Travel insurance: all the rules and nuances that a traveler needs to know

Why do you need travel insurance

To obtain a visa

Without insurance, you will not be given a visa to the Schengen zone, Bulgaria, Romania, the Republic of Cyprus, Montenegro, Croatia, Canada, New Zealand, Japan, some countries of Asia, Africa, Latin America.

To obtain the required policy, check the insurance requirements on the website of the country's embassy. So, for the Schengen area, the minimum amount of insurance coverage is 30 thousand euros. For the rest, the simplest policy, which is easy to obtain online, is enough to apply for a visa.

To compensate for the cost of treatment

Stories about expensive medicine abroad are not at all empty horror stories in order to reduce the flow of emigrants. Seeing a doctor for an injury or an attack of appendicitis will cost a substantial amount. In order not to go broke, it is better to buy insurance in advance. If you choose it correctly, you can offset a significant part of the costs.

For damages

The insurance will help compensate for the loss of luggage or reimburse the cost of a vacation that you never got to travel.

What are the items in the insurance

Health insurance

The basic insurance option is suitable for those who are confident in their health and fear only force majeure. It will also be enough to obtain a visa. The basic package of the policy includes:

calling a doctor in case of illness;
ambulatory treatment;
hospital stay and treatment;
transportation to a doctor or hospital;
medical transportation from abroad;
reimbursement of prescription drugs;
reimbursement of expenses for telephone calls with the service center;
repatriation in case of death.

The basic package can also include emergency dentistry in case of acute pain or injury.

Options

1. Payment for the travel of the insured person to the place of residence after treatment in the hospital. Due to illness, you can miss the plane for which you bought tickets. This item in the insurance will allow you to get home, even if you do not have money for a new travel document.

2. Payment for the travel of the accompanying person to the place of residence after treatment in the hospital. If a caring companion chose to stay with you until recovery, then he will also be able to return home with insurance.

It is better to check with the insurance company who will be considered an accompanying person.

Usually this is the person who is inscribed with you on the tour. You can also confirm the accompaniment of tickets for one flight, documents on accommodation in the same hotel.

3. Payment for the accommodation of the insured person before departure after hospital treatment. If you do not take your flight straight away from the hospital, you will need to stop somewhere and your overnight stay will be covered by insurance.

4. Payment for travel and accommodation of a third party in the event of an emergency with the insured. These are two separate points that can come in handy if you need someone to get well who is not listed on your insurance policy as an escort.

5. Payment for travel home of the insured's minor children. If the insured person falls ill, gets injured or dies, his children will be sent home at the expense of the insurance.

6. Payment of travel home in case of sudden illness or death of a relative. Health problems can happen not only to the traveler, but also to his family members who are left at home. This item in the insurance will help you not to wait for the plane for which you have already bought a ticket, but to take off on the next flight.

7. Temporary return of the insured home. If the trip lasts more than three months, the insured person will be able to go home in case of illness or death of a relative, and then return and continue the trip.

8. Assistance as a result of terrorist attacks. Injuries and injuries sustained as a result of a terrorist attack are not covered by the basic insurance package, so for traveling to countries where the risk of becoming a victim of radicals is high, it is better to pay extra for this option.

9. Disaster relief. Natural phenomena are considered force majeure, and therefore are also not included in the basic package. You need to insure yourself against tornadoes, hurricanes, floods and tsunamis additionally.

10. Relief of exacerbation of chronic diseases. If you have chronic diseases that periodically appear, it is better to foresee the relief of the attack in advance. It is worth considering that insurance in most cases will cover only the relief of exacerbation symptoms, it does not include treatment and recovery. When you apply for a policy, carefully review the list of diseases that are not included in the list of insured events to make sure that you will not be denied payments.

Chronic illness and disability, according to insurers, are different things. Therefore, the insurance company must be notified of the disabled status.

11. Relief of allergic reactions. This option will help you receive payments for medical procedures in case of allergy to insect or marine life bites, negative reactions to food, sea and pool water, pollen or sun (excluding sunburn).

12. Help with sunburn. An actual option for countries with a scorching sun, where the thickest-skinned tourist can get burned. Without insurance, you will have to be treated with improvised means.

