Information on
long stay travel insurance :
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Unfortunately things can go wrong on holiday. You could
fall ill or have an accident; you could have money or luggage stolen; your visit
might be cancelled or cut short through injury or illness; your family may need
to fly out to be with you if there is a serious incident. Costs - particularly
medical treatment costs - can easily run into thousands of pounds
All these risks and more can be covered by taking out long adventure travel insurance .
Buying long adventure travel insurance - tips.
Market surveys show that many people don't take insurance. People believe that their credit card accident cover, home insurance, or private health cover is sufficient. However, it is unlikely that these will give adequate cover.
Shop around.
The cost of long adventure travel insurance
varies widely, so shop around to find a good price and the right product,
rather than opting to travel without cover. Bear in mind that a cheaper policy
may have less cover. If you make several trips each year, consider taking out
annual multi-trip insurance to save time, money and effort.
Know what your policy covers and check that the cover is adequate.
If in doubt ask your insurer. Your policy should cover you for the following:
- The whole time that you are away, whether that is a day or a year.
- Any activities and sports you
might do. Some activities, such as jet skiing, are excluded from many policies.
Many insurers will extend cover, if requested, otherwise shop around for a
specialist policy.
- The medical and health cover
is very important. It should be for a minimum of £1 million for Europe and
£2 million world-wide. It must include cover for emergency medical treatment,
hospitalisation and repatriation.
- Personal liability - for
injury or damage to others and their property.
- Cancellation - if you
have to cancel or abandon your trip. Cancellation cover should start as soon
as you book your trip.
- 24 hour emergency service
and assistance if things go wrong the assistance company will help you
to sort everything out.
- Possessions cover, including
money and documents to specified limits.
Your policy may also cover:
- Personal accident - money
paid on death or permanent disability.
- Legal expenses - to help you pursue compensation for damages following personal injury.
Check the conditions and exclusions.
If you are in any doubt, contact your insurer to find out exactly what cover you have.
- Most policies will not cover drink-related incidents.
- Most policies do not cover drug related incidents.
- You must take reasonable care of your possessions or your policy will not cover you.
Declare anything that you think might affect the cover.
Be honest - tell your insurer about current or past medical conditions. This should include the condition of those to be insured and others, such as close relatives, whose state of health may prevent you from travelling or may cause you to curtail your trip. If you don't declare you may invalidate your policy. If travelling to Europe - make sure you fill in
Form E111
.
Book through an agent that's with ABTA or ATOL. When you travel.
- Make sure you take your policy and the 24 hour emergency phone number with you.
- Make sure you know what to do in the event of a problem.
- Some insurance companies insist that you call their assistance company as soon as possible after a problem arises.
- If anything does happen make sure you keep as much paperwork as possible - tickets, receipts, medical bills, police reports etc - to help prove that what you're claiming for actually happened.
SportsEnthusiasts
If requested, most insurers will offer extra cover for many activities. For example, winter sports policies covering skiing are common. Even if you do not consider an activity to be hazardous, e.g. hot-air ballooning, check with your insurer if you are covered before you go. - Activities.
You must ask your insurer about hazardous sports and activities, for example jet-skiing. Some policies will include cover for activities like this, but only with prior agreement and / or for a certain number of days. Check your policy. If a standard policy does not cover you, arrange a specialist policy or consider avoiding such activities. - Agree in advance with your insurer.
Insurers can often provide cover for a range of activities but you do need to contact to your insurer and may need to agree what activities and how often. If possible do this before you depart, but it might also be possible to phone or email your insurer while en route and arrange for cover to be extended. - Possessions.
Insurance can cover stolen, lost or damaged possessions. The limit should be appropriate to your needs - perhaps £1500 or more. Policies will generally limit claims for single items, but the limit can vary from as low as £250 to £1000 or more. There is likely to be a similar limit on the total paid to replace valuables, such as cameras.
If you have special equipment, you might need a policy with higher limits,
and you may need to check with your insurer whether particular items are covered.
You may need a specialist policy. An independent insurance intermediary should
be able to find a policy suitable to your needs.
Medical & Health Insurance
You may have to pay thousands of pounds in medical costs if you fall ill or have an accident outside this country. Most people are aware that medical care in USA is expensive, but many other countries also have expensive medical services.
Mutual health agreements.
While the UK has mutual health care agreements with many countries, these arrangements don’t cover all the expenses you can incur. Even if you are visiting a country with a reciprocal health care agreement with the UK, bear in mind that, in an emergency, you might be sent across the border for treatment in a country where no such arrangement exists. The costs of relatives flying out to stay with you in the case of a serious incident and the costs of bringing you back to the UK, in the event of illness or death, are never covered under the arrangements. These costs would be covered by a good long adventure travel insurance policy.Use the
The Department of Health
website to see what level of free or reduced-cost emergency medical cover you can expect in any particular country. Medical and health cover.
Before you travel, always arrange long stay travel insurance with health cover that is adequate for your destination. If you are unsure, talk to your insurer. The level of medical cover should be at least £1million for Europe and £2million for the rest of the world.
Pre-existing conditions.
Declare anything that you think might affect the cover, such as current
or past medical conditions. Otherwise you may not be covered by your policy.
If you find a standard Backpacker travel insurance policy does not cover you, because
of a particular medical condition for example, you should consider seeking
a specialist policy. An independent insurance intermediary should be able
to find a policy suitable to your needs. 
