Ethiopia

Health

Health is always an issue in Ethiopia. The population is poor and little ‘herd immunity’ exists, so the risk of developing a disease is quite high. The usual issues of travelling in less developed countries are also present in Ethiopia, including:

• Hepatitis A and B
• Typhoid
• Cholera
• Measles, mumps and rubella
• Tetanus, pertussis and Diphtheria

However, there are also many more serious diseases endemic to this country. Ethiopia is in the WHO yellow fever endemic zone, but is vaccine-preventable. Poliomyelitis can be caught by flies landing on feces and then your food, and people are also subject to getting meningitis through droplet transmission. Meningococcal season is from November to May. Rabies and Rift Valley Fever, a livestock disease which is passed to humans by mosquitoes, are also risks.

Safety

Safety-wise, the government asks you to reconsider your need to travel to Ethiopia overall, because of a high threat of terrorist attack and severe climate patterns. If you must go, the highest level of travel insurance is strongly recommended.

Kenya

Health

Health-wise, Kenya experiences most of the same problems as Ethiopia. An additional risk, though, indicates that you should get the highest level of medical travel insurance available. Schistosomiasis can be developed after swimming in or bathing with some water in Kenya – it is caused by a parasite released by fresh water snails. No vaccine is available, but it is highly treatable if recognised.

Safety
Kenya overall has an alert level of 3 out of 5, as set by the government – High Degree Of Caution. However, for certain Nairobi suburbs the government asks you to Reconsider Your Need to Travel, and for border regions with Ethiopia, Sudan and Somalia, Do Not Travel. Even in Kenya generally, we recommend that you get the highest level of travel insurance which covers catastrophes, hijackings, muggings, etc.

South Africa

Health

While South Africa is fairly developed, in addition to the bulleted disease listed for Ethiopia, you should be vaccinated against (and wary about) Dengue fever, polio and schistosomiasis.

Safety
Despite South Africa’s serious reputation for crime, the government’s threat level is set at High Degree of Caution, and has been there for some time. Still, the threat of hijacking, mugging, and the need for legal help is very real, and cover for these incidents is only provided by the highest level of travel insurance quotes.

Mt Kilimanjaro

Health

Mt Kilimanjaro is located in Tanzania, where health issues are the same as South Africa apart from the addition of meningitis, yellow fever and rabies. Altitude sickness is also a very real possibility and can have serious health consequences – ascend slowly if you are not conditioned.

Safety

There is a threat of terrorist attack in Tanzania overall, but especially in border areas (where government advice is Do Not Travel).

Travel Insurance Destination Report: Africa is a post from: Travelinsuranz Articles

Bali

Health

As a developing country, Bali has several disease uncommon in the West as endemic there. Hepatitis A and B, typhoid, tetanus and cholera are actually quite common. All of these can be vaccinated against. Malaria and dengue fever, however, which are also common, have no vaccination. You should avoid insects using repellent and timing your outside time to the least insect-prone parts of the day.

Japanese encephalitis, a rare but dangerous disease, also exists in Indonesia. There is a separate expensive, but definitely necessary vaccination for this. The highest level of medical travel insurance is recommended.

Safety

The Australian government is currently advising citizens to reconsider their need to travel to Bali, because of the very high threat of a terrorist attack.

Fiji

Health

Hepatitis, typhoid, measles mumps and rubella, tetanus all exist in Fiji. Dengue fever and traveller’s diarrhea are also common, but insect avoidance, sensible eating and drinking, and travel vaccinations will help you stay healthy in Fiji. Fiji is actually quite safe, health-wise.

Safety

There are presently unresolved political tensions across Fiji, but mainly in Suva. If you are travelling to Suva, the government’s safety warning level is at the third highest of five levels. For Fiji overall, it is set at 2 out of five, or simply, ‘Exercise Caution’.

Thailand

Health

In addition to the ordinary South East Asian diseases mentioned above, Thailand also has regular cases of Japanese encephalitis, rabies and malaria. There are often animals in the streets, either for sale or wandering about in Thailand – avoid them to stay healthy and avoid making a medical travel insurance claim!

Safety

Most travelers from Australia to Thailand go to Bangkok or Phuket, where the alert level from the government is set at 3 out of 5 – ‘High Degree of Caution’. However for certain provinces – Yala, Pattani, Narathiwat and Songkhla – the highest alert level has been enacted. The government is asking people not to travel to these areas at all, because of terrorist attacks and bombings on almost a daily basis. Some things travel insurance quotes just can’t cover … we recommend following the government’s advice here.

