Most Common Travel Accidents

Most Common Travel Accidents

We are surrounded by potential risks everywhere we go, but when traveling, there are a number of risks that become more likely because you are in such an unfamiliar environment. Not to mention, there are so many new and exciting sights to take in, that sometimes it’s easy to forget to be cautious. Here are the most common travel accidents according to our customer reports:

Tripping

Though tripping can happen anywhere, the likelihood of it happening on your trip is much greater. We’ve all been in a hurry to catch a flight or a train, but rushing to do so—especially while trying to lug around all of your bags—can certainly prove to be dangerous. Try not to rush anywhere; this can cause accidents that could have otherwise been avoidable.

While traveling to a new place, it is easy to be wide-eyed and fascinated by the new sights of your destination. This is distracting—especially while taking photos—and can be the reason for your fall. Some countries, like the U.S. and Canada, have raised sidewalks for pedestrians. Though the streets are built this way for safety, if you are not watching where you are stepping, you can trip and fall off of the curb causing possible injuries.

Slipping on Wet Surfaces

most common travel accidentsWet surfaces are exceptionally dangerous to walk on, whether it is a shower, in the ice or snow, or a sidewalk while it’s raining. You should be extra cautious while walking on wet surfaces and hold onto railing when walking on slippery stairs. Be sure to dress according to the weather of your travel destination. Proper walking shoes are necessary, and rain or snow boots should be packed for either occasion. Avoid hiking or walking in the dirt while it is wet, as the mud can be extremely slippery.

Traffic Accidents

Car accidents are the number one cause of death across the globe. While many travelers don’t drive while they are out of their home country, it is still important to watch for surrounding traffic as many car accidents include pedestrians, cyclists, and those riding other transportation like: buses or bike taxis. If you do plan to drive while traveling, know the local traffic rules. Traffic rules differ drastically from country to country, so it is important to know how to drive safely.

Snake Bites

We all enjoy the great outdoors, but with the great outdoors, comes all the animals that it houses. It is essential that you watch your step while in nature. Snakes can be very difficult to see, and their bites can be fatal. Wearing proper hiking boots and thick socks can help protect you from a snakes’ bite. It is important that if bitten, you get to an emergency room as quickly as possible.

How Can My Travel Insurance Help?

Your travel medical insurance can certainly come in handy. The insurance plan has a toll-free number you can call from anywhere and they will assist in helping you find the closest medical facilities, and finding you transportation if needed.

If you are injured at a location far from a medical facility, you may need to be evacuated. Emergency medical evacuations are expensive and complicated procedures, but travel medical insurance can be helpful in making arrangement for a emergency evacuation, via land or air, to transport you to the closest medical facility in a timely manner.

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Medicare: Limitations for International Travelers

Medicare: Limitations for International Travelers

A majority of the population in the U.S. are seniors – elderly and retired people who do not have to work for a living any more. They may have waited their entire lives to have the time and money to travel and see the world. These seniors get their health insurance through Medicare, the health insurance program administered by the U.S. government to provide medical coverage for people age 65 and older.

What most people may not know is that Medicare is limited to treatment received within the U.S. borders. If you are a senior citizen, you are more prone to getting sick easily due to existing medical conditions, poor food and water quality, even climate conditions where you travel. Any illness or medical emergency outside your home country must be paid for in cash and the medical bills become your liability, if you don’t have a travel medical insurance plan.

Does Medicare Cover Medical Treatment When You Travel?

US Passport Health InsuranceMedicare has certain limitations that apply to your international travel. If you have Medicare, you can travel anywhere in the U.S. and its territories and get the medical care you need from almost any doctor or hospital, even when you are in:

>> The U.S. Virgin Islands
>> Puerto Rico
>> American Samoa
>> The U.S. Northern Mariana Islands (including Saipan, Rota, Tinian, and others)
>> Guam

Outside the U.S. – even in Mexico and Canada – your medical treatment is not covered by Medicare, so you must have a travel health insurance plan.

Medicare Supplement Plans Are Not Overseas Travel Health Insurance

Many seniors in the U.S. purchase Medicare supplement plans to cover the gaps in their Medicare. Those plans are purchased from private insurance providers (i.e., not the government) may not cover foreign medical emergencies, even if they do cover, there may be limitation on the benefits of coverage. Medicare Advantage plans have restrictive lifetime limits. In short, a Medicare supplement plan is not the same as overseas travel health insurance. Do not rely on Medicare or Medicare supplement plan for your trip outside the U.S.
[Check with Medicare and your Medicare supplement plan company to verify your coverage and limitations]

Medicare Supplement Plans Do Not Include Evacuation or Repatriation

If a senior is traveling in a foreign country, they may not be able to receive the same level of care they would back in the U.S. An emergency medical evacuation can easily cost over $50,000 depending on how far the traveler has to be transported and their medical condition. Neither Medicare nor any Medicare supplement plan has coverage for emergency medical evacuations or repatriation (return of mortal remains).

