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Understanding
Travel Health Insurance
-- Don't Leave Home Without It!
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Evelyn Hannon
Most
of us have heard horror stories about inadequately insured travellers
who go off on holiday feeling perfectly well and then an unfortunate
accident puts them in hospital. These unlucky folks find themselves
very far from home without personal support systems in place and
they're left with thousands of dollars in unpaid medical bills.
Not fun!
We
all know that it's important to carry health insurance yet do
we really know how best to insure ourselves? Journeywoman asked
travellin' women Marie Blair and Bev Peterson (both managers at
Liberty Health) to teach us about emergency health coverage--what
type a woman needs, how to find it, key questions to ask, etc.
Here's the helpful guidelines they came up with...
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Ten tips, bits of advice
and sobering
thoughts to think about.....
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| 1. |
Check any health
policies you already have very, very carefully. Find out
if your coverage extends to emergency medical services outside
the country, what that coverage entails and whether that
coverage is adequate if something goes terribly wrong on
your holiday. Then begin shopping for any extra protection
you might need.
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| 2. |
Don't take chances.
Understand, that whether you are out of the country for
two hours or two months, accidents are never planned and
ill health can come on very suddenly . You could find yourself
too sick to travel home for medical treatment and we all
know how expensive even a short hospital stay can be. Be
aware that you can't just buy your insurance when you start
to feel badly. Policies must always be paid in full prior
to your departure.
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| 3. |
Do your research
. Allow the same time and consideration for picking your
policy as you would to deciding on a destination, shopping
for your airline ticket or buying a backpack that's just
right for you. The wrong backpack can mean a sore back.
Choosing the wrong insurance could mean thousands and thousands
of dollars in unnecessary debt!
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| 4. |
Personalize
your policy. Think carefully about the kind of coverage
you need. Are you pregnant? Is this a skiing holiday? Are
you travelling with children? Are you a diabetic? All of
these factors will play an important role in your choice
of policies and they must be considered very carefully.
For example, did you know that many policies don't automatically
cover pregnancy-related conditions or nursery care for premature
infants?
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| 5. |
Every insurance
company should provide an agreement booklet that outlines
in detail what type of coverage they offer in each of their
policies. Ask for a copy of this contract before you commit
yourself. This is a perfect way to compare benefits.
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| 6. |
Remember,
you get what you pay for! Never buy your policy based solely
on the amount of the premium. If one insurance company is
charging far less for premiums than another, be wary. This
is the time to ask a lot of hard questions because chances
are the coverage will be far less, too.
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| 7. |
Never lie!
Emergency health insurers have very stringent rules in regard
to pre-existing medical conditions. Discuss these carefully
with your insurance company. It's absolute folly to go off
without advising them of your medical problems because,
in the long run, you will probably lose your coverage and
no payments will be made.
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| 8. |
Ask about
the company's emergency procedures. What happens if you
become injured and need medical assistance immediately?
Is their Assistance Centre staffed 24 hours a day? How quickly
and effectively will their medical staff react to your particular
needs? If their 800 emergency number doesn't operate from
where you are, will they accept collect calls? Will the
person at the other end of the line speak English?
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| 9. |
Find out
about the non-medical services your policy provides. If
you are travelling with a child and you're the one who's
hospitalized, will there be provisions for the interim care
of the child? Will they help if your passport or airline
tickets are lost? You tend not to think about these things
as you're setting off on holiday but they become so important
when you actually find yourself in trouble.
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| 10. |
Finally,
we suggest that you do your networking with other travellin'
women. Sound out your pals about companies they've dealt
with and how well their claims were settled. Ask them to
assess both the medical services and the non-medical services.
You'll be surprised at the helpful bits and pieces of information
you can pick up along the way.
Once proper insurance coverage is in place you can set
off on your journey with wonderful peace of mind. Bon
Voyage!
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Health care around the
world
isn't always perfect ...
Hong Kong is reputed
to have the world's most expensive medical care.
In developing countries,
needles, syringes and IV administration materials may
be re-used without adequate sterilization. Consider bringing
a personal medical kit with a supply of disposable products.
Many hospitals in
China derive a substantial amount of their revenue through
drugs prescribed by staff physicians and sold at on-site
hospital pharmacies. Therefore not only might doctors
prescribe more drugs than you need but you will possibly
be overcharged for your drugs as well.
In Mexico, some
medical providers work in conjunction with air ambulances
to pressure patients into paying for expensive (and sometimes
medically unnecessary) emergency evacuations. It is important
to have an assistance company that can provide appropriate
medical referrals and assist you in making safe and cost
effective evacuation arrangements when required.
In Eastern Europe
and the Former Soviet Union, routine first aid supplies
and feminine hygiene products are often hard to find and
expensive where available.
The ambulance drivers
in China are not required to have any medical or first
aid training .
(Source: Laura Hilton, Highway to Health) |
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Check your policy carefully...
Be aware! If you
plan on taking part in any sports that are considered
hazardous, you might not be covered by your insurance
policy. Dangerous activities include:
- parachuting,
- para-sailing
- hang gliding
- bungee jumping
- mountaineering
- cave exploring and
- SCUBA diving (if you don't hold a basic SCUBA designation
from a certified licensing body).
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| JourneyDoctor articles have been independently researched
by Journeywoman Online. We thank Liberty Health
for sponsoring this female-friendly information. Together,
it is our aim to inspire women to travel safely and well.
 No
matter where you are traveling in the world, Liberty
Health's TravelEase emergency travel health insurance
can cover you. On the internet, you can get coverage immediately,
24 hours per day. It is just a click
away. |
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