What could be worse than running into trouble on a trip and not having travel insurance? Well, how about running into trouble on a trip and discovering that the travel insurance you thought had you covered\u2026 doesn\u2019t.<\/p>\n
Of course, I think that anyone who travels, especially out of the country, should have travel insurance. To me, it\u2019s a no-brainer, and I won\u2019t make the case for it here. But what I do want to talk about is how to avoid some of the horror stories I regularly hear from people who thought they were covered and got a big nasty surprise \u2013 and thousands of dollars in unexpected expenses \u2013 when they went to file a claim.<\/p>\n
The one thing I would say to anyone thinking of traveling is, \u201cTake this travel insurance stuff seriously.\u201d Think it through. Do the research. Decide what coverage you need. Talk to your consultant. Ask questions. Read the contract. Whether you\u2019re traveling on business or for pleasure, make sure you have all the bases covered.<\/p>\n
The details and conditions do vary from plan to plan, and from group plans to individual plans, but here are some of the issues to take into account.<\/p>\n
Pre-existing conditions.<\/strong> When you buy travel health insurance, you\u2019ll have to report any medical conditions that you have, or that you\u2019ve been treated for recently. (And, as I explained in a previous blog,<\/a> \u201ctreated\u201d includes things like just talking to your doctor about a possible condition, even if there is no further action.) And note that this also applies if you have group coverage, and you develop a new medical condition prior to your trip. You may need to get extra, \u201ctop-up\u201d coverage for that condition.<\/p>\n Incorrect information.<\/strong> It seems pretty obvious, but you\u2019d be amazed at how often there are problems with claims related to incorrect information provided by the traveler. Important details like travel dates and the number of days. Other things like addresses or identification numbers or dates of birth. They may or may not invalidate your claim, but they can sure make things complicated.<\/p>\n Changing your plans.<\/strong>You buy coverage for a trip to Destination A but, halfway through, you decide to take an excursion to Destination B. Guess what? You may not be covered on that side-trip. Really, any significant change in travel plans from what you told the insurance provider can have an impact.<\/p>\n Factor in your \u201cfree\u201d travel insurance.<\/strong> You may have some level of coverage on your credit card \u2013 it\u2019s one of the benefits of many cards. This can get tricky. It\u2019s possible that your credit card plan gives you the basic coverage you need, but you really want to make sure. It\u2019s in the fine print of the cardholder agreement. You will probably want to buy more coverage, and you need to talk to your consultant about the credit card plan. What it covers and what is doesn\u2019t, yes, but also how it affects the coverage you\u2019re buying. Some plans have a clause that requires you to go to any existing coverage (including credit card) before you can claim from them. Make sure you know exactly where you stand.<\/p>\n Skipping the vaccinations.<\/strong> You travel to a place where vaccinations are required. (You can check what vaccinations are required at the Government of Canada travel health advisory site.)<\/a> If you fall ill with a disease you should have been vaccinated against, there may well be issues with your claim.<\/p>\n