Travel insurance is not a single-size-fits-all kind of insurance. There are several types of travel insurance. Some of them are travel medical insurance, trip cancellation insurance, flight insurance, and evacuation insurance.
You may research the travel insurance that your friend purchased when he visited Spain, but remember that his situation might have been vastly different from yours. Although the most oft-purchased insurance plans are trip cancellation and travel medical insurance, consider your specific needs and purchase the plan that works for you.
As soon as you finalize your tickets, you might want to purchase trip cancellation insurance. This plan usually also comprises trip interruption insurance, which covers the financial loss if you need to return earlier than planned. Generally, the plan covers specific reasons and you are reimbursed if the cancellation or interruption is due to an approved reason.
The reasons that are covered (for both trip cancellation insurance and trip interruption insurance) are usually the death or illness of the traveler, traveling companion or immediate family member, the destruction of the insured’s primary residence, the call of jury duty, military service or a subpoena, termination of employment and often, inclement weather.
Definitely consider trip cancellation insurance if your trip is expensive, with significant non-refundable expenses. Narrow down your plan choices before purchasing your ticket and sign on to the plan as soon as your itinerary is confirmed. Remember that trips finalized at the last minute are less prone to changes.
Travel medical insurance is the other main type of travel insurance, protecting the plan holder from the costs of medical care when traveling. The common benefits offered by travel medical insurance plans are emergency services, inpatient and outpatient care, surgery, consultation, medical tests, and limited prescription medication.
Your travel insurance plan is likely to cover emergency medical evacuation or, in some cases, emergency political evacuation. Your plan benefits will also include some AD&D and repatriation of mortal remains.
Additionally, coverage can be purchased for injuries resulting from participating in adventurous sports such as sky diving. Trip cancellation insurance covering “any reason” cancellation is also available with some plans. Other typical benefits include baggage delay and loss, identity theft, and travel delay. Some plans also offer travel assistance services. As always, it is best to check coverage with the individual plan to know what is covered.
Ray sandeo frequently writes about travel insurance