27th February, 2014

Travel safe with travel insurance

Whether you’re jumping across state lines for work or heading overseas on a well-deserved holiday break, you will want to add a comprehensive travel insurance policy to your tradesman insurance cover.

Figures from Woolworths Insurance show almost half (47 per cent) of all Australian travellers have made a claim on their travel insurance after heading abroad, but one in four (27 per cent) are still taking to the skies without adequate cover.

The data, released on February 11, shows Generation Y (those born between 1977 and 1994) are significantly more likely to travel without insurance, with 51 per cent of this age group admitting to this practice.

“The number of people travelling without insurance is concerning,” Woolworths Insurance head Chris Cramond told the Daily Telegraph Australia on February 7.

“Travel insurance is simple to purchase and covers not only unexpected medical issues but also costs for missed flights and lost luggage.”

These unexpected expenses can place significant financial burdens on Australian travellers, with more than $3.6 million being unnecessarily taken from Australians’ pockets. This equates to an average of $850 being spent by individuals facing travel misfortunes.

The most significant expense covered by travel insurance is emergency medical treatment. If you were to suffer an illness or injury on an international excursion, you would not be covered by Medicare or your domestic private health insurance. This means any accommodation costs, treatment expenses and alternative travel fees will need to be covered out of your own pocket.

It would be the same if a close family member became ill and this resulted in you needing to cut your trip short, Mr McAuliffe explained.

“Travel insurance is really valuable – no-one needs the added burden of worrying about throwing away money when they’re already dealing with a distressing situation.”

Fortunately, you can take out a comprehensive travel insurance policy through Trades Insurance, your local and reliable tradies insurance provider.

Author: Murray Bruce