|
For more information
and things to bear in mind when choosing a policy, see below:
EHIC
A European Health
Insurance Card (EHIC )
gives residents of EU and EFTA countries the right to medical
treatment in the rest of the EU and EFTA on the same basis as
residents of those countries. It costs nothing to obtain a card (in
the UK, at least) and can be obtained very easily and quickly by
applying online. You must take the card with you to be able to use
it. They do expire, so check yours is still valid when you start to
plan your trip.
Although it is well
worth obtaining an EHIC if you are eligible for one, or finding out
about other reciprocal health agreements if you are not an EU/EFTA
resident, this should not be viewed as a substitute for travel
insurance. Schemes like EHIC will not provide any help if, Heaven
forfend, you suffer an accident or other health emergency that means
you have to be repatriated. And they are only concerned with health
matters, whereas a good travel policy will cover you for losses
arising from such misfortunes as flight cancellations, lost baggage
or a stolen passport.
You should carry an
EHIC card in any case. You may want to avail yourself of the
state-run medical services even if you do have insurance, and many
policies won't impose the excess (=deductable) if you avoid using a
private doctor or clinic. This is worthwhile as the excess is
typically £50-75.
top
Cycling exclusions
It is absolutely
essential to read the policy wording fully before buying the
insurance, or else immediately you have done so if you have a right
to cancel within a certain period. (EU Directive 2002/65/EC gives
those of us in the EU a 14 day cooling-off period when buying
insurance online or over the phone for a term of a month or longer,
such as annual travel policies.) The 'read the policy' advice is
important for everyone, but particularly so for cyclists as cycle
touring or even any bike-riding at all is excluded on some policies,
and this isn't always apparent from the policy summary or 'key facts'
document. Mountain biking, if it is covered, will generally require
pre-authorisation and an additional premium to be paid.
top
Pre-existing medical
conditions
Also look out for
exclusions covering pre-existing medical conditions. Some
underwriters require you to notify them in advance about any such
conditions, and an additional premium may be charged if they then
agree to provide cover. A simpler approach that other insurers take
and that will suffice for most people taking short trips is to apply
a blanket exclusion to any pre-existing conditions, without the need
to pre-notify them. As long as you feel confident that, say, your
visit to the doctor 6 months ago to get a prescription for the latest
hayfever remedy isn't going to have any bearing on your forthcoming
bike tour, then a policy of this type will be suitable. But err on
the side of caution as insurers have a reputation for relying on the
small print to resist claims.
top
Cover for your bike and
possessions
A travel policy will
cover your belongings as well as yourself, but you are unlikely to
find cover for things left on your bike while it is unattended. Keep
valuables in a small saddlebag or backpack and take them with you
when you have a break. Nor will a travel policy cover the bike
itself, for that you will need to arrange cover under your household
contents insurance policy or through a specialist cycle policy. If
you are hiring a bike, be sure to check what your liability is if it
should be stolen or damaged and take out insurance if necessary.
top
Independent traveller
policies
Another important thing
to be aware of is that some cheaper policies are better suited to
package tourists than those who organise their own tours. If your
flight is delayed for 6 hours and as a result you have to cancel
pre-booked accommodation and spend your first night abroad in an
expensive airport hotel, you may find that the cancellation fee and
the additional cost of the hotel cannot be claimed for. Certain
policies are aimed at independent travellers and do cover this type
of knock-on loss, and you may want to choose this type of premium
product if you are going to pre-book accommodation, bike hire or
other services.
|
