What is Travel Insurance?



In order to decide whether you need travel insurance or not, you must first understand – what is travel insurance?

Travel insurance is a short term or temporary insurance that, depending on the terms of the plan you choose, can provide coverage for the medical and financial expenses due to sickness, accident, loss or damage of luggage during travelling. Travel insurance serves a varied clientele such as students, businessmen, leisure travelers, adventure travelers and many others. There are three important types of travel insurance. They are:

1. Accident or health travel insurance:

This travel insurance typically provides coverage for any accident or illness that you might sustain during the period of travel. It generally covers expenses related to hospitalisation, intensive care, surgery and outpatient treatment.



2. Trip cancellation travel insurance:

There are situations wherein the person misses his flight due to bad health or needs to cancel his flight. This travel insurance typically ensures that your money is refunded to you.

3. Medical evacuation travel insurance:

It might happen that the hospital in which you are admitted is not able to treat you properly. In such cases, medical evacuation becomes necessary to remove the patient safely and quickly to his own country. As medical evacuation is very expensive, this travel insurance can provide a great financial help to the patient and his family.

Getting an international travel insurance plan is important but, you should choose a travel insurance plan as per your travel needs. You should read the travel insurance plan carefully to ensure that it covers you and the activities you will do on your holiday.

These days, you can find various travel insurance companies that offer travel insurance plans designed to meet different requirements and budget. If you want to save your time and get the best travel insurance plan, you can look for the travel insurance quotes available online. You can simply visit the websites of travel insurance companies, check the terms of the plans they offer and fill in their application form to get travel insurance quotes within a few minutes. Whatever method you adopt to use, making sure you have the appropriate travel insurance plans for yourself, is the best possible way to help in having a trouble-free and memorable travelling experience.


International Medical travel: A highly affordable way of getting health travel benefits



The ever rising medical costs and the long wait which generally precedes any medical treatment are major contributing factors to the success of International Medical travel. Health travel is not a really modern concept. The erstwhile kings and emperors have been known to have traveled to retreats which were salubrious to their health. The same principle has now been embraced in international medical travel.

 

Several Asian and Middle Eastern countries are offering health travel to the western patients to whom traveling across nations is preferable to spending exorbitant amounts on treatments in their native country. US, UK Canada and some other European country residents are benefited immensely by international medical travel. The medical costs in these countries were always astronomical and are now soaring further. Add this to the fact that quite a few westerners are underinsured or even uninsured and you will get a perfect recipe for health travel.

 

Despite the added traveling and lodging costs that international medical travel entails, it is still much cheaper as opposed to getting treated in US or UK. The medical cost in the health travel offering countries is as much as 80 percent lower than in western countries. The low medical cost in no way reflects the quality of medical treatment offered in these countries. The centers offering international medical travel employ the best of medical professionals with extensive knowledge. All the modern techniques and equipment are present in these centers. The reason for the lower costs is much less labour charge in these countries. Very high labour charges and exorbitant insurance charges are what make medical treatment so expensive in the US and UK.
 

It is a testimony to the benefits of international medical travel that almost 20 million people traveled to Health travel offering countries last year. This number is predicted to shoot to 40 million in the next few years. Apart from the amazing monetary benefits health travel also offers quality treatments and personalized attention. Long waiting queues and a mere two minutes spent with the doctor post the long wait is not a common scenario in centers offering international medical travel. These ensure a more personalized attention to all their patients, with doctors actually going to the trouble of putting their doubts and concerns to rest and also answering any questions that they might have. Such a caring attitude is one more factor in the favor of health travel.

 

Traveling to a new country for getting medical treatment might seem a rather inconvenient prospect to begin with. There are several firms catering to all the requirements of health travel. The sole basis of the existence is to make life simpler and more comfortable for those undertaking international medical travel. They take care of all the traveling details, right from the tickets to visa. They also book comfortable lodging in the country offering health travel. Such health travel is no longer a daunting prospect. Infact, quite a few people are now clubbing health travel with their vacation. Considering the fact that many of the countries offering international health travel are major tourist attractions as well, this seems like a great idea.

 


Products for Safe Traveling, Travel Clinics, Vaccination and Travel Clinics in London



The One Stop Shop For All Of Your Travel Health Needs. The recent massive increase in business and recreational travel outside of the UK, has led to the need for dedicated Travel Health Centers, Travel clinics. This is because a considerable proportion of travelers end up with a health problem ranging from Diarrhea to Malaria or Yellow Fever. Most of the health problems contracted through traveling are preventable through appropriate travel health advice, precautionary measures and vaccinations. With GP appointment times under ever increasing pressure, the ability of practices to provide adequate time and training for such a complex and demanding field is under stress. This has created Products for safe traveling as need for travelers to have access to alternative Travel Health service providers. Globetrotters Travel Clinics in London has been established to meet this need.

