Travel Insurance Mistakes You're Making - Tips to Stay Covered!

Summary

The transcript shares a detailed account of personal experiences with travel insurance, emphasizing its importance as a safety net for unexpected travel mishaps. It outlines various types of coverage, including emergency medical, trip cancellation, evacuation, and baggage loss, and stresses the need to understand policy details to avoid common pitfalls. The narrative includes lessons learned from dealing with claims, the importance of documentation, and tips for securing the right insurance for different travel scenarios.

Takeaways

• 🌟 Travel insurance is essential as a safety net for unexpected losses and emergencies while traveling.
• 🏥 Emergency medical insurance is the most critical type of coverage, reimbursing for unforeseen medical expenses during travel.
• 🚫 Be aware of policy limitations and exclusions, such as not covering extreme sports injuries or pre-existing conditions.
• 💰 Understand the coverage limits of your policy, as it may only cover medical expenses up to a certain amount.
• 🛫 Trip cancellation insurance can refund nonrefundable travel costs in case of personal or family medical emergencies.
• 🚁 Evacuation insurance covers the cost of getting to appropriate medical care in case of an emergency.
• 🧳 Baggage loss and theft insurance covers the value of travel belongings if they are lost, stolen, or damaged.
• 📝 Keep detailed records and receipts for all expenses and claims related to travel insurance.
• 📞 Have your insurance information readily available and share it with travel companions or someone at home.
• 🔄 Follow up on claims and be prepared to escalate issues if necessary to ensure proper reimbursement.
• 🌍 Consider the nature of your trip and existing insurance provisions, such as credit card travel insurance, before purchasing a policy.

Q & A

What is the primary purpose of travel insurance?

The primary purpose of travel insurance is to provide a safety net for travelers, covering unexpected losses and expenses while traveling, such as medical costs, trip cancellations, lost luggage, and other unforeseen incidents.

What are some common types of coverage included in travel insurance policies?

Common types of coverage in travel insurance policies include emergency medical insurance, trip cancellation insurance, evacuation insurance, and baggage loss and theft insurance.

Why is it crucial to read the fine print of your travel insurance policy?

Reading the fine print is crucial because every insurance policy has limitations and exclusions. Understanding these details is essential to ensure that you have the necessary coverage and to avoid potential denial of claims.

What is the significance of emergency medical insurance in a travel insurance policy?

Emergency medical insurance is significant as it covers or reimburses unexpected medical expenses while traveling, providing a crucial safety net in case of illness or injury.

How can pre-existing conditions affect travel insurance coverage?

Most travel insurance policies do not cover medical expenses related to pre-existing conditions. However, some policies may offer coverage for the acute onset of a pre-existing condition, which is an unexpected outbreak or recurrence that requires immediate medical attention.

What is the importance of having enough travel insurance?

Having enough travel insurance is important to avoid financially devastating repercussions in case of emergencies, such as costly medical treatments or evacuations. It's better to have more coverage and not need it than to be underinsured in a crisis.

What should you do if you need to make a claim with your travel insurance?

If you need to make a claim, you should document everything, keep original receipts, know your policy inside out, and follow up with the insurance company to ensure proper reimbursement.

Why is it recommended to have your insurance information readily available when traveling?

Having your insurance information readily available is recommended because you never know when something might happen. Being prepared with your insurer's name, policy number, and emergency contact number can help you get the care you need and avoid claim denials.

What are some tips for ensuring your travel insurance claim is processed smoothly?

To ensure a smooth claim process, document everything related to the claim, keep all receipts and reports, follow up with the insurance company regularly, and be prepared to escalate the issue if necessary.

How can you avoid common travel insurance pitfalls?

To avoid common pitfalls, understand your policy thoroughly before traveling, ensure you have sufficient coverage, be aware of exclusions for pre-existing conditions and extreme sports, and always carry your insurance information with you.

What additional advice is given by experienced travelers in the script for using travel insurance?

Experienced travelers advise to read the policy carefully, consider the nature of your trip, ensure you have air medical evacuation insurance, gather all necessary documentation, and keep in constant communication with your insurance company to understand what information and forms are needed for a claim.

Outlines

00:00

🌎 Travel Insurance Experience and Its Importance

The speaker recounts a personal experience in Thailand where travel insurance was crucial due to a partner's severe illness. The incident led to hospitalization, visa extensions, and the need to cancel and rebook travel arrangements. The complexity of the insurance claim process is highlighted, emphasizing the importance of travel insurance as a safety net for unexpected travel mishaps. The speaker also introduces a discussion on the different types of travel insurance and their benefits.

