Why do I need travel insurance?
Travel insurance will not only cover you for medical expenses if you become ill abroad but also includes personal possesion cover, personal liability, missed departure, travel delay and cancellation, which if included will provide immediate cover from the minute you buy your policy for cancellation cover if you were forced to cancel your trip away due to illness, redundancy and a number of other factors.
Our travel insurance also provides 24 hour assistance, so if you lose your passport for example you can call the helpline who will give you contact details of the local embassy.
Reasons why you should buy travel insurance
• From the moment you buy travel insurance you can be covered for cancellation
• Cover for medical emergencies in All countries whether subsidised health services are available or not
• Cover for personal possesions whether lost, stolen or damaged
• Repatriation included back to the UK
EHIC | European Health Insurance Card
Many people are under the illusion that if you travel to European countries you will not need travel insurance if you take with you an EHIC card. An EHIC (European Health Insurance Card), gives you access to state-provided healthcare, at a reduced cost or sometimes free, when temporarily visiting an EU country, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland. However some countries such as Spain and Cyprus are heavily dependant on private clinics and hospitals and should you become ill or are involved in an accident where an ambulance takes you to hospital, they will take you to the nearest and this invariably will be private where you will be required to pay unless you have travel insurance. Also note that medical cover is excluded in certain EU countries if you take part in certain activities such as skiing.
We strongly recommend applying for an EHIC card when travelling in Europe and its Free. To apply or renew an EHIC go to ehic.co.uk. If you have treatment abroad having shown your EHIC card your excess may be waived.
Typical costs you will incur if you don't have backapackers travel insurance
For the small cost and peace of mind a travel insurance policy can give, here are a few examples of the costs you may incur if you did not take our travel insurance before your trip abroad. In fact the average cost for hospital treatment worldwide if over £2,000 and if you are in the USA this rises to over £6,000.
- Ear pain from swimming could cost as much as £285
- Minor operations like an appendectomy can cost £20,000 in USA and still £800 in India
- £6,000 for a fractured leg in the USA
- £40,000 for an air ambulance from USA’s East coast back to the UK
- £16,000 for an air ambulance from the Canary Islands back to the UK
- £20,000 for a scheduled flight, plus stretcher and Doctor escort from Australia