1. Personal effects
Check with your insurance company on the personal effects that can be covered under travel insurance as the coverage differs between insurance companies.

2. Beneficiary
You are advised to nominate a beneficiary and ensure that your beneficiary is aware of the travel insurance policy that you have purchased.

3. Multiple insurance
If you have purchased more than one travel insurance policies, in the event of your demise and disablement, you or your beneficiary, as the case may be, will be compensated for each policy. However, for certain losses such as medical expenses which are compensated on reimbursement basis, you will only be compensated once for the actual loss suffered.

4. Foreign affiliates
Ensure that your insurance company has a good network of foreign affiliates which can provide you with the necessary assistance when required.

5. Medical and emergency assistance
It is important to check whether your insurance company provides 24-hour emergency hotline service.

via InsuranceInfo Travel Insurance Booklet

DO you buy travel insurance before you travel? According to Malaysian Association of Tour and Travel Agents (Matta) president Ngiam Foon, not many Malaysians buy additional insurance protection when they travel.

Many mistakenly assume that their existing long-term insurance policies will protect them when they are overseas.

He said there have been many cases of Malaysian travellers, not covered by insurance, facing difficulties when they were injured or involved in accidents overseas. Ngiam Foon urged Malaysians to invest in suitable travel insurance products when going on vacations. Such travel insurance is vital in ensuring that Malaysians get proper coverage in case of travel emergencies.

He said that many Malaysians also mistakenly assume that credit card purchases of airline tickets will automatically provide complete insurance protection for them. Many insurance companies offer inexpensive add-ons, which provide a wide range of services that can protect travellers in case of medical emergencies, robberies and accidents.

“In some countries, it is vital that we have the option of getting access to evacuation services, for instance, in the event of a medical emergency. There are many products in the market for such protection. It is just that many Malaysians are unaware of such services which are available at a low cost.” With just a minimal payment, travellers have access to 24-hour emergency services in many parts of the world.

Ngiam Foon said medical services are expensive, especially in developed countries, and there have been many cases of Malaysian travellers facing great trauma, distress and financial difficulties due to high costs as a result of not having adequate insurance protection when overseas.

Ngiam advised travellers to check with their licensed travel and tour agents for more information on travel insurance products. “It is also important that prospective buyers ensure that they are dealing with licensed travel and tour agencies which have access to pertinent information to help customers make informed choices,” Ngiam Foon said.

Matta has some 2,100 members in the country and is the country’s largest travel and tour association. While industry statistics on the purchase of travel insurance by Malaysians over the last several years are unavailable, Ngiam Foon said, from Matta’s perspective and experience, the adoption rate of travel insurance products among Malaysians was still very low and needed to be boosted.

Ngiam Foon said Matta had been in discussions with several insurance companies to provide “cashless” insurance coverage to travellers. Under such coverage, when there is a need for medical services, a person needs only show evidence of the insurance coverage without footing the bill upfront. These cashless insurance products are expected to be available to travellers soon.

We provide the following types of travel insurance coverage:

a) Individual Travel Plan
b) Individual Annual Travel Plan
b) Family Travel Plan
c) Married Couple Travel Plan

Select your destination here and get protected on your trip!

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Travel Insurance Buying Guide

• Part 1: Need for Travel Insurance
• Part 2: Claims You Can Make
• Part 3: Not Covered
• Part 4: The Eligibility
• Part 5: Compensation and Satisfaction

WHAT kind of losses can you claim from your travel insurance?

The coverage and limitations under the policy vary depending on the insurance company. Here are some of the benefits offered in most travel insurance policies:

Medical Expenses: Falling sick while travelling can be a very scary and expensive experience. In case of accident or illness, hospitalisation, medical and surgical expenses and outpatient medical expenses are payable under this benefit.

Some policies provide a daily allowance up to a certain number of days if you are hospitalised for more than 24 hours.

Personal Accident: Compensation is paid in the event of death and permanent total disablement due to an accident. The compensation is paid based on a scale of benefits.

Emergency Medical Evacuation/Transportation: Medical evacuations and emergency transportation can be very costly but in some cases are unavoidable e.g. when the illness is serious and medical attention is not available in that country. Travel insurers normally tie up with international companies providing these services to provide for evacuation, with medical supervision, to the nearest facilities that is able to provide the proper care for an accident or illness.

Repatriation: In case of death, reimbursement will be made to the legal representative for the cost of transporting the remains home.

Trip Delay: This benefit provides reimbursement for the expenses incurred if flight or voyage is delayed for more than a specified number of hours due to reasons beyond your control.

Trip Cancellation/interruption: Policies generally cover non-refundable payments or deposits if your trip is cancelled or interrupted due to unforeseen and unavoidable circumstances. For example, insurers will rely on warnings issued by the government with regard to travel restrictions due to national safety concerns.

Loss of Luggage & Personal Effects: This benefit covers loss, damage or delay of your baggage, clothing, personal effects and money caused by a carrier.

There are usually limits to the claims payable for such losses and these are always specified in the policy.

Travel Documents: In the event of theft or accidental destruction of your passport and/or travel tickets, you will be reimbursed the replacement cost and the additional accommodation and travel expenses incurred while you are waiting for replacements. You must report the loss to the police within 24 hours.

Hijacking: Although hijackings are not so frequent nowadays due to enhanced security, your insurance will provide for specified daily benefits up to a certain number of days if your travel is disrupted due to a hijacking of your plane.

For queries or complaints on general insurance matters, please send your questions to Persatuan Insurans Am Malaysia (PIAM) Complaints Action Bureau at 3rd Floor, Wisma PIAM, 150, Jalan Tun Sambanthan, 50470 Kuala Lumpur. Tel: 03-2274 7395/9, Fax: 03- 2274 5910.

Via NST Travel Online