05:02

💸 Understanding Travel Insurance Policies and Pitfalls

The speaker delves into the intricacies of travel insurance, discussing common policy types such as emergency medical, trip cancellation, evacuation, and baggage loss/theft insurance. The importance of reading the fine print to understand limitations and exclusions is stressed. The speaker shares common mistakes travelers make, such as not understanding policy coverage or having insufficient insurance. The potential high costs of medical care, especially in the United States, are mentioned, urging travelers to ensure they have adequate coverage.

10:06

📝 Preparing for the Unexpected with Insurance Information

The speaker emphasizes the importance of being prepared for emergencies by carrying insurance information at all times. The need to act quickly in the event of a medical emergency is highlighted, as timely contact with the insurance company can prevent claim denial. The speaker shares personal strategies for keeping track of insurance details and the benefits of having a comprehensive understanding of one's policy coverage.

15:08

🛑 Dealing with Claims and Documentation

The speaker shares a detailed account of managing an insurance claim for a partner's illness in Thailand. The process of documenting medical expenses, visa extensions, and travel arrangements is discussed. The challenges of dealing with different departments within the insurance company and the importance of meticulous record-keeping are emphasized. The speaker also shares tips on how to handle errors in reimbursement and the value of escalating issues to higher authorities within the insurance company.

20:10

🌟 Other Travelers' Stories and Top Tips for Insurance

The speaker invites fellow travelers to share their experiences with travel insurance. Stories of medical emergencies in various locations and the role of insurance in managing these situations are highlighted. The importance of having air medical evacuation insurance and thorough documentation is emphasized. The speaker provides final tips on choosing the right travel insurance policy, considering the nature of the trip, existing health concerns, and pre-existing conditions. The value of travel insurance is reiterated as a small price to pay for peace of mind during travel.

Keywords

💡Travel Insurance

Travel insurance is a policy designed to cover unexpected losses and expenses encountered while traveling, such as medical costs, trip cancellations, and lost luggage. In the video, the speaker emphasizes the importance of travel insurance as a safety net, especially in cases of emergencies like the one experienced in Thailand where it covered significant medical expenses and trip rearrangements.

💡Emergency Medical Insurance

A sub-type of travel insurance that specifically covers unexpected medical expenses incurred while traveling. It is considered one of the most critical types of coverage because it provides reimbursement for necessary medical treatment in foreign countries, where healthcare costs can be exorbitant.

💡Trip Cancellation Insurance

This type of insurance reimburses travelers for non-refundable travel costs if they have to cancel their trip due to specific, covered reasons, such as a personal or family medical emergency. It provides financial protection against the loss of prepaid, non-refundable expenses.

💡Evacuation Insurance

Evacuation insurance covers the costs of medical evacuation in case of an emergency, ensuring that travelers can be transported to a location with appropriate medical care when needed. This coverage is crucial in remote areas or countries with limited healthcare facilities.

💡Baggage Loss and Theft Insurance

This insurance covers the value of travel belongings if they are lost, stolen, or damaged during a trip. It provides financial compensation for the loss or theft of personal items, which can include electronics, jewelry, and other valuables.

💡Policy Limitations and Exclusions

Every insurance policy has specific limitations and exclusions that detail what is not covered. These can include certain activities, pre-existing conditions, or coverage limits. Understanding these details is crucial to avoid claim denials and ensure appropriate coverage.

💡Pre-Existing Conditions

A pre-existing condition refers to any health issue for which the insured has experienced symptoms or sought medical attention prior to obtaining insurance. Many insurance policies do not cover医疗费用 related to pre-existing conditions unless specific clauses like 'acute onset' are included.

💡Claim Process

The claim process is the procedure that an insured person must follow to receive reimbursement or benefits from their insurance policy. It typically involves submitting documentation, receipts, and other proof to support the claim, and it may require communication with the insurance company to resolve issues or disputes.

💡Documentation

In the context of travel insurance, documentation refers to the collection and preservation of records such as receipts, medical reports, and other evidence that supports a claim. Proper documentation is crucial for a successful claim as it provides the necessary proof of the expenses and events that occurred.

💡Travel Itinerary

A travel itinerary refers to the planned sequence of travel details, including transportation, accommodations, and activities. Having a well-planned itinerary is important for travel insurance because it affects coverage, especially in cases where trip cancellations or interruptions occur.

