Travel insurance: Is it worth it?

It’s no secret that it’s costly to go abroad.

Tickets, visas, exchange rates, baggage allowances, airport taxis, the dreaded layover meal that you could swear was half of the price just outside the terminal… Seeing the world can be the adventure of a lifetime, but it’s rarely kind to the pocketbook.

So, as your cursor hovers over the “confirm booking” button for your next excursion for business or pleasure, it’s natural to second-guess something as abstract as your travel insurance.

After all, what’s the worst that could happen? Surely, it’s reasonable to explore a foreign country without illness, injury or mishap, right? Is some peace of mind worth the extra cost?

Then again, you never expect it to happen to you.

Travellers have told countless stories of lost or damaged cargo, including vital items like medications or wheelchairs. Others have been stranded due to cancelled flights, left with no choice but to front the costs associated with an unexpected detour or extended stay.

Perhaps most disruptive, some have encountered sudden health issues abroad, resulting in medical bills in the tens of thousands of dollars at a time when they should be focused on their recovery.

One such case is that of transatlantic traveller Colin Crane, of Edmonton, who was in Uganda this spring for what was supposed to be a brief work trip. After contracting malaria, a life-threatening illness commonly spread via mosquito bite, he soon found himself awaking from a coma in a Kampala hospital, slowly recovering as bills began to mount, and with no insurance plan to cover them.

CTV News reported that he was still in Africa last week, staring down a $30,000 medical bill that will only grow until he can leave the hospital. After that, he’ll have to raise the funds to pay it — or enter into a payment plan starting with half the total value.

Colin Crane says his story is a cautionary tale: don’t travel without adequate insurance. He says a short trip to Uganda turned into a months-long, costly hospital stay. (Image courtesy: Colin Crane)

With months more recovery ahead of him, Crane said he’s been trying to maintain a positive outlook, but also that he hoped his story can serve as a warning to seek insurance for international travel.

Do you have a similar cautionary tale? Have you been caught in a bind, far from home, that could have been avoided with the timely purchase of an insurance package?

Ever cut costs on coverage, but then miss an expensive flight, find yourself at the mercy of an unfamiliar medical system or learn — to your horror — that you arrived in one far-flung corner of the world, and your luggage ended up somewhere else?

Or maybe you thought you were covered, only to find out the hard way that your policy didn’t address what ultimately went awry?

We want to hear from you.

Share your story by emailing us at dotcom@bellmedia.ca with your name, general location and phone number in case we want to follow up. Your comments may be used in a CTVNews.ca story.