Ideally, you should take out travel insurance as soon as you''ve booked any part of your holiday, whether that''s flights, cars or your Florida rental home. This is because, in the unfortunate event you have to cancel because of illness, etc then you will be covered for your expenses via your insurance policy. You may have only paid a deposit on some components of your holiday but that may not mean that you are not responsible for the full costs, particularly if you cancel at short notice.
Your travel insurance should also cover you in some circumstances if you''re unable to get to the airport, your flight is delayed, you lose your luggage, you have an accident or are taken ill, etc.
Medical costs in USA are very high (there''s no NHS to cover you) and you may be surprised at how much a visit to the doctor can cost.
If you visit a local doctor (like a GP) just seeing you can cost $100 (£72) and if you are prescribed medication, this is charged at retail rates. Simple painkillers can be $66 (£47) upwards per prescription item! If you are seen by a hospital doctor (in Accident and Emergency) these costs can double!
A two night stay in hospital can cost $6000 (£4285) upwards, depending on if you need any investigations, x-rays or treatment. A week''s stay in intensive care can be $1million (£714,000) or more.
It won''t happen to me, I''m never ill! So, perhaps you decide to take a gamble on not having an accident or becoming ill. How would you pay these fees if you have no insurance? Perhaps you could sell your house, your car, even everything you own to cover these fees?
Please - don''t take this risk, it''s not worth it! Make sure you and your family are fully covered for the unexpected from the time you book your holiday.
Photocopy your insurance policy and leave the photocopy at home but take the original with you to Florida. You will need to produce your policy to obtain treatment.
If your policy has a minor treatment limit (this is sometimes around £100-£200), you will be expected to pay for your treatment yourself (usually this can be done with a credit card) and claim when you return home from your insurance company. Make sure you keep ALL your receipts and claim within the time limit. If the cost of your medical care is likely to be more than this minimal amount, you need to get authorisation from your insurance company first, before you are treated (there''s usually a 24 hour emergency telephone number on your policy documentation).
With comprehensive travel insurance, you can relax and enjoy your holiday secure in the knowledge that, should something unexpected happen, you are covered!