💡Insurance Pitfalls

Insurance pitfalls refer to common mistakes or issues that travelers may encounter when purchasing or using travel insurance. These can include not understanding the policy, not having enough coverage, or failing to disclose pre-existing conditions.

Highlights

The importance of travel insurance as a safety net for unexpected losses and emergencies while traveling.

The story of how Deni fever disrupted a trip in Thailand and the subsequent need for extensive medical care and insurance claims.

The critical nature of understanding the types of travel insurance available, such as emergency medical, trip cancellation, evacuation, and baggage loss/theft insurance.

The limitations and exclusions of insurance policies, emphasizing the need to read the fine print and understand what is covered and what is not.

The importance of having enough insurance to cover potential high costs, especially in countries with expensive medical care like the United States.

The issue of pre-existing conditions and how they can affect insurance coverage, with some policies offering coverage for acute onset of pre-existing conditions.

The necessity of having insurance information readily available and the potential consequences of not having it during an emergency.

The importance of documenting everything related to a claim, including medical reports, visa documents, travel arrangements, and receipts.

The process of following up and scrutinizing every aspect of an insurance claim to ensure proper reimbursement.

The strategy of escalating claims to higher levels within the insurance company to resolve issues and ensure coverage.

Personal stories from travelers who have faced medical emergencies abroad and the crucial role travel insurance played in their situations.

The advice from experienced travelers on the importance of understanding one's insurance policy, having evacuation insurance, and being organized when making a claim.

The recommendation to consider the nature of one's trip, potential activities, and health concerns when choosing travel insurance.

The potential existence of travel insurance provisions in credit card policies and the importance of understanding their stipulations.

The advice to always carry travel insurance when traveling, highlighting its value for peace of mind and financial protection.

The final tips for getting the right travel insurance policy, including understanding policy provisions and having the insurance information readily accessible.

Transcripts

many years ago I was in Thailand with my partner  at the time who came down with a very bad case of  

Deni fever it threw our trip completely upside  down he was in a private room in a hospital for  

a full week with nurses checking on him and  taking blood three times a day both of our  

visas also expired while he was in the hospital  so I had to extend them with the hospital's help  

I also had to cancel our scheduled onward trips  out of the country along with the accommodation  

we had booked and I had to rebook a whole new  itinerary in all the insurance claim involved  

multiple categories of claims that all went to  different departments at the insurance company  

company reimbursements of expenses were in three  different currencies and more it it was a mess the  

claims process was not a cakewalk but in the end  we got reimbursed for many thousands of dollars  

in expenses and most importantly my partner got  the care that he needed today I will share with  

you what I learned through this experience so you  can avoid mistakes that could mean the difference  

between your travel insurance coming through  for you or not also I have collaborated with  

some other very popular Travelers who you  may know they will share their own personal  

travel insurance experiences including some  hard Lessons Learned so stay tuned let's do

this okay so first off what exactly is travel  insurance it's a safety net for travelers it  

covers unexpected losses while traveling like  medical expenses trip cancellations lost luggage  

and other unforeseen mishaps I cannot emphasize  enough how important travel insurance is well  

certain kinds more than others it's not just about  getting your money back for a canceled flight or  

a lost suitcase it is knowing that if something  goes horribly wrong like it did for us in Thailand  

you have a safety net so let's talk about the  different types of travel insurance your policy  

may include any or all of these some of which are  more critical than others the most important kind  

of travel insurance as far as I'm concerned hands  down is emergency medical insurance it covers or  

reimburses you for unexpected medical expenses  while you travel next up is trip cancellation  

insurance this kind of insurance will refund you  all or part of your nonrefundable travel costs in  

the case of a personal or Family Medical Emergency  another important one is evacuation insurance this  

covers the cost of getting you to a place with  appropriate Medical Care in case of an emergency  

and stay tuned for Dave and Deb to share their  story a little bit later on where evacuation  

insurance was critical last up is baggage loss  and theft Insurance which covers all or some  

of the value of your travel belongings if they  are lost lost stolen or damaged so here's the  

kicker every insurance policy has limitations and  exclusions it is crucial to read the fine print  

for instance most travel insurance policies won't  cover extreme sports injuries or medical expenses  

related to pre-existing con conditions we will  talk about this more in a bit and if you think  

your trip cancellation insurance will kick in  and refund you for any cancellation think again  

the criteria is super strict unless that is you  specifically got insurance with a cancel for any  

reason add-on which is a way more expensive  option also be aware of the coverage limits  

your policy might cover medical expenses but only  up to a certain amount the devil's in the details  

folks and those details are significant and also  mostly beyond the scope of what I can cover today  

