Getting Insurance: Yes or No?

Proponents of insurance always like to ask, can you afford to get sick, or injured, without insurance? However, it's not always that simple when another bill is staring you in the face - and it's possible that you may drop cold hard cash on something you'll never use.

Deciding whether or not to get travel insurance is a decision most travelers have to make. For the tightly cash-strapped backpacker, it can be an especially large decision. In order to decide if insurance is right for you, there are a number of questions to ask yourself - note that this article focuses on travel medical insurance, not trip protection or other coverage.

What does your current insurance cover? If you have awesome home health insurance, you might not even have to decide whether or not to pick up the coverage. Some policies will allow treatment no matter where you are in the world. Just make sure you read the fine print.

Where are you going? Are you going to backwoods Asia for 6 months with rural health care and would require an airlift for a broken leg, or are you spending 5 days in downtown London? Do the countries you are visiting provide universal health care?

What are the limits of the plan you are considering? Do you want to incur no costs on the road, or do you want to take your chances with a high deductible? Will your policy provide coverage for an ER visit if you cut yourself in your Sydney hostel kitchen? What about emergency evacuation? Will you be somewhere with good health care or should you expect to be sent to another country in case of a serious injury or treatment?

Do you often visit the doctor? Consider how many times you've visited the hospital or doctor's office in the past few months. Worrywarts who like to make sure everything is ok are best off getting health insurance.

Are you often sick? If you plan on staying in a dorm room - whether it a central hostel UK London or one in Mumbai, India, there will be plenty of bugs to go around. If you catch a new cold every time someone sneezes and require medication to treat your symptoms, insurance may be in order.

How much is the cost? The bottom line is how much are you going to spend? If you pay for health care at home, paying for it on the road should be just another everyday expense. You may be pleasantly surprised at how much an excellent plan costs.

Article added on October 18, 2005

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