Why travel insurance is important?
If you are travelling overseas, or even domestically, taking out travel insurance is highly recommended by the Australian government and smartraveller.gov.au.
1. Getting help overseas
Thousands of Australians experience some kind of trouble when holidaying overseas each year.
Having the right level of travel insurance cover is critical when travelling. If you fall ill or have an accident while overseas, travel insurance can ensure that you get the best quality of care and you can be moved, either back home or to a better medical facility, if needed.
2. Travel insurance provides you with protection from medical costs
- If you require medical attention while travelling, you may be liable for the cost of your treatment if you don’t have travel insurance.
- In many countries, medical treatment for visitors can be incredibly expensive; daily hospitalization costs in Southeast Asia regularly exceed $800; the cost of medical evacuations from the United States regularly range from $75,000 to $95,000 and, in extreme cases, up to $300,000.
- Medicare will not pay or reimburse you for any medical expenses you incur overseas.
3. Travel insurance can cover disruptions to your trip
It’s no secret that when you travel, there is much that’s out of your control. Flights can be delayed or you might need to return home if an emergency occurs.
Without travel insurance, disruptions to your trip can end up costing you a fortune. In many cases, you lose the money you’ve already paid, and have to pay for new bookings too.
Many travel insurance packages will cover you for incidents that are out of your control, so that you don’t have to spend your own money if something goes wrong.
4. You can be reimbursed for your losses and expenses
If your luggage is stolen, lost or damaged overseas, you can end up significantly out of pocket – and if you don’t have travel insurance, you will be responsible for replacing your items.
If you take out the right insurance, however, you can be reimbursed for your losses and expenses, meaning that you won’t lose money due to an airline or hotel blunder, or a thief’s wrongdoings.
How much is your luggage worth?