I never fully realized how lucky I have been, being born in Canada. It is a beautiful country that still has so much natural beauty left in it. I also have never had to pay any kind of medical expense in my life (prescriptions excluded). Because of this and the fact that I’m fairly healthy I tend not to think too much about doctors’ bills or insurance. I wish I had known about travel insurance last year before going to Florida Spring Break. My life would be much different if I had.
I decided to try parasailing - being pulled behind a boat while attached to a parachute - while I was in the south. That decision and my lack of knowledge have changed my life completely. I ended up crashing very badly and needing to be rushed to an area hospital. Looking back if that had been the worst of it, I would be happy. But no, my trusty health care system that I am so proud of, I learned, abandons its citizens as soon as they cross the border like a cheap one-night stand. There I was stranded in a foreign country stuck with a $15, 000 bill for medical services.
The first thing you need to know if you are planning a trip abroad (including to the US) is that Medicare stops at the border. It is imperative, therefore, that you take better care of yourself than I did. No one wants to have their vacation ruined by illness or injury, but imagine going tens of thousands of dollars into debt on top of that.
It’s not even like travel insurance is all that expensive. You can acquire a cheap plan for under $40. Just be sure that the plan is tailored to your specific needs.
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.
Speaking of knowledge - READ THE FINE PRINT. You are entering into a legally binding contract with the insurance company and you need to be sure that your interests are protected. Insurance companies make their profits by not paying out claims if they don’t have to, you don’t want to end up as a figure on a savings ledger.
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?
Hopefully, you will never have to experience what I went through, but if you do have an accident while on vacation and were smart enough to get covered by insurance you will be in a much better position that I was.
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