Taking a trip to the Caribbean to scuba dive can be a great experience. However, there are many dangers along the way and it’s very important to acquire a travel medical insurance policy before leaving the country. Not only do you need to be covered in the event of an injury, but also in the event of trip cancellation or a natural disaster. The Caribbean experiences severe weather quite often, which can delay or even cause your trip to become cancelled. If you don’t cover yourself with proper trip insurance, you could end up stranded in a foreign country, spending money out of your own pocket to get back home. Even worse, you could pay for an entire trip without getting to take it.
There are many different types of coverage you can use to protect your trip and you want to make sure you get the right policy to cover the unexpected. What if you arrived in the Caribbean, ready for an amazing trip, only to find out your hotel is barely in working order. If your travel insurance doesn’t cover this type of situation, you may end up spending your vacation in a hotel room instead of out diving in the ocean.
Why You Need Medical Insurance When Traveling
Just because you carry, health insurance in the United States doesn’t mean you are covered if an accident happens while out of the country. Whether you are planning to scuba dive while on a cruise or you fly to one of the many Caribbean islands specifically for scuba diving, you need travel medical insurance to cover you.
Scuba diving is a high-risk activity with the potential for injury. If something happens and you’re not covered, you may not get the care you need, and if you do, it’s likely to empty your pockets. With the right medical insurance for your trip, you can enjoy the ocean without worrying if an accident happens.
Not all types of travel insurance cover scuba diving, however. You need to make sure you the policy you get covers the activities you plan to engage in while out of the country. It won’t do you any good to get a travel insurance policy that covers you medically; if it doesn’t cover, you while scuba diving.
Common Scuba Diving Injuries
Many different types of medical emergencies can occur while scuba diving. The change in air pressure can cause damage to your sinuses and ruptured eardrums. Even experienced divers can suffer from an injury requiring medical attention. If decompression is experienced, it can cause serious illness or even death.
Other common injuries include inebriated or hallucinogenic states from nitrogen narcosis, seizure or drowning caused from oxygen toxicity and the most common occurrence of hypothermia. Of course, this short list doesn’t include lacerations, bruising or even the rare bite or sting.
The ocean is full of amazing creatures, but they are not all safe. Even though it’s not all that common, injuries caused by different creatures of the sea can happen. There are many risks involved with scuba diving, which can range from minor to extreme. Without the proper medical coverage, you could face a situation without adequate care or one that drains you financially.
Do You Need a Separate Insurance Policy?
If you currently have travel medical insurance, but you find out it won’t cover scuba diving, you may need to get a separate scuba diving insurance policy for travel. Most often, this will be a supplemental policy specifically for accidents that occur while scuba diving. It will cover the expenses that your primary policy won’t.
You also want to consider that many countries in the Caribbean will require payment up front or proof of scuba diving insurance. They want to make sure they will get paid for the services rendered and you will need some type of proof to carry with you. It’s also a good idea to give yourself access to enough money, just in case. In some instances, your insurance will reimburse you when a foreign medical facility provides emergency care.
Accidents do happen and you cannot predict when a medical emergency, natural disaster or trip cancellation will happen. It’s better to obtain a travel medical insurance policy and not need to use it, than it is to find yourself in a situation where you wished you would have purchase a policy before you left the country.
Tags: Caribbean, Medical Emergencies, Medical Insurance, Scuba Diving, Trip Insurance
