Monday, 30 November 2009

10 Top tips when buying medical travel insurance for 50, over 65 or over 75

If you travel without medical travel insurance cover you could deeply regret it if anything goes wrong. Never assume your credit card accident cover is enough, or that your home insurance will cover you against any eventuality. Even private health cover is often not enough to ensure you are treated quickly in the event of an accident or illness.

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Even in these days of credit crunch and recession, thousands of people are still planning holidays and short breaks to Europe and worldwide. Failing to take out travel insurance can prove costly and may not only ruin your holiday, but it could ruin your life. Even minor surgery in Europe can cost around £10,000 and much more in the USA and beyond.

Don't let the price quoted by your travel agent put you off - according to Confused.com, policies bought from travel agents can cost four times as much as those you find by shopping around. Follow our 20 tips on cutting the cost of travel insurance and making sure you get the right policy for you.

An emergency abroad can be very expensive and can even wipe out your life savings. If you need to be flown back to the UK, you could end up paying thousands of pounds if you don´t have adequate insurance. Approximate costs include:

• Air ambulance from USA, east coast - £35-45,000• Air ambulance from Canary Islands - £12-16,000• Scheduled flight with doctor escort from Australia - £15-20,000 If you are over 50, over 65 or over 75, medical travel insurance is not only important it is essential, so make sure you have adequate cover for your trip and pick a good travel insurance, not just the cheapest.
The British Embassy or High Commission will not pay for you to be flown back to the UK, no matter how serious your injuries are so, whether you are covered by multi trip travel insurance or single trip travel insurance, or travel insurance for the over 60s, make sure your policy covers:

• Any pre-existing medical conditions
• 24 hour emergency services and assistance
• Personal liability cover in case you are involved in an accident and you are sued by a third party
• Cover for lost or stolen possessions, including passport, money and credit cards
• Cancellation or cutting short your trip
• Extra cover for activities which may not be included such as winter sports
• Personal accident cover
• Legal expenses cover
• Financial protection in case in case your travel company or airline goes bankrupt before you travel.

If you are over the age of 50, try to use an insurance company which specialises in travel cover for the over 50s, and you may get a more complete service at a lower price than you will pay elsewhere.

Always check the conditions and exclusions of your policy, as most medical travel insurance will not cover drink or drug related incidents. Also, with world terrorist threats on the increase, make sure terrorism is not excluded from the policy.

Top medical and travel insurance tips include:

1. Choose the right travel insurance policy

Make sure you choose the right travel insurance policy look beyond the cost. If you are over 50 and you are looking for medical travel insurance, choose a company who specialises in over 50s policies, and one that puts great emphasis on customer care. You can check reviews of travel insurance companies online before you book insurance or look at the customer testimonials. Also, only use a regulated UK company. Ask as many questions as you need to about multi-trip travel insurance and single trip travel insurance for the over 65s, and don´t leave it until the last minute to book or you may be rushed into taking out unsuitable insurance.

2. Different types of medical insurance policies The two main types of medical travel insurance policies include single trip policies and annual multi-trip policies which will cover the insured for every trip they take within 12 months. Some holiday insurance companies will offer tailor-made packages to suit your individual requirements. If you know you will only be taking one holiday during the year, a single trip policy is best for you but if there is a likelihood you will be travelling more than once, a multi-trip policy can save you money and offer you comprehensive cover.

3. Where do you want to travel on holiday?

The price of holiday travel insurance can vary greatly depending on where you plan to travel and for how long. It can also depend on your age and the over 50s, over 60s, over 70s, and over 80s can arrange specialist travel insurance which will keep the cost down and cover them for all eventualities. If you want a multi-trip policy, most insurers will offer worldwide cover or European cover.

Comprehensive medical travel insurance should cover most worldwide destinations and European ones, including: Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Gibraltar, Greece, Guernsey, Hungary, Ireland, Albania, Israel, Poland, Andorra, Italy, Portugal, Austria, Kosovo, Rumania, Belarus, Latvia, Russia, Belgium, Lithuania and Serbia.

