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What should you know about backpacker insurance?
At some point in our lives, we all wanted to just wear a backpack, leave everything behind, and embark on a journey into the unknown. While being a backpacker can definitely widen your horizon and satisfy your wanderlust craving, these adventurous experiences can put you at a higher risk of accidents or even death than common travels. Life may throw you a curveball when you least expected. And that’s why it is imperative that you invest in a travel insurance plan to protect yourself against a whole host of risks and mishaps, everything from traffic accidents, backpack loss, to flight cancellation and legal compensation.
Today, Pacific Prime Thailand will shed light on different aspects of backpacker insurance, a special form of travel insurance specialized for voyagers.
Why should you consider backpacker insurance?
Backpacker travel insurance can help give you peace of mind while you’re exploring the world. While standard travel insurance policies provide fundamental cover for emergency hospitalization, medical evacuation, and body repatriation, backpacker insurance goes the extra mile by offering the following additional benefits to adventurers:
International coverage
Backpackers love freedom and are more likely to travel across multiple destinations. Granted, the exact coverage varies between different insurance plans, which is why you should check the terms and conditions very carefully, but some backpacker plans do cover the policyholder no matter where they are in the world.
Extended coverage period
Apart from a wider scope of coverage geographically, backpacker insurance also covers you for an extended time period of travel.
A wider range of activities
Backpacker insurance provides you with a more comprehensive coverage than standard travel plans, including activities such as skiing or white water rafting.
And of course, backpacker insurance covers benefits commonly included in a standard travel insurance policy, such as:
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- Trip cancellation and interruption due to uncontrollable factors such as weather and airline industrial action
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- Money and luggage insurance for lost any items on your trip
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- Medical treatment if you need emergency care for an injury, illness, or a pre-existing condition
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- Legal fees if you need to claim for compensation or damages for something that happened during your holiday
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- Home visits if you need to return home temporarily for a holiday or a family illness
- And others
Also, check out our previous article which covers some useful tips for backpackers.
How much does backpack insurance cost?
A broad spectrum of factors may affect how much your backpack insurance will cost. For example, the cost of insurance varies between different destinations. Other contributing factors include:
Pre-existing medical conditions
If you have developed such conditions such as diabetes, they can increase the risk of you needing treatment while abroad and push up the price.
Age
Most backpackers are generally under 30, and, understandably, elder backpackers tend to be charged more as they are vulnerable to a wider range of diseases and conditions.
Possessions
If you plan to take the musical instrument for busking during your trip, you may have to take out extra cover as they are deemed as valuable possessions.
Activities
If you intend to carry your ski sleds during your journey, not only will you need to purchase a cover for it, but you may also secure additional coverage for the adventurous sport. Different insurers will have different lists of extreme or hazardous sports and activities. While wakeboarding and zip lining are generally covered, rock climbing without ropes is mostly excluded. For more information about extreme sports coverage, you may refer to our previous feature.
Duration
The longer you travel, the higher the premiums you will have to pay.
What should you notice when purchasing backpacker insurance?
There are a couple of things you should bear in mind when selecting backpacker insurance plans:
Terms and conditions
Check the policy terms carefully to ensure that your planned activities and valuable possessions are covered.
Change of plans
It is rather common for backpackers having to change their plans due to uncontrollable factors such as weather and natural disaster. Check if the insurer is able to cover you in these situations.
Excess
Usually, one common way to reduce your insurance premium is to choose plans that have high excess. An excess, a.k.a. a deductible, is the amount you will have to pay first before submitting a claim. However, during your journey, you may have to lodge multiple claims so it is better that you secure a policy with a lower excess.
Customer support
Insurance plans from more sizeable insurers tend to provide better 24/7 customer service while you are away. Quality and reliable customer support can make a world of experience especially if you need emergency assistance.
Compare insurance quotes from different insurers in one go
There are numerous travel insurance plans on the market and it is very time-consuming to secure the right one that suits both your needs and budgets. And that’s why the service of an experienced insurance brokerage comes into play. With over 19 years of experience and nine offices across the world, Pacific Prime Thailand is an independent insurance brokerage that cooperates with major insurers. We compare plans from our client’s perspective through our convenient online quotation services.
Contact us today for impartial insurance advice, an obligation-free quote, and a plan comparison!
When he’s not working, he’s usually on the hunt for great restaurants, playing badminton, and writing screenplays.
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