I have been fortunate growing up in Canada. We have a clean country, with much unspoiled wilderness. I have never had to pay to receive medical attention, and never thought that I would. What I didn't know is that my great health care system would not cover any medical expenses I occurred while out of country. Not being aware of this, when the opportunity came up to spend spring break in Florida, I was only worried about sunscreen and condoms. I didn't even know that there was such a thing as travel insurance.
I decided to try parasailing - being pulled behind a boat while attached to a parachute - while I was in the south. That decision and my lack of knowledge have changed my life completely. I ended up crashing very badly and needing to be rushed to an area hospital. Looking back if that had been the worst of it, I would be happy. But no, my trusty health care system that I am so proud of, I learned, abandons its citizens as soon as they cross the border like a cheap one-night stand. There I was stranded in a foreign country stuck with a $15, 000 bill for medical services.
The first thing you need to know if you are planning a trip abroad (including to the US) is that Medicare stops at the border. It is imperative, therefore, that you take better care of yourself than I did. No one wants to have their vacation ruined by illness or injury, but imagine going tens of thousands of dollars into debt on top of that.
It's not even like travel insurance is all that expensive. You can acquire a cheap plan for under $40. Just be sure that the plan is tailored to your specific needs.
A basic plan may be fine if you are taking a guided tour of a foreign land, but if you are planning on going on an adventure expedition you may not be fully safe-guarded. It is therefore, very important to make a list of all the things you THINK you might do while on vacation. This way you can custom tailor a plan that will protect you should something go wrong.
When you get your insurance package, take your time and read through the fine print. Don't allow yourself to be rushed into signing. Circle any articles you need clarified and make sure you understand what it means BEFORE you sign. Once you've signed, you have agreed and it's too late.
You should make sure that your policy also covers loss/theft of items and cash. If your backpack is lost in a hostel, will your insurance pay to replace your PSP and fancy digital camera? Here again, residing before you leave is crucial.
Hopefully, you will never have to experience what I went through, but if you do have an accident while on vacation and were smart enough to get covered by insurance you will be in a much better position that I was. - 15224
I decided to try parasailing - being pulled behind a boat while attached to a parachute - while I was in the south. That decision and my lack of knowledge have changed my life completely. I ended up crashing very badly and needing to be rushed to an area hospital. Looking back if that had been the worst of it, I would be happy. But no, my trusty health care system that I am so proud of, I learned, abandons its citizens as soon as they cross the border like a cheap one-night stand. There I was stranded in a foreign country stuck with a $15, 000 bill for medical services.
The first thing you need to know if you are planning a trip abroad (including to the US) is that Medicare stops at the border. It is imperative, therefore, that you take better care of yourself than I did. No one wants to have their vacation ruined by illness or injury, but imagine going tens of thousands of dollars into debt on top of that.
It's not even like travel insurance is all that expensive. You can acquire a cheap plan for under $40. Just be sure that the plan is tailored to your specific needs.
A basic plan may be fine if you are taking a guided tour of a foreign land, but if you are planning on going on an adventure expedition you may not be fully safe-guarded. It is therefore, very important to make a list of all the things you THINK you might do while on vacation. This way you can custom tailor a plan that will protect you should something go wrong.
When you get your insurance package, take your time and read through the fine print. Don't allow yourself to be rushed into signing. Circle any articles you need clarified and make sure you understand what it means BEFORE you sign. Once you've signed, you have agreed and it's too late.
You should make sure that your policy also covers loss/theft of items and cash. If your backpack is lost in a hostel, will your insurance pay to replace your PSP and fancy digital camera? Here again, residing before you leave is crucial.
Hopefully, you will never have to experience what I went through, but if you do have an accident while on vacation and were smart enough to get covered by insurance you will be in a much better position that I was. - 15224