I have included links in the description and  the first comment to some written resources  

that I've created that dive deep into the nuances  of travel insurance with some glossies of terms  

Pro tips and more all right let's talk about the  top travel insurance pit calls these are mistakes  

that you definitely want to avoid because they can  turn a manageable situation into a real headache  

the biggest mistake you can make not thoroughly  understanding your policy before you travel and  

actually really before you buy the policy if  you're not super familiar with exactly what's  

covered and what to do when things go wrong your  claim could be denied let me give you a personal  

example I'm currently spending the winter in  a ski town in Europe when I was shopping for  

insurance I was amazed at how differently the  various insurance companies treat skiing some  

see skiing of any kind as an adventure sport that  requires extra coverage others cover skiing but  

only at official resorts on groomed runs only  a few policies cover all types of skiing this  

was a deal breaker for me I needed a policy that  covered all skiing activities because I didn't  

want to worry about where I could or couldn't  ski imagine breaking a leg off piec only to find  

out too late that you're not covered the next  mistake is not having enough insurance if you  

have too much insurance it's a waste of money on  premiums but if you don't have enough Insurance  

the repercussions could be financially devastating  imagine needing an emergency evacuation that costs  

tens or even hundreds of thousands of dollars  and yes it can cost that much but your policy  

only covers a fraction emotionally it's just as  taxing you're far from home You're vulnerable  

and now you're facing a financial burden and  perhaps the possibility of not getting the care  

that you need the cost of Medical Care can vary  dramatically depending on where you go the United  

States is renowned for having some of the most  most expensive Medical Care in the world so if you  

are visiting the US it's important to know this  and to get a policy with a high coverage limit  

think like seven figures in fact many insurance  policies ask you in the application where you  

plan to go and if you list the US your cost of  insurance could be double or even triple always  

assess your needs realistically and choose a  policy that provides sufficient coverage if you're  

in doubt air on the side of caution and get more  next up are pre-existing conditions a pre-existing  

condition is anything that you have experienced  symptoms of or sought medical attention for in  

the past most insurance policies will not cover  pre-existing conditions what varies is the period  

of time some insurance companies don't cover  pre-existing conditions dating back to 6 months  

before you got the policy others are 2 years and  some policies just have a blanket exclusion for  

any pre-existing conditions at all ever depending  on your situation and the type of insurance that  

you're getting you may be required to fill in a  medical questionnaire as part of the application  

this is where you'll be asked about your pre-exist  exting conditions which you're legally required  

to disclose but even if there's no questionnaire  there may still be language in the policy about  

priest existing conditions and it's important to  note this because if you need to make a claim they  

may look into your medical history and they can  deny your claim if they think it's related to a  

pre-existing condition now in some cases even if  you do have a pre-existing condition some policies  

may give you an out and it's called acute onset  of a pre-existing condition by definition this is  

considered an unexpected outbreak or recurrence  of a pre-existing condition it's something that  

could not possibly have been predicted comes on  quickly and requires immediate medical attention  

if a policy has this acute onset clause and the  stars are in the right alignment then you could  

be covered even though it's technically a  pre-existing condition okay so this next  

one is a double whammy always have your insurance  information on you you don't know when something  

is going to happen but when it does happen you  need to be prepared write down your insurer's  

name the policy number and their toll-free number  that you need to call in an emergency personally  

I write all of this down on my passport photo  copy which is in my wallet at all times if you're  

traveling with somebody then also give them  your travel insurance information that way if  

you're incapacitated they can make the calls on  your behalf if you're traveling solo then email  

your travel insurance information to somebody  back home this may sound overcautious but it's  

not you can't predict when a medical emergency is  going to happen and when it does happen you need  

to contact your insurer immediately this not only  helps you get the care that you need but it also  

avoids the potential of having your claim denied  insurance companies often need to approve certain  

expenses upfront delaying this call can mean  that they will refuse to cover those expenses  

here's the r travel insurance is great when you  need it you need it not having it is bad and as  

a side rant if you're that person who thinks  it's okay to not have insurance and instead  

to crowdsource to your friends for money when  you end up in trouble don't come knocking on my  

