Travel Insurance
 

Hi all, I am travelling to tanzania in August for 5 weeks from Australia, and trying to sort out the differences between travel insurance companies, there seems to be huge differences in premiums. I would like to hear from anyone who has had travel insurance and maybe what I should be aware of?
I have attached a link for the one that seems most likely at this stage
Thankyou
Donna :-)
http://www.itrektravelinsurance.com....ect/input.html

First step is to check your credit card and whether that comes with free travel insurance.Our Visa covers us for 3 months travel PA.Some card cover is only for 28 days .So if you qualify -
1.Next ring their helpline and ask where you can download the full policy.Get intimate with it.
2.Tell the representative where you will be travelling and get them to confirm cover for each country.
3.If you are joining a tour,you have usually to prove you have full travel insurance.So ask the company for a Letter of Confirmation of Cover for the travel period.
Without that, if you are relying on credit card insurance, you have no proof you are covered.Helps to have that if hospitalised overseas also BTW.

If you don't have credit card cover, then you'll need to shop around.The link you gave, sesion times out.Which grade of cover are you looking at?Premium differences may be a reflection of how comprehensive the cover is.The cheaper policies may be so because they may not be offering the same ccover.
It pays to buy comprehensive cover.The Platinum at your link covers all of what I would want.I haven't looked at the price for that.Decide what you want covered and don't skimp.
Insurance we think is a bummer costwise, but I'm glad I have cover today when that car went through our shop window!Thank heaven for insurance!:-)

Try www.insuremytrip.com
You fill out a form with information about your trip and they give you a list of insurance companies and policies that fit your need. They will give you a comparision chart and a full explanation of the policies. They also give a rating for each insurance company.You can purchase online as well.I have used this for all my trips,including my safaris.

Oops. Sorry,in my reply, I wasn't thinking about Australia. I don't know if this will work for Australia, but you can try it.

A policy for a trip of this kind should be comprehensive, including cover for all your prepaid expenses: airline tickets and land package (whatever that total value).

A Comprehensive Pkg should cover: Cancellation, interruption, flight/baggage delay, baggage loss, medical/dental, medical evacuation (if you have to be flown home on stretcher, require two seats for cast on broken leg, etc). On average here in the states, the costs for such policy is about 6-8% of what you are covering (prepaid exxpenses).

Do check all inclusions/exclusions, how they handle pre-existing conditions (usually policy has to be purchased within 14/days of initial trip deposit). Some policies might have "cancel for any reason" for a supplement.

I'm sure the site you have there has a number you can call to have questions answered.

In addition, if your tour operator isn't including cover for Flying Doctor's, an in-country service that will, in case of emergency, will fly into the bush/out to coast, to extract you to a hospital in Arusha or Nairobi, from where your Trip Insurance above will take over. Flying Doctor's is relatively inexpensive: $25 to cover Kenya/Tanzania + a few dollars additional if also visiting Zanzibar or Southern Tanzania. See: www.amref.org for details and which can be purchased online.

I never leave home without it!

Donna-
I don't get always get travel insurance any more, but I ALWAYS get medical/evac insurance. Ask yourself - what are the chances you aren't going on your trip? It's a personal decision according to your circumstances and weigh the cost of comprehensive insurance vs losing all of your deposits on the chance you might not go. Unfortunately, US medical insurance covers nothing when traveling overseas, so I have to get it. Even when going to places with universal coverage (like the EU) they treat you, but Americans still have to pay the bill. Double check your coverage. It's pretty cheap to buy just medical and evac insurance. I use insuremytrip.com too. You can also just cover part of your trip, maybe half, and pay much less but get less coverage. Never use the company that you are traveling with to insure the trip. If they go out of business, you lose your insurance, too. sandi's advice is spot on.

The insurance Donna buys needs to be assessed by her from an Australian perspective and may be she needs a wider cover than travellers from say USA.
Plus buying just medevac cover certainly wouldn't be wise, as simply not adequate.And under a comprehensive cover it would not be neccessary to pay for it separately as Medevac by any means is covered under the Overseas Emergency Assistance Expenses or Additional Emergency Expenses clauses as evacuation would be a neccessary part of getting you medical treatment.
Been down this path on a project in Damaraland desert in 2008 and the project organisers stipulated Emergency Evac cover, which was not separately spelt out in the travel insurance policy., but the insurance company confirmed it is included under the Emergency clause/s.
Get on the insurers helpline and get that verified.
Too many travellers take the view they want to save money so buy cheap minimal cover when travelling.Or none at all, believing these things happen to others.Well, I'm reminded of an Australian guy, had an accident late last year in India.Died of complications because with no travel insurance,no means to pay up front for evacuation.
http://www.theage.com.au/travel/trav...1012-gsvv.html

I have just had a tourist drive her rental car through our shop window this week.Luckily no one injured, but she's blessing her rental car insurance!
Insurance seems to be a big unneccessary cost when travelling.But when you need it, you'll love it.

Based in the UK I usually find that Trailfinders, a UK/OZ travel company, usually has some good deals. A link to the Australian site:

http://insurance.trailfinders.com.au/

PS I am always surprised at the costs quoted for Travel Insurance cover, particularly by American Fodorites. In the UK I pay around £120 p.a ($175US )for fully comprehensive worldwide cover for the two of us. We can take as many tips as we like (max 60 days each trip). This covers everything, medical, baggage, cancellation, evacuation, legal, money etc, It does seem as though in some countries insurers are ripping people off?

crellston - we too know that insurance is only for the benefit of the insurer and here in the States they have a big lobby in Washington. So we're pretty much screwed whether for travel or personal medical (which subject this is not to the place to get into... there was plenty on the Fodor's Lounge Forum). :) Sadly, it is what it is, but as you say "better to have than not"

And, sometimes it has nothing to do with whether you plan to cancel the trip, but anything can happen even on the way to the airport - accident, poor weather, missing flight, needing o/n hotel, reschedule flight and fees associated with, loosing a night at your destinations, etc. etc. Anyone can get ill/die/accident right before holiday; if not the traveler it can be a child or parent... who ever knows.

The traveler just has to get the information and decide for themself what works best.