How to Get Coverage Outside the U.S. Border

If you are traveling abroad, check whether you supplement plan covers your medical care abroad and what are the limits. Often, the limit with supplement plans may not be enough if you are badly injured or have a serious illness. You may be able to pay an extra premium or add additional riders to increase the limits, but you’ll have to verify this with your supplement plan provider.

While Medicare and the various supplemental plans do not offer or severely limit coverage for medical emergencies outside the U.S. border, travel health insurance plans are the solution for your medical costs when you leave your home country. When you are covered at home by Medicare, a travel health insurance plan acts as your primary health insurance when you go abroad.

Buy Travel Insurance

Though a travel insurance plan may not cover you for everything (may have limitations and exclusions for pre-existing conditions) but it will still provide coverage for evacuation, repatriation, and 24/7 on-call assistance that you can call if you encounter a travel emergency and need advice and/or help arranging emergency transportation, replacing a lost or stolen passport, finding local medical care, contacting your family in an emergency, and more

Get a proper travel medical coverage and enjoy your trip worry free !

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Top 10 Common Mistakes Made By Travelers Traveling Abroad

Top 10 Common Mistakes Made By Travelers Traveling Abroad

We all make mistakes, but when it comes to traveling we can make mistakes without even trying. Some traveler mistakes are quick to fix and easily forgotten, others can be expensive, time-consuming, and even disastrous.

>> 1. Failing to Check their Passport Dates

Did you know that many countries require your passport to valid for at least six months after your return? If you go through customs with a passport that is soon to expire, you may be turned away.

Check the passport regulations for your destination country well in advance of your trip – getting a new passport can take months.

>> 2. Forgetting to Buy Travel Insurance

Many travelers forget to buy travel insurance, but having a good travel insurance plan is cheap and smart protection from accidents, injuries and illnesses, passport and credit card theft, and even travel delays.

Travelers who buy travel insurance know that they have the coverage they need in a travel emergency as well as a person to call for help when things go wrong on their trip. It is a good idea that you take up a good travel insurance on your next trip – To get quotes for the best travel medical insurance for your next trip, visit Travel Health Insurance.

>> 3. Booking Tight Connections

Most Common mistakes Travelers MakeWeather, traffic, accidents and other unpredictable events can delay your trip and can be a potential hindrance to your next point of connection. Travelers with tight connections are taking an unnecessary risk.

Give yourself plenty of time – it reduces the stress that can cause you to be more susceptible to illness and cost you an insurance claim as well as other expenses if you have a travel delay.

>> 4. Packing the Wrong Stuff

Have you heard the saying, “there’s no bad weather, just inappropriate clothing” before? It’s true. If a traveler packs well, they will have the right clothing, medicine, and tools they need to be comfortable.

While you can’t plan for everything that can go wrong, having what you need when you need it can make a big difference in your safe and healthy return back home

>> 5. Taking Too Much Stuff

We’ve all seen overloaded travelers with too many heavy bags. All that extra weight adds to your stress and makes it easier for you to become ill.

Smart travelers know how to have what they need, but not more than they need. If you encounter a situation you aren’t prepared for, you can always purchase your necessities.

>> 6. Not Having Enough Prescription Medicine

Travelers who take prescription medication need to have enough to make it through their trip because the medication they need may be hard to get in some countries.

Talk with your doctor and get enough medicine to make it through the duration of your trip – plus a few days extra to account for the possibility of travel delays.

>> 7. Forgetting Travel Adapters

The electrical plugs that are standard in your home country are not the same in other countries, and you will need adapters to use your electronic devices and appliances (like hair dryers).

Buy the adapters you need for the country you are visiting and whatever you do, if the plug doesn’t fit, don’t force it! You could cause an electrical fire or worse.

>> 8. Getting Ripped Off

Travelers are easy prey for pickpockets, credit card thieves, and other criminals looking to make a fast buck. Tours and taxi drivers take the long way around to run up the meter. Hotel staff members can steal your credit cards and passport.

Take precautions such as wearing a money belt under your clothing, knowing the route before you get in the taxi, and locking up your passport and extra credit card in the hotel safe.

>> 9. Forgetting to Call your Bank

Thanks to rising identity theft and fraud, many financial institutions have procedures to reduce the risk of fraud. If an unusual charge appears, your account could be locked and you could have no access to your money.

Always contact your bank and/or financial institution to let them know where you will be traveling, how long you will be gone, and how to get in touch with you.

