You have finally picked the perfect setting for your next vacation and are about to reserve all of your itinerary details. Right before you finish booking your trip, you are asked a routine question that can make or break your journey: “Do you want to add travel insurance to your purchase?” Most people are not aware of the fact that travel insurance is one of the smartest uses of their money when it comes to a vacation or business trip. Before we get into specifics, let’s take a look at a real-world example from a client who declined the travel insurance option in the past.
“From 2006-2009, I was flying to Europe quite often and each time I purchased a travel insurance policy. In 2008, I took a trip to Germany and for the first time decided not to purchase travel insurance. What a monumental mistake. I was walking home late one night, tripped over a curb, and tore a ligament in my right ankle. After visiting an urgent care facility, an orthopedic surgeon several times and medicine, my bill was $492 and my deductible was $500. Had I purchased my usual travel insurance policy for around $30 with a $0 deductible and $50,000 limit, I would have been out of pocket $0!”
First, travel insurance can save you large amounts of money if you experience a medical issue while on a trip. Studies show that one out of every two travelers becomes ill during their trip and an average overseas medical bill can run between $1,500 - $2,400 dollars. Furthermore, most hospitals and physicians abroad expect payment before you can be treated.
Other traveling mishaps that can be overcome with travel insurance include trip cancellation, lost or stolen luggage (never fun!), emergency transport and even natural disasters. Trip cancellations can happen for many reasons, and when it does, travelers lose an average of $1,186 per trip. Stolen luggage is another costly endeavor, with an average price tag of $350-$400 per bag.
If you become severely injured and need medical evacuation back to the United States, be prepared to pay a hefty price tag if you didn’t invest in travel insurance. Average transport amounts run around $30,000 per traveler. Other details you should be aware of when traveling abroad is that most U.S. based healthcare policies do not cover policyholders when overseas – this is especially true for those on Medicare or other national health services.
Considering all of the benefits of travel insurance, and coverage costing an average of 4-8 percent of your trip total, isn’t it time to talk to an experienced travel insurance broker? The knowledgeable agents at MHG can explain all of the advantages of travel insurance and tailor a policy to your specific needs. They offer a variety of advanced travel insurance plans that can help you put any travel anxieties to rest. You might have waited a long time to take this special trip – don’t let a travel mishap set you back financially. Call MHG at 954-828-1819 or visit mhginsurance.com today to book your travel insurance policy.