Travel insurance when traveling abroad and in Russia. Terms of registration

Medical insurance makes it possible to get medical care in any country. The need for it can arise not only among extreme sportsmen, but also among lovers of beach and educational relaxation. Read more about how travel insurance is issued, what policies exist - read on.

general information

Travel health insurance is valid in all continents. If the tourist did not apply for a policy in advance, then he will have to compensate for all expenses for treatment abroad. In some cases, the bill may amount to several thousand dollars.

If tourists travel massively, then a travel agency is involved in the design of the policy, and its cost is already included in the price of the ticket. Travel insurance for Schengen is a prerequisite for obtaining a visa. Typically, the policy covers the following insured events:

• early return;
• medical assistance provided;
• shipping drugs
• repatriation in case of illness, accident;
• transportation;
• emergency dental care, etc.

A detailed list of insurance risks is prescribed in the contract. Before signing the document, you should inform the company in detail about your health status. Insurance will not be paid if:

• The tourist fell ill before departure, and on vacation his illness worsened.
• There was drug or alcohol intoxication.
• Non-compliance with safety regulations has occurred.

Policy structure

Independently understanding the scheme of insurance for travelers is quite difficult. To begin, consider the terms that are prescribed in the contract:

• Policy - insurance contract.
• Insured - a person who buys a policy (beneficiary).
• Insurer (IC) - an insurance company that reimburses all treatment costs.
• Insured event - an event prescribed in the contract for which payment of funds is provided.
• Sum insured - the maximum amount that SK is willing to pay under the contract.
• Assistance - a service company, a representative of the UK in the host country of the tourist.
• Franchise - the amount of funds that the victim himself will compensate. For example, a policy includes a deductible of $ 30. The bill for medical services is $ 45. Of these, the company will return 45-30 = 15 dollars to the client.

In the event of an insured event, the policyholder must call the assistant to receive further instructions. The bill from the hospital for the medical services provided is sent immediately to the insurance company. In rare cases, the client has to pay all bills on their own. Then, upon arrival home, he must apply for compensation of all expenses.

Kinds

Travel insurance may include:

1. Standard insurance contract for emergency care and sending the patient home.
2. Accident insurance is often issued by outdoor enthusiasts. If the injury results in disability, compensation may amount to tens of thousands of dollars.
3. Protection in case of loss (damage) of baggage during natural disasters, road accidents, fires.
4. Travel cancellation insurance due to illness of the client or his close relative, refusal of a visa, property damage. At the same time, all expenses associated with preparing for the trip (payment for air tickets, housing, medicines, etc.) will be compensated.
5. Liability insurance in case of damage to others.

Work schemes

Insurance is a way to ensure the safety of citizens. Refunds can be made in two ways:

1. As part of the compensation scheme, the tourist independently pays for all expenses for treatment, and upon returning home presents all the reporting documentation to receive the payment. Such a policy should be purchased if the insured person has sufficient funds to pay all expenses.
2. As part of the service program, the insurer enters into an agreement with foreign companies on servicing customers abroad. In this case, payment of expenses is carried out immediately upon the occurrence of an insured event. This compensation scheme is more acceptable for tourists.

Cost

When making out the policy, the following factors will be taken into account: gender, age of the client, and duration of the tour. The price of travel insurance directly depends on the border coverage. The amount of compensation that will cover all medical expenses may amount to several thousand dollars. The minimum policy will cost $ 5 per day for a stay in another country.

Typically, companies offer standard customer insurance programs that can include additional risks and conditions. Some companies sell the basic policy only with additional options, for example, oblige customers to take out accident insurance.

Of great importance is the duration and place of validity of the policy. If the client has paid for insurance while already abroad, the policy is considered invalid. In addition, insurance is valid only in the country that is indicated in it. If this is one of the countries of the Schengen zone, then the policy will automatically apply to its entire territory.

Well, of course, you should buy a policy from companies with a high reliability rating that have proven themselves in the market.

Features of policies

Travel insurance is not a prerequisite when leaving the country or outside the city. It provides an opportunity to save a certain amount on medical expenses. An exception are Schengen countries where a policy is required for a visa.

To purchase a basic policy, it is absolutely not necessary to look at the rating of travel insurance. The cost of services for all companies is approximately the same, and clear requirements are set for policies:

• the validity period of the insurance must cover the entire period of stay in the country + 2 weeks;
• insurance is issued without a deductible, that is, all expenses for paying for medical services must be paid by the insurance company;
• the minimum amount of compensation is 30 thousand euros.

Some countries accept handwritten insurance. Registration of one policy for all family members is allowed. To draw up a contract, you need to provide a passport and travel information.

The minimum insurance for traveling in Russia is the compulsory medical insurance policy. But it only covers the cost of providing emergency medical care. In order for the policy to cover the risks associated with outdoor activities, you will have to take out full insurance for people traveling abroad.

