling with adults.
- Peace of Mind for Personal Liability:
If you’re involved in an incident where you are found legally responsible for someone else’s personal injury or damage to their property, travel insurance can cover you. Travel is always unpredictable. Whether you’re in an unfamiliar country or at home, getting the right travel insurance for your needs could deliver you greater peace of mind and allow you to recoup your losses against any unforeseen eventualities.
Travel Insurance form
Here we go through some of the benefits which you might expect to enjoy by having insurance when you travel at home or abroad.
Abroad:
- Outside the geographical boarders of the country of residence.
Accident:
When referring to persons :-
- The bodily Injury suffered during the validity of the policy, which derives from a violent, sudden, external cause and one that is not intended by the Insured.
The following shall also be construed to be Accidents:-
- Asphyxia or Injuries as a consequence of gases or vapors, immersion or submersion, or from the consumption of liquid or solid matter other than foodstuffs
- Infections resulting from an Accident Covered by the policy.
- Injuries that are a consequence of surgical operations or medical treatments resulting from an Accident Covered by the policy.
Arbitration or Arbitration Procedure:
- Provision in an insurance policy to the effect that in the event the Insured and Insurer cannot agree on the amount of a Claim settlement, each one appoints an appraiser. The appraisers select a disinterested umpire. When at least two of the three, appraisers and umpire, agree on the settlement amount, it is binding on both the Insured and the Insurer.
Benefit/Service/Cover:
- The Benefits/Services/Covers the Insured Person or Covered person or vehicle is entitled to receive as described in the General & Specific Policy conditions, or in the Service Agreement and usually summarized in the schedule of Benefits/Services/Covers.
Beneficiary:
- Person or persons for whom the Insured recognizes the right to receive the corresponding Benefits/Services/Covers or amount of compensation as outlined in the policy or Services Agreement. Should no one have been specified, the compensation will form part of the Insured’s estate.
Catastrophe:
- An event where the insured person is necessarily and unavoidably required to move from their pre-booked and pre-paid accommodation as a result of fire, lightning, explosion, earthquake, storm, tempest, hurricane, flood, medical epidemic or Local Government directive.
Children:
- Persons from 30 days old to 18 years old unless otherwise agreed and expressed in the policy or Services Agreement.
Claims:
- A document or request filed by a Policyholder stating that an Insured event has occurred and that the Insurance Company/Service Company should provide Coverage.
Close Relative of the insured:
- Spouse, parents, Children, grandparents, grand Children, siblings, mother and father in law and brothers and sisters in law.
Country of residence:
- The country in which the insured person resides for at least six months of the year.
Cover Inception:
- the Assistance Company will immediately provide the Insured, the assistance specified under the Benefits/Services/Covers clause of the General & Specific Policy Conditions of this Insurance Policy for mishaps that occur due to unforeseen incidents during travels outside his/her Usual Country of Residence, provided that this occurrence does not take place outside the specified geographical boundaries and does not take place out of the prescribed travel duration between the validity dates of this Policy. The scope of the Policy becomes void when the travel causing the acquisition of the Policy ends and/or the Insured arrives at his/her Usual Country of Residence, whichever takes place first. Period of Cover granted under this Policy shall not exceed 92 consecutive days each travel unless specified otherwise.
Covered Trip :
- An intended and planned trip undertaken by the Insured outside his Usual Country of Residence. The Covered Trip commences when the Insured starts the direct journey from his Usual Country of Residence and ceases when the Insured first returns to his country of residence. The maximum duration of any one Covered Trip is 92 consecutive days unless specified otherwise.
Data Base:
- Consists of an organized collection of data for one or more uses. In our case medical and travel assistance policies, issues, up to date listing of Insureds to whom Services are owed.
Deductible or Excess:
- The amount of expenses which is not covered by the Insurer, and that are to be paid by the Insured Person before the Policy Benefits become payable.
Doctor or Physician:
- An officially registered medical practitioner according to the law of the place where the Claim happens.
Emergency Dental Care:
- Any natural Dental treatment Covered by the policy due to a condition suddenly started up at travel and that it does not occur by reason of any pre-existing situation has been documented by dentist’s report.
Emergency Repair:
- The repair necessary to render the home/ dwelling safe and/or secure against further loss or damage as result of sudden occurrence which demand immediate action.
Fraudulent Claims:
- When the Insured, Beneficiary or someone acting on their behalf, uses any Fraudulent means or devices in order to obtain any of the Benefits of this policy, consequently, any payment of any amount in respect of such Claim shall be cancelled.
General & Specific Policy Conditions:
- The terms and provisions of all aspects of the policy which state the rights and duties of the Insured or Insurer. The policy conditions will usually be located in the policy schedule.
Hijack:
- Unlawful seizure of the aircraft, sea vessel or train or other public transport vehicle in which the insured person is travelling.
Home/ Dwelling:
- The place where the insured person lives in their country of residence.
Immediate Family Member of the Insured:
- Spouse, Children, parents, grandparents and siblings.
Injury:
- A medical problem caused by a sudden and severe external cause or reason beyond the control of the Insured, within the validity period of this Policy.
Insurance Parties:
- An interested Party or additional interest is a person or company other than the named Insured on a policy, which has an insurable interest in the person or property Covered by the policy.