Travel Insurance: Extra Costs or Guarantees?

The questions of “where to go” and “how much will it cost” become relevant for everyone who starts planning a vacation. If it is easier to decide on the direction of departure - most Russians prefer visiting foreign countries, then the cost of the long-awaited trip tourists often try to make minimal.

Travelers often refuse “unnecessary” options, for example, from issuing an insurance policy for traveling abroad.
The main objective of this type of insurance is to compensate for medical expenses in the event of a sudden illness or accident while abroad.

Travelers using the services of tour operators, little concerned about this issue, because health insurance is standard included in any package. Although here you can take great care of yourself and carefully read the insurance items and, perhaps, additionally insure yourself against other risks, for example: from not leaving, loss of luggage, accidents. Travelers on their own should not neglect this useful policy. Even if you plan a relaxing holiday, there is always a risk of catching a cold or getting poisoned by local food. And then the savings on the purchase of a policy can turn into serious costs for medical care in the host country.

When applying for a Schengen visa, a health insurance policy is mandatory for each day of stay in the EU. When visiting visa-free countries, it is also better to have health insurance – this will reduce the risk of refusal to enter the country, and protect against the possibility of being in an unexpected situation without sufficient funds for medical care.

Today, buying insurance to travel abroad is a matter of minutes - there are many online insurance offers. Several criteria for choosing an insurance company will help you protect yourself from a number of problems when interacting with it during your trip:

The organization has a specialized license that allows it to carry out insurance travel abroad. You will be able to make sure that this is not a one-day company and your investments will not be wasted.

Reputation and reliability of the company. As with any type of services, it is better to give preference to an organization that has long been present in the market and has managed to establish itself as a reliable and attentive partner to customer needs. Read the ratings, read the reviews, talk to the staff – this will help you to form a comprehensive opinion about the organization.

Conditions of insurance and compliance with the purpose of travel. Check whether everything in the insurance package meets your needs: the size of insurance, medical service and additional options.

The presence of an insurance policy greatly simplifies the scheme of actions in the event of an unforeseen situation on vacation. In case of an insured event, all you need is to contact the service company (otherwise – assistance) and receive instructions on further actions. "Assistance" is a client service in a foreign country, an intermediary between the insurance company and medical institutions. Operators will refer you to a medical institution and help you quickly get help from doctors. Payment for treatment and medicines in this case will be handled by the insurance company where you purchased the policy.

Options for payment of insurance events:

The most common and convenient payment option for “service insurance” will require a minimum of action from you, the insurance company itself transfers the payment to the medical institution in which you were served.

“Compensation insurance” means that you pay for services on the spot, and then the insurance company will compensate you for them. This option is best used in the most extreme cases, since compensation payments from the insurance may not come as quickly as you would like and a package of supporting documents must be executed properly.

Types of insurance that should pay attention to the tourist:

Medical insurance abroad is the basic option of the policy. Allows you to receive medical care in the territory of the visited country. You can supplement it with various additions, for example: help with sunburn, exacerbation of chronic diseases.

Insurance for outdoor activities and sports will not be superfluous when skiing, surfing, jet skis and even horses. Extreme sports are also better covered by insurance.

Accident insurance. The wording in different companies may differ and you should carefully read the description, if something of the alleged is not included - it is better to issue an additional package. For example, in some companies, this insurance includes the cost of injuries received during extreme sports and exacerbation of chronic diseases, and some companies provide these services separately.

Civil liability insurance. In case of unintentional harm to the health or property of others, the insurance company compensates for the damage.

Insurance against departure and in case of flight delay, as well as baggage and documents insurance will help you to receive monetary compensation in case of collision with such troubles.

Travel insurance can be tailored to your individual needs and requirements. To protect yourself while traveling, make insurance from the necessary options, including all the activities that you plan to carry out. Even basic insurance from a tour operator can be improved by increasing the coverage area or health care service.