When you consider the recent thunderstorms, heavy downpours and grey weather across the UK, you can be forgiven for dreaming of hotter climates. But don’t let the promise of sun, sea and sand make you forget about the practical aspects of any holiday – including your travel insurance.
Don’t leave it until the last minute
Even if you always purchase travel insurance when you go away, you might leave it until the last minute to choose your policy.
Here are 5 reasons to buy travel insurance as early as possible.
1. Protection from the moment you purchase cover
When you book and pay for your holiday, the risk begins immediately. So, the earlier you buy your insurance policy, the sooner you are protected. As a busy medical or dental practitioner, your holiday plans can quite easily be disrupted.
If you get ill before you travel, or there is a personal or other emergency and are unable to go away, you can turn to your insurance company to recoup your costs.
2. Protection if your suppliers go bust
If your airline company goes into administration, or travel company goes under before you go away, potentially you lose your holiday. It could be even more catastrophic if it happens while you are away and are left in the position of working out how to get home.
While you have a certain level of ATOL protection if you book a package holiday and the Civil Aviation Authority should help you get home if your airline stops running, there are many situations when you will be left out of pocket and under a lot of stress.
3. Give yourself more time to find the right policy
Last minute purchases are usually done in panic, without considering all requirements and options. If you find it hard to get travel insurance, for example due to an underlying medical condition, you need to give yourself time to shop around to find the right insurer, at the right price. Often for complex insurance requirements, you won’t be able to find cover through a comparison site and will need to speak to a broker.
If you like to travel quite a lot – in the UK and abroad – you might prefer to consider an annual policy so you don’t have to negotiate cover for each trip.
4. Cover can always be amended
You can change your policy if your holiday plans change. It might be that you decide you need extra cover for extreme sports or other activities not covered under a standard policy, or additional people coming along. Or you simply might want to increase the level of cover for your belongings or expensive items that you are taking with you. Once you have your policy, you can add or amend items until you travel whilst still having the protection from suppliers going bust or illness.
5. You won’t save money by waiting
Travel insurance prices are quite consistent and you will unlikely find a last minute bargain if you wait until the last minute to purchase. In reality, you are just putting off when your protection begins. With news of high profile holiday companies in trouble or going into administration, you can’t be completely sure that your holiday will go off without a hitch until you come home safely.
Insurance is there to protect you against risk – of something that may or may not happen. When you spend your hard earned money on a holiday which will be an opportunity to spend some quality time relaxing with your family, can you really afford for it to go wrong?
We can help you protect your holiday
All Med Pro helps medical and dental practitioners get the right insurance for their professional and personal lives. We understand your needs and we can take away the stress and wasted time of searching for the right insurance. Contact us today to talk about your travel plans this summer.