door as far as I'm concerned if you can't afford  travel insurance you can't afford to travel that  

said why while I think insurance is very necessary  and while it's supposed to be there for you when  

you need it the sad truth is that when it comes  to claim time the insurance company is going to  

do everything that they can to not pay you I get  it to a point there are people out there who will  

try to get something for Nothing by making false  claims so the insurance company needs to do their  

due diligence but in so doing they may make it  difficult for you to get a perfectly legitimate  

claim paid out properly they may also make  mistakes which happened to me and I'll tell you  

about that in a minute so these next few tips are  related to making claims which is ultimately where  

the rubber hits the road document everything if  the insurance company is looking for a reason not  

to pay out then you need to show them every form  of proof possible that your claim is legitimate  

this is where documentation comes in for claims  relating to loss or theft of your stuff cover your  

butt with two things one keep original receipts  for all of your expensive stuff that you're  

traveling with and remember I've already mentioned  it but I will say it again know your policy inside  

and out baggage loss and theft Insurance often has  limits for what they'll cover and how much don't  

bring something on your trip that isn't covered  unless you're prepared to lose it or if you have  

separate insurance for it in which case you need  to read your other insurance policy to make sure  

that you're covered abroad two take photos of  your stuff and even of you with your stuff so  

that you can prove that it's yours Electronics  jewelry luggage expensive clothes jackets shoes  

whatever even better take photos with timestamps  on them to show that you owned these things just  

before your trip the nerdier you want to get with  this stuff the easier it will be come claim time  

for medical claims cover your butt similarly  I'll illustrate by example of what happened for  

my insurance claim experience when my partner  got Deni fever in Thailand strap in this one  

is an adventure he started off feeling ill and  we visited the local pharmacist who suspected  

that it was Deni fever and told us to go to  the hospital for tests I called the insurance  

company and confirmed with them that they would  cover the tests and which hospital we should go  

to I documented this call I wrote down the date  the time who I spoke to and I summarized what  

they said we went to the hospital and paid for the  tests with cash because he wasn't yet a hospital  

patient he wasn't eligible for direct billing  depending on the country you're visiting and  

the insurance company you're using you might be  able to have expenses like these paid directly by  

your insurance company but ultimately it depends  so be prepared to pay for things like this out of  

pocket and to get reimbursed so we kept all the  receipts and reports that we were given for these  

tests which confirmed that he had Deni fever  this is where the inpatient expenses started  

he was checked into the hospital who then took our  insurance information down and his subsequent week  

in the hospital was fully covered directly by the  insurance company but I continued to keep records  

of everything including the many subsequent calls  that I have at the insurance company cuz we're not  

done yet we were supposed to leave Thailand in two  days and we were not going anywhere our visas were  

expiring in 3 days we had tickets from Thailand to  Malaysia accommodation and activities booked in in  

Malaysia and tickets from Malaysia to Singapore  all of this had to be cancelled and there were  

no refunds available and we had to book new travel  arrangements to get to Singapore in time to catch  

an onward flight to Australia lucky for us the  visa thing was pretty easy a staff member from the  

hospital went with me to the immigration office  and helped me extend both of our visas I had to  

pay for this with cash and of course I kept all  documentation and receipts the travel Arrangements  

weren't super complicated to cancel and rebook but  they still went hey in the claims process which  

I'll get to in a minute luckily I kept all of my  receipts and documented everything including the  

many calls that I have with the insurance company  confirming that they would cover everything for  

both of us through the trip cancellation part  of our insurance all of this leads right into  

my next claims tip follow up and scrutinize  everything this particular insurance claim was  

made before online claims were as easy as they  are now so the only way to get reimbursed for  

our out-of-pocket expenses was to mail original  documents and receipts into the insurance company  

between the hospital reports Visa documents travel  arrangements and receipts it was a stack of stuff  

and while most Claims can now be done by uploading  receipts and scans online not all can so you may  

yet find yourself in the situation that I was in  by mailing all the original documents in I knew  

I was giving up the only evidence I had of this  claim existing which meant that if it got lost in  

the mail or if I needed to follow anything up I  would be out of luck so I copied everything not  

only did I copy everything but I also included a  table of contents at the beginning and I numbered  

the pages I know you're probably thinking I'm  a little cuckoo at this time and I might be but  

this table of contents and the organization paid  off see over the next few months I got checks in  

the mail for various portions of this claim turns  out different departments handled each part of the  

claim one Department was doing the medical stuff  another department was handling the Visa stuff and  

yet another one was handling travel Arrangements  Etc so I had to keep track of everything to make  

sure that I was getting properly reimbursed a few  things happened in this process one was that there  

was just no reimbursement at all for some of these  expenses so I had to call the insurance company to  

follow up multiple times finally many months later  when all the checks eventually did come through  

some of them were wrong for example I mentioned  that the onward plans we had included travel from  

