I’m fortunate that my job takes me to some of the most amazing places on the planet to do some fantastic things. From climbing Kilimanjaro, to camping in the Sahara, to hiking in the Himalaya, I’ve had the opportunity to see places that most people only dream about. But the destinations I visit are often very remote and some of the activities come with a certain measure of risk as well. Because of this, I always purchase travel insurance before setting out, and you should too. With that in mind, here are five reasons why you should invest in travel insurance coverage before setting out on your next adventure as well.
Emergency Evacuation
One of the biggest worries for adventure travelers is taking ill or getting injured while visiting a destination that is miles away from a hospital or other kinds of medical care. But if you have a travel insurance plan, you’ll not only be covered for emergency evacuations, you’ll also receive help in determining the best course of action for treating the illness or injury too. Some plans will even cover the costs of family members traveling to meet you should an extended stay in a hospital be required. As if that wasn’t enough, you’ll also be covered for the appropriate care when you get home too.
Finding Quality Heath Care No Matter Where You Are
It isn’t always easy to know which doctors to see or hospitals to go to when visiting a foreign country. But a good travel insurance plan will also offer advice and information on where to go to receive the proper care. You’ll have an emergency response team at your disposal 24/7, which can help answer questions and direct you to the best place to receive the care you need. That kind of information can be invaluable while traveling.
Keep Medical Costs Down
Most of our health insurance plans don’t cover us while we traveling in foreign countries, and especially if you’re undertaking adventurous activities like climbing a mountain or rafting a Class V river. But travel insurance from a company such as MedEx of United Healthcare Global is designed to help keep costs down and prevent you from having to pay an arm and leg to receive care. Some plans do have a deductible, but even that will be far less than what you might pay if you were to become ill or injured while on the road.
Non-Medical Assistance
Travel insurance isn’t just useful for overcoming medical emergencies. It can prove highly useful in other ways too. For instance, insurance representatives can help you to get a new passport should yours get lost or stolen. Depending on your plan, you might also be able to receive emergency funds if your cash is taken as well. Most travel insurance companies can offer advice on a wide variety of topics, including where to seek legal advice, how to recover lost travel documents, and who to talk to for arranging assistance in non-medical emergencies too. It’s a bit like having a very knowledgable travel resource at your service 24 hours a day.
Unexpected Interruptions
Lets face it, travel isn’t cheap and it can be very disappointing when it doesn’t go as planned. If your luggage is lost or a trip gets unexpectedly cancelled, there might not be much you can do. But if you have the proper travel insurance, you’ll be compensated for these issues, often receiving cash to help purchase new gear to see you through your journey, or covering the costs of the trip if it does get delayed or cancelled. Depending on where you are going, you might not have much legal recourse to recover the funds you’ve spent otherwise.
As mentioned MedEx of United Healthcare Global can offer travel insurance plans that can provide these levels of protection and more. The company offers plans that can cover travelers for a minimum of 7-days overseas up to a full year abroad. Customers have access to a 24/7 emergency response team that can help answer questions and lend assistance as needed, offering advice on a wide variety of topics.
MedEx has three plan levels that offer a variety of coverages ranging from $50k to $500k in medical insurance, the handling of records and other information, medical and dental referrals, transferal of medication prescriptions and more all for just a few dollars per day. Their coverage also includes emergency travel options, replacement of lost travel documents, legal referrals, transportation to medical facilities, and lots of other things you don’t tend to consider until you run into a problem while traveling. (Note: MedEx of United Healthcare Global is not available for purchase by residents of Washington State or New York)
I’ve been fortunate that I haven’t had to use my travel insurance while on a trip, but I have been with others who have. For instance, while visiting Everest Base Camp a few years back, one of the members of my group became incredibly sick due to the altitude. She needed to be taken to the nearest hospital as quickly as possible, and received emergency treatment for high altitude pulmonary edema. Similarly, last year when I was climbing Kilimanjaro two members of the team had to be taken off the mountain via helicopter when one had a severe allergic reaction to something she came in contact with, while the other was once again suffering from altitude sickness. In both cases, travel insurance covered the costs of the evacuations and the medical treatment that followed.
And if you need yet another reason why you should carry travel insurance while traveling abroad, consider this. Many adventure travel companies now make it mandatory that you have coverage before you depart on the trip. Some will offer their own plans of course, while others will allow you to choose the company that you want to work with. If that is the case, you should definitely look for a quote from MedEx. Not only are their insurance plans very reasonably priced, they give you the coverage that you need for the destinations you are visiting. Keep in mind, depending on the activities that you plan on doing, you may need to add a sports rider as well to ensure that your coverage handles whatever things you choose to do while on the road.
Find out more by visiting the MedEx website and pricing out the plans that best fit your needs.
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