Vietnam

Health

Vietnam is quite close to Thailand, and faces the same health issues as the peninsular country. Get all your vaccinations before you go and practice safe eating and drinking to avoid making medical travel insurance claims.

Safety

The political and social situation in the country is currently quite stable, and the government is simply advising you to exercise caution to avoid becoming the victim of criminal activity. However, the high risk of developing health issues means you should consider getting travel insurance that will cover all financial aspects of illness.

Travel Insurance Destination Report: South East Asia is a post from: Travelinsuranz Articles

Baggage and personal effects cover

Claims relating to your baggage and personal effects may be the result of a crime – or simple mismanagement of your baggage by a travel carrier. There are sub-limits per item within this cover in standard policies, so if you are taking any individually very expensive items, it is wise to contact your travel insurance agent and check if they are covered.

Although sub-limits apply, the total amount of cover for baggage and personal effects in a standard policy is around:

• $3.500 at the basic level of cover
• $5,000 at the intermediate level
• $7,500 at the highest level of cover

Legal expenses

If you are injured or become ill as a result of someone else’s negligence on your trip, victim of crime travel insurance claims can cover these potentially enormous costs. Standard policy limits range up to:

• $10,000 at the basic level of cover
• $20,000 at the intermediate level
• $30,000 at the highest level of cover

Hijack benefit

If your plane or sea vessel is hijacked, you’ll be covered for any expenses incurred as a result – which may be quite varied. The product disclosure statement for your particular travel insurance policy usually has more detail. Levels of cover on a standard policy are up to:

• $5,000 at the intermediate level of cover
• $7,500 at the highest level of cover

Overseas car rental excess waiver

Insurance will be non-negotiable on any rental cars you take out. However, your own travel insurance can cover the cost of the excess on the rental company’s policy if they make a claim because the car your hire is involved in an accident, or is stolen during your hire period. The amount covered is usually around:

• $1,500 at the basic level of cover
• $3,000 at the intermediate level
• $4,000 at the highest level of cover

Personal money and loss of passport

If your personal money is either lost or stolen, or your passport is lost or stolen, travel insurance policies with this cover will replace it. Limits on standard policies are generally around:

• $750 at the basic level of cover
• $1,000 at the intermediate level
• $1,250 at the highest level of cover

Sources:
https://www.travelinsuranz.com.au/page/Cover/

Crime-Related Travel Insurance Claims: What is Paid? is a post from: Travelinsuranz Articles

Cancellation and curtailment

If you’ve ever read the fine print on a hotel booking form or the terms of service for a flight, you might have had second, third and fourth thoughts about actually going! The cancellation fees can run into the thousands on long and extended trips, and you may be liable for quite a lot of money, through no fault of your own. You can make a logistics travel insurance claim under cancellation and curtailment if you have expenses incurred from cutting short or completely cancelling your trip due to illness, injury, death, jury duty, pregnancy, witness service or employment redundancy. You’ll find standard levels of cover range up to:

• $5,000 at the basic level of cover
• $7,500 at the intermediate level
• $10,000 at the highest level of cover

Missed departure or connection

Any additional accommodation you have to pay for and incidental travel expenses that result from you not being able to get to your scheduled transport on time are usually covered by logistics travel insurance claims. Note that if you cause yourself to be late your claim won’t be paid – this is an industry wide practice, naturally! The missed departure usually has to be due to another public transport failure to qualify. There are just a few policies that also cover delay caused by a traffic accident or vehicle breakdown. You’ll need documentation to prove that it occurred, and you may be able to claim up to:

• $750 at the basic level of cover
• $1,000 at the intermediate level
• $2,000 at the highest level of cover

Travel delay and abandonment

If your transport is delayed by 12 hours or more, your travel insurance will often pay incidental expenses associated with that; or alternatively covers the entire irrecoverable cost of the trip under the cancellation and curtailment cover. Maximum paid amounts for a delay on standard policies are:

• $250 at the basic level of cover
• $500 at the intermediate level
• $750 at the highest level of cover

And maximum paid amounts for abandonment on standard travel insurance policies range up to:
• $5, 000 at the basic level of cover
• $7,500 at the intermediate level
• $10, 000 at the highest level of cover