13. First aid for cancer. An important point for people with oncology, whose help is not included in the basic policy, but may be needed at any time.

14. Help in the presence of alcoholic intoxication. The most tricky item that should be added to the policy for many vacationers. You don't have to get drunk. It is enough for alcohol to be detected in a blood test. Therefore, the choice is simple: either not drink, or pay extra.

Alcohol in your blood will take away your eligibility for your basic insurance policy.

15. Sports and outdoor activities. If you get injured while skiing or scooter or climbing mountain peaks, the insurance company will refuse to compensate for the treatment under the basic package. To receive payments, you need to indicate in advance in the policy application that you are planning to have an active vacation. Of course, this will affect the final cost of insurance. And it will matter whether you play sports as an amateur or as a professional. For special cases, search and rescue measures and helicopter evacuation can be entered into the policy.

16. Insurance in case of complications of pregnancy. If a pregnant woman breaks her leg while traveling, the costs of the cast will be covered by the usual policy. However, all the problems associated with an interesting situation are not included in the basic version - you need to register them separately in the insurance. Companies issue policies for different periods: up to 12 weeks, or up to 24 weeks, or up to 31 weeks. At a later date, they are usually not insured.

17. Work with increased risk. If you get injured while working and you only have a basic policy, the insurance company will not cover your costs. For labor activity, an additional clause must be added to the contract.

18. Accident insurance. This option has nothing to do with the provision of medical care, but provides that in the event of an accident, you will receive additional compensation.

Property insurance

You can insure against the loss of luggage or documents. In this case, you will be paid money to buy the necessary things or to restore the papers. If you are traveling by your own car, you can add an appropriate item to your policy. Then the insurance company will pay for the towing of the vehicle in the event of a breakdown or compensate for damage from an accident or theft.

Travel cancellation insurance

A traveler can insure against a delay in departure and receive compensation for not making a connecting flight or having to spend money on something extra. Another option is cancellation insurance. If you get sick on the eve of the trip, or you were denied a visa, you can return the money spent on the tour.

Civil liability insurance

You can get insurance in case you accidentally damage someone else's property or harm another person's health. It is worth counting on compensation if, for example, you drove into someone on skis, stepped on your foot and broke your little finger, or knocked down a passer-by with your bicycle. But for the accident you arranged, if you were driving a motorcycle or car, you will have to pay yourself.

As a separate item, you can enter into the policy the provision of legal assistance in case you unknowingly violate the laws of the country.

What should be included in the insurance

The average traveler

If you are an arrogant tourist without chronic illnesses, go on a short vacation and are not afraid of the loss of luggage, a basic insurance policy will suffice. At the same time, for those who plan to drink wine at the foot of the Eiffel Tower, have fun at Oktoberfest or taste the beauty of Turkish all inclusive, it is better to add to the policy a clause about assistance with alcoholic intoxication.

A pregnant woman

It is imperative to add the option "insurance in case of complications of pregnancy" to the basic package. Even if you are feeling great and the doctor has approved the trip, climate change, air pressure, flight and many other factors can have consequences. It's better to overpay for insurance than to get into debt with hospital bills.

To a tourist with chronic diseases

Start from your illness. Perhaps the policy should include not only the relief of an attack, but also options such as paying to return home after treatment.

Disabled traveler

For a disabled person, in order to get a policy, it is better to communicate with an insurance agent online or offline. It is worthwhile to meticulously find out which clauses of the contract cover insured events for a person of his status, and which do not. All agreements, of course, should be as transparently reflected in the agreement as possible. Otherwise, there is a risk of being left without compensation.

Tourists with children

If you can try to save money on yourself, then it is better to insure small children, especially those visiting the country of destination for the first time, in case of burns and allergies.

For pensioners

The insurance company will need to be notified about the age when forming an application for a policy. As a rule, until the age of 65, a person does not fall into a high-risk group for health. Then the cost of insurance will grow with age.

When applying for a policy, you should focus on your health status and additional factors. So, if a pensioner travels with a peer and he may need medical assistance at any time, it is better to provide travel and accommodation for a third person in the policy so that someone younger and more cheerful can solve problems on the spot.

Do I need insurance to travel in Russia

You can get emergency medical care anywhere in Russia under the compulsory medical insurance policy. So you can do without additional expenses. However, if you are planning a dangerous trip, it is still worth buying additional insurance. The payments will come in handy for your family if you die, or if you are seriously injured.