>> 10. Changing Currency at the Most Expensive Place

Traveling abroad is never cheap and it can get even more expensive when converting currency. Getting the best exchange rate is essential.

The best way to exchange currency is by visiting official exchange kiosks, and tracking the look for the most favorable exchange rate. Exchange fees vary widely and get more expensive at the airport.

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Naming a Beneficiary in Your Travel Insurance Policy

Naming a Beneficiary in Your Travel Insurance Policy

A beneficiary is a person who receives proceeds from the payout of an insurance policy in a qualifying event such as the death of the insured. When we’re talking about visitors travel insurance, the beneficiary is named in your policy as the person who will receive a payout as beneficiary.

The travel insurance provider cannot guess where you would like the money to go in-case of an emergency, so, you must name a beneficiary. In some cases, the amount to be paid can be substantial – up to hundreds of thousands of dollars, depending on the insurance plan you choose. If the insured fails to name a beneficiary, then the due funds could end up tangled in probate and may never serve the intended purpose of protecting loved ones in such a time of need.

Who Should I Name As My Beneficiary?

Your beneficiary should be someone you would like your benefits to go to in the case of an unforeseen event of death. Though, your travel companion is often someone close to you and may seem like the right person to name as your beneficiary, it is a good idea to additionally name a secondary beneficiary in case there is an accident in which both of you are involved. This way, you are assured that the benefits will be received by the party or parties you have designated in your insurance policy.

Failing to Name a Beneficiary is a Big Mistake

Without the specific designation of a beneficiary on your insurance policy, the benefits you’ve purchased will not go where you intended. If you do not name a beneficiary, the funds will go into the probate depending on the laws of your country. In most cases, this means a much reduced amount will reach your family once the proper legal actions are concluded.

Minors Don’t Qualify

Most visitors insurance plans don’t want a minor – that is, a person under the age of 18 – named as the beneficiary of any insurance policy. The reasons are varied, but essentially, it’s for the best interest of the child who would not be qualified to handle such a large sum of money. This same rule holds true for disabled people.

If you want to name a child as your beneficiary, and you have a legal trust established in the child’s name, you can name the trust as the beneficiary and the child will ultimately get the funds according to the terms of the trust.

It is recommended that you name the beneficiary, any person other than policy holders, insured persons or any traveling companions. The beneficiary can be any family member, son or daughter, relatives or friends.

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Luggage, An Essential Part Of Your Trip: Travel Tips

Luggage, An Essential Part Of Your Trip: Travel Tips

Tips for Keeping Your Luggage Safe While You Travel.

You would be lost on your trip if you misplaced your travel documents, electronics, and other valuables. Be sure to put all of your must-haves in your carry-on bag when you travel. These items may include your passport, itinerary, cell phone, jewelry, and medication.

>> Baggage Tags or Labels

Label your bag with your name, phone number, and address. Make sure all of this information is up-to-date and that any old, worn tags are removed. This information will come in handy if the airline misplaces your baggage, or if another passenger takes your bag by mistake. These identifiers will be crucial in locating your bags if they are misplaced in transit as well. It is also a good idea to keep a copy of your contact information and itinerary in plain-sight in your bag in case your luggage tag is lost or damaged.

>> Keep Your Bag Check-in Receipts

These identifiers will be crucial in locating your bags if they are misplaced. In case of delayed baggage or misplaced baggage during the transit, these receipts can will help the airport authorizes to trace and hand over the bags to you. It will also help them identify you as genuine owner of the baggage.

>> Invest in Quality Luggage

You don’t have to spend hundreds of dollars on your luggage, but it is a good idea to opt for luggage that is durable and solid, even though you may have to spend a little more. The likelihood that your bag is tossed around, at the airport, is relatively high. Make sure that your zippers close completely and that they are in good condition. The last thing you want is to arrive at your destination and see that some of your belongings are missing because they fell out of your bag.

>> Pack Wisely

Try not to overload your luggage. This may cause the zippers to give out and burst open during transit. Additionally, if you have any liquid items (within the legal liquid capacity of course), be sure to pack them in a plastic bag—or two—to keep your other items safe and dry in case they spill. To add to this, if you have any articles of clothing that are heavily dyed, you may want to bag those as well in case of cross-dying due to moisture in your bag.

>> Fragile Items

Don’t hesitate to ask the airline to mark your bag as ‘fragile’ or ‘Handle with Care’, if you have any fragile goods within your luggage (i.e.: paintings, delicate souvenirs, glass, etc).

>> Lock Your Bag

Depending on where you are traveling to and from, you may want to consider locking your bag. This will help prevent theft. Some airlines require that you have a specific lock so that they can easily open it in-case of need for search. Check to make sure before your trip to the airport.

