Travel insurance protects your trip in case of a cancellation, delay or trip interruption. You can insure all of your prepaid, non-refundable trip costs including airfare, hotels, tour costs and even course fees. Travel insurance also includes emergency medical, evacuation and lost luggage coverage. Most data on the travel insurance document is harmless, obvious information necessary to avoid nasty surprises in the event of needing to make a claim.
Medical Expenses
Medical conditions that exist prior to purchase of your policy will not be covered unless you have disclosed them and they were accepted. This includes cancellation claims arising from the condition. Policies must cover common conditions such as asthma and diabetes (provided that they are stable and controlled). Costs of ongoing medication will be needed are not covered. Costs of vaccinations that are needed to enter certain countries are also not covered. Claims arising from intoxication are never covered.
Baggage and Personal Effects
Valuable items, as defined in the policy wording, are never covered if left unattended. Unattended must be taken literally, as the term is defined as being out of your sight and where you cannot immediately get hold of it unless it is in a locked, secure area where no one else can get to it. Valuable items are not covered if they go missing from your baggage while it is checked-in with the airline. So carry valuables in your hand baggage and keep it with you. Theft and loss must be reported to the police and a report must be obtained. Unreported loss/theft will not be covered.
Cancellation of Travel Insurance Policy
You are only covered against cancellation for reasons such as personal illness, illness of a traveling companion, close family member, for redundancy or jury service, but not much else. Cancellation due to disinclination to travel, financial circumstances and split from partner is not covered.
Legal Expense
This coverage is not designed to cover the cost of your defense if you get arrested overseas. It is designed to help if you or your family brings a case against someone who has caused your injury or death while traveling.
Excesses
Travel Insurance policies, like car insurance, usually have excesses (deductibles). These are the amounts that the insurers will deduct from a claim. Mostly the Gold and Diamond long-stay policies for trips of 6 months or over do not have excesses, but the majority of policies do.
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