Thailand to Malaysia and Malaysia to Singapore  when we booked these travel Arrangements we paid  

for them in different currencies for example the  Malaysian Hotel was paid for with Malaysian ring  

it which is the local currency in Malaysia the  Thai travel plans as well as the medical expenses  

were in Thai bot which is the local currency in  Thailand at the time the Malaysian ring it was  

about 10 times stronger than the Tha bot so when I  got a reimbursement check for the Malaysian travel  

expenses they used the tibot exchange rate which  means I got a check for $40 instead of $400 I had  

to call the insurance company about their mistake  except they kept denying that they actually made  

any mistake at all this was when my photoc copies  came in handy I literally guided them to the very  

page where the receipt was when I confirmed that  they were looking at exactly the same receipt  

that I was I pointed out the myr on the receipt  indicating that the expense was paid for with  

Malaysian ring it then I brought their attention  to the attention to the reimbursement check that  

they issued which had the letters THB which is  short for taib beside the expense now this may  

be a bit confusing but I thought it was pretty  clear and I got agreement from the insurance rep  

that they understood the situation however when  I asked them to correct their reimbursement error  

they still insisted that they made no error this  leads me to my next travel insurance claims tip  

when making an insurance claim or frankly dealing  with any customer service related issue there are  

two things that you can do one is to hang up and  call again you'll get a different customer service  

rep and although you will have to explain your  situation all over again perhaps they will see it  

differently and they'll be more helpful the other  strategy is to escalate your claim and politely  

ask to speak to a manager because I absolutely  knew in this case that I was in the right I  

escalated the issue ironically the manager also  told me that there was nothing they could do even  

when they also admitted that they understood the  error so I escalated again I kept on escalating  

until finally I got to the tippy top of whatever  tree I was climbing and finally I got my money had  

the claim been for any less money I might not have  spent all that time and patience escalating but it  

did pay off in the end aided by a heroic amount  of patience and as much of a sense of humor as  

I could muster despite my frustration now before  you decide that insurance isn't worth it I have  

invited some fellow travel YouTubers and personal  friends of mine to describe their own experiences  

with travel insurance and to share their own  top tips their claims were considerably more  

complicated than mine and on the whole they went  a lot smoother hey Nora thanks for having us uh  

we are are coming to you today from the rainforest  here in Ecuador yeah you know we traveled to over  

120 different countries Dave and I have been on uh  in the hospital on five different continents but  

one of the biggest and worst times that we ever  used that travel insurance was when Dave had a  

fall in the Peruvian Amazon we were four days down  the river the Amazon River on our trip and on the  

skiff booat there's uh two stairs that step down  like this metal stairs metal stairs step down on  

one as soon as I hit the other one with my foot  I went backwards landed with my back full weight  

on the stairs of the skiff boat he broke his back  I did I did end up uh fracturing my vertebrae in  

two different spots um so which was uh obviously  very painful but really the the the hardest part  

was getting out of the Amazon and getting to  a hospital yes the very first lesson that we  

ever learned when we were traveling is call  your insurance if something happens because  

yeah right away the first thing yes CU sometimes  insurance companies don't cover it now there's a  

real long story you can read about it on our  blog at the planet.com 10 hours later he got  

to kitos which is a small town in the Amazon and  that's when everything went really went crazy with  

travel insurance Dave uh had to go through two  CAT scans and MRI and several different x-rays  

xrays exams and we were nine hour or nine days  sorry in the uh in the hospital there while I  

was frantically trying to figure out how how to  get Dave home I was on the phone constantly with  

our travel insurance this is something that's  really interesting you can't just phone your uh  

travel insurance and say hey I'm injured I need  to come home you needed to get a doctor to sign  

off to actually say that you cannot sit up and  go home on a on a regular flight so it took a few  

days just to get the doctors to sign off with our  travel insurance we had full medical evacuation  

insurance we had a translator that was offered  to us and all medications tests and hospital  

stays were covered as well as my accommodation  and anything that we needed and food but the  

biggest thing was you really need to be organized  I had to gather all of Dave's prescriptions every  

bill that we paid for every scan that he had every  x-ray I came home with a big package finally nine  

days later an air ambulance was sent from Canada  to pick up days and that was another problem that  

we had is that when he could go home they said no  hospital is willing to take you we need to find a  

hospital that can do a spinal injury there aren't  any beds available but I remember you phoning like  

the insurance company and and and asking them get  a get a plane here and I can just phone 911 when  

