Travel insurance coverage – Things you need to know

Know what your travel insurance covers before you take a trip.

11:10 13 January 2013

Getting a travel insurance isn’t enough; to ensure that you’re well-protected while on the road, you have to have the appropriate and adequate coveragebased on the kind of trip you’re taking, it’s duration, and the risks that you’ll be exposed to. You don’t want to take out a policy that will only cover $200 medical bills if you’re into extreme sports, right?

Standard travel insurance: what’s usually included

Standard travel insurance usually covers theft, overseas medical/hospital expenses, luggage, accidental death, permanent disability, and delayed luggage allowance.

The difference of policies being offered is the amount of coverage.

Depending on the amount that you’re willing to pay, your policy may cover anywhere from £200 - £20,000 medical assistance, for example. Of course, higher coverage would mean higher premium. This is the same for your personal belongings. If you have several gadgets worth £5,000, you would want to cover them for the same amount.

Other policies provide cover for personal liability, cancellation fees/lost deposits, alternative transport expense, hijacking, travel services provider insolvency, and additional expense.

If your policy indicates that these are add-ons, you are expected to pay extra on top of your premiums. To save, just get what you’ll need.