It's 24th of December, everyone, and their poodle, is travelling somewhere today. Make sure you don't forget to insure. As much as comprehensive insurance covers cater for most situations, there are some packages that do not offer protection in case of accidents outside the country.

Getting insurance outside of the country is next to impossible if your trip is only temporary. There are many things that tourists and other travelers have to account for. They include major medical insurance, emergency evacuation, liability insurance, lost property covers, motor vehicle insurance, flight insurance and life insurance among others.

Major medical insurance caters for accidents and illnesses that may require professional care from a doctor, a physician or basically anyone within the medical fraternity. According to Immihelp, an immigration information resource center, in some parts of the UK, a medical checkup can cost up to KES 12,000.

Advantages of Travel Insurance

Emergency evacuation covers cases where Kenyan nationals need to exit a country due to reasons of internal conflict like civil war, riots and other forms of unrest. Liability insurance caters for third party accidents and incidences in a foreign country where the insured may be held responsible for damages.

Lost property insurance ensures that you are compensated in case you lose items of value during your trip. Motor insurance applies to vehicles you may rent or buy and use when you are out of the country. Life insurance is still active even if the policy holder dies abroad as long as the cause of death is natural or accidental (unless the insurance provider explicitly states otherwise).

Flight insurance is a cover that also comes into play when a tour operator experiences financial problems therby compromising your holiday. In a foreign country, the situation can only get worse. This kind of thing can be avoided by booking trips with ATOL (Air Travel Orgernisers' Licencing), ABTA (Association of British Travel Agents)  and IATA (Intentional Air Travel Association) approved companies like Discovery Travel.

Insurers like AAR have a cover that extends to destinations such as Uganda and Tanzania, including Kenya. Their basic Afya Maisha cover is only in Kenya. However, their Bronze Card Plan covers emergency rescue and evacuation within Eastern Africa.

Their Silver and Gold Card Plans have the same benefits as the Bronze Plan but also includes worldwide emergency services during the first 45 days of absence from Eastern Africa in any membership year.  With these packages, North America is limited to 50% of each benefit limit.

The Silver Plan has a cover limit of KES 6 million for accident hospitalisation and KES 2 million for illness hospitalisation.

For a Gold Plan, the cover limit for both accident and illness hospitalisation is KES 10 million each. The personal accident cover limit for adults is KES 1 million and KES 500,000 for children.

Some firms like GA Insurance(formerly General Accident Insurance) offer accident covers for tourists and visitors travelling abroad. The UK based insurer was incorporated locally in 1979 and has had a presence in Kenya ever since.

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Other firms like Pacific Prime specifically offer covers for Kenyans working, living or going on holiday abroad. The insurer also continues to provide the medical cover if the policy holder decides to make their stay abroad permanent. Their policies are renewable for life and globally portable, so even if you choose to relocate away from the country your plan will continue to cover you.

UAP Insurance has a medical cover that caters for emergency evacuation within East Africa. It also caters for medical treatment abroad provided that the condition cannot be treated locally.

Travel Insurance through The Heritage Insurance Travel Policy provides 24-hour emergency and medical assistance anywhere in the world. It caters for flight cancellation, medical expenses and a hospitalization allowance.

For motor vehicle insurance abroad, you may have to subscribe to a foreign service during the duration of your visit. This kind of insurance is required whenever you rent a vehicle. It is temporary and premiums are based on the motor vehicle leasing company that you choose.

Going on holiday can be dangerous. There are always risks involved, especially when it comes to visiting unfamiliar destinations. The Handbook for Medical Care and Insurance therefore urges travelers to take precautions before embarking on any international journeys.