Travel Insurance - Save Your Money

Two months ago, an American cruise line decided to leave one man in a foreign port due to his illness. It was a good decision and man receives much needed help, but what happened next is a lesson to all of us.

The man was left in a hospital because he was suffering from internal bleeding. He needed medical attention which the ship simply could not offer. The man refused to seek medical attention and decided to return home and seek medical there. He needed to change three flights and to wait for three days with the costs coming to several thousand dollars. And he had to pay all that because he didn't have travel insurance.

If he had travel insurance, he could have gotten home by air ambulance and insurance would cover most of the expenses. He would have come to hospital a lot faster, with less risk and with more money in his pocket. The statistics say it quite foolish to journey abroad without any travel insurance. He was just one man, and lucky enough to be close to US. Imagine what could happen if he was in Africa or Russia.

Insurance will cover most if not all of the expenses you have in a case of emergency. Couple of hundred dollars for an insurance will be well spent and will keep you at peace. Cruise travelers, for example, can face hefty bills just to have a shipboard consultation. And the prices are much higher when a person needs to be hospitalized in a foreign country. Also, there are big costs involved in when there is repatriation by air from a place where there is no adequate medical care.

Travel companies are urging their clients for a travel insurance. If a client refuses to have one, he must sign papers that he chose that on his own will and takes full responsibility.

One of the new cruises that is popular right now is Cambodia and Vietnam cruise. It's supposed to give a view on village life in those two countries by travelers from all around the world. The sightseeing is great, but what is more important to know that there are hardly any medical facilities out there who can help a traveler in a case of emergency. What is more interesting, the passengers are supposed to enjoy total absence of mobile phones, internet, TV, newspapers and other tools for communication. Being isolated in a country far away is quite an adventure, but it may turn to nightmare if there is an emergency and you don't have any travel insurance.

Before you decide for any trip outside the US, make sure to get all the informations you can and know the travel route. It is always easier to pay for travel insurance and be free from any additional planning in case you or someone you love needs a medical attention. It's not just about the money, there is the language barrier, low quality medical care and many times complete lack of medical equipment. Think smart and insure yourself before you start your travel anywhere outside the United States.