Travel Insurance Review

Anyone who travels regularly is aware of luggage and carry-on restrictions post 9-11. However, if you travel abroad, there are other considerations to keep in mind. No foreign country wants undesirable insects, rodents, or diseases to infiltrate their population via border crossings.

Before reading further, remember that if you have outstanding police warrants or a criminal record, you should probably forget about foreign travel. Period.

What NOT to Take With You

Regulations vary by country. The snacks you pack for a domestic flight may not pass customs inspection for an overseas destination. Start with a good dose of ‘common sense’ and you will quickly realize why most of the items on the following list are not permitted:

Beer, wine, or other alcoholic beverages that have been opened

Pets without appropriate vaccination certificates

Native wildlife

Weapons or toys and other items that look like weapons

Big game bagged while on your safari or hunting trip

Prescription drugs without an accompanying doctor’s prescription

Drugs, vitamins, or nutritional supplements with unreadable labels

Illegal drugs or paraphernalia - DEATH PENALTY in some countries

Potted houseplants, seeds, soil, pebbles, or sand

Natural products like seashells, pieces of coral reef, whalebone

Uncooked pork, poultry, beef, and other meat or animal products

Unprocessed or uncooked vegetables, fruits, tubers, roots, etc.

Hay, straw, oats, and similar items

Any other natural products that may harbor diseases or pests

Fireworks and incendiary devices

Clothing and souvenirs manufactured with any of the above products

Some prohibited articles may be allowed with appropriate permits or certification. If you don’t know for sure - don’t pack them or bring them back home with you.

What you MUST Take With You

Imagine your chagrin should you go through customs on your return trip and discover that you must pay duty on your laptop computer, digital camera, and jewelry - even though you purchased them in your own country prior to your trip. Yes, it can - and does - happen. Protect yourself!

Pack copies of documents such as sales receipts, credit card statements, insurance policies, and appraisals for all valuable items to prove ownership and purchase date - especially for anything that looks like new.

No receipts or paperwork? Take a picture of each item next to a newspaper that plainly displays a readable date. Note the serial number(s) with each photo. Keep all photos and paperwork in a safe place along with your passport and other important documents. They will be invaluable when you fill in customs declarations - both leaving and returning.

Do Your Homework

Spend some time doing research on the internet before you travel. You should be able to find a government or embassy website that provides the regulations online. Do searches such as:

customs regulations France

customs regulations Spain

customs regulations Brazil

customs regulations USA

Advance investigation may save you considerable time, money, and effort as you pass through each border crossing.

Be aware! The resulting peace of mind will make your holiday much more enjoyable.

©Copyright Kathy Steinemann: This article is free to publish only if this copyright notice, the byline, and the author’s note below (with active links) are included.

Kathy Steinemann
http://www.articlesbase.com/travel-articles/planning-to-travel-abroad-leave-these-items-at-home-136105.html

If you have special needs you must ensure that your special circumstances are covered by the policy you choose.

Pre-existing medical conditions
Most insurers do not automatically cover pre-existing medical illnesses or medical conditions. However traveler’s can apply for coverage for their pre-existing illness via an application, which is, then subject to approval and possible payment of a premium. Keep in mind there are illnesses and conditions that will not be covered under any circumstances. Some insurers offer automatic coverage for common illnesses/conditions such as tinnitus, asthma or stable high blood pressure but the onus is on the traveler to check because conditions can apply. For example if you are on a hospital waiting list for treatment for your illness or condition you may not be covered. Sometimes insurers will offer you a policy that excludes claims caused by your condition or they may not offer a policy because of the destination of your travels.

What is a pre-existing medical condition?
In general they are usually defined as any chronic or ongoing medical or dental condition for which you have received treatment or advice within a specified time prior to the policy being issued or any chronic or ongoing medical condition, illness or disease that’s been medically documented prior to departure.

If the insurer does agree to cover you it is recommended you get it in writing. There may be an additional premium. Also check the excess in relation to a claim relating to the pre-existing condition. If you cannot get travel insurance for your condition it is still important to get travel insurance for other claims.

Pregnant Women
Most policies will cover pregnant women on application but you might be charged an additional premium for prior complications.

The cut-off point for coverage during pregnancy varies from 26 weeks to ‘no time limit’, with 26 weeks being the norm. Many policies cover unforeseen complications of the pregnancy during that time period, but they don’t all cover the medical costs of a premature baby.

