A Buyer's Guide to Medical Insurance

It is important to shop wisely for trip insurance. Many people buy coverage that seems inexpensive only to find out that they are not adequately covered when a medical emergency occurs. Below are a few key questions you should ask your insurance provider before purchasing trip insurance:

o What is not covered by the policy? Insurance companies call these "exclusions," and every policy has them.

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o Are there specific exclusions relating to sports or other activities?

o Does the plan have a deductible that you must pay each time you file a claim?

o Does the plan deny benefits if your medical emergency arises because of a "pre-existing condition or health problem"?

Knowing the answers to these questions can help you avoid unpleasant surprises when you make a claim. Make sure you understand exactly what your trip insurance plan covers. When in doubt, call your insurer. A reputable insurance company can give you straight answers to your questions. Most offer toll free numbers so you can call them directly from wherever you are.

If you find that a plan has too many restrictions and complications, or that your questions are not being answered satisfactorily, do not hesitate to look somewhere else.

A comprehensive travel health insurance plan usually covers the following emergency medical expenses:

o Hospital accommodations

o Medical bills such as those for a physician, surgeon, and anesthetist

o Ambulances

o Diagnostic services such as laboratory tests and x-rays

o Private registered nurses

o Medical aids such as slings or splints, and the temporary rental of wheelchairs or walkers

o Prescription drugs

o Cost of returning a deceased back home

Remember that when it comes to insurance, you get what you pay for. When shopping around for trip insurance, it is important to keep in mind that not all insurance policies are alike. Be aware of minor price variations between insurance companies (the cheapest may not be the best company to deal with when you have a claim.)

A Buyer's Guide to Medical Insurance

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Car Insurance Coverage on Cross Country Road Trips

At any point in one's life, it can seem like an attractive idea to take your car out on the open road. A road trip can be a fun and carefree way to sight see, and driving your car to a holiday destination can leave you with more freedom once you are there to travel around. Some people enjoy the journey itself more than the destination, and it is not uncommon for one to take their own motor vehicle cross country. Depending on how close you live to a neighboring country, you could drive your own vehicle there. Most people are worrying about the customs legalities of making sure their vehicle is registered and will be allowed over the border, but there is another aspect that needs to be considered, and that is your car insurance.

If you are taking your vehicle into another country, you need to ensure that your vehicle will be adequately covered by your auto insurance. You are just as much at risk for being in a collision in another country as in your own, if not more. Driving on unfamiliar roads can be dangerous, and depending on the country you are visiting, it can cause some havoc to your vehicle. Furthermore, you need to consider the theft risk you are facing in a new country with your motor vehicle. You may not be aware of the risk of theft you are putting your vehicle in whilst on holiday.

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When you have decided to take a road trip, and are planning to enter into another country, you need to call your insurance broker and find out about the extent of your coverage. Most auto insurance policies will not automatically have inbuilt coverage for the vehicle entering other jurisdictions. You may need to pay more for the extended coverage, but it is imperative that you do so. Some insurance companies will have special deals for a vehicle travelling into another country, such as pay as you drive insurance, or sometimes an extended coverage option. Whatever you do, you need to make sure that the coverage you take out for your travels is as complete and thorough as the insurance coverage you have on an everyday basis.

Unfortunately, depending on the risks associated with that country, you may find yourself paying quite a hectic portion of money for the insurance. At least more than you are used to. This is because some countries have difficult roads to travel on and higher theft risks. This all depends on the information your auto insurance company has on the country you are going to be in. Some car insurance companies will not insure outside of their own country. In this circumstance you will have to do some research and find out whether you can temporarily insure your vehicle in the country you are visiting.

In addition to making sure your vehicle is fully covered when you venture on your journeys, you must also ensure your car is in optimum condition for the long drive. This will also assist you in not having an accident and ensuring your safety on the trip. Make sure your tires and windshield wipers are working in optimum condition, and if possible, have your car looked over by a mechanic before you venture on the road.