The recent massive increase in business and recreational travel outside of the UK, has led to the need for dedicated Travel Health Centers. This is because a considerable proportion of travelers end up with a Health problem ranging from Diarrhoea to Malaria or Yellow Fever. Most of the Health problems contracted through traveling are preventable through appropriate Travel Health advice, precautionary measures and Vaccinations.

With GP appointment times under ever increasing pressure, the ability of practices to provide adequate time and training for such a complex and demanding field is under stress. This has created a need for travelers to have access to alternative Travel Health service pro viders. Globetrotters Travel Clinics has been established to meet this need.

We are dedicated to providing quality Travel Health advice and services, as well as premium Travel Health Products. Globetrotters is a personal service provided by experienced travel health nurses, Globetrotters was accredited yellow fever centres and offer full pre and post travel health screenings as well as all available travel vaccinations. The Globetrotters Travel Clinics is one of the foremost independent specialist clinics in the London. Below you can check our services.

With vaccine preventable illnesses accounting for only a small proportion of health problems whilst abroad, at Globetrotters we give individuals, business travellers and students the advice and information they need to stay healthy both whilst overseas and on their return.


IMTD 2009 –Indian Medical Travel Conference held at Toronto, Canada draws tremendous response



An impressive array of  speakers at the IMTD Conference led by Dr Narottam Puri, President –Medical Strategy & Quality, Fortis Escorts Hospitals Group,  Mark Fam from Deloitte Centre of health Solutions, Canada ,   Ms. Ann Kaplan, President & CEO, Medicard Finance, Dr Vasanthi  Srinivasan, Director, Health System Planning & Research, Ontario Ministry of Health and Mr Pradeep Thukral, Executive Director, Indian Medical Travel Association (IMTA) impressed the audience and  showcased the strengths of  Indian healthcare in Canada.

Mrs Preeti Saran, Consulate General of India, Toronto who inaugurated the event on 20th November, 2009 also utilised  the presence of Indian delegates to host  a special business networking breakfast meeting a day before the event, which was attended by more than 100 Canadian business and healthcare leaders, who deliberated on ““Developing synergies between India and Canada in the Healthcare sector”

The major highlight of the events were an experience sharing session by Canadian patients who were recently treated at  Indian hospitals and a Roundtable Meeting at the Ontario Provincial Health Authority Office where leaders from the Canadian and Indian Healthcare industry discussed possibilities of cooperation in areas as diverse as telemedicine and  public health. The Ontario Health Authority also evinced interest in the excellent quality and cost  of healthcare delivery by leading Indian hospitals and announced plans to send a senior delegation to visit hospitals in India and look at how strengths of Indian healthcare can be utilised for bringing down the wait lists.

Indian Medical Travel Association, the Embassy of India in Canada, Ministry of Tourism and Surgical Tourism, Canada  joined hands to hold this  first ever specialized trade show in Canada to promote Medical Value Travel to India. Major exhibitors and presenters at the IMTD 2009  from India were Fortis Healthcare, Max Hospitals, Sri Ramachandra Medical Centre, Chennai, Lakeshore Hospital and KIMS from Kerala, Madras Joint Replacement Centre from Chennai, Soukya Wellness Centre, Bangalore, and  Mann Medicity from Jalandar.
The Indian Ministry of Tourism which has launched a highly successful “Incredible India” campaign to promote India, has approved participation in IMTD 2009 by JCI and NABH accredited Indian hospitals and other eligible medical travel facilitators under its MDA – Market development Assistance Scheme. Therefore  the participating hospitals were able to get financial support for a major part of  the promotional expenses under the MDA scheme from the Ministry of Tourism.

According to Mr Pradeep Thukral. Executive Director, Indian Medical Travel Association, “Canada as a market for promoting medical tourism to India holds great potential. It has socialised system of healthcare delivery that is under  strain and waiting lists are growing.  A  large surgical wait list of almost  850,000 Canadians , pointed towards the need for this conference. Canadians tired of waiting are now open to visit and learn about their multitude of options beyond the realms of  the public health system.   IMTD therefore attracted massive local media interest in Canada with leading channels like CBC, Toronto Star and The Epoch Times covering the event. “

About Indian Medical Travel Association. www.indianmedicaltravelassociation.com

A non profit body aimed at preparing India for facing the challenges of global competition in Medical Tourism space and actualise the tremendous opportunity for India to become a leading global healthcare destination. IMTA’s membership has a diverse base of India’s leading JCI, NABH accredited hospitals, Indian System of Medicine and Wellness service providers, travel industry, Insurance, Assistance and Medical Tourism facilitation companies.