Personal Accident, Personal Liability & Possessions
Cover
Personal Accident, Personal Liability & Possessions Cover
- Personal liability.
long stay travel insurance will cover personal liability, if you accidentally cause
injury or damage to others or their property and they sue you.
- Personal accident.
long stay travel insurance can cover personal accident, with payment made for permanent
disability or death.
- Possessions cover.
long stay travel insurance can cover stolen, lost or damaged possessions. The limit
should be appropriate to your needs – perhaps £1500 or more.
Policies will generally limit claims for single items – the limit can
vary from as low as £250 up to £1000 or more. There is likely to be
a similar limit on the total paid to replace valuables, such as cameras
or jewellery. Check that these limits are sufficient.
You should not rely on compensation from the airline if it loses your
luggage. By law, airlines need only pay a specified minimum value per
kilo of lost luggage – this will probably be inadequate to cover the
full value of your belongings.
Remember that losses should be reported to the Police within 24 hours
and proof of notification will be required when you make your claim.
Look after your possessions.
Most policies will not provide any cover for drink-related incidents.
The risks you take by over-indulgence - drink-driving etc. - are compounded
abroad. If something happens, you will have to pay your own medical costs
and for injury or damage to others etc.
All insurance policies say that you must take care of your belongings at
all times. If you don’t, the policy may not pay out. Follow these tips:
- Don’t take large quantities of cash.
- Don’t take more valuables than you need.
- Never leave belongings unattended, especially at airports, stations,
on the beach, in places of entertainment, in the care of strangers, or
in a vehicle.
- Never keep your wallet in your back trouser pocket.
- Keep all valuables, passports and money in your hand baggage when travelling.
- At your hotel, keep valuables and cash in a safe deposit box or in the
hotel safe.
- Don’t leave your home address visible on your baggage.
- Don’t enter unsafe areas.
- Take as much care of your property as if you were uninsured.
Cancellation& Curtailment
Your policy should pay out if you need to cancel or cut short a trip because,
for example, you fall ill. It should cover pre-paid expenses, such as excursions,
and any extra costs incurred in getting home. Check your policy documents
to see what would be covered – accident, illness, pregnancy unknown
when you buy the policy, jury service or witness summons, etc.
Cover may also be provided if you are needed at home because of fire, storm
or flood, or if you are required by the police to come home following a
burglary.
Some policies also cover cancellation arising from you being made redundant
or if a strike or bad weather affects the departure of a flight or ship.
You need a policy with sufficient cover to refund the full cost of your
holiday. Check your policy for details.
EmergencyAssistance
Take out a policy which has the benefit of a 24-hour emergency service
/ assistance company for a round the clock service.
The assistance company will provide you with help and advice and make any
necessary arrangements, such as repatriation in the case of a serious accident
or illness. They may also pay bills, or guarantee payment of bills, that
are incurred during the emergency.
Remember to take your policy & the 24-hour emergency telephone number
with you. Make sure you know what you must do in the event of a problem.
Some insurers insist that you call their assistance company as soon as possible
after a problem arises.
Some typical, approximate costs of medical treatment and repatriation
are shown below.
Typical inpatient medical costs.
£600 Two days in a general ward - Mediterranean £1,600 Two days in intensive
care – Mediterranean £5,000 Two days in intensive care – USA
£400-600 Gastro-enteritis – Mediterranean £4,000-7,000 Broken limb,
such as leg or wrist – Europe £10,000 Broken leg – USA £20,000-30,000
Heart attack - USA £3,000 Bronchitis requiring seven days inpatient treatment,
Europe £15,000 Bronchitis requiring seven days inpatient treatment, Far
East £20,000 Bronchitis requiring seven days inpatient treatment, USA
For simple conditions not requiring admission to hospital – such
as upset stomach, ear infection, infected insect bites, sunburn, dehydration
– the cost of each visit to the Doctor can be £35 in Mediterranean
countries or £200 to £400 in the USA.
Typical repatriation costs.
The cost of flights back to the UK will depend on the class of travel required
which will be dictated by their medical condition i.e. whether the passenger
can travel seated or requires extra seats or transfer on a stretcher. It
was also depend on their exact location and destination in the UK. There
will also be additional costs such as hotel accommodation for the travel
companions or medical escorts, medication, road ambulances and so on.
approximate figures...
£30-35,000 Air ambulance (Jet) - East coast of USA
£16,000 Air ambulance (Jet) - Canaries
£8,000 Air ambulance (turbo-prop) – Balearics
£2,000 Air taxi (propeller driven light aircraft) - Northern France
£8,500 Scheduled flight, stretcher and Doctor escort – Australia
£4,000 Scheduled flight, seated club, with a nurse escort - West coast of
USA
£1,300 Scheduled flight, seated economy with a Doctor escort – Mediterranean
£300-£500 Scheduled flight, seated economy without an escort – Mediterranean
£3,000-£4,500 Scheduled flight, stretcher and Doctor escort – Mediterranean
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visit LongStay INS |
UK residents make over 58 million overseas trips each year. But as many as 1
in 7 of them fail to take out adequate long stay travel insurance .
It is a situation that spoils thousands of holidays each year. As all travellers
face some level of risk a bit of pre-planning will prove invaluable once you are
on your way. Here are some long adventure travel insurance
companies for the UK ...