Many travelers feel that travel insurance for Australia trips is a simple decision

If you choose to travel all the way to Australia, chances are you will want to stay for a minimum of two weeks, preferably longer, in order to make your plane flight worthwhile.  And, of course, a lot may happen in two weeks—most of it good. However, travel insurance can come to your aid should you experience any trouble (for example, dehydration in the outback or getting a neck cramp from gazing up at the Sydney Opera House).

In addition to the usual coverage for lost or stolen luggage, and in addition to obtaining good medical travel insurance, there are some other factors to be aware of. For instance, many people travel to Australia specifically to dive at the Great Barrier Reef.

In addition to the normal hazards of scuba diving, the Great Barrier Reef is also the site of many of the world’s shark attacks.  Although the chances of a shark attack or other serious injury are still minimal, it’s good to consider purchasing special travel insurance for Australia treks that covers risky activities, if available.

In Australia, drivers drive on the left side of the road as opposed to the right, so getting rental car coverage is important. In some parts of Australia, there is no speed limit, and roads can be treacherous in more isolated areas due to poor grading and graveled shoulders. Furthermore, the abundance of wildlife in Australia occasionally causes problems for drivers as well.

Should you encounter medical problems outside of Australia’s major cities, you may be very far away from healthcare personnel.  Travel insurance can help you get to the appropriate medical care without additional strain on your credit card.

Photo Credit: brentbat

Millions of travelers will attend the summer games in Beijing, China
Later this summer, millions of travelers from around the world will descend on the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, China with hopes of seeing Gold medalists and exploring a fascinating new country. This can be a great adventure for travelers young and old, but there are a few things travelers need to be aware of before they go.

Olympic-bound travelers must consider their health and medical safety
Anytime you travel, your health and safety are a concern. Many travelers like to try new things; whether it’s new exotic foods, unusual activities, unfamiliar sights, and various other “foreign-land” adventures. If you are heading to Beijing to see the 2008 Olympics, you will absolutely experience a variety a “new things”. Some will be harmless, but some will increase your risk of getting sick, injured, or ill. New foods, unfamiliar surroundings, or a day-trip adventure could result in any sort of accident.

Health insurance from home won’t cover medical expenses while abroad
When traveling in your home country, a slight mishap won’t cause too much trouble as long as you have health insurance. Your insurance from your home travels with you as long as you are in your home country.

Travelers are surprised, however, to learn that the same coverage that protects them at home will not always travel with them overseas. In fact, most health insurance from the US does not provide coverage once you leave the US, including Medicare. That means that when you leave your home country, you are left with no medical coverage to protect you in case of accidents, illnesses, or sicknesses. An unexpected visit to a foreign hospital can be a scary (and expensive) experience.

Transportation to get an injured traveler home can cost $50,000 or more
The costs of having an accident or getting sick while overseas doesn’t end with the emergency medical care costs. The other downside of needing medical care while abroad is the problem of getting back home. In many cases, an injured or sick passenger cannot simply fly on a commercial airline. They might need a specially equipped medical flight, or even an emergency medical evacuation.

Travelers going to the Olympics in China need travel insurance
The answer is to purchase travel insurance for your Olympic trip to China. A travel medical insurance plan is a temporary policy that covers you for the length of your trip. A good travel medical policy will provide:

• assistance in finding a hospital
• transportation if needed
• translation assistance
• payment for covered expenses

Important! Most travel medical plans even provide coverage that pays for emergency medical evacuation and transportation costs, which can be staggering. Make sure the one you choose provides this!

Related China Olympics travel insurance articles:
How do I know my travel insurance company is reputable?
3 Steps to finding the right travel insurance
Who has the best travel insurance?

Why you should never buy travel insurance from an airline, cruise line, or tour operator

When you decide to purchase insurance for your trip, you are entering into a contract with an insurance company. You are promising to pay a certain amount of premium, and they are promising to pay you under certain circumstances (a claim).

In the case of travel insurance, you should always purchase from a third party. Even though your cruise line, airline, or tour operator offers you insurance, it is not the same as purchasing it independently.

Insurance purchased from a travel supplier may not cover financial default (bankruptcy)

There has been a string of airline bankruptcies recently, causing many travelers to shop for travel insurance. For travelers who purchased a plan through their travel supplier, however, there might not be coverage for this situation. Many insurance plans offered by travel suppliers do not cover bankruptcy and financial default.

Always purchase travel insurance from a third party source

It is always wise to purchase travel insurance from a third party source who will provide coverage in the event of bankruptcy, when airlines or other travel suppliers stop service. Don’t be left without coverage when you need it.

