Friday, July 30, 2010

Insure Your Vacation

By Michele Graham

No one wants to think about the possibility that things can go wrong, when planning a vacation.

But accepting that things can go wrong in these trips may very well be your best protection from the worst, because you will realize that one of your most important tools to ensure your safety is travel insurance.

No matter what destination or mode of travel you might decide on, travel insurances is one way to protect you and your investment if an unavoidable event might occur that will interrupt, delay or even cancel your trip.

There are many options to choose from, from policies that can refund the cost of your trip if you are forced to cancel to those that provide assistance if you find yourself stranded, with lost luggage or fallen ill.

If you're not paying a lot for reservations and traveling within the United States, you may not feel any need for trip insurance, especially if you are a member of a group such as AAA. However, if you get sick or get into an accident in another state, you could be facing large medical bills since most health insurance policies are limited to the state where they were purchased and often to a set network.

Medical travel insurance can assist you with these costs in the U.S. or abroad, depending on the type of coverage. Policies can also assist with getting you relocated to a treatment facility closer to home, should longer term hospitalization be required.

What happens if a medical emergency occurs just before departure and you are unable to continue your trip where reservation fees and plane tickets have already been paid? Trip cancellation insurance can cover the cost for the "non refundable" prepaid travel expenses, although this might not make up for having to cancel the vacation you dreamed of but helps to lessen the burden. The accepted reasons for cancellation vary depending on the policy, but typically cover illness, an accident or death involving the insured, a family member or traveling companion. Some plans may even accept work related issues or any reason at all for cancellation.

Other types of travel insurance geared towards students, business travelers, missionaries, or those in a high risk line of work, may help with lost luggage, flight cancellations and even family members in recovering a body of a traveler who dies abroad, or provide life insurance for those who loses a family member during travel.

While none of us like to think about something going wrong before or during our vacation, it can pay to be prepared if it does. How much it pays can depend on the situation, coverage, kind of trip but it is worth it if it gives you nothing more to think about other than your vacation itself.

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