Some charge an additional premium. Policies do not cover full-term birth. A few policies don’t cover you if you buy a policy and depart on your journey without knowing you are pregnant.

Older Travelers
Most of the policies offered have special conditions for older travelers. Some will require the payment of an extra premium while others will not offer cover after a specific age such as 75.

Most will require a medical assessment; some will charge a higher premium or extra fee. Others have no fee but have an extra excess for medical claims.

Adrenalin Seekers & Adventure Travelers
It is very important to check what activities you are covered for and more importantly what activities you are not covered for. Most amateur sports are covered however there are many exclusions. Exclusions can include mountaineering using ropes, base jumping, running with the bulls, snowboarding and professional sports. All product disclosure statements will outline the specific ‘adventures’ which are covered. Be aware that an extra premium may apply and read the conditions.

Single Parents traveling with children
If you are a single parent or adult traveling alone with several children most policies will cover the children for the single premium. However, some only allow cover for two dependent children travelling with one parent. It is important to check the age limits for children traveling with one parent.

Duo policies
These are policies that enable two people to travel together under the same policy. Make sure you check the restrictions because some may only allow you to travel with a spouse or family member others may require you to have the exact itinerary whereas others may allow you to spend 50% of time together.

Working while overseas
Working and traveling is a cost effective way of financing your trip. However some policies don’t cover you for manual labor or an accident that has happened while working. Policies that do provide cover usually don’t charge an additional premium but a few do.

As always make sure you check and double-check what you are buying. It is very important to understand the conditions and restrictions found in the product disclosure statement before you travel. It is essential for you to check all the small print on your policy before you make a decision. Read many policies carefully before making a decision and make sure you understand exactly what you are covered for and more importantly what you are not covered for.

Australia Travel Insurance wishes you a wonderful and safe journey.

Dtm
http://www.articlesbase.com/travel-articles/travel-insurance-for-special-needs-travellers-54788.html

Expat health care insurance is something which you ought to think about long and hard before you move overseas. There are a lot of people who travel overseas each year on holiday and find themselves falling in love with their holiday destination. This is something which occurs everyday and you have to remember that your requirement for medical insurance coverage will remain unchanged no matter where in the world you are.

You are still going to face all the same accident risks overseas which you will face at home but you could well run into a very different set of issues in terms of the cost of your own healthcare and that of your family. One thing which you most definitely do not want to encounter is being left in limbo.

Let us assume for instance that you are working abroad and that you have a motor accident and end up with a variety of minor injuries. The local police who attend the scene of the accident take you to the nearest hospital for treatment and, once the doctor has finished attending to your injuries, you are given your bill. Exactly how do you plan to pay?

If you are living abroad and continue to retain US citizenship then you will probably not be eligible for free treatment even if the country in question has a free healthcare system. You could of course look to your health insurance from back home but, unless you have only been away from home for a relatively short period of time and can claim this expense as vacation cover, it is unlikely that your insurer will meet your claim. In the end you will have no choice but to to pay your bill yourself and merely hope that you have enough money.

The wise thing to do of course is to think about getting health insurance cover which is specifically tailored to expatriates such as yourself prior to heading off abroad. There are several medical insurance plans available which cover just about every situation you can imagine and which will provide you with considerable peace of mind.

If you are going overseas to work for a company that is based in the states then they could well have an insurance plan designed to cover you and your family while you are working and living overseas. This is clearly something which you will want to investigate as almost all employers will cover at least some of the healthcare costs of their employees abroad.

If your employer does not give you the health insurance cover you want, or if the question of provision by an employer is not relevant, then you can do a search on the Internet for expatriate medical insurance plans and you will find a wealth of information from numerous companies and brokers who will be very willing to help in providing a suitable expat health insurance policy.

Should you decide to buy expatriate medical insurance online however you will need to read through the details of any policy carefully and satisfy yourself that you know exactly what is covered and what is not. You most definitely do not want to get to your destination and find when you come to submit your first claim that the insurance you have bought does not cover you for your claim or that it is void in your chosen country.

Finally, make sure that you start searching for an expat health policy as soon as you know when and where you will be going to ensure you receive the best deal.

Donald Saunders
http://www.articlesbase.com/insurance-articles/expat-health-care-travel-insurance-for-us-citizens-252594.html