Choosing the Right Travel Insurance

When choosing the right travel insurance for yourself, there are many questions that you need to ask, and these questions will change depending on the location and the purpose of the trip, time away etc.

For example, a policy which is suitable for domestic travel within Australia (when you are an Australian citizen) where you are covered by Medicare, will not be the same policy that you need for overseas travel for business, when taking your laptop and other expensive electronic items. These are differences that you need to be aware of and read all the fine print, particularly when buying your policy on line and not through your travel agent or directly from the Insurer.

Most policies will cover you for;

• Late cancellation of your hotel and airfare - if an immediate family member is suddenly ill.
• Your medical expenses while away
• Lost luggage and personal effects.
• Legal costs if you are involved in an accident     

Not all of these clauses are standard and you must always read the fine print to ensure that you are purchasing the right policy for you.

Some important questions to ask;

• Do you qualify for cancellation coverage, hotels and airfares?
• Do you qualify for medical expenses that suit your personal conditions and recent medical history at the time of travel?
• Will you receive full compensation for lost/stolen luggage? – What’s in your luggage that might need to be itemized (electronics, sporting equipment, jewelry etc)
• Are you covered for legal costs if you become involved in an incident/accident that may result in injury of another party?
• How much travel will you be doing in the calendar year? Would it be more cost effective to purchase a policy covering you for multiple trips?
• Is the policy for my needs overall – for example, there are policies available for Backpacking over general travel, with Family, international, long term travel are some of examples.
• How easy is it to process a claim and recoup your out of pocket expenses?
• What documentation do I need for a claim, what receipts/reporting (medical) are needed? These are always easier to get at the time – not when you’re back home!!

Always read the entire policy, and then read it again.

I hope that you find this useful.