2014: An Insurance Odyssey
You may have seen me mention it once or twice before, but I'll be heading off to Canada soon. Very soon, in fact - just over two weeks if you want to be more precise. In my last post, I was panicking, and to be honest that's not changed an awful lot. Thankfully though, I have managed to get at least one milestone crossed off my list: I now have travel insurance!
For the bargain price of around £250, I am now insured against (most) medical emergencies (hopefully)! It's only taken me two months of searching, phone calls, and comparing over thirty different providers, but I've finally made it. Wondering what took so long? Having a life-threatening allergy that requires hospitalisation if I have a reaction. Yeah, that. Most insurers don't want to touch it with a bargepole, since I'm much more of a risk than most people. Practically guaranteed as far as insurers are concerned. Doesn't matter that I've had about five reactions in my 22 years of living, oh no. I'm a sure thing. For the same crappy policy, I've been quoted between £260 and £3500. Thankfully, the company I've ended up going with has been the cheapest, had the best policy, and the best reputation (and in case anyone's wondering, they're called HolidaySafe).
This whole experience hasn't been without it's difficulties though, and to say insurers are wily is, well, stating the obvious really. If you think they're there to protect their customers, or at least have the customer's best interests at heart, then boy are you in for a surprise. Being a company (and therefore needing to make money, not spend it), insurers care about numero uno: themselves. Worked into the policies are plenty of get-outs and ways to invalidate your claim, and should your circumstances - however dire they may be - fall within these get-outs, then you'll quite literally have hell to pay. And hell ain't cheap.
Take the idea of going on a casual ramble through the countryside, for example. Are you hiking, walking, or trekking? What altitude will you be at? Did you tie your shoes before you left and re-tie them at ten minute intervals? Insurers make these distinctions. Trekking or hiking at 1000m above sea level is usually covered under a normal policy, but if you're going to 1001m, then buddy you're on your own. Or they'll cover you for an extra £40, it's up to you.
Other things like drinking and drugs are also a big no-no. Understandable really, since they're known for increasing the likelihood of reckless and potentially dangerous behaviour. But there's also things like the policy being completely invalid for one-way travel, or trips without an end date. Ah. A snag. Since I'll be going for a year, I can't actually buy a return ticket far enough in advance. Happily, this turned out to be a fairly simple fix: I just need to prove that I'll be back in the UK when I say I will be. Job confirmations (nope), hospital appointments (also too far in advance), or housing arrangements (nope), will all suffice as proof. Since I can't get any of these, a dentist appointment will apparently have to do.
So that's where we're at. The list of things to do is getting smaller, and bar some minor paperwork hiccups it's going fairly well: passed my driving test, been confirmed sickness-free, arranged a going-away party, and sorted my comic subscriptions. You know, all the super crucial stuff. There's still more to do, but hey, baby steps. Right?
Currently reading:
For the bargain price of around £250, I am now insured against (most) medical emergencies (hopefully)! It's only taken me two months of searching, phone calls, and comparing over thirty different providers, but I've finally made it. Wondering what took so long? Having a life-threatening allergy that requires hospitalisation if I have a reaction. Yeah, that. Most insurers don't want to touch it with a bargepole, since I'm much more of a risk than most people. Practically guaranteed as far as insurers are concerned. Doesn't matter that I've had about five reactions in my 22 years of living, oh no. I'm a sure thing. For the same crappy policy, I've been quoted between £260 and £3500. Thankfully, the company I've ended up going with has been the cheapest, had the best policy, and the best reputation (and in case anyone's wondering, they're called HolidaySafe).
This whole experience hasn't been without it's difficulties though, and to say insurers are wily is, well, stating the obvious really. If you think they're there to protect their customers, or at least have the customer's best interests at heart, then boy are you in for a surprise. Being a company (and therefore needing to make money, not spend it), insurers care about numero uno: themselves. Worked into the policies are plenty of get-outs and ways to invalidate your claim, and should your circumstances - however dire they may be - fall within these get-outs, then you'll quite literally have hell to pay. And hell ain't cheap.
Take the idea of going on a casual ramble through the countryside, for example. Are you hiking, walking, or trekking? What altitude will you be at? Did you tie your shoes before you left and re-tie them at ten minute intervals? Insurers make these distinctions. Trekking or hiking at 1000m above sea level is usually covered under a normal policy, but if you're going to 1001m, then buddy you're on your own. Or they'll cover you for an extra £40, it's up to you.
Other things like drinking and drugs are also a big no-no. Understandable really, since they're known for increasing the likelihood of reckless and potentially dangerous behaviour. But there's also things like the policy being completely invalid for one-way travel, or trips without an end date. Ah. A snag. Since I'll be going for a year, I can't actually buy a return ticket far enough in advance. Happily, this turned out to be a fairly simple fix: I just need to prove that I'll be back in the UK when I say I will be. Job confirmations (nope), hospital appointments (also too far in advance), or housing arrangements (nope), will all suffice as proof. Since I can't get any of these, a dentist appointment will apparently have to do.
So that's where we're at. The list of things to do is getting smaller, and bar some minor paperwork hiccups it's going fairly well: passed my driving test, been confirmed sickness-free, arranged a going-away party, and sorted my comic subscriptions. You know, all the super crucial stuff. There's still more to do, but hey, baby steps. Right?
Currently reading:
Hampshire, S., ed. (1980), Public and Private Morality, Cambridge University Press
Further information:
HolidaySafe insurance website: https://www.holidaysafe.co.uk/
Further information:
HolidaySafe insurance website: https://www.holidaysafe.co.uk/
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