It may be worth you booking single trip insurance for a one off visit outside Europe and also a multi-trip policy covering Europe if you intend to take more trips within a year. If you intend to take part in any high risk activities such as winter sports or scuba diving while you are away, make sure your policy covers these, as you may have to pay an extra premium. If you are older and have pre-existing medical conditions it will definitely pay to go to a medical travel insurance company which specialises in cover for the over 50s. Non-disclosure of pre-existing medical complaints could result in any claim being rejected so you must always be completely up front and honest with your travel insurance company.

4. What is the maximum trip duration?

Again, maximum trip duration usually depends on your age and the destination you plan to travel to, but most long stay travel insurance policies should cover you. If you are over 75, you should still be able to find affordable long stay travel insurance from a firm that specialises in cover for older travellers. Look for a specialist travel insurance company that will insure you from 3 to 18 months if you are over 50 (maximum trip duration can depend on age). Also, if you intend to travel widely around the UK during the course of a year, make sure this is included in any multi-trip travel insurance, which may only cover holidays abroad. You are just as likely to have your credit cards stolen in Blackpool as you are in Benidorm!

5. Cancellation insurance

Book your travel insurance as soon as possible after arranging your holiday, and make sure you have cancellation insurance cover. If your trip has to be cancelled or delayed for any reason you can claim for this. Look for a policy with higher cancellation cover, particularly if you are going on a cruise or an expensive holiday.Work out how much you have paid for your holiday and insure your trip for close to that cover. In other words, even if you insure a trip for £5,000, if it only cost you £1,000 and it is cancelled, you will only receive back the money you paid for it, so don´t waste money on high insurance cover that you will not benefit from.

6. Baggage insurance

Senior citizen´s travel insurance should normally cover loss or damage to baggage. You may want travel insurance to cover a trip to Spain, Portugal, France, Germany, Majorca, Italy, Cyprus, Turkey, Greece, Romania, Malta or any other worldwide destination, but make sure your over 50s holiday insurance includes everything you want covered. British travel insurance is among the best in Europe, and even with pre-existing medical conditions, you should be able to find a policy to suit you. Claiming for lost or stolen baggage abroad can be difficult and costly so make sure you are covered before you travel.

7. Family holiday travel insurance

If you are travelling with your family, family travel insurance is usually the best option. Most policies are flexible and some are individually arranged to suit your requirements, so if you have any particular questions, put them to the insurers before you book your insurance. Also check, if you have younger children, if they will be insured if they travel without you.

8. Driving insurance for the over 50s

If you are planning to drive while you are on holiday abroad, make sure your car insurance covers you. Some insurers do this as standard but others may require that you pay extra. You also need to know about local traffic laws and regulations so you don´t end up with on the spot fines for illegal parking. In Spain for example, you must carry a high visibility jacket in the car to put on if you break down and you must carry a two red triangles to put on the road either end of your car in case of breakdown. Most car hire companies don´t tell you about this, so check for yourself before you travel.

9. Airline failure and insurance cover

During 2008, several airlines and travel companies collapsed, which prompted concerns from travellers that their insurance may not cover them for flight and holiday cancellations. Some travel insurers now include this in their standard cover, but if not, you should be able to include airline failure for a small extra premium. If you pay for your flight with a credit card, you are covered under Section 75 of the Consumer Credit Act for purchases between £100 and £3,000. If you are wondering how to pick a good travel insurance for long stay visits or short term breaks, make sure trip cancellation is included in the cover. 10. Checks to make before you travel

If you are planning to jet off on holiday, make sure you have checked any visa requirements for countries outside Europe. You can find the information from the Embassy or Consulate for the country you are travelling to. Also, make sure your passport has at least 6 months left on it as some countries require you to have this before they will allow entry. Remember to take your European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) if you are travelling to Europe as this will ensure some medical treatment is paid for. This is not a substitute for a good medical travel insurance policy though, so always book comprehensive insurance before you travel.

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