A quick guide on when to buy travel insurance
Don't let clients miss out on travel insurance benefits and coverage before departing on their next trip.
Insurance agents and brokers know that when someone is planning a trip that they’ve always wanted to go on or are looking to go on a business trip that their best bet is to be insured when they travel.
That’s where travel insurance comes in!
Getting travel insurance is just as important as making other preparations such as money for a trip, shopping, hotel accommodations, booking flight(s), and so on.
However, it can be easy to forget about travel insurance, only to procrastinate as the scheduled trip approaches. Don’t let this happen to your clients!
In this quick guide, we’ll explain why travel insurance is essential and how insurance agents and brokers can do their part in getting clients insured before they go on their next adventure.
Why travel insurance is a must-have
“When planning a trip, it’s important for travelers to do everything in advance,” says Jasmine Watson, a business writer at 1 Day 2 write and Origin writings. “As insurance agents and brokers, you should advise your clients to take advantage of the benefits and coverages provided in travel insurance. Otherwise, they’ll run the risk of not qualifying for special coverage on things such as having a pre-existing medical condition.”
When is it too late to be insured?
While it’s tempting to go uninsured while travel, this can be a bad idea for insurance clients. Even when they don’t feel like they need to be insured, the truth is it can save them from unexpected costs during the trip.
But what if your client chooses to wait to get travel insurance?
Well, the direct result would be that their claim will get denied if they buy insurance too late. Say that a medical emergency happens before they leave to their destination. In that case, that medical emergency won’t be covered because they didn’t have travel insurance at the time. Needless to say, it’s not possible to buy travel insurance coverage either the same day of the trip departure or once the trip has already started.
The best time to get insured
So, now that you know that travelers can’t be too late in buying travel insurance, it’s now time to discover when it’s the best time to get insured. (Be sure to share this part with your clients.)
The trick for travelers is to buy insurance immediately after they book the first part of their trip. Why? Because they’ll get benefits for purchasing early.
Timing a purchase can really help travelers in the long run, which sounds better than procrastinating and not reaping the benefits. So, be sure to let your clients know that they have the option to buy insurance right after booking the first part of the trip.
Look for a cancellation upgrade
“Sometimes, something might happen to where you’ll have to postpone your trip or cancel it altogether,” says Jacob Kendall, a travel blogger at Write my X and Brit Student. “That’s definitely common for many travelers, which is why they need to be insured right away. When something comes up, travelers would be well-prepared for what comes next. Most travel insurance providers come with a cancellation upgrade, which pays for any forfeited, nonrefundable, or prepaid travel arrangements that you’ve made. Also, have your clients look into potential add-ons that the upgrade can provide for better and wider coverage.”
What happens if pre-existing conditions are involved?
Pre-existing conditions, as mentioned earlier, can impact how clients are insured. Luckily, most travel insurance providers have particular coverage that deals with any pre-existing medical conditions that a traveler might have. So, it’s important to have your clients get coverage on pre-existing conditions ahead of time, or else they’ll lose out on the benefits.
To qualify for premium coverage, a traveler must be insured in the event of a cancellation, and they must have completed the cost of their prepaid trip. In addition, they must understand that any of those factors can be subject to restrictions, which you, the travel insurance agent or broker, can go over with them.
Conclusion
Regardless if clients are frequent travelers or just seasonal at best, it’s important to have them insured and to allow them to take advantage of the various benefits that travel insurance has to offer. Remember: It’s better for your clients to be safe than sorry during a trip.
Adelia Ramirez is a writer and editor at Write my case study and Thesis writing service. She is also a contributing writer for Next Coursework. As an entrepreneur, her goal is to share her business experience and to help other people to follow their dreams in marketing and business-building.
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