The Importance of Being Insured
None of us like to think about it, but consider what might happen if you seriously injure yourself at home. An ambulance would pick you up and rush you to the hospital where you would be looked after until you were well enough to return home. This would not cost you any money as you are a taxpayer, and in this country your contributions to the state also cover health care.
But what happens if you’re on holiday and have an accident in a country where you don’t contribute to their health service, or in a country that doesn’t have one? In Spain, for example, having a heart attack could set you back up to £35,000, and that’s not an outlay you need at what is likely to be a difficult enough time as it is.
For this reason, travel insurance should be top of your to-do list when you’re packing for your holiday. You may have heard that some countries operate a reciprocal healthcare agreement with the United Kingdom, and while this is true many of them will only cover urgent or life saving procedures, so although treatment for your heart attack might be covered, the trip in the ambulance might not be – And that’s not cheap, even on its own.
When you’re shopping for your insurance however, make sure the cover you buy will suit what you’re going away to do. For example, if you’re going to spend a week sunbathing, sightseeing and generally doing nothing, normal travel insurance quotes should cover you – But if you’re going on an adventure holiday featuring climbing, bungee jumping and 
parasailing, you may well have to take out a special policy. The same applies if you plan on going skiing or snowboarding – Although you should be careful in that case, as some providers will not cover you if there is not enough snow to partake in those activities.
A final piece of advice as well, be very careful if you plan on travelling around. Not only will you need a special long term travel insurance policy, you should also be aware that visiting some countries will in fact void your cover – So make sure you know you’re protected wherever you go.
Travel insurance doesn’t have to be expensive though, and if you shop around you can often get yourself a great deal. moneysupermarket.com says “UK holidaymakers pay £1.3bn more than they need to on travel insurance each year. This is despite the fact that travel insurance appears to be relatively cheap - normally around £25 for each week abroad”. Don’t be one of those spending too much money, instead check out travelsupermarket.com’s travel insurance comparison tool and start saving!
