Travel Insurance small print

I am sure that I am not the only one who has been caught out by not reading the small print contained within an insurance policy. You take the time and spend the money to get covered but sometimes the policy you think is providing you with the security and comfort of full protection is not. Why not? Because like 99% of all people you do not read the pages and pages of small print that follow a policy document.

I recently returned from a weeks skiing in Switzerland. Whilst over there I was told a true story of how one unfortunate holiday maker fell victim to the insurance small print. Every skier or snow boarder’s worse nightmare is to wipe out at the top of a mountain badly enough to require air helicopter evacuation off the summit and then be transported on to the nearest hospital equipped to deal with your injuries. Worse still is to find that the insurance policy you thought covered your medical bill actually doesn’t and subsequently to be told by the insurance company that you have to foot the bill out of your own pocket.

The sad reality is that if you are planning to do any kind of extreme sport whether it is bungy jumping, scuba diving, white water rafting or skiing then a standard travel insurance policy will exclude cover from doing these activities. Make sure you get them added on. It might add a few more pounds to your insurance cost but this is preferable to the thousands it could cost you if an accident were to befall you.