Travel insurance. Well, let's be honest: it's one of those inconvenient, money-sucking “do I HAVE to?!” problems.That bummer of a question is one I get asked a lot.
Now, don't get me wrong, I'm ashamelessly cheap gal. I've been known to sell perfectly good furniture fromour condo's garbage room, and painstakingly priceevery last item we own to grow our travel funds.
But when it comes to insurance, we nevercheap out. Here's why.
I'llstart off with the fact that as a prior Emergency Room nurse, patients have never greeted me with, “I was TOTALLY planning on being here today!”
Accidents, are just that – accidents.False assurances like feeling smart, educated, young, and healthy have never secured people from getting sick or injured. Whichleads me tomy first point to bust:
Nothing – NOTHING – can assure you won't need medical care on a trip. Is it unlikely? Possibly. But most urgent and life-threatening events happen fromsimpleailments in everyday people – not rare and unexpectedmedical mysteries.
Diarrhea, vomiting, infection, and severe dehydration are the commonest conditions that afflict travellers. Andeven the healthiest of people can get very sick, very quickly, from any of these. (Psst, check our tips on how to prevent food poisoning!)
Still think insurance is just for bandana-rocking adrenaline junkies? Let's look at Exhibit A: me.
That time I stayed in a foreign hospital for $2,000+/night
Overconfident nurse Jen decided last year to self-manage a bladderinfection while living overseas on Australia. Hear me out:I already had everything I needed – the prophylactic (“just in case”) antibiotics prescribed forour backpacking trip 6 months prior. I took the meds, dodged a doctor's visit, and my symptoms disappeared.
Fivedays later I had paralyzingabdominal pain out of nowhere. That quicklyprogressed to dizziness, blacking out, and finallythe momentevery nurse dreads: oh s***,I have to go to the hospital.
On arrivalI collapsed on the pile of chairstriage in the ER (no nurse everwillingly touchesthose). I was swiftly jabbed, hooked up, and pumped withIV fluids. Later I was diagnosed with severe bilateral pyelonephritis – an infection inboth my kidneys.
Though I'd done all the right things, like being healthy, fit, even havingthe right medication (which had probably become ineffective sitting in a warm backpack), I got very sick, very quickly. As I signedmy agreement to stay $2,000+/night (not including treatment), I prayed ourinsurance company would accept our claim (they did – phew!).
As many other bloggers have touted, thereare plenty of other travel horror storiesthat happen. Breaking backs on rafting tours, havinglife-threatening asthma attacks in a foreign bar, andbeing in tuk-tuk accidents on what you think is just a tripfrom Point A to B. No one ever expects such events to happen andultimately, there'sno good reasonit can'thappen to you.
Medical services abroad can be significantly cheaper than home. But will they alwaystrump the cost of insurance? Definitely not.
Is a dental cleaning in Thailand cheaper than Canada? I can tell youfirsthand, yep it is. But whataboutthe price of a clinic visit, or a hospital admission? Aren't those cheaper than the cost of insurance?I really can't say. It depends why you're admitted, where thehospital is, if it's public vs private, if you're being flown or transferredto a specialty centre, what procedures you needdone, and so on.
Put simply: it's impossible to know just what you'll need that insurance for, and what the costs will rack up to. And let's be real – those can be seriously high.
Reputable companies are that way for a reason; they become well-known for accepting claims from travellers. Are there companies that reject claims? You bet. But do good ones exist out there that do as they should? Thankfully, yes.
Before choosing a company, read upon customer experiences.Be smart, thorough, and don't ever pick a company solely for its cheap rates– it could burn you big time should you actually need it.
You need to decide which of these points are relevant to you, and find a company that ticks all the boxes you want. Also check to see if you have any pre-existing travel insurance from your credit cards or work (some employment insurance plans could cover this too). In these cases, be absolutely sure ofwhat is and isn'tcovered.
1. The “all-inclusive” broad option for travellers: World Nomads
- Arguably most popular and reputable,recommended by travellers and travel companies, including Lonely Planet & Rough Guides
- Has manyreviews &successful reimbursem*nts for claims
- Includeshealth coverageandelectronics theft and/or loss
- Vast destination coverage, including travel to over 140 countries
- Coverage fornearlyall activities, from adventure sports, white water rafting, to scuba diving. Whatisn’tcovered isclearlystated on their site
- You can sign up and extend your policy while travelling(few insurersallow this)
- Claims are made by simply filling them out online
World Nomads is basically the “all you can eat” of travel insurance. It costs more, but you're getting vast coverage on just about everything, and a solid reputation to boot.
We most recently used World Nomadsfor our 8-month global travels. While we didn't have to make any claims during that time, we've personally hada friend who successfully had the costs of her stoleniPhone reimbursed through World Nomads.
2. Short term, less broadcoverage for health insurance only
If you're on a budget, don't have pilesof electronics to cover, and know that health is all you want covered on atrip, then this may be the optionfor you. The price tag will be much smaller, but so too will the extent of coverage, which is healthcare only.
Companies that offer short-term health coverage:
We used April on our first long-term backpacking trip years ago, as we had hardly any electronics then and wanted health coverage . So if healthcareis all you want, this is it. Take note though, reputation and popularity-wise, these companies aren't as bigas World Nomadsand it will beharder to find reviews.
3. Expat insurance: for nomads & those living abroad
Expat insurance is different from travel insurance in its coverage, andmay be right for you if:
- You're travelling indefinitely orliving abroad
- You want coverage for routine health check-ups and tests, and not just emergencies
- Youwant basic coverageas opposed to broad (e.g. insurance onlost luggage or stolen items is not essentialfor you)
Companies that offer expat insurance include:
- April (in the U.S. and Canada)
- Ingle Insurance
- BUPA (U.K.)
Sincewe're occasionally in a semi-stationary status (as we are currently indefinitelyin Australia), we've made the switch to expat insurance. It's cheaper but covers the basics that we need, including routine check-ups or non-emergent care.
It shouldn't come as a surprise that an Emergency Room nurse would recommendtravel insurance. Healthiness and even trip durationoffer no guarantee against illness or injury(I've personally been stung by a scorpion on just a 2-week trip to Nicaragua!).
Whether you obtaincoverage is up to you. No matter what you do, make an informed decision.Assess the risks at hand, research thoroughly, andchoose wisely.
For us,thesafety cushion of insurance will always be worth it. Bad things happen, and there's no good reason they can't happen to you. It's always better to be prepared.
