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Age
When taking out travel insurance, some
people think that only older persons or those with pre-existing medical
conditions such as heart conditions need comprehensive medical cover. Although
it is true that older people are more likely to claim from their medical cover,
young people should not assume that they will not have a need for the maximum
medical cover. There have been cases of young people who become the victim of a
car accident or who fall ill whilst travelling with a condition that has not
been diagnosed before e.g. cancer. In these highly stressful situations, we
would hope that neither you nor your family has to worry about medical cover
and money. Again, regardless of your age the maximum medical cover is
advisable.
High risk countries
Certain countries are considered higher
risk than others in terms of the likelihood that medical treatment will be
required. For example, many African countries, remote places in South America
and remote places in Asia and Papua New Guinea are considered a high risk for
travellers. This risk is attributed to the prevalence of tropical diseases and
also the risk of motor vehicle accidents from badly maintained vehicles and
poor driving practices. These countries often have inadequate medical
facilities and if you fall ill or become the victim of an accident, it is more
likely that you will require evacuation to the nearest country where you can
receive adequate medical care.
Credit card insurance and medical aid insurance
There are many
examples
of people who have been severely let down by credit card insurance.
Although some do offer adequate cover, many fall far short of the cover
required, and have high excess amounts. Always check your policy and buy more
insurance if required. Add the combined medical cover and read each policy to
ensure you have enough. Always make sure
you receive the terms and conditions prior to departure.
Summary
Analysing how much medical cover you may
need cannot be predicted. A 60-year old with a heart condition may travel
without any need to use insurance cover. On the other hand, a fit and healthy
20-year old could become the victim of a serious motor vehicle accident and be
critically injured. In this case, your medical expenses could quickly add up to
millions of Rands whether you are visiting a country with high costs of medical
care or not.
The best advice is to read your policy very
carefully, especially relating to the amount of medical cover it offers and
purchase as much cover as you can afford. It is advisable to read the
exclusions of your policy carefully to make sure you are covered for the
activities you intend to take part in whilst on holiday. We would not recommend
that you take out a travel insurance policy where the medical cover is less
than R3 000 000 as bare minimum. The basic rule is
that you get what you pay for and therefore, the more medical cover you can
afford to buy, the safer it is for you in the event that you need medical
treatment.
Get a quote here...
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