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Travel Insurance is probably something that most people may be briefly thinking about when they are planning a trip. A lot of times, most people probably don’t. HOWEVER, I would argue that it is probably one of the most important purchases out there if you are traveling.
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Why is it important?
You see, in 2019 I had an unfortunate accident while on traveling in the Galapagos Islands. I fell through a dock and broke my leg in 5 places. Yes, 5.
Extensive fear immediately ran through our minds. Dave’s first reaction in fact was to not call for help. We didn’t know what it would cost or how we would be treated. Fortunately, though, we remembered we had purchased travel insurance. Seeing how much pain I was in, and I was unable to walk, Dave agreed we needed help. A few hours later we did find out that Ecuador actually has FREE health insurance. Luckily I was handed a ‘bill’ that stated the cost the government paid fro was about $250. We owned $0.
Although we were extremely lucky in this situation, we should have done our research prior. This is also something I will be looking into each time we travel.
Where to get Travel Insurance
We have partnered with World Nomads Travel Insurance to provide Travel Insurance for Overseas Travel Accidents and a few other types of insurance. You see, we really do not know when accidents in life will happen. I never in a million years thought I would break my leg. Not to mention breaking it while in a foreign country!
Luckily we were covered under the countries healthcare, but I was certainly glad that we had coverage. We were able to get the help that I definitely needed, without worrying about how we were going to pay for it. That instantly relieved SO much stress and worry for us.
What to know before you go
The U.S. Department of State is a great resource for learning about which countries you are visiting and learning about health insurance and other information. I have started visiting this website prior to traveling. It can provide some really valuable information on where to go if you need help, or even if you are required to get a VISA and also passport validity.
But what if I have Credit Cards with insurance?
This is a great question! We especially love using our Chase Sapphire Preferred Card or Chase Sapphire Reserve Card for booking all of our trips to get the travel protection. I like this card for the trip cancellation and trip insurance protection, however, I would personally be very wary of utilizing the benefit for health insurance reimbursement. You can check out more of the terms & details on their trip summary page (and also download the full benefits guide).
Chase Sapphire Preferred Card
Earn 60,000 bonus points once you spend $4,000 on purchases within the first 3 months from account opening. The Chase Sapphire Preferred Card is one of our favorite Travel cards always in our wallet.
- Earn a $50 hotel credit annually when you book a stay through the Chase Travel Portal
- Earn 5x UR when booking travel through the Chase Portal
- 3x on dining, select streaming services and online grocery purchases (excluding Target, Walmart and Wholesale clubs). Also excludes in-store grocery purchases
Learn more about Travel Credit Cards here.
Final thoughts
Protect yourself, and your family.
Invest in Travel insurance.
It is something I would rather have and not need it than need it and not have it.
Basic Travel Couple, LLC has partnered with CardRatings and MileValue.com for our coverage of credit card products and may receive a commission from card issuers. Editorial Disclaimer: Opinions, reviews, analyses & recommendations are the author’s alone, and have not been reviewed, endorsed or approved by any of these entities.
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