5 Lies You'll Tell Yourself to Avoid Family Travel Insurance

Family travel insurance is a vital protective measure for anyone who falls ill or encounters unforeseen (and often unfortunate) circumstances while abroad. Medical coverage, evacuation, reimbursing cancelled tickets, protection against theft – these are just some of the benefits of choosing a package designed to cover all family members.

Yet why is it that some people still choose not to avail of family travel insurance? Here are some of the most common excuses:

It Just Costs Too Much

The immediate cost is one of the most common reasons – if not the most common – for families to skip getting cover. But, in fact, it is the financially constrained who need it the most. Indeed, you may be putting a hundred pounds or so into buying cover for your family, but that money could prevent you from spending thousands of pounds – maybe even tens or hundreds of thousands – if something goes wrong while traveling abroad. Spending a little to protect yourself and your loved ones is nothing when compared to that possibility.

Risks? What Risks? You Only Live Once!

Wilful ignorance and a romantic view of reckless abandon are two of the more frivolous reasons why people skip out on travel cover. Simply put, these people can’t be bothered with the minor details of traveling abroad. They only see the beautiful, the exciting and the romantic, while refusing to see the risks, dangers and complications. Only when it is too late may they realize that a little bit of research and financial outlay could have saved them a world of trouble. I’m Special and Blessed and Nothing Will Happen to Me

This kind of thinking is another pretty common reason why people choose not to avail of family travel insurance. Destiny, divine favour, spiritual protection – call it what you will - some people assume that they’re untouchable for one supernatural reason or another, and that nothing unfortunate will happen to them as long as they cling to that idea. But tempting fate is never a good idea, especially when it comes to misplaced faith. A divine lesson in humility may be doled out in one of the most inopportune moments, and it could take years (even decades) to recover from the resulting medical and financial damage.

It’s Just a Quick Trip to a Familiar Place

Familiarity breeds complacency, which yields its own kind of danger when travelling. While a stranger may stumble around not knowing what to do, visitors familiar with the ins and outs of a location often relax their vigilance. The result: a danger that could have been noticed early on is ignored because of complacency. All it takes is one bad event, and even the most seasoned tourist can pay a hefty price if caught without the protection of proper insurance. I’m Already Covered By My Bank/Carrier/EHIC/Credit Card

Make sure you read the fine print of any kind of insurance, especially since the coverage provided in 'free' packages is often lacking when compared to complete family travel insurance. Banks, airline carriers and even the venerable European Health Insurance Card offer some measure of protection while travelling – but it's not comprehensive. You will still end up spending a significant chunk of money out of your own pocket if you are caught unawares by one clause or another designed more for the benefit of the institution than your own. Government intervention is helping to alleviate this problem, with legislation forcing banks and carriers to either step up their coverage or abandon claims altogether. Until these laws come into full force, however, it is still best to work with a dedicated provider.

Have you noticed yourself using one, some, or all of these excuses? If the answer is yes, you may want to reconsider your reasons, lest you find yourself without protection when you need it the most!

Patrick Chong is the Managing Director of Insuremore. We provide low cost travel insurance and offer a range of policies including family travel insurance, annual, multi-trip and single-trip insurance. For all your travel cover needs, Insuremore can help you in the quickest and most cost-efficient way.

Writer and Online Marketing Manager in London.