How Should I Choose an Affordable Travel Insurance Plan?

Most of us love to travel, solo or with people we cherish. Travelling comes with its own set of experiences, both good and bad. Even the most avid travellers may find themselves in a distressful situation. In such cases, insuring your trip is the best way. However, not everyone may be ready to shell out this extra cost. In such cases, you can easily buy an affordable travel insurance so that you’re covered for basic emergencies.

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Plans for an individual of 30 years age travelling to USA for 15 days

Do You Really Need Travel Insurance?

Ideally, you should ensure that all your journeys are covered under trip insurance. However, there are always multiple situations and limitations that may discourage you to do so. This doesn’t mean that you can simply skip buying an insurance plan for your journey. Especially if going abroad for a trip, you have to consider a number of factors:

Does the country you’re travelling to require a mandatory travel health insurance?
Are the cost of living and medical care high in the country you’re planning to visit?
Do you have any pre-existing conditions that may recur during your journey?
Are your savings sufficient to cover any unexpected expenses caused during your trip?

Chances are, you will get a clear answer after asking these questions to yourself. If you feel that you can’t handle any financial emergencies that you may face on your trip, then don’t forget to buy trip insurance.

7 Tips to Pick the Best Affordable Travel Insurance

There are many reasons for opting for the most pocket-friendly insurance for your trip; you could simply be doing it to save money, or because it is mandatory to get your visa approved. Some travellers may be on a strict budget that they must stick to. Whatever the reason is, you should still try to get the best possible option among the most affordable travel insurance plans that are available in India. Here are seven ways to do so:

Know What You Need

If you know the risks you’re most likely to face abroad, it will help you prepare for them. The location, climate, weather situations etc. all come in handy while picking a plan. For instance, if you’re used to a tropical climate but going to a very cold country, then the chances of falling sick with cold or climate changes are high. Similarly, if your itinerary includes participating in some adventure sports then it is best to have a plan that covers adventure sports. If your parents are travelling with you, make sure to opt for a family floater plan that provides them with the appropriate coverage. You need to do your research and make sure you assess all the risks you’re likely to encounter before looking for a suitable insurance plan.

Research & Compare Different Plans

There are numerous travel insurance companies in India that offer varying plans to suit the needs of different travellers. From country-specific plans to plans catering to only medical expenses, you will find a variety of benefits and coverage options at varying costs. It is best to have an upper limit up to which you can browse different plans online. Depending on the insurer, you will be able to find the ones with maximum coverage suited to your needs without exceeding your premium budget.

Go for the Standard Plan Variant

Most insurers have two or more types of variants of a single plan. Usually, the basic plans are standard plans with a lower sum insured and lesser benefits. This is meant to offer the bare minimum coverage that is usually affordable for most travellers. Opting for the other more expensive and extensive plans may be tempting and even beneficial, however, you’re very likely to pay a higher premium for these benefits. Unless you really don’t need those benefits, stick to the default variant.

Opt for Annual Multi-Trip Plans

If you’re a frequent traveller and travel more than two or three times a year then you’re better off with an annual plan. These plans are not only less costly than single trip plans but also offer a lot of benefits that are not offered with other plans. These plans are also valid for a longer time, usually a year so you can also save a lot of time that would have been spent purchasing a new plan before every trip.

Confirm the Deductibles

Before blindly going for the least expensive insurance plan, don’t forget to check the excess mentioned in the policy. Also known as deductibles, these are the expenses that the policyholder must pay for, after which the remaining amount will be paid by the insurer. Deductibles are to be paid yourself and can't be reimbursed. Thus, you should check the exact benefits and ensure that the amount of deductibles is not too high. This will defeat the purpose of buying a less expensive plan.

Avoid Add-Ons

Until you specifically need one, don’t buy optionals. Add-ons or riders are extended coverage that is otherwise not offered by standard plans. These can be bought at an extra premium which may not seem a lot but add ups to a significant number if you buy more than one or two optionals.

Shop Online

Shopping in person definitely has its benefits, but you can find the most affordable international travel insurance online thanks to sales, offers etc. as there are no intermediary costs. You will also save a lot of money on commuting to different insurers’ offices. By shopping online, you can easily compare different quotes to find out the best international travel insurance plans under your budget.

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Is Travel Insurance Worth it?

It's always recommended to have some sort of backup to keep you safe from danger. In such cases, the least expensive travel insurance is better than no insurance at all. Even the most affordable plan available at the lowest premium will provide you benefits of emergency medical expenses, trip cancellation, evacuation and repatriation if you're in an emergency. Especially in a foreign land, you can rest assured that in case of something unlucky your trip insurance will save you from out of pocket financial burdens.

Over to You,

Be it a local trip or a vacation abroad, life is unpredictable. The chances of facing difficulties like flight delays, passport loss or other unavoidable expenses are not only higher but much costlier in a foreign county. Thus, it is better to have basic coverage at an affordable premium than not have any backup plan at all.