How Can a Medical Alert Bracelet Save Your Life When You Travel?



 As well as always protecting yourself with travel insurance when you go on vacation, a traveler that has a serious medical condition should consider wearing a Medical Alert Bracelet.

If you have a medical condition and get sick or injured while traveling, wearing a Medical Alert bracelet can literally save your life.  Here is some information on a great American non-profit organization that provides a valuable service for travelers.

You will be eligible for the following benefits when you join this non-profit healthcare organization as a TravelPlus member.

The professional  multilingual  staff will help you find a physician when you are traveling to another country. They ‘ll be able to speak with attending medical providers in foreign countries to find out what the problems are and determine what treatments will be necessary to help you.

They will get in contact with your family members.  You will also be able to send emergency messages to your relatives, friends, and business associates as well as receive emergency messages, toll free, 24/7.

 You will have around the clock access to information services regarding travel documents such as a passport, travel visa, and immunization certificate that you could require to travel to your destination.

You can also be covered for pre-existing medical conditions whether you are on vacation or on business travel.

In addition to all these benefits, you could be eligible for medial evacuation to another medical facility, or be repatriated back to the United States.

As of the writing of this article, the program offered by MedicAlert.org, is only available to members that live in the United States.


Health Spas in South Africa – What Makes Them Unique?



Imagine a smoked ginger and crimson skyline towering down over a diverse natural landscape of wild flowers, untamed wildlife and restless waters. Imagine lying gazing at this distinct setting whilst enjoying the pampering and revitalization that goes along with South African traditional customs and massage techniques. A spa experience in South Africa has often been viewed as being one of the most unique and beautiful experiences that one can wish for. So what makes it so unique and what can one expect at a South African spa?

Spas in South Africa can be simple, uncomplicated and traditional as well as both sophisticated and chic. There is a little bit of everything for everyone. Spas are either set in safari or remote country settings or in classy city or beach hotels. However, it is not only the diverse settings which capture the attention of travelers worldwide, but the fusion of customs and traditions into the spa techniques and treatments. A number of South African spas utilize traditional oils and plant extracts in their treatment products and a great emphasis is placed on age old remedies and secrets.

A truly unique and not to be missed experience can also be found within the beautiful wine lands of South Africa. It is here where you can experience Vinotherapy, an innovative treatment originating in France that utilizes grapes and wine to assist in preventing or assisting in the effects of anti-ageing. The antioxidants as well as other properties of the grape are highly beneficial for the skin and for this reason the ingredients has been utilized in massages, full-body exfoliations and hydrotherapy treatments. With South Africa, boasting some of the best wines in the world, a day of wine tasting and Vinotherapy may just be the treat you have been waiting for.

A number of spas also provide you with a complete African experience. You can expect African dances, food and celebrations incorporated into your day or stay at some of the spa destinations in South Africa. The spa experience becomes one of the elements of your experience and allows you to experience both the African culture and the African therapist’s skilled techniques and products. If you are staying over at the spa, you may even be able rest in a traditional yet elegant African hut. This is a wonderful option if you are looking for both serenity and for a place to reflect in an uninterrupted natural setting.

Those of you seeking more sophistication and modern elegance will also find yourself spoilt for choice at some of the many exclusive spa destinations and resorts. Gaze down at the city nightlife from your treatment suite or relax for a day in spas boasting top of the line facilities and therapists. These classy spas can be found both in the city and in the more remote areas of South Africa, so your selection would be based purely on personal choice.

Nonetheless, South Africa is a spa crazy country which promises to offer an array of spa destinations as well as unique experiences. If you wanting to truly experience African culture at its best, booking into a South African destination spa or resort and choosing between the many traditional and natural spa products could set you on the right path.

Find spas and more wellness related information at: http://healthspaguru.com


Are You Looking For Some Travel Insurance?



Camp tuition can be expensive; similar to travel insurance, there are now insurance policies for families sending their children to overnight summer camp to cover last minute cancellations, homesickness, medical emergencies and emergency evacuations. Adjustments to your lifestyle and diet will certainly lower your premiums for life, critical illness and probably travel insurance too. These points can then be redeemed for air miles, or other travelling rewards such as hotel accommodation, travel insurance, cruises, and car rentals.

