Comparison Shop for the Best Supplementary Travel Insurance

Illness can strike and accidents can happen, even during a very short business trip or recreational getaway. While your health card entitles you to certain out-of-country emergency health care services, the coverage is limited.

It’s important therefore, to consider supplementary travel insurance. However, if you decide to buy supplementary travel insurance, make sure the policy meets your needs. To determine the coverage that suits you best, here’s a snapshot of the information to consider when comparison shopping:

• Policies can vary greatly from company to company and from year to year. Your health, age, the medication you take, the destination and the length of your trip, are all factors that affect the price and the type of costs it will cover. If you’re 70 years of age or older, for example, or have any high-risk health problems, you may have to find an insurance company willing to write a travel medical insurance policy tailored to your situation.
• Read each policy you are offered carefully. You’ll find that different insurance companies have different clauses for pre-existing conditions, medical exclusions, exemptions, and non-emergencies. Make sure you understand the terms and definitions of each one. Ask questions if you’re not sure exactly what a term means, how it applies to your medical history, or how it affects the coverage offered to you.
• Do not make a choice based solely on the policy price. A low-cost policy may be less of a bargain, for example, if it limits the coverage of a medical emergency to just $25,000.

And don’t forget:

• Take your travel medical policy with you when you travelling.
• Keep your insurance company’s phone number and your health card with you.