What does the policy cover?

With basic insurance, you can get a policy, but when you go to the doctor you have to compensate for the costs yourself. Travel insurance abroad is a constructor. You can save and buy one spare part or order a set of figures and build a castle. This is the case with the policy. You can get a piece of paper for a visa or buy a useful tool.

How to upgrade the policy

To make insurance for travel abroad really useful, you should add additional options to the base policy:

• A trip to the sea - help with sunburn.
• Trekking, surfing, horseback riding, jet ski - insurance for outdoor activities.
• Ski resort - in addition to sports insurance, add search and rescue work and evacuation.
• Chronic diseases - help with exacerbation of the "chronicles".
• If you plan to ride a motorcycle during your vacation, you need to buy a policy of the same name. Compensation will be paid if the driver rode in a helmet and had Category A rights with him.
• Travel insurance for pregnant women covers the costs of complicating pregnancy. The closer the birth, the less chance that it will turn out to issue a policy. Most often, an insurance contract is concluded if the gestational age is 12-24 weeks.
• Help with alcohol intoxication is not provided by all companies. In this case, compensation will be paid if intoxication caused the incident. A lot in this case depends on the doctor. He must determine the adequacy of the patient. A blood alcohol test is rare.
• If you want to protect your belongings, add baggage insurance. If the suitcase is lost, SK will pay 500-2000 dollars. For comparison, compensation from the airline will be $ 20 per kilogram of baggage.
• Travel insurance abroad by car will cover the cost of restoring the vehicle after the trip.
• Flight delay insurance provides compensation for every hour of waiting, starting from the fifth.
• Damage accidentally caused to another person will cover the civil liability policy. If the insurer, while in a sober state, accidentally crashes into another skier, SK will pay for the treatment of injuries and buy new skis for the victim.
• If the trip is planned in advance, you should buy a travel insurance policy. The cost of airline tickets, hotel reservations and other services will be compensated if the client becomes ill 2 days before the trip or does not receive a visa.
• Additional funds for the restoration of health can be obtained as part of the accident insurance policy. If on vacation a citizen breaks his leg, then, in addition to treatment in the host country, he will also receive compensation for rehabilitation upon returning home.

What to do to get a refund

The insurance company (IC) will cover the costs of treatment only in those medical institutions with which it has concluded an agreement. Therefore, when an insured event occurs, you need to call the service company on the specified phone to get the contacts of hospitals and doctors. It is necessary to describe the situation in detail to the dispatcher, dictate the policy number and phone. Based on these data, customer identification is carried out, which makes it possible to determine the amount of assistance. If emergency medical care was provided before you managed to call the UK, you need to provide a policy to the hospital staff and try to reach the dispatcher.

Travel insurance will work if the client fulfills all the conditions prescribed in the policy. Therefore, it is necessary in advance:

• Save the policy on your phone so that you don’t always carry it with you.
• Connect roaming or buy a local SIM card so that you can quickly contact SK. In the hotel you can use Skype or a call from the reception.
• Familiarize yourself with the terms of the contract in advance in order to know in which cases you will have to contact the company, and when you need to rely only on yourself.

When an insured event occurs:

• Call the assistance company at the telephone number specified in the policy. Tell the operator the policy number, your phone number, location, the nature of the problem. If you need medical care, the operator will provide the address of the hospital and send a letter of guarantee in confirmation of payment for services. In some cases, a decision can be made within a few hours. In critical cases, you need to call an ambulance, and then call the UK.
• At the hospital, the administrator needs to make sure that the company has sent a guarantee letter. If this does not happen, the hospital will ask you to pay in cash or leave your passport as a deposit. This cannot be done. You need to call assistance and understand the reasons for the delay.
• At the first call to the UK, you need to coordinate your procedure with the operator.

If something went wrong, you must:

1. Be prepared to fully pay all expenses on your own. In this case, upon returning home, the company will either compensate all expenses, or will be completely paid out. The second case is possible if the policyholder has not notified the company of the occurrence of the insured event at all.
2. If you do not agree with the decision of the assistance and paid all the expenses yourself, then upon arrival home you must contact the UK within 30 days to receive compensation. VTB Travel Insurance will be paid if, in addition to the application, the following is attached:

• Policy
• Medical documents that indicate the name of the patient, diagnosis, date of treatment.
• Direction to research.
• Invoices on letterheads listing the services provided and proof of payment provided.
• Prescriptions from doctors, bills (checks) from the pharmacy.

Travel insurance Rosgosstrakh additionally compensates for telephone bills and taxis if the insurer attaches copies of these documents.

Conclusion

Travel insurance is similar to the Lego constructor. The basic package is only suitable for applying for a visa. When an insured event occurs, it will not be possible to receive normal compensation for it. The policy needs to be assembled in "bricks", that is, to increase the amount of coverage, based on the characteristics of the trip.