Why Buy Travel Insurance

Is peace of mind important to you?

How much would you give to protect yourself from unforeseen travel disruptions, natural disasters or unexpected medical emergencies? The cost of Travel Insurance varies depending on the type you purchase and inclusions, but the value it gives you is priceless.

Whether you are travelling for business, a holiday or the adventure of a lifetime, Worldcare offers you many options to protect your investment and give you peace of mind.

Here are some examples of different customers and the Travel Insurance they selected to meet their individual needs:

The family holiday

Steve and Leanne Porter are married with two young girls aged 7 and 9. They both loved island holidays and would head to Daydream Island every year for a week-long family vacation. As Steve had a company car with a fuel allowance, they would drive up to Proserpine from Brisbane, and the girls and Leanne would fly home while Steve drove the car back to Brisbane. They were on a budget, and thought that they wouldn't need medical insurance because Medicare would cover any medical treatment they might need. In the end Leanne decided to take out cancellation, theft and personal liability cover, with much grumbling from Steve about what he saw as wasted money.

The single woman traveller

Stacey was a successful single woman in the banking industry in her late 40s. Each year she would travel to Europe as a Flashpacker - flying Business Class everywhere but staying in hostels and pensiones to save money for her flights, food and sightseeing. (She figured that she was going to be asleep for most of the time, so why pay a lot for a room? Plus she liked the company and interesting people she met in hostels.) She used a range of credit cards while travelling which she thought would cover her, insurance-wise, for anything that would happen on her next trip through Portugal, the Basque country and Southern France.

The empty nesters

The Fordhams are a couple in their mid-50s. Jeff was a QC, and approaching the end of a successful career as a top barrister. Heather had for 15 years run her own successful PR company but had recently sold the business to spend more time painting, and caring for their mildly disabled son. (Heather had had a series of minor strokes while pregnant with him). They decided on approaching their 55th birthdays to train and go for a guided walk in the Himalayas.

Choosing Travel Insurance to suit you

These people and their travel situations would all need slightly different Travel insurance policies. Insurance policies and coverage can vary depending on the provider, and it's a good idea to check your policy to make sure you're covered for every contingency, but also not paying for things you don't need.

Emergency Medical Cover

The Fordhams were concerned about Heather's medical history so discussed her pre-existing condition with their insurance provider before purchase. They found that in fact Heather's history did not prohibit them from taking out travel insurance, so decided to purchase full Comprehensive cover, which offered them, among other benefits, Emergency Medical Cover, and cover for flight cancellations, delays, and lost baggage. Just as well they did, because their bags containing all their walking gear disappeared overnight in Annapurna and, while they were walking, Jeff slipped and broke his leg half way down the trail. By the time they had stretchered him out on the back of a pony, the leg was severely damaged and he required a helicopter medilift back to Nepal for treatment. The cost of the medical care and transport without travel insurance could have meant that their son was left without enough money to keep him in care for the future.

Delays and Cancellations

Leanne and the girls were due to fly back from their holiday on the Sunday evening so that Leanne could start work the next day. However that day the cyclone warnings turned to amber, with strong winds, and their flight was cancelled. Heavy rain meant that no flights could go in or out of Proserpine for three days. The Porters suffered more bad luck; while driving back from Proserpine, a four-wheel drive rear-ended Steve in a four-car pile-up on the slippery roads. Fortunately, Steve was not hurt, but worried about the $3,000 excess which his company would charge him for being involved in an accident while using the car for personal use. However, as they had taken out Travel Insurance, the excess was covered.

Theft

Stacey decided to take out comprehensive cover in spite of her credit card coverage. Just as well - her passport, visa papers, phone, and credit cards were all stolen while she was asleep in a shared dorm and her travel insurance covered the replacement costs.

Worldcare Travel Insurance has assisted thousands of Australians like the people in this story, with Medical Expenses, repatriation, interpretation, replacement of lost or stolen goods, and reimbursement for expenses due to cancellations, for over 10 years. No matter where you're planning to travel, we can cover you in all continents and in most situations. Our coverage options include:

• Budget Travel Insurance - budget option covers you for overseas medical & repatriation assistance, as well as personal liability.
• Australia Only Travel Insurance - for travel within Australia; covers you for delays and cancellations, loss or damage to luggage and personal effects, and more.
• Comprehensive Travel Insurance - for international travel; including substantial cancellation, luggage, medical/repatriation, accident & liability cover. Suitable for holiday or business travels.
• Frequent Traveller Insurance - International - perfect for the business or leisure traveller who travels often. It's an annual insurance policy that provides comprehensive cover for domestic and international travel.
• Frequent Traveller Insurance - Australia - perfect for the business or leisure traveller who travels often. It's an annual insurance policy that provides cover for domestic travel.

For more flexibility and savings, you can even design your own policy, adjusting your extras and coverage levels, to save on your premium. If you would like more information, or just prefer not to book online, you can also contact our Call Centre 24 hours, 7 days.