I am not here to harsh your vacation mellow – but – consider what level of risk you are willing to take while vacationing.
So here is an overview of your risks while on vacation.
There are 3 levels:
- You slip and scrape your knee,
- You’re showing off – and fail. It’s off to the hospital for some stitches,
- You accidentally cut your head off and need air-evac to a U.S. hospital to get it sewn back on;
So let’s address #1 – a minor scrape
All decent resorts have a doctor or nurse at the resort. They can fix you up for little-to-no cost.
#2 – you need to go to a hospital
Bring your credit card. You will be expected to pay BEFORE you get medical attention.
#3 – you need an air – evac
Bring your credit card with a VERY big limit. Like $15 – $20k – before wheels up. There is no amount of crying, wailing, or logic that will get you results before you pay.
So now you ask, ‘What do I do?’
First, check to see if your existing insurance covers you when you travel (most don’t!).
Very few health or major medical insurance plans in the U.S. will cover you if you’re out of state, fewer still cover you outside the country, so don’t leave this to chance or play the odds. They have a tendency to bite you when you least expect it, those &^#$* damn odds.
And then Check Pricescheck the price of travel insurance.
For about $99 – $199 per person you can buy travel insurance that protects you from medical emergencies – and – some policies also allow you to cancel your trip for any reason (aka “CFAR”) – and get all your money back (including airfare).
Be sure to read the fine print so you know what your policy covers…..the industry went thru pandemic-related upheaval and in response created new insurance products that can cost less, but will only give you credit vouchers (like the airlines) instead of refunds if you cancel……a ‘refundable’ trip policy may cost a bit more, but may be worth it to get back your hard-earned dinero…..unless you’re sure you’ll reschedule and use up the credit.
Like all breathing people, I dislike being gouged by insurance companies – but it beats losing a ton of money on that much-needed vacay if you have to cancel.
The bottom line is how much risk will you accept?
Hope this helps…….
~Jake
