I have been fortunate growing up in Canada. We have a clean country, with much unspoiled wilderness. I have never had to pay to receive medical attention, and never thought that I would. What I didn’t know is that my great health care system would not cover any medical expenses I occurred while out of country. Not being aware of this, when the opportunity came up to spend spring break in Florida, I was only worried about sunscreen and condoms. I didn’t even know that there was such a thing as travel insurance.
I ended up in an emergency room in south Florida due to a combination of factors; it seems alcohol can help you forget that you’re clumsy, poor depth perception and para sailing. I broke my left leg, several ribs and was basically one large bruise. I thought I was hurting when I woke up, but it wasn’t until I was leaving the hospital and got presented with the bill that the pain really kicked in. What is this? 15, 000 - were they mad? I wasn’t too worried though, I still thought that I could get the government to pick up the tab. Nope, I wasn’t their responsibility once I was out of country.
This is why; I’ll never go abroad without travel insurance again. Look after yourself, its bad enough that you’ve gotten hurt - do you really want to be buried in debt too?
Before you think that you can’t afford insurance you should know that a very basic single-trip plan can cost as little as $40. Can you really afford to NOT have insurance? Forty dollars upfront that you may or may not use, is a lot easier to swallow than a few thousand or tens of thousands later on.
A basic plan may be fine if you are taking a guided tour of a foreign land, but if you are planning on going on an adventure expedition you may not be fully safe-guarded. It is therefore, very important to make a list of all the things you THINK you might do while on vacation. This way you can custom tailor a plan that will protect you should something go wrong.
I know it’s a drag, but take the time to read the fine print on your insurance policy. This is a contract that you are signing, and it was designed to protect the insurance company, not you. Make sure that you fully understand what your responsibilities and liabilities are. Do not sign until all of your questions have been answered and you are comfortable.
Beyond medical expenses, ensure you are covered against theft/lost items and money. This is an area that gets overlooked by many people, but if you do lose your stuff would you prefer to have the company pay to replace it or have an extra out of pocket expense to worry about?
I hope that you never go through what I did, but heed my advice. Insurance can be seen as a necessary expense; pay a little upfront to not pay a lot on the back end. And remember an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.
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