One of the greatest things about retirement is FINALLY having time to accomplish lifelong goals.
For a lot of retirees, that means taking those big bucket list trips they’ve always talked about, but could never do because of work obligations and raising a family.
Some of those retirees even take it a few steps further, choosing to spend retirement bopping from country to country and continent to continent on a virtual non-stop world tour.
Whatever kind of traveler you might be, concerns about safety, health, and access to good medical care are universal.
In reality, a smart traveler of any age–retired or not–knows it’s important to be prepared for an emergency no matter where you are. Illnesses and injuries happen, and no one wants to get caught off-guard in a strange place with no idea what to do.
Senior travelers may be especially concerned with health and medical risks associated with long trips overseas. What happens if I catch the flu in Germany or take a spill on the stairs in Italy? What if my luggage is lost or stolen in Peru–my luggage containing critical prescription medications or medical equipment?
For situations like these, investing in travel insurance is a wonderful thing.
Though most people who are aware of travel insurance might think of it as strictly a way to protect your money, your travel arrangements, and your belongings, it can also be used to cover medical treatments and medications while you’re abroad.
Travel insurance representatives can not only help to reimburse you for surprise medical expenses away from home, but also help you replace prescriptions on the go and connect you with doctors and emergency medical transportation in an unfamiliar place.
In his informative guide to travel insurance, New York Times best-selling author and travel blogger Nomadic Matt says its “had his back” from a doctor’s visit in Argentina to a ruptured eardrum in Thailand–as well as all the broken and stolen property in between.
Nomadic Matt gives very useful tips on how to select a travel insurance policy that works best for you, and generally what he recommends looking for in a great plan.
As he says, though you may never ending up using your travel insurance, “it’s better to be safe than sorry, especially when you are in a different country, thousands of miles from home.”
