Travel insurance is a type of insurance policy that covers the individual for potential losses arising from a trip and can help travellers in times of need such as an accident or sickness. Travel insurance offers a range of various services including medical coverage, medical evacuation, trip cancellation, lost baggage, and even legal assistance. It is an essential thing to be purchased before you embark on the journey as you wouldn’t want to find yourself in financial ruin if an emergency occurred while overseas.
However, with all the different policies and coverages available, it is important to ask the insurance agent some questions to make sure the insurance plan is right for your condition and needs. Continue reading to find out more about the questions and other facts in order to make the best decision before choosing a policy:
Will my travel insurance policy cover any of my pre-existing medical conditions?
Pre-existing medical conditions refers to a personal illness, disease or health condition that you knew you’ve been diagnosed with, given medicine and/or medical treatment before the beginning of your trip. The conditions can be in the form of asthma, diabetes, heart problems, etc. Unfortunately, the majority of travel insurance policies do not cover the complications of these conditions when they happen abroad. But still, in some cases the answer to this question can be varied, so make sure to ask your agent to steer clear of ambiguity.
For instance, you might learn that there are some insurance companies that offer plans with the waiver of the pre-existing medical condition by doing an early purchase. This means that when you purchase the plan long before the date of the trip, you’ll get covered to a certain amount of medical expense in the case of an emergency. Another important tip is to always be honest in explaining your health condition during the insurance registration process, otherwise, you won’t be able to claim coverage for the hospitalisation bill of the pre-existing medical condition you have.
Does my travel insurance policy cover sports or any of “high risk” activities?
If you’re planning on engaging in such a ‘high-risk’ sport or adventure activities during your vacation, consider asking the above question to find out whether the insurance will cover any unexpected accident or injury. Most of the travel insurance policies, however, might not include coverage for skydiving, jet-skiing, and the likes, as these sports are deemed as ‘high risk’. Thus for your own safety, it would be wise to buy additional insurance plans with specific features of sports coverage and protection.
Do I need approval or pre-authorization from the insurance company before seeking medical treatment or hospitalization? Is there any 24-hour customer service number from the insurance company that I can call in case of an emergency?
Most insurance providers will require you to get their approval or pre-authorization prior to seeking medical treatment. Otherwise, your claim of the medical bill cannot be reimbursed as a consequence of not contacting them beforehand. Another benefit of calling your insurance provider is sometimes they can provide you with valuable information regarding accredited health facilities near your location. With that being said, don’t forget to ask for their 24H customer service number which can be called anytime anywhere.
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