Don’t Leave Home Without Travel Insurance
According to AAA, 43.4 million Americans will journey 50 miles or more from home during the Thanksgiving holiday weekend. In fact, the average distance traveled by Americans during Thanksgiving is expected to be 601 miles. Ninety percent of these travelers will do so by automobile, leaving 3.14 million travelers to crowd the airports (AAA: 43.4 million Americans to travel for Thanksgiving, a slight decline from last year, November 20th, 2013).
Whether traveling three hours by automobile or rushing to the airport to enjoy an overbooked flight, travelers this holiday season face several risks. Many will enjoy stress-free, accident-free travel, but many will also face flat tires, automobile accidents, delayed or missed flights. As the old saying goes, it’s better to be safe than sorry.
“Planning a trip away from home involves pre-paid expenses and planning. Plane tickets, cruise fares and tour packages all cost money. What happens if you need to cancel because your 3-year-old gets sick or your car breaks down on the way to the airport and you miss your flight? What if you’ve finally taken that trip to Paris and you wind up in the hospital and are now facing a huge medical bill because your insurance doesn’t cover you overseas?,” says Frank N. Darras, America’s top disability insurance lawyer.
Have you considered travel insurance? This type of insurance typically covers cancelled trips, medical expenses, evacuations, loss or delays, and 24/7 live assistance. Cancelled trips are the number one concern amongst travelers, as well as the most common. Travel insurance will reimburse the traveler for pre-paid and non-refundable expenses if they have to cancel the trip or outings during the trip.
Reasons that are covered under travel insurance are sickness, injury, death of individual, family member or travel companion, laid off from work or required to work, natural disasters, terrorist incident in destination city, bankruptcy of travel supplier, and jury duty. (SixWise.com, How to Travel Abroad Safely: Six Important Tips You Need to Know in an Emergency, November 11, 2005).
While cancellation of trips or outings is one of the most common reasons to invest in and use travel insurance, an often overlooked reason to purchase it is medical emergencies, For some travelers, their health insurance or even their life insurance policy provides overseas medical coverage in case there was an emergency overseas. For many, their insurance doesn’t extend past the borders of the United States. Even if your coverage does extend overseas, it’s likely your provider won’t cover the cost of an emergency evacuation back to the United States. That’s when travel medical insurance can fill a huge gap in protection.
“Still not convinced? Travel insurance will also provide 24/7 phone assistance worldwide. This provides a “lifeline” no matter what happens or where you are in the world. Whether it’s a medical emergency, stolen baggage, lost passport, or a cancelled flight, you’ll have a number you can call and get real help. Take time to really look at a travel insurance plan, ask questions from a trusted lawyer or insurance agent, and make sure you’re protected while traveling this season,” says Darras.