This post is open to SilverhairsClub members and also members who are in the insurance business. Feel free to share and comment.
Strictly, no URL, tel, video and invitations. No copy and paste. You are allowed to mention the insurance company and your relationshio. Focused on travel and personal insurance only. Not life, term plans. Strictly for members discussions only.
SHC members are generally seniors, and at some stage do need travel and/or personal accident insurance. A discussion on this topic came up recently, and i thought it is a valuable topic to discuss. A number of our members are in insurance.
During the trip planning $D3N to Bangkok next year, a lot of time and discussions were placed on taking insurance and which one to pick up.
So, what is the difference between taking a personal accident insurance and a travel insurance? Personal accident insurance are usually valid for one year. So are annual travel insurance plans? Can a PA insurance plan be valid for travel.
As a buyer, which plan do you have?, How much does it costs and what is your experience with claims?
Does anyone know if SHC can have a group accident insurance or travel insurance, similar to corporate accident insurance.
Strictly, no URL, tel, video and invitations. No copy and paste. You are allowed to mention the insurance company. Focused on travel and personal insurance only. Not life, term plans. Strictly for members discussions only.
Terence Seah
Hi Terence,
I always have my annual travel insurance ready as I do travel quite frequently. Personal accident insurance does not cover and do not have many benefits available and cover by travel insurance. Let’s briefly discuss what Does Personal Accident (PA) Insurance Cover?
PA Insurance covers a variety of incidents with payouts being determined by the extent of the accident. You can find the “scale” used by insurers to factor beneficiary payouts in your policy documents or on the insurer’s website by viewing the PA Insurance policy’s Terms & Conditions page.
For example, depending on whether you lost your pinkie in an accident or worse, you could either receive a lump sum payout or weekly benefits.
Here are the incidents PA Insurance covers:
Accidental Death
If you’re not a fan of deadlines (no pun intended), you’re probably not going to like this one. Death benefits offered by insurers come with a time limit stipulating that you must die within a certain time frame before your beneficiaries can make a claim.
Many insurers specify that you must perish within a 12-month period from the date of an accident for your dependents to receive the full insurance payout. But first, the insurer will determine whether an accident was the ultimate cause of your death.
Now let’s discuss What is Travel Insurance?
Travel insurance is an insurance policy that has been designed specifically for trips abroad, be it for business or a well-deserved holiday with your family.
It provides a range of benefits such as overseas medical expenses, personal accident cover, loss of or damage to your personal belongings and third-party liability. Recently my travel insurance pay for my mobile phone lost during the trip. It also covers the cost of evacuation and repatriation following an insured incident, such as an accident or natural catastrophe at your destination. Another benefit is reimbursement of the pre-paid expenses (ticket, hotel) in case your trip has to be cancelled by a reason beyond your control.
Most insurance policies are extended with so-called “inconvenience benefits” such as travel delay, delayed luggage, loss of credit cards and passport. I have benefit and my travel insurance Direct Asia paid me $300 for my luggage delayed few years ago.
As part of the insurance, you will be entitled to the emergency response service of the insurance company that provide guidance and support in stressful situations.
I have recently introduced this annual travel insurance Direct Asia to that Thai coconut headed woman whom had caught that travel bugs. If you are a frequent traveller then it is more economical and worthwhile to buy the annual travel insurance. I would not recommend corporate or group insurance because it will be very cumbersome and involved too much paperwork and details. My annual travel insurance cost about $268 and personal accident insurance cost less than $100. Therefore in conclusion I would encourage travellers to buy that travel insurance to have a peace of mind and enjoyable trip too no matter what happen. Cheers…
Bobby Bok
Haha…Bobby
You are surely well-versed in insurance products and benefits…
Yes, there are differences in travel and accident policies…
But who is that Thai coconut-head woman?
I have a problem that most seniors have:
On reaching our 70th birthday, most travel insurance plans pay much lower benefits, some as much as 75% less.
I have come across a plan that keeps your full cover when you reach 70, provided you have been previously insured I.e. taken the policy before age 70.
This may be interesting for those not yet 70, but unfortunately I don’t remember which insurance company it was…and I have also passed my expiry date!
Hi….all. Look at the header-picture of this site. No prize for guessing correct who has the deformed and distorted coconut-head is. It is so obvious.
A housing agent recently recommended a travel insurance to me, probably because the sluggish property market has forced him to look for alternative revenues. I received similar recommendations from other insurance experts. Without doubt, Travel Insurance is better for travellers, as the name clearly implies.
There is no need for anybody to beat around the bush, pretending to be an expert. Simply said, pay a HIGHER premium and get a BETTER coverage — even a school boy would know this.
