Would You Risk Leaving Home Without Travel Insurance?

Incredibly there are still those who leave home without travel insurance – in fact there are hundreds of thousands world wide, and many are caught out.

Consider this outcome:

You have an accident while travelling overseas that is deemed your fault. Not only has someone else been injured but you have been hospitalised and need to return home. Once home you are off work for 5 weeks while you recover.

And the scenario - well, unless you have taken out appropriate travel insurance the news varies between bad to catastrophic.

For a start, litigation claims are on the increase in many countries leaving you wide open to legal action. Add the cost of hospital and medical fees, plus the cost of cancelled or missed flights, tours etc. Then add the airfare for returning home ahead of schedule and possibly someone flying over to accompany you back, and you are starting to get the picture.

Then, back in Australia, you are unable to work while rent or mortgage, car repayments and myriad other bills keep coming.

Talk about a case of, “For the sake of a nail the battle was lost.” For the sake of taking out travel insurance cover many travellers expose themselves, and their families, to financial hardship.

It has been said, If you can’t afford travel insurance, you can’t afford to travel, and it’s true. With the wide range of economical choices in travel insurance – often with the convenience of online and a further 10% reduction in price – there is no excuse.

In taking out comprehensive insurance, travellers can expect benefits such as unlimited evacuation and emergency medical, hospital and dental cover and cancelled fares; $5 million in personal liability cover; $25,000 death or permanent disability; $10,000 loss of income; and more. And most insurance companies offer a variety of options including backpacker insurance , single trip and more.

Be aware though, there are still factors which could strip a traveller of his or her cover, such as travelling in areas specifically labelled ‘No Go’ by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, not declaring pre-existing medical conditions or having an accident while over the drink drive limit.

So, be aware of the risks of leaving home without travel insurance, take adequate cover out before you travel, and avoid activities that will cause your cover to become void. But, most of all, have a great trip!