Are you going on holiday?

I've just got back from a week away and it got me thinking about travel insurance! If you are going away it's vital to make sure you have the right cover. Failing to do so can be catastrophic.

The cover for things like lost luggage or trip cancellation is helpful, but let's be honest: if you lose a bag of clothes, it's unlikely to be life-changing. If your suitcase was full of Armani suits, you can probably afford to replace them, and if the airline is responsible, you can probably claim compensation.

However, the medical cover is more important. Someone once contacted me from a country somewhere around Indonesia. Their family member was acutely unwell and had been admitted to intensive care. The cost of ICU was $3000 per day. They had been told if they stopped paying they would be switching off the life support. The family had no money.

They decided urgent repatriation to the UK was the right solution, however, the cost of this is huge. Even insurance companies use a model of moving a patient to a country with good medical care rather than all the way home until they are more well. When they found out the cost of an air ambulance would be over £180,000, involving 2 air ambulance flights and several fuel stops, they changed their mind. I never found out the outcome, but it's a wake-up call. Travel insurance only costs a few pounds, but if something medical goes wrong, the cost can be thousands and thousands.

The next thing to look out for is policy exclusions. Policies provided free with bank accounts almost always exclude cover for pre-existing medical problems. When you call them, they will request access to your GP records. If your issue is already on your record, your cover is stopped.

If you do have a pre-existing problem that could cause future issues, then it's worth getting extended coverage. Some policies may require you to declare all of your pre-existing medical problems, and if you leave something out, that could invalidate your insurance. Some say this is unfair, but it's exactly the same as motor insurance. If you fail to tell your insurer you have 6 points, the chances are when you crash, you will not only have the insurer refuse to pay your repair costs, but you may also face criminal charges for driving without insurance.

Another area of importance is geographical restrictions. Some multi-trip policies restrict journeys to 60 days and may only cover Europe for example. They also may specify activities or sports which may or may not be covered such as skiing, water sports etc. Check the small print as some winter sports policies exclude off-piste skiing.

You may also find an exclusion in relation to alcohol. Remember the first thing that happens when you arrive in the emergency room: the nurse or doctor takes blood. If you have been skiing whilst drinking, you might find you are having to pay for your own medical bills.

The take-home message is don't skimp on travel insurance and make sure you are fully covered. If you need any help or advice about medical repatriation whether that is by road ambulance, assisting in getting home on a commercial flight or an air ambulance transfer, then please get in touch with MET Medical. We also provide paramedics for remote trips or on yachts and private aircraft for additional peace of mind.