A comprehensive list of insurers can be found in the Travel Insurance Index. Please note that there will be a charge for any treatment from the doctor and therefore adequate travel insurance is a necessity. If the costs of treatment are higher than the maximums of your medical plan, you will be responsible for the difference, unless you have already purchased travel insurance.

Don’t Lose Your Pre-Existing Condition Coverage There is another reason to buy travel insurance without delay. If you don’t have travel insurance, you can choose a card which provides for it. With that in mind, it is easy to understand why travel insurance for pensioners is so necessary.

You are eligible to earn the many different types of travel insurance, auto rental insurance and many different types of fraud protection and security that can occur on travel and from home. Some insurance companies specialize in overseas travel insurance and may allow you to buy short-term coverage. You should also consider having travel insurance for a crewed yacht charter, just as you would if you planned a trip to a resort destination.

At the very least a good travel insurance policy buys you a little extra peace of mind. Some might also provide emergency roadside service, fraud protection, travel insurance, and auto rental insurance. For instance, a business credit card may provide travel insurance, lost luggage insurance, and auto rental insurance.

These include and are not restricted to discount on car rentals, travel insurance on purchases using your card, emergency cash withdrawal from the card while travelling and discounts in certain restaurants and shopping malls. Also, it almost goes without saying that you should bring your travel insurance policy with you when you go abroad, travel agencies specializing in medical tourism offer ‘surgery packages’ including airfare, ground transport, hotel, travel insurance, medical procedures, nursing, post-operative treatment, and the services of a tour guide.

With the premium account I would also be entitled to a whole bunch of benefits, which in fact would not be of benefit to me, such as extensive travel insurance, as I didn’t need any of them. However, with travel insurance, you can recoup some or all of your costs in case your Florida vacation plans change. Also avail other benefits such as auto rental insurance and travel insurance of up to $1,000,000.

Other Credit Card Services Many online applications forms offer you the chance to take up additional services such as payment protection insurance, travel insurance, household insurance and much more. For this reason, many travellers are happy to find that their travel rewards credit cards often offer free travel insurance. Very good travel insurance, accident insurance and auto rental insurance are some of the other perks you can expect.

Ensure you have purchased any additional health travel insurance you may need. Some cards offer travel insurance as part of the. Premium cards have the highest credit limits and come with a number of extra features such as product warranties, travel insurance or emergency services.


Travel Medical Insurance: Take it for Trouble Free Trip



Whenever you travel to any place then always the main concern you might have is your health. Traveling requires you to change your usual routine and to eat and drink as per your trip. So all these changes can affect your health a lot and might require you to take medical assistance. In such situations travel medical insurance can provide you the full protection.

During traveling many changes occur and for some people it is very difficult to keep pace with these changes. Even the change of weather can be harmful for you and you can fall ill. Although your travel insurance policy will cover for your medical expenses but it might not provide you as extensive coverage as you need for your medical treatments. Travel medical insurance covers for all your medical cost incurred in traveling and can also provide you extra coverage like provision for emergency flight and emergency evacuation.

Hence travel medical insurance provides you health care when you are on traveling for either official work or you are going to spend your holidays. You can get travel medical insurance policy at low cost depending upon your age, length of coverage, maximum benefits and deductibles selected. Hence when you go for buying the travel medical insurance you should look for a policy with comprehensive coverage so that you could get cover for all your cost associated with the medical treatments.

Generally with the travel medical insurance policy you get the following cover-
* Medical cost incurred on your treatments along with cost incurred in purchasing of medicine.

* Medical evacuation in case of emergency to the near medical health facility

* In case of death of any of the member of your group then the cost of the returning of the dead body to the one’s home country

Thus once you get travel medical health insurance policy you get full protection for all your health problems during travel which can put your whole trip in danger. You can online search for travel medical insurance policy. But before you finally opt for any policy of travel medical insurance you should carefully check the coverage given because coverage is the main factor to take care of with any policy. However sometimes it might be some risky to buy for any policy of travel medical insurance online so you should confirm about the credibility of insurance company from either your friends or relatives. Then you select online a suitable travel medical insurance for yourself.


Insure Your Trip Home –by Travel Insurance



For a Successful travel, It doesn’t matter it is for business or pleasure, usually requires a lot of pre planning. Amid all the details and perhaps dreams, who wants to worry about getting seriously ill or having a bad accident while faraway from home?

We are helpless quite sometimes, because we don’t know our future .Although we can’t prevent a medical crisis, but you can ease the burden by adding one more step in our trip planning adequate travel insurance , including insurance that covers evacuation caused by serious medical needs.