Car Insurance Coverage on Cross Country Road Trips

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Overview of Travel Health Insurance Options

Travel health insurance policies offer such a broad range of coverage options, it would be impossible to outline every possible benefit in one short article. But there are some broad choices that travelers should consider before even thinking about the smaller details of coverage. Here is an overview of some of those options:

Short- or long-term coverage: Travel health insurance can offer protection for a short, 5-day trip, or it can offer you coverage for trips taken over several years. If you are planning on taking an extremely long vacation or you think you may take several short vacations over the course of a year or more, then a long-term option might be a good choice for you, On the other hand, if you plan on just taking one short trip of a lifetime, the short-term options can fit your needs perfectly. Premiums will also vary depending on which option you choose, so be sure to consider that as well.

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Number of trips annually: Rather than covering an indefinite number of trips over a pre-determined time period, some travel health insurance policies can provide coverage for a fixed number of trips over a certain term. If you plan a number of mission trips over one time period or have a business need to travel and can coordinate all your meetings into a predetermined number of trips, this might be a great option to check out.

Global or location specific: You can buy a policy that offers global coverage for travel or one which is location or region specific. You can even buy warzone insurance that protects you in the event you travel to a location with some political unrest or that is currently defined as a warzone.

Accidental death and dismemberment: Travel health insurance policies cover medical treatments for accidents and injuries, of course, but they can also provide financial benefits when you suffer an accidental death or dismemberment while traveling.

Specialized emergency services: The nature of any health insurance policy is to provide emergency medical services, but travel health insurance can also be structured to provide benefits for other emergency situations like medical evacuation, emergency reunion, and return of mortal remains. You can also include trip interruption, political evacuation and lost luggage benefits.

In addition to the very flexible time frames and benefits listed above, travel health policies can be designed with limits and deductibles that ensure you can afford the premiums and still get the substantial financial protections that an insurance policy should give.

Overview of Travel Health Insurance Options

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International Travel and Health Insurance For Short Term Missions Trips

Community building, outreach, adventure, missions and volunteer work are a few of the buzzwords that get tossed around when discussing short term out-of-country trips Churches and Christian organizations promote during school breaks and summer vacations.

It is easy to get caught up in the fundraising, the training, and the excitement without taking your health into consideration. Don't fool yourself into thinking that because of your short term stay, or the nature of your work, you won't be confronted with hazards to your health during your overseas travel.

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What can go wrong on an international short term trip?

1. An elderly man named Don Jenkins joined United Methodist Church in their volunteer missions trip to the Dominican Republic. This trip included construction work, and as a result of a nasty fall, he incurred significant head injuries which resulted in ,000 in medical bills.

2. Lest you think life-threatening situations are restricted to the elderly, college freshman Shane Luiz drowned the day before returning from his short term mission trip. His team had come to the Dominican Republic to teach a Vacation Bible School for children.

3. A young college student was bitten by a poisonous snake on a small Indonesian island. She was there on a short term trip to help a missionary family. Sadly, she died in great pain from the snake bite. Her family incurred a huge expense to have her remains repatriated back to the United States.

Why is it critical to have short term international health insurance?

Whether you are a volunteer planning on spending your summer in Guatemala, or a team leader intending to take a missions team to East Asia, take into serious consideration the benefits of short-term international health insurance.

First of all, most national insurance will not cover costs incurred out the United States, or a medical evacuation to fly the individual back to the states for intensive medical treatment. In the case of Don Jenkins, his family had to mortgage their house in order to pay for the ,000 medical evacuation.

Secondly, there are a wide range of plans to choose from. If you are an individual in need of short-term international insurance, there is a plan for you. If you would like to have your entire team covered, there are plans specifically for small groups (as small as two people!). There are separate plans for outreaches, Church trips and NGO's; so depending on your situation you can pick the appropriate plan.

Third, having your entire team covered protects the credibility and trustworthiness of your organization.

But won't this cost a lot?

If you include the cost of insurance in the figure denoting the amount of support that must be raised by each individual, your team will be more willing to comply, and will not view insurance as an extra expense. If you can register as a group for a group rate this may lower the rates for everyone.

Buying insurance before participating in an overseas volunteer and mission effort is a good way to take care of yourself and your family, while simultaneously reaching out to others.

International Travel and Health Insurance For Short Term Missions Trips

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