Avian flu, malaria, earth quake and cyclones are all hazards that travelers encounter daily during over sea trips which I sometime call “Risk International”.
When leaving your home, your country of decent, a place you’re accustomed to and your body system is well immured to the local ailments. I find it disturbing to find well meaning individuals travelling abroad without adequate health insurance coverage. Some just assume they can handle the contingencies associated with over sea trips. Do you feel you will be on top of all situations relating to your travels? Now take a look at a list of possible issues that are sure to posse, a challenge to you:
1. When you fall ill know that health care provision for foreigners is much more expensive and can cost 10 times more, you don’t pay tax to the country of visit do you?
2. If there are an emergency that requires that you be flown back on a more private arrangement, who foots the bill? You from your great reservoir of funds, I hope so.
3. Since your body is not acclimatized to this new environment, It then means you will definitely require special medical attention as compared with citizens of the country of visit.
4. If you are on a holiday trip with your family and peradventure you pregnant wife gets a complication what happens when budgeted funds fails to meet demands.
So many things can get really awry that would need the spending of so much money. This could affect your trip coupled with the fears of what could happen that you may not be prepared for?
With all this going on around you and funds are fast depleting wouldn’t it be a good idea to have a travel health insurance policy to cover these medical risks?
It is very easy to get into situation medically that we may feel unprotected like flu outbreak, asthmatic attack, stroke and what have you. You may even try a foreign delicacy that may look harmless but your body may be allergic to it and may lead to other problems that your financial resources will not be able to accommodate.
Get a travel health insurance and leave these medical expenses to the travel health insurance companies. I really don’t like worrying over money problems will travelling so I don’t go abroad without a policy.
By: Osward Isiguzo
Posts Tagged ‘Health Insurance Policy’
Why is Travel Health Insurance Important?
April 1st, 2010Travel Health Insurance
October 28th, 2009
Travel health insurance is particularly designed to protect you and family from unexpected medical adversities and much more in a foreign land. An appropriate travel health insurance policy also covers evacuation expenses incidental to a medical emergency or flying back for treatment.
Cover You can custom build a cover as will be suitable to you. You can combine monthly or daily periods, whichever is convenient for your budget. However, covers are available from 10 days upto 2 years. Coverage end on following points- whichever occurs earlier:
Your return to your Home Country The date shown on the ID Card, for which plan cost has been paid The date you are no longer eligible under this plan
In addition, you will also want assistance in case of robbery or lost cash and arranging an evacuation
Plans You have your plate full in planning your trip. But you can’t ignore selecting a plan that makes available the right coverage. Each visa has certain requirements for most eligible travel health insurance plans which can be a starting point to build over. Available plans range from basic to comprehensive policies accommodating trips of up to 35 days. Plans are packaged for individuals, groups, businesses and by definition include coverages such as terrorism, hazardous sport, emergency medical evacuation and more. Unfortunately, employer sponsored plans often don’t go beyond emergency care and often they are burdened with the responsibility of proving it’s an emergency. Organized groups can choose from our wide range of group plans. Beyond this, there are certain plans that are far more comprehensive that carry higher levels of coverage.
Travel health insurance premiums are predetermined in agreement with regulations, so it is more or less the same across the spectrum of companies and there is no point in wasting your time searching around in the last minute. Clarify the technical terms, jargons and conditions that concern eligibility benefits, limitations and exclusions.
Expenses It is obvious that heath care expenses in an abroad country can be significantly higher and not to mention the cost medical transportation and countless travelers pay the price because their domestic health care plan provides hardly any coverage for medical expenses outside their country. But with an appropriate travel health insurance plan under your belt, you hardly need to worry about unexpected expenses such as hospital treatment, medical expenses, and sudden illness. If anything, it is your deductible, coinsurance amounts and non-eligible expenses that you need to pay up. But keep in mind that charges which exceed ‘reasonable and customary charges’ or investigational surgeries & treatments are out of the scope of most travel health insurance plans.
By: Alevoor Rajagopal
How to Travel Safely During Flu Season
October 3rd, 2009
Earlier this year, thousands of travelers to Mexico either cut their trip short of canceled plans altogether once news broke about the swine flu virus. Several months have passed since then and the initial scare is over. Unfortunately the same cannot be said about the threat of getting sick.
The swine flu, also referred to as the H1N1 virus has now spread to every state within the United States making it a realistic threat to everyone’s health. As we move into a major holiday travel season, the chances of coming in contact with someone who is sick with either the regular flu or the swine flu increases. Over half of the people polled in a recent survey (51%) have said they would travel while sick due to the strict policies regarding canceling or re-booking flights on most airlines.
Visitors to the United States have the option to purchase visitors medical insurance which provides an extra layer of coverage while living or visiting relatives in this country. It is important to know ahead of time what conditions or procedures are covered when purchasing a visitors health insurance policy. Even though not all procedures are covered, having visitors medical insurance can save visitors hundreds if not thousands of dollars should they find themselves in need of medical care during their stay in the United States.
Here are a few other trips to ensure safe travel during the flu season:
Limit contact with people who show symptoms of being sick- This may be easier said then done, however it just makes sense to try to avoid contact with others who are coughing, sneezing or showing other signs of being sick. It is unknown whether or not disposable paper masks make a difference in preventing the spread of either type of flu. Wash hands frequently- When it comes to preventing the spread of germs, hand washing is still the number one way to reduce your chances of getting sick. If you do not have access to soap and water, carry and use an alcohol based hand sanitizer. You can also carry sanitizer wipes which can be used to wipe down surfaces that come in contact with many travelers. Don’t spread germs- If you are the person coughing or sneezing, make sure you are doing your part to prevent the spread of germs or illness. Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue and dispose of used tissues properly. If you do not have tissues, cough or sneeze into a shirt sleeve to avoid contaminating other surfaces. Do not take unnecessary risks- If you have a condition which makes you especially vulnerable to the flu, consider postponing your travel until the peak of the flu season has passed. High risk travelers would include adults over the age of 65, pregnant women and children under the age of 5. Anyone who has a chronic illness of a suppressed immune system should limit exposure to other sick individuals.
It is not possible to completely avoid all instances where you might come in contact with someone who is sick. Nevertheless, by following these tips you may be able to reduce your chances of coming down with the flu while traveling this holiday season.
By: Kane Michaels