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4 Steps to Take After You Buy Visitors Insurance

4 Steps to Take After You Buy Visitors Insurance

As a visitors insurance buyer, we recommend that you carefully research, compare and buy the right visitors insurance suited to your needs by selecting the most appropriate deductibles, policy maximums, limits and premiums. Once you have purchased your plan, you can rest, right? Not so fast.

One of the biggest complaints travelers have about visitors insurance is related to the fact that they did not understand the plan and their claims were denied. While price, deductible, and policy maximum are important, those aren’t the only things you must pay attention to if you are to take full advantage of your visitors insurance policy.

Here are the 4 important steps you must take after you buy your visitors insurance plan.

>> 1. Read the Description of Coverage & Exclusions

You will receive “Description of Coverage” document with your email confirmation of purchase. This is the document that outlines the legal agreement between you and the insurance company so it’s extremely important that you read it carefully. Pay specific attention to the exclusions so you know what events will not be paid for – by your insurance plan. For example, if you have a few too many drinks and stumble off a curb and break your ankle, your medical care may not be covered because no losses will be paid while the traveler is under the influence of alcohol or drugs.

>> 2. Call if You Have Questions

Most of the travel medical insurance plans come with a free look-up period, also known as “Review Period”, that is some days after your purchase. If you read the plan and have questions during this time, you may call the travel insurance company and get answers. If you discover the plan will not meet your needs, you may modify the plan or cancel it for a refund and get the right plan. Don’t wait too long – the typical review period is about a week. After that, you’re stuck with the plan you bought.

>> 3. Double Check the Traveler Details

Claims are sometimes denied simply because the traveler details were wrong. While this may seem like a technicality, the travel insurance plan’s rules are clear and they won’t pay benefits if the trip is somehow different than the details you provided, or you forgot to add one person to your policy, or your age was listed incorrectly, for example. Double check those details right after you receive your confirmation and call the travel insurance provider quickly if you need to make changes. Changes after the free look-up period cannot be made, so do this quickly.

>> 4. Print or Carry Copies of Your Travel Insurance Documents

You must print them, or keep them in your email to access, or save them to a portable drive but you must have your visitors insurance documents on your trip. You should also share a copy with at least one person you trust who is not traveling with you in case the worst happens and you die on your trip. You should have the contact information for the travel insurance company handy, along with your policy number and other details in case you need to get in touch on the road.

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Countries Requiring Their Citizens Buy Travel Insurance: Malaysia

Countries Requiring Their Citizens Buy Travel Insurance: Malaysia

While the government websites of every developed country recommend that their citizens obtain travel insurance prior to leaving the country, some countries are taking it one step further. In particular, the government of Malaysia requires citizens booking through Malaysian Association of Tour & Travel (MATTA) travel agents buy travel insurance prior to leaving their home country.

The president of MATTA recently mentioned in a media report that they had received numerous complaints from the traveling public who faced difficulties bringing their loved ones who died abroad back to Malaysia for burial. Travel insurance can go a long way toward helping those who travel with the high cost of medical bills, lost luggage, and travel delays too. If travelers want to have fun on their vacations and have safer business trips and come home safe and sound, they’ll want travel insurance to protect themselves.

Why Malaysia Made Travel Health Insurance Mandatory for Its Citizens

Malaysia come to the conclusion that their citizens are better protected with travel insurance when they leave the country. The travel insurance will cover the critical issues affecting a traveler’s welfare, including:

>> Medical
>> Hospitalization
>> Medical evacuation
>> Repatriation
>> Return of deposits
>> Compassionate visitation
>> Accidental death and/or permanent disability
>> 24/7 emergency number

The Malaysian Ministry of Foreign Affairs has many policies for Malaysians traveling abroad, including the fact that it will help its citizens with evacuation and repatriation in the event of injury or death, but the cost is borne by the traveler, their next of kin, or their family. These expenses are difficult, if not impossible, for anyone to afford because even a simple medical evacuation can easily cost as much as $50,000-$100,000 depending on how far the traveler must go.

Malaysian Travel Insurance Requirements

Per MATTA and in accordance with the Tourism Act of 1992, Malaysians are required to obtain travel insurance that covers:

>> Emergency medical and hospitalization
>> Travel expenses and reimbursement of air tickets and tour packages
>> Emergency medical evacuation and repatriation
>> Compassionate visitation benefits
>> Accidental death
>> Permanent disability
>> 24-hour support

Under the new travel insurance scheme, coverage will apply based on how long the traveler is gone, the type of coverage they buy, and the destination they are visiting. For example, for a trip lasting five days, domestic Malaysian travelers need only pay RM10, RM20 within Asia and RM35 in other countries.

The travel insurance scheme is also open for foreigners who are visiting Malaysia on holiday.

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