Travel insurance is a necessary evil if you are travelling to South America. You must not leave home without travel insurance. Why? You are travelling to South America and the tropical and rural parts of both Central and South America have many unseen dangers and health risks, and even the temperate regions like Argentina and its modern metropolis, Buenos Aires, have their dangers. So please be warned.

Travel insurance should be top of your must have list when travelling to Buenos Aires, Argentina and South America

In earlier pages, travel health Buenos Aires Argentina, I better explain the health risks, what preventative care you might consider and what type of health services you can expect. Simply speaking, there is a higher chance of you or your family having minor illnesses whilst travelling South America, there is also the chance of contracting a more serious illness, and therefore, there is a much higher risk that you will have to pay for private health care – it is not rocket science – you should be covered by a good quality travel insurance product.

So far, we have just touched on travel health, add to this loss of luggage, delays, theft of your camera, loss of credit cards and losing your money – remember, you are on your way to the second world folks, where you will meet some of the richest and poorest people in the world. I run a travel business that looks after my clients whilst they Buenos Aires Stay – I have seen it all and this section is not about selling you a travel insurance product – it is about lending you my experience and without lecturing or boring you and letting you know the pitfalls before you arrive.

Insurance companies do not like claims, travel insurance companies run businesses that look to make a profit by selling ‘boxes’ that they wager have nothing broken inside. If those boxes are broken, they then attempt to fix the problem the cheapest possible way. That has been my experience. Do not go for the cheapest possible travel insurance product that offers benefits that will not cover your health care needs, cash and property in transit, etc. Evaluate your worth abroad and choose benefit levels that will ensure you and your family are fully covered.

Most travel insurance companies use a travel assistance provider or they are both the insurer and travel assistance provider. Travel Assistance is so terribly important and so often, so very bad. The travel assistance provider should offer a one-stop ‘magic- call’ where you report your problem and they get it sorted by using highly professional local agents (doctors, lawyers, couriers, airlines, hotels and banks) – so often this breaks down. I would look for the big names such as Europ Assistance, International SOS, Mondial, AIG and Mapfre. These insurance companies provide excellent services to clients throughout the world – I know, I have worked with them in sectors such as security and health care for nearly twenty years.
 
If you have a pre-existing health problem, explore your requirements and cover before you travel and disclose it. Choose a travel insurance product that will cover your pre-existing health problems. Do not bluff, remember that you give insurance companies the option of writing to your doctor and, when making a claim, you generally have to agree to full disclosure – so do not hedge your bets.

Travel insurance is a very important and a most necessary evil when travelling to Buenos Aires, Argentina or other parts of South America – please consider my advice carefully.  Choose wisely, and remember those big names in travel insurance – AIG, Europ Assistance, International SOS, Mondial, and Mapfre. Companies I do not like and have a bad experience of – Assist Card – please add to my list by emailing your experiences – Andrew Rae McCance – raemac@bastay.com