Related Links
How do I know my travel insurance company is reputable?
3 Steps to finding the right travel insurance
Who has the best coverage for lost luggage?

With the rapid increase of airline bankruptcies and cancelled flights, many travelers are relying on travel insurance to protect their investment. Travel insurance provides many benefits, one of which is coverage for the bankruptcy or financial default of a travel provider; including airlines, cruise line, or tour operators.

This travel insurance coverage will provide reimbursement for cancelled travel plans when a travel supplier declares bankruptcy.

Not all travel insurance policies provide this coverage, it depends on the plan. Some provide great coverage for this, some have several conditions that must be met, and other do not provide coverage at all.

Here are 4 essential steps to buying financial default coverage

1. Check your policy to make sure financial default coverage is provided
There are many different travel insurance companies, and each company has several products. Financial default (or bankruptcy) is not covered by all travel insurance policies. Read the policy brochure carefully, or even better the actual policy certificate. Look for a section regarding coverage for bankruptcy or financial default.

The best way to find the policies with the best coverage for financial default is to use a comparison engine. At the end of this article, you will find a table outlining the financial default coverage for all major travel insurance companies and their products.

2. Check the list of “Covered Suppliers” to make sure your airline or tour operator is covered.
Some travel suppliers might not be covered for financial default reasons. Travel insurance companies will define the specific travel suppliers that they will cover for financial default. Look for a “Covered Supplier List” when purchasing travel insurance, and check it to make sure your airline, cruise line, or tour operator is listed.

The travel insurance company must define the specific companies due to the shear number of different providers, and the questionable stability of some of them. It isn’t hard to start a “tour company”, and many of them go out of business.

3. Buy travel insurance as soon as possible
Regardless of the financial default coverage, it is always recommended that you purchase your travel insurance policy as soon as possible to take advantage of all the coverage. This means buying it when you make you first trip payment. There are many reasons to purchase your travel insurance plan as early as possible, and it is specifically important with financial default and bankruptcy coverage.

Most companies require that you purchase the policy within a certain time period; often within 10-15 days of your first trip payment, or within 24 hours of you last trip payment. Check the details of your policy, or consult the table at the end of this article.

The travel insurance company does this to make sure travelers don’t buy coverage after they know about the bankruptcy.

4. Be aware of the “waiting period” for financial default coverage in many travel insurance plans.
Another line of fine print refers to the “waiting period”. This is a period of time after the purchase of your policy when a financial default would not be covered. For example: if a company has a 10 day waiting period, but the travel provider declares bankruptcy 6 days after the effective date of the policy, you would not be covered.

Again, this is done to prevent uninsured travelers from buying coverage after the fact. Oftentimes, the imminent bankruptcy of a company is known to the general public. Without this waiting period, you might hear that your provider is about to declare bankruptcy, and you could buy the insurance hoping to be covered. The purpose of trip cancellation insurance is to cover sudden, accidental, and unknown events. This is why insurance should be purchased as soon as possible, so you can be covered for the longest period of time.

Financial Default Coverage Matrix

Here is a listing of most major travel insurance companies and their individual plans, as well as the financial default coverage provided. Note: It is also important to double check your policy when purchasing; simply use this table as a starting point (see How to Compare Quotes with a Travel Insurance Comparison Site)

Medical costs and evacuation can easily cost over $100,000
Getting sick overseas, or anywhere in the world, can be a vary scary experience. There are language issues, local customs, local conditions, facilities, and payment systems. The need for an evacuation is even worse, because you need to be put on a transport, such as a medically equipped airplane, with trained nurses. These costs can easily total in the hundreds of thousands of dollars.

Around the world, travel insurance will protect you
If you travel for business, make sure your employer has taken the proper measured to ensure you are covered. Don’t wait until something happens. The time to check is now, before you even depart. Also make sure your policy includes medical evacuation coverage, and a 24/7 help line that you can call in a time of need.

Related Links
How do I know my travel insurance company is reputable?
3 Steps to finding the right travel insurance
Who has the best coverage for lost luggage?

1. Determine your needs

Ask yourself this question and write down the answer:

“What are my 3 biggest concerns about this trip?”

Some people want to make sure the cost of their trip is covered if they need to cancel, others want their health and medical needs covered by travel medical insurance. Maybe you have a nice new set of luggage to protect, or you heard about the astronomical cost of emergency evacuation.

Everyone looks for travel insurance to cover different needs. You need to determine what your needs are, and find the policy that works best.

For more help understanding travel insurance coverage, check our Travel Insurance 101 guide.

