One of the most overlooked travel insurance benefits is primary versus secondary coverage, explains Frank Trigo, general manager of InsureandGo. The vast majority of travel insurance policies offer secondary medical coverage, which is coverage in excess of all other valid and collectible insurance.
If you already have a private or group health plan, the travel insurance medical policy with secondary medical will only pay the expenses in excess or over the amount covered by the other primary health insurance policy that you have at home. “With primary coverage, you won’t have to jump through hoops to find out if your private or group health care plan will cover you when travelling internationally, you won’t have to incur out of pocket expenses and you won’t risk being denied medical care in a foreign country due to payment. Some cheaper policies may have higher medical coverage limits but if the coverage is secondary, that high limit might not be as valuable as a primary policy with a lower limit,” he adds.
Many policies cover your personal property regardless of where the loss occurs: be it in a cafe, on a tour, or from your hotel room. But many policies don’t cover electronics, such as tablets, phones, or computers so it’s important to check each policy carefully under the baggage and personal property section.
Since the cost of getting airlifted from a cruise ship or flown to a hospital in air ambulance for care is astronomical, travelers should look for policies that have a minimum of $100,000 in medical evacuation. “Also, the travel insurance company will make all the arrangements with the provider which is a tremendous benefit in itself,” says Trigo.
Transportation of beside support person in case you are hospitalized is another overlooked benefit. “Imagine you are hospitalized and alone in a foreign country. A good travel insurance policy will cover the costs to bring a person selected by you to your bedside if you are hospitalized for seven consecutive days,” he adds.
Trigo says that 24-hour emergency travel assistance is one of the most valuable, but under-marketed benefits of a travel insurance policy. The company can coordinate all aspects of your emergency, such as directing you to a proper medical facility, guarantying your admittance, coordinating care, monitoring your condition, and keeping loved ones back home apprised. For more information, visithttp://www.insureandgousa.com.
