How to Choose the Right Travel Insurance Policy in India

Travel insurance policies vary widely in terms of cost and cover. How can you be sure of finding a policy with the best value? Since travel policies vary widely in terms of the coverage, cost and the value of the add-on coverages that a customer is offered, it would be nice if you could get some additional benefits in a policy where the premium is paid for basic coverages only. Hence, it is important to understand the travel insurance policy before it is purchased. Important Tips for Choosing Travel Insurance The following tips help you choose the best travel insurance policy:

• A travel policy should compensate for the unforeseen incidents that may occur during travel. This should include medical expenses, personal accident, loss of baggage, travel delay, etc.

• It should be accompanied with a unique feature such as easy extension of the period of cover. Similarly, if you are cutting short the period of travel, check if the travel policy entitles you for a refund (As the stay can be either extended or reduced).

• Companies which offer less medical cover on travel plans often provide less indemnity to a customer. Hence, one has to be more cautious about the medical cover being offered. Do not be fooled by the cheapest cover as it might not meet your needs.

• Before you purchase a travel policy, it is important to ask for a travel kit that includes the information about the plan opted for or the brochure of that plan.

• It is also important to check whether the travel plan offers cashless service for medical expenses or not. Also check if policy provides the emergency cash service.

• Since the risk of travel increases with the increase in the frequency of travel, any accident would often result in financial burden on the family. Thus, it becomes important to choose the right travel plan.

• The travel insurance policy should provide complete personal accident benefit cover, including hospitalization.

These are some of the unique features that one should look at before purchasing any travel policy. Different Types of Travel Plans Given below are some important travel plans which are customized to meet different customer needs: 1. Travel Companion Check if there is a special type of travel policy in which individual/family/senior citizens can be covered. For example, a special overseas travel insurance policy for individuals traveling to Asia and if traveling abroad with your family, or a special travel insurance for senior citizens aged between 61-70 years which offers the flexibility of cover for trips abroad ranging from 1-180 days. 2. Students Travel Plan Every student wants to study abroad. To ensure that the travel is risk-free, the students travel insurance plan brings an array of policies to choose from that provide a comprehensive cover for your journey. Before buying, check if the policy gives you the coverage for the basic risk threats. When choosing a travel policy, a student should look for:

• Tuition fee
• Hospitalization
• Serious injury
• Personal accident
• Permanent disability
• Emergency dental pain relief
• Transportation in case of emergency

The policy should cover the travel cost of the visit of family members including spouse, parent, sibling and in-laws. A quick visit to our family travel insurance page can help take care of these worries. This article has been authored by Mr. Sameer Lone, Area Head, Underwriting, Srinagar.