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When
going on holiday the most important think you need to
get is travel insurance, there are lots of things that
you should consider when selecting which insurance to
choose.
Here
is a guide to travel insurance
E111
or European Health Insurance Card
When
travelling within the European Union (including Iceland,
Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland) you need to have
a European Health Insurance Card which replaced the
old E111. This card enables you to get free of discounted
medical treatment at public health centres or hospitals
within the EU.
Do
not mistake the card for travel insurance! The card
will not cover you for private health
cover or other holiday mishaps that normal travel insurance
covers you for i.e. getting rescued from ski slopes,
being repatriated if you need to be flown home for medical
treatment or even more 'mundane' things such as cancellation
costs, stolen or lost personal possessions.
Cost
of travel insurance
There
are many many online
travel insurance companies and they will almost
without exception be cheaper than travel agents who
offer travel insurance with their holidays.
A
recent survey by Which? found that a Thomas
Cook policy for a family cost £200 more than the
same type of policy with their Best Buy travel insurance
provider.
Annual
multi-trip or single trip?
If
you or members of your family take more than two holidays,
whether as a group or individually, then it is generally
better to take an annual multi-trip policy - they allow
you to go on holiday as an when you like and includes
trips up to 30 days (this can vary by provider).
Single
trip travel insurance is generally only useful if you
are really only going to be going away once in the year.
Remember
that even if you travel in the UK you should still take
travel insurance
Cover
limits
Always
check the claim limits on the insurance policy you buy.
There are often lots of sections so you should check
them carefully. Things to look for
- Medical expenses these vary but you should always
make sure its at least £1,000,000 - more if you
travel to the USA.
- Personal belongings should be around £2000 (usually
companies allow you to upgrade this)
- Single item limit, if you are taking expensive cameras
or other electronic equipment then you need to check
that these will be covered for their full value
- Delayed / missed departure, if you have booked an
expensive holiday this is essential if there is any
chance you may miss the trip
- Personal liability should be over £1,000,000
as this covers you if you are sued abroad
Exclusions
Travel
insurance contains many exclusions which could invalidate
any part or all of your insurance so read them carefully.
They include exclusions relating to hazardous activities,
pre-existing medical conditions, time limits on when
the policy takes effect, new for old replacement etc.
Read
them carefully because you could find yourself in a
great deal of debt if you participate in an excluded
activity and injure yourself.
Pre-existing
medical conditions
This
is something that people easily overlook, especially
when buying a policy online. If you have ANY
sort of medical condition from asthma to angina you
must disclose this. Online insurers don't normally allow
this to be done online so you need to call.
This
is a common opt out clause that insurers will try and
use if you make a claim so do not think that you don't
need to tell them because if they would not have covered
you initially then your claim will not be honoured and
you could find yourself stuck abroad in hospital!
Older
travellers
Once
you turn 65 getting travel insurance becomes much hard
and much more expensive especially if you are going
to the USA. It is generally possible to single trip
insurance but not annual policies. Once you are over
75 you may not be able to get insurance at all.
offer single trip policies for people up to 99 years
old and annual policies to up to 64 years or annual
policies for travellers up to 99 to European regions.
How
much should I pay?
Prices
vary dependant on a number of factors but things like
length of trip, destination and medical conditions are
the main ones. Check
out our price comparison table
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