Single Trip Travel Insurance Do I Need It?
by
patrick chong
If you re planning to visit another European Union country, you may have heard that you won t need single trip travel insurance, as your health protection will be free. Unfortunately, things aren t quite as simple as that. Here some frequently-asked questions are examined.
Why isn t it as simple as that?
At the risk of getting into the exotics of legal language, if you look at the specific wording of the reciprocal arrangements between member states, you ll see a critically important clause. That wording confirms that you would be entitled to free medical care, on an emergency basis, at a comparable level to that provided to local citizens. In other words, you are not automatically entitled to the same things you d get on the NHS for free. You would only have access to those things that are provided normally free in the country concerned.
What difference might that make?
Different countries have different health care provision systems and a number of different ways people pay for them. For example, in France, some forms of medical conditions are treated and paid for by the state only up to 70% of the costs involved. The remaining 30% is typically paid by the patient or their additional insurance called a complementaire . In Spain, health services only are provided free. Medical staff typically do not provide ancillary services these are dealt with by family members or paid helpers.
The bottom line is that even if you have the European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) you might still end up facing some stiff medical related bills unless you have multiple or single trip travel insurance.
I m young and fit so why do I need cover?
Anyone, irrespective of their age and fitness levels, can be taken ill. In fact, if you are fit and enjoy an active sports and activity-related life, you might be statistically more prone to accidents and injuries than others. Keep in mind also that single trip travel insurance doesn t only protect you against ill-health and accidents, but also possibly things such as flight delays, some forms of cancellations, lost luggage, property theft and so on.
If the EHIC meets most of the cost, couldn t I just cope with the rest?
That rather depends upon your own personal financial status, but there are a few points to consider. If you are taken seriously ill and require extensive treatment and convalescence, your medical costs might easily run into seven figures. Even if reciprocal health agreements met 90% of your costs, finding the additional 10% might be a serious financial challenge. Consider also what might happen if you needed medical repatriation to the UK by air ambulance. That might involve amounts running into tens of thousands and the local European health service in your destination country typically won t pay for that.
I m travelling on business, so won t my company have me insured?
Possibly but don t gamble on that and make sure you have checked the specifics as to what, if any, insurance is provided by your employer. Single trip travel insurance typically isn t expensive given the protection provided. So, if you re in any doubt, compare what your company is providing against the cover you might be able to provide for yourself.
Patrick Chong is the Managing Director of Insuremore. We provide low cost travel insurance and offer a range of policies including
single trip travel insurance
, annual, multi-trip and family insurance. For all your travel insurance needs, Insuremore can help you in the quickest and most cost-efficient way.
Article Source:
ArticleRich.com