The Importance of Being Insured

Imagine you fell ill at home, and were taken to an NHS hospital to recover. Now, apart from any prescriptions you might need, you wouldn’t expect to have to shell out any money, would you? After all, you pay your tax and your national insurance, and that’s what pays for these things, isn’t it?

Now imagine the same thing happens while you’re on holiday in Spain, where you don’t contribute to the economy. Having a heart attack in Spain could set you back £35,000 at an already difficult time for you and your family, and it’s for this reason that travel insurance should be one of the first things you pack after your passport and your tickets.

True enough, some countries operate a reciprocal healthcare agreement with the UK, but there are only around 60 that do and quite often they will only cover emergency procedures – Meaning that you end up paying for the ambulance journey and more on top, all for avoiding something that costs only a few pounds to set up.

You should also consider the type of holiday you’re going on as well; For example, a week on the beach in Spain is a lot safer than a fortnight bungee jumping in New Zealand, and as a result normal travel insurance will not cover you. If you are going on a skiing holiday or similar, you should consider a winter sports policy as these cover you for a variety of different activities – Just be sure you know what is covered and what isn’t as some companies will not cover equipment you have hired, and some will not cover if there is ‘no snow’ – Although the definition of this varies from company to company.

Similarly, if you are partaking in an adventure or extreme sport holiday you will need specialist cover much the same as winter sports cover, and if you are going on a long term holiday there is also special insurance for this. If you are travelling however, be especially careful – some third-world or war-torn countries may not be covered at all and should something happen to you the costs are likely to be very heavy.