How to get insurance

1. In a travel agency

If you buy a tour, insurance is usually included. Do not expect anything special from it, it will be a basic package. Those who need additional services should abandon the "built-in" policy and get insurance on their own.

2. In an insurance company

On a personal visit

You need to come to the insurance company, talk to a specialist and sign a contract.

Online

Most insurance companies buy insurance online. The algorithm for each organization is approximately the same. First, you indicate the country where you are going (or several, if you are issuing an annual policy), the duration of the trip and the number of people for whom the document is drawn up.

Then you will need to choose a suitable tariff. For example, the basic package of Tripinsurance includes only medical and emergency dental care, while the standard package already covers most of the insurance claims related to health.

It remains only to enter in the policy of all travelers and the contact details of the recipient of the policy.

3. Through special services

There are services that allow you to choose the best offer among several insurance companies. They will help you find a policy that meets your needs and at the same time costs less than if you went to the first available insurer.

Cherehapa.ru

The policy search algorithm is similar to that offered on the websites of insurance companies. You will be prompted to select a country, duration of travel and the number of tourists. Separately, you should pay attention to the ability to choose an insurer who will issue you a policy, even if you are already traveling.

Next, you will need to enter your age. If you are a pensioner, the service will recommend which points to pay attention to.

Then select the amount of insurance and additional services.

As a result, only those companies that match your request will remain in the list on the left. It remains to study their offers, choose the best one and buy a policy.

Cherehapa.ru →

Compare.ru

The selection of a policy from "Sravn.ru" works according to a similar algorithm. Enter destination country, travel time and traveler details.

How and why to take out travel insurance

Choose the options you want.

Compare offers, choose the best one and pay for the policy.

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What you need to consider when taking out insurance

Exclusions from insurance coverage

Pay attention to this point in the contract. It is it that contains the information that the insurance company will refer to when refusing to pay. In accordance with it, you will decide whether you should not choose another policy or another insurer.

Franchise size

A deductible is a portion of the benefits that the insurer will withhold when compensating for treatment or damage. It is a kind of agreement with a tourist that he is ready to take on part of the cost of treatment. For this, the company will reduce the cost of insurance.

The franchise is assigned as a percentage of the money you owe or a fixed amount. So, if you break your leg and the doctor's services cost $ 50, and the deductible is $ 30, then you will be reimbursed 20. If the deductible is $ 100, then you will not have to rely on compensation.

Accordingly, if the payments are small, the franchise is more profitable in percentage, if large - in a fixed amount.

Deductible is not a mandatory clause in the insurance contract. For example, for the countries of the Schengen group, insurance is required without it.

How to get insurance payments

Abroad, when an insured event occurs, you will deal with a service company (assistance) that cooperates with your insurer. Her phone number and insurance policy number should always be at hand. It is not necessary to memorize them, but it is advisable to save them in phone notes.

If you have lost your document or forgot your policy number, call the insurance company. They will remind you the necessary numbers.

It is better to photograph the policy itself and store it on your phone, or simply download an electronic document to your device.

If an insured event occurs, the first step is to call the service company. It is her employee who will decide which clinic you need to contact, arrange delivery to the hospital and, in general, will coordinate your actions. Do not worry if you do not know the language of the host country: most likely, the interlocutor will speak Russian.

There is one exception to this scheme: if there is a direct threat to life, you need to call emergency help immediately. And only after that contact the assistance.

The insurer can either reimburse you directly to the hospital or reimburse you for the costs of your treatment. In the first case, it is enough to follow the instructions of the service company and do without self-activity: do not call a doctor without the knowledge of the assistance, do not agree to take prescribed medications without consulting him (if the insurer thinks that the medications were not needed, he may refuse compensation).

In the second case, upon returning, you will need to contact the insurance company with a package of documents, which will include:

policy;
a written statement about the occurrence of an insured event;
all medical documents;
bills for transportation of the patient to the place of medical care and back;
checks confirming that the services have been paid;
invoice for a call to the service department.

It is worth checking the documents in which languages your insurance company accepts. If only in Russian, then you will have to provide translations certified by a notary.