I generally use to pass my vacation out side my country .I had think so much about travel insurances that why we need them. But at the begin of this year I got an perfect answer by my one of best friend .In this year he went to pass his vacation in china .In that tour he got seriously injured in an accident but because of the Travel medical insurance, outside the country he able to get a good treatment while bad rest in China’s Private medical hospital. For same treatment we will have to pay a use amount of money and for some people it is very difficult to pay that.

So now we have so many policies in online market, the options are a “per trip” policy that covers the insured for a specific journey at a certain time, and also an annual insurance policy covering all travel during that time and getting a medical evacuation insurance could be the most important travel decision for your travel.

At the very least a good travel insurance policy buys you a little extra peace of mind. Some of them can provide fraud protection, travel insurance, emergency roadside service and auto rental insurance. For instance, a business credit card may provide travel insurance, lost luggage insurance, and auto rental insurance.

Because it is online insurance market and you have to make sure that you have purchased any additional health travel insurance you may need. Some cards offer travel insurance as part of the. Premium cards have the highest credit limits and come with a number of extra features such as product warranties, travel insurance or emergency services. You should keep in your mind that you are following these guidelines.

 

I will recommend you to take a travel insurance package before go on any trip.Personally I think it would be very foolish not to have some sort of travel insurance, especially if you are flying abroad. People sometimes make the mistake in thinking that their local insurance policies will cover any losses and have a big shock when they come to make a claim. Besides, if you have the right policy, it takes all the worry out of your trip.

 


Travel Medical Insurance is Not an Option



Travel medical insurance is not an option. Travel medical insurance is not a luxury when you travel. You may think or rationalize – if it comes between the choice of a couple of nice meals on my vacation or travels or purchasing “optional” travel health medical insurance “I know that I will need/ enjoy that meal” , or better accommodations but not the “medical , health , travel insurance”.

Yet not taking out, purchasing the plan or be underinsured can make your travels not only not as pleasant but change your whole life and financial situation for the worst.

Whether you are traveling for pleasure, for business or even for medical treatment itself – that is “medical tourism”, travel medical insurance is essential for yourself, your family and traveling companions.

Even if you are young you may encounter an accidental injury or illness. No one is immune. Say for example you are on a skiing trip in Canada and you suffer an injury or accident on the slopes. Health care may be “free “for Canadians but not for an out of country, American tourist. You will pay full bore, back at home, American medical care rates. Imagine being uninsured and having to pay these bills. Imagine a bank loan or charge card loan to pay off for many years to come. All with horrendous interest rates.

Imagine you are a tourist from the U.K. and you are visiting New York City – perhaps to view the famous Dakota of Beatles rock star John Lennon fame. Imagine you have one too many New York City famous Hot Dog vendor’s products that land you in the hospital with a severe case of food poisoning. Again your U.K. national health care is not going to pay your medical care bills while traveling in the states. While at least only a small portion of that medical treatment bill. You will be left with the lion’s share of that large medical bill to pay off – over time most likely. Who needs such lingering memories of your “wonderful” vacation?

Even if you are traveling overseas for more reasonable or prompt medical care as a “medical tourist”, one of your families or traveling companions may take ill. You may be the one going offshore for medical or health care treatment yet it may become their emergency that may become the focal point and perhaps the cost factor – not your own treatment. Again, who is going for the necessary and most likely medical care on the spot and how?

Hence purchasing and providing for travel medical insurance is not an option.

It is not an add on but rather an essential component of travel and travel health plans in this day and age.

Have proper coverage and ask questions. Does your health care coverage from work or your own purchase cover your travel health needs? What is covered, what is not? How long will that coverage last? Is this coverage adequate or show supplementary coverage be afforded and purchased as well?

If you have to or decide to purchase travel medical coverage again asks questions. Do not assume. Is the coverage adequate both in terms of coverage and the time duration of your trip? Can the time length be increased if need be or required? What is covered, what is not by the health care travel medical insurance? Is the underwriting firm well known, reputable and have either a toll free number or even better offices in the geographic areas of your travels. Do you need to get approval before medical treatment begins? Do the medical care providers get paid and reimbursed directly from the insurance company or is it a case of the cash being paid from your pocket directly with reimbursement to yourself at a later date by the insurance firm? Again ask questions on the spot not later. If the clerk is uncertain of the answer then await a direct answer or if needed contact their superior or “head office”.

In the end when it comes to travel and travel health care concerns and coverage a penny spent in effort and preparation is worth a ton of cure as well as prevented costs and aggravations. Pleasant travels.