If you’re a frequent traveller and have not considered taking out funeral insurance, you may want to think it over. Failure to take out a funeral insurance policy before your next trip could very well make an already distressing time even worse for your loved ones—your close family, friends, and other relatives.
When you’re planning a trip—whether it’s for business or vacation—you might not consider the possibility of the worst happening when you’re supposed to be working or having a relaxing and enjoyable break. However, more and more of us are waking up to the fact that travel may come with certain risks to our health and wellbeing.
As a result, more and more people are taking out travel insurance before they jet off on their next adventure. A travel insurance policy can help cover the cost of some medical treatment and transporting the body home, in addition to smaller mishaps like lost luggage. But, travel insurance alone may not be enough to cover every expense if you were to pass away suddenly while abroad. So, given this, why aren’t people choosing funeral insurance to supplement their travel insurance?
Travel risks
The biggest risks to travellers’ health are injuries and illness. Both usually create small setbacks during a trip or once you arrive home, but unfortunately, they can sometimes prove deadly.
Most holiday injuries are minor, naturally—a grazed knee or a few scratches—but there is an argument to be made that a more severe injury may actually be more likely when you’re on a trip than when you’re at home.
For example, people on holiday often end up travelling many more miles in the car daily than they usually would do at home, which naturally increases the chances for getting involved in a car accident. Furthermore, people may be unfamiliar with local traffic rules, also potentially making a serious accident more likely. Rental vehicles, especially those which seem like a ‘bargain’, may be faulty or otherwise defective which can additionally make them unsafe to drive.
Others may use their trip to try more adventurous activities than they would at home. There’s always some amount of risk involved, especially if you’re not careful about booking through a licensed and trusted vendor. However, even activities booked through the safest providers could still result in unforeseen death through sheer accident.
Furthermore, it’s not just injuries than can pose a risk to our health and wellbeing when we travel; illness is also common.
When you visit someplace new, your body will be introduced to pathogens—primarily bacteria and viruses—that are different to the ones your body is used to.
Naturally built immunity from the white blood cells in our blood mean that our bodies can fight off diseases which we have previously come into contact with easily, efficiently and quickly. However, when we travel somewhere we haven’t been before, the bacteria and virus populations may not be the same as the ones that we are used to fighting off on our home turf. As such, our bodies don’t know what to do to get rid of them. It is this weakness which makes us incredibly susceptible to infections and illnesses when we travel, and why it is always recommended that you check your vaccinations before you head off to a new part of the world.
If it is so well known that getting sick can sometimes be a part of going on holiday, why is it that we very rarely consider the possibility that this illness could be fatal? Perhaps it is due to our reliance and faith in modern medicine and antibiotics. However, in the case of resistant bacteria, a cure may not be possible or timely enough to save you.
When comparing funeral insurance policies, you may want to consider any waiting periods for when you can make a claim. Most insurers will only provide cover for accidental death during the first year or two, and for any cause of death after that time. Frequent travellers may want to check that their funeral policy is paid up-to-date and still valid each year, so they don’t miss out on the full peace of mind it could bring them during their trip.
The case for funeral insurance
When you really think about the risks of travel, it may not seem so unlikely that a death whilst on holiday or a business trip could actually happen. If you have neglected to take out funeral insurance prior to leaving (especially if you’re planning more risky activities or visiting one of the more dangerous parts of the world), it isn’t such a stretch to imagine your grieving family being left with massive funeral bills that they aren’t prepared for.
You might still be skeptical of the need for funeral insurance—as with many things, you may feel like this is one of those “it won’t happen to me” scenarios. But, that may not be the wisest attitude to take.
For your family’s sake, it may make sense to take extra care when you go away on a trip by taking out funeral insurance. Failure to get a policy could leave your family struggling to gather the funds needed to give you the send-off that you deserve, which may only serve to heighten their grief and distress. Additionally, it is likely to be good for your own peace of mind to know that you have done what you can to ensure that your family and friends need not worry should the worst come to pass, which could allow you to truly make the most of your next trip.