Travel insurance is a relatively new commodity that became popular only
towards the end of the 20th century. The current estimate of the cost
of travel insurance range between 5% and 8% of the total travel cost.


If the holiday vacation is worth about $10,000, the cost of travel
insurance is at most $800. It is a substantial amount, and thus, some
travelers are tempted to forego the idea of getting travel insurance at
all. Getting such an insurance policy might be considered a luxury. But
during the travel, some things are beyond anyone's control. The luggage
may be lost. One of the kids may get sick. The flight may be cancelled.
The expenses for these unexpected incidents can be claimed when there
is travel insurance. And the travelers will have peace of mind knowing
that they have travel insurance.

Different travel insurance coverage


However, not all travelers' insurance policies are exactly the same.
For example, all travel insurance policies state that they cover trip
cancellations. But the traveler must be aware that some policies cover
only trip cancellations caused by sudden illness or death, airline
cancellations due to weather or bankruptcy, jury duty, and emergency
military duty. Some, but not all, travel insurance policies may also
honor trip cancellations due to travel warnings issued by the US State
Department. And few policies have the "cancel anytime" coverage, which
allows the traveler to cancel anytime and for any reason.


Obviously, the inclusion of this last type of coverage will drive up
the cost of the travel insurance policy. But travelers have different
needs. Some may need this "cancel anytime" feature while others may
not. What every traveler needs, however, is a travel insurance that is
affordable and will provide the coverage needed. Deciding early on the
coverage of the traveler's insurance will allow the traveler to obtain
a relatively cheap travel insurance policy. But how do you decide?
Research and common sense are needed.

Including medical coverage in travel insurance


For example, one of the most important and pressing concern during
travel is the medical coverage. Going to another country is not a walk
in the park. You may have a difficult time adjusting to the climate.
You may get sick because of the food that you ate. You may be involved
in an accident. Or you may have accidentally bumped your head against a
solid wall because you were ogling scantily-dressed beautiful women.
The question now is this: what type of medical coverage do you need?


For longer travels, the travelers insurance must include doctor visits,
as well as hospitalization. If the traveler has no healthcare coverage,
it is recommended to have a comprehensive medical coverage included in
the travel insurance policy. If a person has healthcare, the HMO must
be consulted first on whether they can cover emergency care even when
the insured is abroad. And if they do, the traveler must know the
maximum number of days that the HMO will provide medical coverage. When
the HMO does provide such coverage, then there is no need for a
comprehensive medical coverage. Having double coverage on medical
expenses is not the best way to get cheap travel insurance.


There are cases, however, that the travel insurance must include the
medical evacuation insurance feature. This feature covers the cost of
transporting the patient from one emergency facility to another. The
patient is assumed to be badly injured or terribly ill. Obviously, this
feature is necessary for travelers who will be involved in extreme
sports, in which the chances of being injured are high. The medical
evacuation insurance is also useful for travelers who have chronic
diseases and for travelers whose destinations are remote areas of
underdeveloped countries, where medical facilities are insufficient to
care for the traveler's emergency needs.