5 Reasons Why You Need Travel Insurance
A vacation away from home is meant to be a time spent relaxing and enjoying yourself. But like anything else, your vacation has the potential to go awry. Dave Bouskill and Deb Corbeil, a Canadian couple visiting Peru expecting nothing but great adventures. Unfortunately, after they arrived, Dave tripped while trekking. Sound like no big deal, right? But Dave wound up shattering two vertebrae in his back. They weren’t anywhere near medical services, so the couple had no choice but to airlift him out – not a cheap or simple endeavour. Thankfully, the expenses of the accident (including the emergency evacuation, medical treatment, and flight back to Canada) were all covered by the couple’s travel medical insurance.
Most people think this will never happen to them. But the reality is illness and injury can affect you at any time, even on vacation. Medical expenses abroad can quickly escalate to astronomical levels, especially if you’re in the US or need to be evacuated to medical facilities. Travel medical insurance can help alleviate these costs and give you peace of mind to enjoy your trip. Deb and Dave would agree that this coverage was essential.
Here are four reasons why you shouldn’t think twice about getting travel medical insurance for your next trip
- Help to navigate foreign health care.
- Covers medical care expenses abroad.
- Covers emergency evacuation to medical facilities.
- Covers transportation home to continue treatment.
- You may not have adequate coverage with your provincial or other health care plans.
1. Help to navigate foreign health care.
If you get seriously injured or ill and need medical treatment, you’ll need to seek it in the country you’re visiting. But which hospital should you go to? How do you communicate with the staff? What about paying for medical services? Which tests do you need versus which are you getting to line the pockets of the hospital? Unfortunately, these are all challenges you can encounter in foreign health care – including the US!
Luckily, travel medical insurance providers can help you navigate these health care systems. They’ll be able to recommend medical facilities, help you get the care you need (and nothing extra), and help manage payment.
2. Covers medical care expenses abroad.
Getting health care abroad can be expensive and you often don’t have much coverage with a provincial health care plan. Travel medical insurance can help cover these essential expenses, whether you’re ill or injured.
Keep in mind that pre-existing conditions are not always covered or may require higher premiums. If you wait until you leave for your trip to purchase a travel medical insurance policy, there is also usually a period of time that you must wait before making a claim. Travel medical insurance is also not for routine health care (such as going for a general check-up) or medical tourism. It covers unexpected events.
3. Covers emergency evacuation to medical facilities.
If you suffer a serious fall like Dave and need emergency evacuation, you travel medical insurance can help organize and cover this rescue. This can include ambulance, airlifting, and more to get you to medical treatment as soon as possible.
4. Covers transportation home to continue treatment.
If your injury or illness is severe enough that you require additional treatment or cannot continue your vacation, your travel medical insurance can cover the costs of transporting you (and sometimes your travel companion) back home.
5. You may not have enough coverage with your provincial or other health care plans.
Generally, international coverage with provincial health care is very limited. If you have travel insurance through your credit card or employer, this may not include travel medical insurance or may have limits. for example, many plans only cover a certain number of days outside of the country per year. Others may only cover medical expenses up to a certain amount but have no coverage for emergency evacuation or transportation home.
Travel Medical Insurance is Essential
While you may be young and healthy, accidents happen. Ensure you’re financially protected and have support should the worst happen. Talk to one of our brokers today about travel medical insurance.