Resumption of trip

Good travel insurance online companies will cover the cost of you purchasing flights to resume your trip, if you have an emergency that requires going back home. These are high-order emergencies like the death or disablement of a travelling companion, and being medically repatriated to your home country … not your dogs having puppies or the like! Standard amounts paid by travel insurance policies are around:

• $2,000 at the intermediate level
• $3,000 at the highest level of cover

Travel carrier insolvency

This should be a watch point in your travel insurance comparisons. Many policies choose not to cover it (due to the mass nature of claims that may concurrently arise). The travellers that had flights booked with Ansett several years ago would have certainly appreciated this cover, though. It often applies to tour operators, travel agents etc, as well as airlines. Cover on standard policies is up to $5,000 when you buy the highest level of cover, and is not usually included in basic or intermediate policies.

Sources:
http://theadventuretravelcompany.wordpress.com/2009/04/13/most-unusual-travel-insurance-claims/
http://timesbusiness.typepad.com/money_weblog/2007/10/25-most-bizarre.html
http://nomadshostels.com/Travel-Tips/strangest-travel-insurance-claims

Logistics-Related Travel Insurance Claims: What is Paid? is a post from: Travelinsuranz Articles

Overseas medical expenses

This is the cornerstone of most travel insurance policies – there aren’t many available that will omit this vital cover. The key words in the policy are usually ‘necessary and reasonable costs’ – so the treatment must be reasonably priced and necessary to your immediate health. Typical cover levels are:

• $5,000,000 at the basic level of cover
• $5,000,000 at the intermediate level
• $10,000,000 at the highest level of cover

You can file travel insurance claims for the actual medical or surgical treatment; for emergency dental work to your natural teeth; being evacuated to your home country if necessary; and the associated logistical costs (cancelling accommodation and flights,etc).

Emergency dental treatment

This usually comes under the umbrella of overseas medical expenses, however there is often a sub-limit for dental work. You know how much routine dental work can cost – standard policy coverage rates are:

• $500 at the basic level of cover
• $750 at the intermediate level
• $1000 at the highest level of cover

Accidental death/total and permanent disability

This portion of cover refers only to benefits paid in the event of your accidental death – not if you die from a progressive cause, such as a disease. That medical travel insurance event would come under overseas medical expenses. If the accident causes you to lose your sight, lose a limb, become totally and permanently disabled or die within 12 months, you can expect the following benefits, based on a standard policy:

• $10,000 at the basic level of cover
• $20,000 at the intermediate level
• $30,000 at the highest level of cover

Hospital cash allowance

Many medical travel insurance policies allow you to claim for out of pocket expenses arising from a hospital stay, including incidental food and phone calls, and other costs not related to your actual treatment. The standard benefit limits you can expect (based on a popular policy) are:

• $1,000 at the basic level of cover
• $2,000 at the intermediate level
• $3,000 at the highest level of cover

Loss of income

In your regular home country insurance, loss of income is a separate policy that you need to take out. Medical travel insurance will often cover you for quite a decent amount, though. Loss of income cover will reimburse you 75% of your net income, for a period of up to 6 months from the date that you return. It is usually only available with the highest level of travel insurance cover, and standard limitation is $30,000.

Sources:
https://www.travelinsuranz.com.au/page/Cover/

Medical-Related Travel Insurance Claims: What is Paid? is a post from: Travelinsuranz Articles

1. Bikinis break man’s nose
In Athens, a young man had to file a claim on his medical travel insurance for a broken nose. He wasn’t watching where he was going and walked into a bus shelter … because his eyes were taken up with a passing group of bikini clad women. Such pleasure followed by such pain! It’s like his mother was exacting revenge…

2. Free skis for lack of snow
A British lady claimed on her travel insurance after purchasing a new set of skis for a holiday, and finding that the slopes were completely dry once she arrived there. Not dry powder – just no snow. Her insurance company refunded her the cost of the skis – she mustn’t have had the option to ask for a refund from the company.

3. Expensive hide and seek game paid for
A family holidaying on the beach in Cornwall had some panicked, frantic, and finally stern words with the children after they thought it would be funny to bury the £600 handheld video camera. Travel insurance covered the cost though – you can see how incidents which sometimes seem to be the insured’s ‘fault’ are actually covered by the policy. Some home insurance companies would have covered you for this event if it had happened at home, with the appropriate policy. Another good reason to play it safe with travel insurance levels when you have kids.