2. Compare all quotes from all companies

This is actually quite easy. Instead of visiting several different websites and getting trip insurance quotes one at a time, use a comparison engine. These work much like Expedia .com, where you put in the trip dates and see all the options from all companies at the same time. Then you can decide based on features.

(see How to Compare Quotes with a Travel Insurance Comparison Site)

3. Match the plan that fits your list

Start looking at the different plans, specifically checking the coverage for the 3 things you wrote down earlier. If the coverage is the same for one area, check that off your list and move on to the next one. If they all offer similar coverage, you can then simply shop based on price.

Some products, however, will offer better or worse coverage than others. If you find a company that offers better coverage in one of your chosen areas, you have a reason to choose them over the rest. This is where price is not a concern, but getting the right coverage is.

Most travel insurance policies include something called “free-look” period, which gives you a certain amount of time to return the policy for a refund. This allows travelers to purchase the plan they like, and spend some additional time reading through it and finalizing their decision.

Most free-look periods are between 10-15 days

Most policies offer a free-look period of between 10-15 days. This means you can buy the policy, return it for any reason (within that time), and receive a premium refund. There may be some small administration fees, but they are usually only $3-$5, and it is well worth the peace of mind knowing you can take your time reading through the coverage.

There are a few conditions of using a free-look refund

If you return the policy for a refund within the free-look period, you will receive that refund pending the following conditions:

• you must return the policy prior to departure
• you have not made any claims on the policy

Compare quotes for travel insurance using a comparison site

Several sites let travelers compare quotes for all different travel insurance policies at the same time, just like Expedia.com lets you compare airfares (see How to Compare Quotes with a Travel Insurance Comparison Site)

Medical expense and emergency evacuation coverage is important

Even though the other benefits are important while taking a trip, the really important coverage is the medical expense and evacuation. These are the costs that can get very high, and paying out-of-pocket could be catastrophic. Medical expenses can run in the 10′s of thousands, and e required evacuation could easily cost over $100,000. Without the right insurance coverage, you could be required to pay this yourself.

Check the policy certificate for any exclusions

The important thing os to check your coverage carefully. Read the certificate and check the “exclusions” section to see if they have ruled out skiing accidents. In general, as long you are not taking part in professional skiing or racing, winter activities are covered.

If you have further questions, ask a professional

If you are not sure about a certain policy, the best thing to do is ask a professional. The easiest way to do this is using a comparison site, because they can answer questions about several companies’ policies at the same time, instead of making you call around and deal with each company.

Here’s what to do:

1. Go to a comparison site (see How to Compare Quotes with a Travel Insurance Comparison Site)
2. Enter your trip details and get instant policy quotes
3. Read a little about each policy to find out if skiing is covered
4. Call the comparison site’s toll-free number, they can answer questions about all products

Most travel insurance is sold online because it is quick and simple. Unlike some online businesses that offer free “quotes”, then ask for an email or phone number where you can be contacted, travel insurance is quoted in real time. It takes a minute or two to fill out some general travel information, and you can get actual premium quotes.

When using a comparison site (see How to Compare Quotes with a Travel Insurance Comparison Site), travelers can even look at several policies at once and choose which is best based on a variety of factors. Some travelers look for specific aspects like high baggage coverage or good delayed trip coverage.

Shopping online also lets travelers get instant coverage

Another advantage of using a comparison site is the fact that you can get instant coverage. When you get a quote and find the right policy, you can take out a credit card and make the purchase right online. For most coverage, the insurance company will respond within hours with a confirmation number guaranteeing coverage.

They will usually also send a paper copy of your policy in the mail, but with this email confirmation you are covered. Many travelers print this out and go. It has your policy number, personal information, and important contact numbers if you have any questions or claims.

One way to buy travel insurance is to go directly to the source, the travel insurance company. Groups like TravelGuard, CSA Travel protection, and TravelSafe all have websites where you can sign up and buy a trip insurance policy online. This works just fine…if you know what you are looking for.

Many travelers do not know what they need without comparing different policies. It just makes sense. Most planned purchases require some research…if for no other reason than to get the best price.

Find the right plan and get the best price

Travel insurance comparison sites give you quotes from all the different companies at the same time. You can also compare the different coverages, benefits, and “small print” in the insurance policies.

Is it cheaper to buy directly from the insurance company?

No. Travel insurance comparison sites are agents and earn a commission on each policy sold, just like your local agency that insures your home or car. If you buy directly from the travel insurance company, they simply keep the portion of the premium that would go to an agent. Since the price is the same either way, you might as well use a comparison website and find the best policy at the right price.

“Shopping for travel insurance with comparison sites is like shopping for plane tickets at Expedia.com”

(see How to Compare Quotes with a Travel Insurance Comparison Site)