Filipinos love to travel. You can actually see our kababayans practically everywhere. But by doing so we are leaving ourselves open to a range of risks that could be mitigated simply by spending a few pesos on a travel insurance policy.
Here, I have rounded up 5 reasons why every traveler should invest in a reliable and trusted travel insurance. Read on...
You'll avoid hefty medical bills
Of course, we do not wan to anticipate anything bad to happen to us while we were supposed to enjoy on our travels. But should you require any healthcare overseas, you can end up paying out for huge medical bills, even if you use your international HMO cards as they manage to take advantage of reciprocal arrangements from concerned companies. When you find out the costs it’s possible to incur, it’s easy to see why some Pinoys say medical fees are their main reason for taking out cover before a holiday.
Trusted insurance company Malayan Insurance has Travel Master which you can purchase conveniently online can be your passport towards worry-free travels both here and abroad. I could recall the time when my mom and I went through a vehicular accident in the summer of 2014 in an adventure theme park in Porac, Pampanga where my mom has suffered from fractured femur which eventually caused her to undergo partial hip prosthesis, thereby leaving her with a limp and a cane (and made her a certified PWD) for the rest of her life.
If only I could turn back time, I wished I had gotten us a travel insurance so that it would not have been so difficult for me and my mom. I remember at the time I didn't know exactly what to do since it was the very first time I had encountered an accident and we were out of town. What supposed to be a day of fun and excitement at the said adventure theme park ended up into something as tragic as an accident on an ATV. If we had a travel insurance then, perhaps, things would have been better. I'm sure it would have been easier for me to transport and travel my mom back to Manila and I would've been able to save more money if we had a travel insurance to rely on. But since we didn't had any at the time, we spent a really huge amount of money. I keep thanking God and all the love I had received from kind-hearted friends of ours who helped us in such difficult ordeal in our lives.
The number one reason why people take travel insurance, however the key is to make sure you are adequately insured. Medical bills nowadays can be colossal and in some countries public hospitals can be in poor condition (like in ours, unfortunately). Ideally you want a full medical travel cover so that you are covered in a private hospital and for air ambulance, should you not be able to come home on a commercial flight.
Buying a travel insurance policy with sufficient medical coverage will protect you from those bills, ensuring you can get treatment as and when you need it.
You'll be covered if you lose your belongings/theft
Many of us travel away with a range of goods from clothes to electrical items, toiletries to jewellery. Yet if you lose these items or they are stolen and you don’t have travel insurance, you could be left to cover the cost of replacements.
You could, of course, claim on your home insurance policy, but this will only work if it covers you for taking your items overseas. And even if it does, claiming on your home insurance will put your premiums up for the next year.
As a result, it makes much more sense to buy a travel insurance policy for peace of mind. Make sure it also includes cover for your travel money so that you’re protected for loss or theft of your cash.
Every holiday destination has it’s tourist trap. Pickpockets and robberies are not uncommon in large cities and holiday resorts, particularly during the peak season. Although expensive items need to covered on your house policy, travel insurance will cover you for loss of money and even replacement passports. Amounts covered vary depending on the policy you choose so make sure you read your policy document to see how much you are covered for.
Top tip: If you are unlucky to have items stolen on you, make sure you call the police. Travel Insurance companies rarely refund expenses without an official police report.
You don't have to fork out for cancellation fees
When you book a trip, the last thing you’ll be thinking about is cancelling your travel plans. Yet if you or someone in your travelling party falls ill, you get called for jury service, or you get made redundant, for example, you may be forced to cancel your trip.
A travel insurance policy that includes cancellation cover will protect you in these circumstances, and if you have to cut your holiday short to fly home in an emergency, your policy should also cover you.
You'll be covered if you cause an accident
Personal liability cover will pay out if you cause an accident while you’re on holiday, perhaps while skiing, or on road trips for example. If you were at fault, the person you have injured (or the person whose property you’ve damaged) could make a claim against you which could run into thousands of pounds. Personal liability cover, however, will protect you against these costs.
A good travel insurance policy will also include personal accident cover which will pay out in the event you yourself are hurt in an accident.
You could be compensated for a flight delayed
If you get stuck on a delayed flight you might have some rights under the law. However, a travel insurance policy with travel delay cover will pay out once those delays become too lengthy to bear. No one could have foreseen the extent of flight disruption when 10 million people were stranded and 100,000 flights were cancelled due to the Icelandic ash cloud. I always recommend that you add travel disruption cover to your existing policy (extra charge applies). You will be covered for additional expenses if your flight is cancelled or delayed for more than 12 hours. You can also claim back expenses due to flooding, earthquakes or if you are advised against travel to a specific country due to unrest.
What’s more, if you miss your departure due to getting stuck in a traffic jam or on a broken down train on your way to the airport, you’ll also have cover to help get you on your way.
Peace of Mind
All of the above are good reasons why we need travel insurance but for me the most important one of all is peace of mind. Holidays are great to plan, fun to go on and hopefully will be full of good memories. Make sure you head off on your holidays without any necessary worries. Enjoy peace of mind knowing you have the right travel insurance.
For more information on Malayan Insurance's Travel master, visit their Facebook page and Instagram. You may also visit their websites for more details at www.malayan.com and www.malayanonline.com.
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