You need to purchase travel insurance.
I never purchased travel insurance for any trips prior to traveling around the world. Which in hindsight was a reckless decision on my part. I previously viewed travel insurance as an annoying scam, a travel fee tack-on scam like prepaying for fuel at a car rental counter. I was a moron. When traveling around the world, travel insurance is essential.
I never purchased travel insurance for any trips prior to traveling around the world. Which in hindsight was a reckless decision on my part. I previously viewed travel insurance as an annoying scam, a travel fee tack-on scam like prepaying for fuel at a car rental counter. I was a moron. When traveling around the world, travel insurance is essential.
Before purchasing travel insurance, it’s important to know what is covered and what isn’t. First, understand what travel insurance doesn’t cover. Travel insurance is NOT health insurance, it does not cover pre-existing conditions. If you are diagnosed with cancer while traveling around the world without health insurance…you are in serious trouble because travel insurance does not cover cancer. This is a risk you must be willing to take.
If you have diabetes and need insulin, travel insurance won’t cover the cost of your medications. Chronic diseases may make it costlier to travel and require more planning but they don’t prevent people from traveling around the world. If you Google “traveling around the world with [insert disease]”, I’m positive someone has written a blog sharing how to travel with the disease you searched.
The best way to think of travel insurance, and any short-term insurance for that matter, is that it covers unfortunate instances. It’s If-You-Were-Hit-By-A-Bus insurance. The insurance covers travel related accidents but you still need to understand the travel activities that are specifically covered. If you break your leg walking on uneven pavement in Southeast Asia, you will be covered. If you break your leg from a rough skydive landing, you may or may not be covered—it depends on the coverage you selected. There are different coverage levels for the types of activities. The higher risk activities have higher insurance coverage fees. If you are trying to save costs, only purchase the higher insurance coverage during the months it is necessary. For example, if you are trekking to Everest Base Camp in May, purchase your first round of insurance for the period January through April. Then for May, purchase a new policy that covers the higher risk Everest Base Camp trekking activity. Then for June through December purchase another policy.
Travel insurance covers evacuation and repatriation. Travel insurance also acts like home insurance—if you are mugged and have your $2,500 camera and lens stolen, you are covered. The insurance company will reimburse you $2,500. Travel insurance covers flight cancelations, lost luggage, and other travel related mishaps—there’s no reason to purchase the add-on, flight protection insurance a booking engine recommends when you purchase an airline ticket because you are already covered.
I hesitate to recommend companies because I want to remain independent, however, I have used World Nomads (no hyperlink or affiliate fees) as a broker in the past. They quickly processed a claim the one time I needed to utilize my insurance coverage. Read the fine print on their policies—if you crash a motorbike while drunk, the insurance coverage is voided. If you bring drugs into Singapore, World Nomads (or anyone else for that matter) will not airlift you out of the country.
The danger zone for travel insurance is when you are in the U.S. between travels. If you fly home for two weeks between South America and heading to Europe or Asia—travel insurance doesn’t apply for that two-week period. The travel insurance creates a no-coverage zone in a 150-mile radius from your home location. If you are home for a week and break your leg…you are in serious trouble. From a financial standpoint the U.S. is the worst country to suffer an injury. Consider a short-term health insurance plan which will cost around $100/month to avoid a major health related financial set back.
If you have diabetes and need insulin, travel insurance won’t cover the cost of your medications. Chronic diseases may make it costlier to travel and require more planning but they don’t prevent people from traveling around the world. If you Google “traveling around the world with [insert disease]”, I’m positive someone has written a blog sharing how to travel with the disease you searched.
The best way to think of travel insurance, and any short-term insurance for that matter, is that it covers unfortunate instances. It’s If-You-Were-Hit-By-A-Bus insurance. The insurance covers travel related accidents but you still need to understand the travel activities that are specifically covered. If you break your leg walking on uneven pavement in Southeast Asia, you will be covered. If you break your leg from a rough skydive landing, you may or may not be covered—it depends on the coverage you selected. There are different coverage levels for the types of activities. The higher risk activities have higher insurance coverage fees. If you are trying to save costs, only purchase the higher insurance coverage during the months it is necessary. For example, if you are trekking to Everest Base Camp in May, purchase your first round of insurance for the period January through April. Then for May, purchase a new policy that covers the higher risk Everest Base Camp trekking activity. Then for June through December purchase another policy.
Travel insurance covers evacuation and repatriation. Travel insurance also acts like home insurance—if you are mugged and have your $2,500 camera and lens stolen, you are covered. The insurance company will reimburse you $2,500. Travel insurance covers flight cancelations, lost luggage, and other travel related mishaps—there’s no reason to purchase the add-on, flight protection insurance a booking engine recommends when you purchase an airline ticket because you are already covered.
I hesitate to recommend companies because I want to remain independent, however, I have used World Nomads (no hyperlink or affiliate fees) as a broker in the past. They quickly processed a claim the one time I needed to utilize my insurance coverage. Read the fine print on their policies—if you crash a motorbike while drunk, the insurance coverage is voided. If you bring drugs into Singapore, World Nomads (or anyone else for that matter) will not airlift you out of the country.
The danger zone for travel insurance is when you are in the U.S. between travels. If you fly home for two weeks between South America and heading to Europe or Asia—travel insurance doesn’t apply for that two-week period. The travel insurance creates a no-coverage zone in a 150-mile radius from your home location. If you are home for a week and break your leg…you are in serious trouble. From a financial standpoint the U.S. is the worst country to suffer an injury. Consider a short-term health insurance plan which will cost around $100/month to avoid a major health related financial set back.