4. How can we sleep when our brides are burning?
A British couple wedding on a West Indian beach had to take an unexpected dip when a coal from a fire caught the bride’s dress. Her husband threw her in the sea, and the travel insurance claim for the ruined outfits was paid. Almost a happy ending!

5. Coconuts leave woman critical
Okay, not quite critical – but a woman holidaying in Sri Lanka had to get medical treatment after a coconut fell from a tree and landed squarely on her head. Apparently coconuts cause more deaths per year than sharks.

6. Fire Bar burns woman
The bar at ‘Fire Bar’ in Greece periodically becomes engulfed in flames – a neat party trick. However one girl did not understand the warning buzzer, and stayed at the bar waiting to be served. She received third degree burns to her hands, and her travel insurance claim was paid, despite the risky activity!

7. Wallet in drain creates medical claim
A man who dropped his wallet down a drain in Israel ended up making a medical travel insurance claim, as well as one for the lost wallet, when he was stung by a scorpion while trying to retrieve it. ‘Finders keepers – get away!’.

Sources:
http://theadventuretravelcompany.wordpress.com/2009/04/13/most-unusual-travel-insurance-claims/
http://timesbusiness.typepad.com/money_weblog/2007/10/25-most-bizarre.html
http://nomadshostels.com/Travel-Tips/strangest-travel-insurance-claims

7 of the Strangest Travel Insurance Claims is a post from: Travelinsuranz Articles

This is not all. If you are going to require specialized medical care that is not available in your area then you will need it too. What kind of medical care will you need if something happens?

Medical Evacuation Insurance Explained

Medical evacuation insurance is insurance that covers the transportation costs if you fall ill or are injured while you are travelling. If you become sick or get injured then you may have to be transported to suitable medical facilities to receive the care you need. This type of transportation service can be quite expensive. It becomes even more expensive when you realise that you may need to pay for trained medical personnel to be on the medical transport with you as you head to the actual medical facilities.

When Would You Need Medical Evacuation Insurance?

There are many situations in which you might require this type of medical insurance. You could be travelling through a part of the world where medical technology is not as advanced as you might need it to be or it may just be farther away than your condition will allow you to travel if you were taken by other means.

When medical emergencies happen then time is a factor. You cannot always take your time getting to medical treatment facilities. You could be staying in a remote area or you may simply be travelling through a remote area one day as part of your trip. Your entire trip may take place away from land as in the case of cruise ship holidays. In this case, you would need to be airlifted to shore to get the help you need. All these situations call for medical evacuation insurance.

How Much Medical Evacuation Insurance Coverage Is Necessary?

The answer to the question of how much coverage you will need depends on your holiday plans. You surely do not want to underestimate the amount of coverage you will need because medical transport costs will only be the beginning of your expenses. If you need to be taken to medical facilities then you will be paying for the treatment once you arrive as well.

You do not want to be worrying about paying for the transportation costs as much as you worry about treating your illness or injury. You need to figure out the costs of transportation from where you might be to where you might need to go while factoring in the possibility that you will need trained medical personnel to accompany you on your emergency medical transport.

Medical evacuation insurance pays for emergency medical transportation so that you can get the medical care you need. With this coverage you will not need to worry about anything but feeling better. That’s how it should be.

What You Need To Know About Medical Evacuation Insurance is a post from: Travelinsuranz Articles

Types Of Travel Medical Insurance

There are several types of travel medical insurance. All of them help to cover the expenses you incur when you need medical treatment when travelling. These costs may be for the medical treatment itself, or they may come as a result of other related expenses. You already know that treatment costs can be staggering all by themselves, but you also have to consider the costs of repatriation, having a family member stay with you while you are treated, medical evacuation, and other possible costs that go along with medical situations.

For example, you may require medical transport to suitable treatment facilities. Having to be flown to the right medical facilities can raise your medical bills even higher. This will be necessary if you are in a remote location at any point during your trip. This is just one special situation where medical bills can far exceed the cost of basic treatment.

How Much Coverage Is Necessary?

The amount of coverage that you need will depend upon your intended travel destination. Medical costs vary around the world so you will have to factor that in. You need to remember that it is a universal fact that medical care costs a lot while keeping in mind the other related expenses that can add to an already pricey situation. You could rack up bills amounting to thousands of dollars, tens of thousands of dollars, or even more.

Basing your level of travel medical insurance coverage on your needs is as important as having travel medical insurance in the first place. It is not going to do you much good if you have a policy that fails to cover all your medical expenses. With bills this big, even having to pay partial bills could be a devastating financial blow.