I get there and and they'll get me to a bed and  they're like no ma'am the cost of the flight is  

$100,000 so we need to have you in a secure bed  before we can fly you home very overwhelming you  

think that you can just call your insurance  company say something happened and you'll be  

home but it doesn't work that way there's a lot  of forms to fill out a lot of organization to be  

done and you really need to make sure that you  talk to them before you do anything I know that  

your hospital stay cost $2,500 I had paid for all  of that in advance and then gathered all of the  

receipts and uh within two weeks I had my money  back it was awesome there's a lot of lessons that  

we learned here about travel insurance obviously  number one we always make sure to read the policy  

and to question people on the phone when we're  purchasing or even when we're renewing to find  

out what's covered what has changed what sort  of documentation do you need so that we know  

beforehand when we go that okay this is what we  need to collect if we indeed need to do a claim  

yes one of the most important things you want to  make sure you have is air medical air evacuation  

insurance and if your policy doesn't have it  we use medjet as well now medjet might have  

been faster we didn't use them at the time they'll  just fly you home if there's an emergency with no  

questions asked second is to make make sure that  you gather all of the information you have to have  

all the proper paperwork and again this comes  with having communication with your insurance  

company so make sure that you identify what forms  you need what you need because you needed x-rays  

you needed copies of the MRI all that kind of  stuff in order to get everything covered when  

you got home so that's our story we've had a lot  of uh run-ins with medical problems during our  

travels but we always have our minds at ease  because it's a very small price to pay for  

people peace of mind like I don't mind putting  out a few hundred dollars to make sure that if  

anything happens I'm covered happy travels  everybody thanks Nora talk to you later bye  

see you back in Canada hey my name is Mitch and  I've been wandering around for the past 8 years  

I once had a pretty gnarly motorcycle accident in  Thailand and I was very thankful to have travel  

insurance in that situation I shattered my wrist  into a bunch of different tiny little pieces and I  

ended up meeting two different surgeries and a ton  of different Physical Therapy abroad in total my  

bill came out to around $115,000 but because I had  insurance I only had to pay $250 that said it did  

require some work on my part I wanted to get the  cost pre-approved and so I had to kind of play the  

middleman between the hospital and the insurance  company which meant a lot of phone calls back  

and forth but if you need to ever make a big claim  with a travel insurance company I highly recommend  

doing this and trying to get things pre-approved  beforehand because it's much less stressful than  

having to pay out of pocket and having to claim  for reimbursement afterwards that said if you do  

end up having to claim for reimbursement my tip  to you is to set an alarm reminder in your phone  

every week to just shoot the insurance company  a message every week to make sure things are on  

track things tend to fall through the cracks with  these insurance companies and in the end it's your  

responsibility to make sure everything gets pushed  through through but after this experience I never  

travel anywhere outside of the country without  having travel insurance let's wrap this up with  

my final tips to help you get the right policy so  that it's there when you need it the most first  

consider the nature of your trip by answering the  following questions what activities will you be  

doing and are they covered will you be carrying  expensive equipment that needs extra protection  

are there any specific health concerns or  pre-existing conditions to consider what  

are the insurance policy's Provisions for trip  cancellations or interruptions how does the policy  

handle emergency evacuations or repatriations also  consider the insurance that you might already have  

did you know that some credit cards include  automatic travel insurance sometimes it's just  

trip cancellation insurance or baggage insurance  but sometimes it's the full Monte including  

emergency medical coverage depending on the trip  that you're taking this may work for you but be  

sure to read the fine print before you decide to  count on it since credit card insurance can have  

some extra stipulations and of course as per my  earlier tips and advice if this is the insurance  

that you're going to count on write the policy  information down and keep it with you at all times  

I have a sneaking suspicion a fair few of you have  your own travel insurance experiences I'd love to  

read about them in the comments and please share  what you learned from it so that together we can  

all travel Smart in style I'm Nora Dunn aka the  professional hobo and I'll see you next time bye

[Music]