Stella
Hi Kenneth,
Thank you for your compliment. By the way please note that the lady I am refering to is a compliment to her as a tough woman but with a soft and white heart inside like a Thai coconut. Please move on and dun bother to know who as she can get agitated with wrong interpretation. Anyway as for insurance for over 70 years of age you can select and compare at moneysupermarket.com website. Cheers..
Bobby
Believe, generally majority don’t understand the Insurance Industrial sector sufficiently…
Depend on individual needs…
And whether we have the safe and healthy sound mind to Travel peacefully
Several Factors to consider…
When insured ourself as Individual or As Group…
For Seniors, my advice is to buy both the Personal Accident Insurance and the Travel Insurance (if you travel often, then buy the annual insurance). Both have different coverages.
Last year, in between my 2 trips in Dec to Sri Lanka & Perth, that week I had a fall at home, and fractured my wrist. Although I was told that I could claim from Travel insurance as well as Personal Accident Insurance, Income advised me to claim from PA instead of Travel as the accident did not happen during the travel. I had to do the follow-up medical checkup in Perth and was also able to claim all medical expenses in Perth from PA.
I am just giving an example, and I am not an insurance agent with Income
Permanent disability – Income pays up to $1,500,000 for permanent disability due to an injury caused by an accident. I think Travel pays much less!
Medical expenses for injury due to an accident – up to $20,000 to cover medical expenses for an injury due to an accident.
Physiotherapy/home modification – coverage for recovery care such as physiotherapy/home modification expenses arising from an accident.
Child Support Fund – provide a lump sum payment of up to $35,000 in the event of death due to an injury caused by an accident to help support your dependent children’s future educational needs.
Optional infectious disease cover – provide you with the flexibility to enhance your coverage against 21 infectious diseases.
Travel Insurance covers Personal accident / medical expenses, Cancelling, Postponing, Shortening of trip, Travel delay / Overbooked public transport / Missed connections / Baggage delay, Loss/damage of baggage & personal belongings / Loss of money/travel documents, medical emergencies during trip.
https://www.income.com.sg/insurance/travel-insurance/details/table-of-cover
Hi Dora, Bobby,
Seniors, sooner or latest, are proned to falls. Our slower response and blurer vision may be reasons for accidents at home in Singapore, and away from home, on a cruise ship, a trip to Penang or a servere tummy pain in Myanmar.
Are PA insurance valid for the above, both at home or overseas?
If the concerns are mainly about accidents and the consequential impact on medical costs, wouldn’t a PA be just enough, locally and overseas, including JB.
Terence Seah
I am not an insurance expert…but personal accident insurance policies are cheap because the odds of an accident are quite remote…rather like a plane crash. So, you can get a high coverage for as little as $200 – $300.
But seniors 70 and above get their cover cut for travel insurance for exactly the same reason: the higher chances of an accident happening.
So, please read your policy clauses and conditions carefully and make sure they fit your needs…for instance, most do not cover pre-existing illnesses.
Hi Kenneth,
if a plane crash is an accident, would ths be covered by a PA insurance? I am trying to ascertain if a travel insurance is necessary, if one has already a PA insurance.
It is hard to determine if PA insurance covers the same accidents at home in Singapore vs the same accidents in JB or overseas. Assume, being hit by a bus on an European tour.
Does any one has experience making a claim from an overseas accident, while having a PA insurance in Singapore.
Terence Seah
Yes, Terence
Accident policies are for just that: Accidents…
Travel insurance will cover you for accidents but also medical emergencies, loss of luggage, travel delay, repatriation, terrorism=related events, and a whole lot more.
Note that the length of trip cannot exceed 3 months at a time even on an annual policy. And that pre=existing illnesses may not be covered…but NTUC Income has something for chronic conditions like diabetes, etc.
Hi Terence,
With regards to PA and Travel insurance I will definitely advise that a travel insurance will be much more useful because in the event that you got an accident or fall sick oversea while travelling on a holiday not only you are covered by the travel insurance and your travel insurance can also cover your companion. Few years ago my sister fell sick due to acute food poisoning and was hospitalised in Hainan Island. I had to accompanied her to the hospital and as a result unable to complete my holiday tour. At that time fortunately she was insured with NTUC Travel insurance. The NTUC insurance dept was very kind and generous to pay for both my sister and myself the air tickets to fly both of us back to Singapore for treatment as I have to accompany her back home urgently. The insurance company also give us the refund of the cost of the holiday tour. If you have only PA insurance then you will not have such benefits and claims. Just like Dora, I am not an insurance agent and do not earn any commission even if I introduce Travel insurance. My travel insurance company Direct Asia deal directly with their customers and the company say it provide the lowest premium as it does not employ any insurance agents. If you would like to have more details you can read it on this link https://www.directasia.com/travel-insurance/ . I paid $247 for my annual travel insurance and any thing that goes wrong in regards to your travel you can made a claim including your trip to JB. So obviously it made sense to buy travel insurance if you are travelling oversea including JB. Cheers..