What You Need To Ask And What You Must Tell

You need to ask if your insurance company provides 24 hour assistance. Medical emergencies do not restrict themselves to office hours so you need to be able to reach your insurance company at all times. Make sure knowledgeable staff will be on the other end of the line when you call.

Travel medical insurance is necessary because medical insurance is always necessary. Overseas medical bills can destroy your finances. Travel medical insurance can protect you so that all you are left with after any trip are the souvenirs you meant to bring back with you.

Why Travel Medical Insurance Is A Necessary Part Of Every Trip is a post from: Travelinsuranz Articles

But What Could Happen?

So what could happen on your holiday that would require travel insurance? Basically, what could go wrong when you are on holiday? To begin with, you could fall ill before you even get to go and you may have to cancel your entire trip. This would certainly interfere with your travel plans.

You could have a medical emergency or some sort of accident in the midst of your travels, interrupting your holiday or cutting it short. Depending on where you are, you may need to be airlifted to the appropriate medical facilities. On a smaller scale, your bags could get stolen or could be lost somehow, and these are just a few of the things that could happen.

What Can Travel Insurance Do?

Travel insurance can help you with each of these situations as they happen. While the odds may seem slim that even one would happen in the course of your trip, this is what every traveller thinks until they are faced with one of these calamities. You never think it will happen to you until it does.

Trip cancellation insurance will pay you back the money you lost on fees and reservations if your trip is cancelled because of illness or weather. Emergency medical travel insurance and evacuation insurance will help you with medical bills involving medical emergencies and any necessary evacuation costs. Travel insurance can also help you to recoup the money you lost in the form of your baggage and belongings. Basically, whatever happens on your holiday, there is a good chance that you can find a form of travel insurance to protect you from it.

How Can Travel Insurance Protect You In The Long Term?

While many focus on how travel insurance can help protect you from losing the money you already spent, it is also good to take a look at how travel insurance can protect you from future expenses. Medical bills do not come cheap no matter where you travel. Throw in the costs of an emergency evacuation to proper medical facilities and you could be looking at steep medical bills that could take you a very long time to pay off. Whether you become sick or injured or experience other big bills as a result of problems with your holiday, travel insurance can protect you.

Travel insurance can give you a stress free holiday because it can protect you from what might happen. While you don’t want it to happen and it probably won’t happen, if it does then travel insurance will be there for you. You can have a stress free holiday with travel insurance.

How Travel Insurance Can Give You A Stress Free Holiday is a post from: Travelinsuranz Articles

You’re probably thinking that most leisure and business trips go off without a hitch. Nothing happens and nothing goes wrong. Why should you buy travel insurance if nothing has happened before?

No one ever thinks that something will go wrong until it does. Most people think that holidaydisasters will never happen to them. The problem is that they have to happen to someone, and on your next trip it could be you.

So what could happen? You could lose your luggage or other valuables. You could become ill and have to cut your trip short or not be able to go at all. Plus, you would have lost all the money you had already spent on plans or plane tickets because refunds can be hard to come by.

You could also face a medical emergency of some sort. This could be difficult both at the time it happens and later when trying to cope with the bills. With all the things that could happen, you know that you have to take the right precautions.

What Can Travel Insurance Do?

Travel insurance can do many things. What a policy covers depends on that policy but there are many possible areas of coverage. Here are some of the main types of travel insurance that may be covered by a typical policy.

Emergency travel medical insurance covers medical emergencies that happen while you travel. For unexpected medical emergencies this coverage picks up where your regular medical insurance policy left off. You know medical expenses aren’t cheap no matter where you are so they need to be covered.

Medical evacuation insurance covers the expenses related to when you have to be evacuated from a location due to medical problems. This may not happen often but when it does it comes with a hefty price tag. This insurance helps pay for the means of transportation as well as the medical personnel who watch over you.

Trip cancellation insurance covers the money lost when you have to cancel your trip before you get to go and can cover trip interruption too. You will want to look into the reasons for which trip cancellation or interruption is covered. There will be limitations.

Rental car excess waiver helps with costs related to damage to or theft of your rental car. If you’ll have a rental car or vehicle, you’ll want this coverage.

Travel insurance is always a necessity when you go on any kind of trip. There are so many things that could go wrong, and the right travel insurance policy will help to protect you from them. Without travel insurance, you’re just waiting for something to go wrong.

Travel Insurance is Necessary is a post from: Travelinsuranz Articles