• 21
  May
  2010

• Safety and Insurance Help You Get the Better of Criminals

  
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When traveling abroad, it is always a good idea to be safe rather than sorry, whether or not you have international travel insurance. Many countries that are well-known for their tourism are also well-known for high crime rates. Remember to check whether your travel insurance plan will cover you for theft of your personal belongings.

To help you stay safe, follow basic safety: Do not travel alone at night, unless your destination has a vibrant night life, or is absolutely safe. Try and let someone know where you’re going and when you’ll be back.

Remember that your cell phone is not the police. While the police department may move fast in your country, it may not be the case at your destination. Remember that poorer countries have less to spend on everything, including the police force. While a cell phone is a very useful instrument to call for help, it can deceive us into a false feeling of security at times.

Never speak about your finances in public or to strangers. While you might have just concluded a $1 million deal, it is not necessary to share that information with the stranger next to you on the bus. If, unfortunately, you do get accosted, do not try and fight the criminal. Hand over your belongings, try and notice as much about the perpetrator as you can, and walk away.

Travel tip: If you are looking to claim reimbursement from your travel insurance, file a police complaint and insist on a copy of the complaint. It is a necessity for reimbursement.

• 20
  May
  2010

• Sam’s Insurance Escapades-I: Air Ambulance Transportation

  
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Sam Traveler (say) is our ideal international traveler, and tells the story of how his international travel health insurance helped save his life when he was in Burundi. Sam had purchased the Liaison Majestic travel insurance plan. Traveler was out to discover the countryside, and with the help of a local guide, went on a tour around the country.

Unfortunately, halfway along the trip, during a hike, Sam fell ill. His condition was unknown, and so, his travel insurance plan would not pay for emergency medical evacuation. Yet, they were miles away from a hospital that could evaluate his condition.

Typically, international travel insurance plans only include coverage for ground ambulance transportation, and there was no way that Sam could be reached by an ambulance by road. Thankfully, the Liaison Majestic plan provides reimbursement for the costs of air ambulance for those areas that are not reachable by road.

Sam and his guide heaved a sigh of relief, as he was transported to the nearest hospital by air ambulance, where his problem was diagnosed as a mild infection. Calling the local insurance agent, or having someone do that for you can save precious dollars, not to mention your life as well!

Travel tip: Always carry the phone number of the customer service number of the insurance company when traveling.

• 19
  May
  2010

• Insurance for Two: Travel Coverage when Pregnant

  
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While many doctors may advise a pregnant woman against travel in the very early or very late stages of pregnancy, travel during most other times should be relatively risk-free. International travel medical insurance typically does not cover pregnancy.

However, some plans such as the Atlas Travel Series provide coverage up to a certain point of the pregnancy. The Atlas Travel Insurance plan provides coverage up to the 26th week of gestation. But it is easy to mistake the term “weeks of gestation.” What exactly does it mean?

The gestational age of a fetus is calculated from the first day of the last menstrual period of the mother. The other term, conceptional age, is the age of the fetus calculated from the day of fertilization, which is typically two weeks after the date of gestation.

In summary, you want to be sure that any pregnancy-related complications will be covered for your baby’s gestational age. It is also important to ensure that your international travel is cleared by your physician, before you decide to travel.

Travel tip: If you must travel when pregnant, get a letter from your doctor declaring you fit for international travel, if possible.

• 18
  May
  2010

• Jane’s Adventures with Travel Insurance-I: Riding on Riders

  
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Jane Wanderlust (say) is a young woman who wants to see the world. From hiking the mountains of Kilimanjaro to snorkeling off the Great Barrier Reef, she is simply excited by travel and the adventures it brings. She is always careful to not just purchase international travel medical insurance, but also additional hazardous sports coverage, since most of her trips contain some element of what would be considered “hazardous sports.”

This time around, Jane is considering a holiday on the beach with some friends of hers. They’re planning a few recreational activities, no more: jet skiing, some scuba diving and some snorkeling. Having traveled a lot with travel insurance in tow, she knows that these activities will not be covered by her basic Patriot Group medical travel insurance plan.

But the plan offers two separate coverage options for sports: the Leisure Sports Rider and the Extreme Sports Rider. All of Jane’s proposed activities fall under the Leisure Sports Rider. The Extreme Sports Rider includes sports such as bungee jumping, mountain biking, paragliding, rappelling, rock climbing, and whitewater rafting.

If Jane had planned one or more of the Extreme Sports, she might have had to purchase two separate riders, and might have wanted to look for a plan that covered all the sports under one rider.

Travel tip: if you’re not sure whether your trip will include any of these activities, but you’d like to try, you’ll probably be fine with the Leisure Sports Rider.