Travel insurance is the type of insurance meant to cover losses experienced while travelling such as medical expenses and the financial failure of travel suppliers among other travel expenses. Travel insurance is provided for people travelling internationally or within their own country. The type of travel insurance cover provided often varies depending on the duration of the trip, the number of trips taken or the risk of items in transit among other factors (Mintel International Group Ltd., 2004). For instance, a passenger can arrange for temporary travel insurance while booking a specific trip and this insurance can cover the exact duration of that trip. A passenger can also take a multi-policy, which can cover the passenger for an unlimited number of trips in a specific period. Thus, the type of travel insurance cover varies and it can be bought to comprise high-risk items such as winter storms.
Travel insurance covers several common risks such as medical expenses. The medical cover should be for a sudden illness or an injury for someone abroad and dental expenses. The travel cover should also include emergency evacuation where people rapidly from either the plane or the country due to actual occurrence of a hazard or the threat of one occurring. Another common type of travel cover includes the return of a minor back to his or her country. It also covers cancellation or interruption of a trip, curtailment, accidental death and funeral expenses incurred overseas. Another most common type of travel insurance is the cover provided to lost, stolen and/or damaged luggage including travel documents (MIG, 2004). Travel delays caused by poor weather and emergency hospital care due to accidents or sickness are among common types of travel insurance covers.
Different insurance providers have varying travel policies that provide cover for extra costs. In addition, customers often purchase separate insurance covers for certain specific costs. These costs include pre-existing medical conditions such as diabetes or asthma, travelling to high-risk countries such as those affected by acts of terrorism, natural disasters or wars. The optional insurance coverage also includes additional unintentional death and dismemberment cover. A passenger aboard can also take a kidnap and ransom insurance (K&R) as a separate cover to protect him or her when travelling to high risk areas from issues such as hijacking or wrongful detention. In the travel insurance policies, insurance providers make certain exclusions to avoid misunderstandings during compensation. Common exclusions include certain pre-existing medical conditions such as asthma although a passenger can undertake a separate insurance policy to cover for the condition. Other exclusions include travelling to war torn countries or those affected by terrorism, but some policies may cover these risks including the acts of terrorism. Injuries and/or illnesses caused by drug abuse or alcohol are also excluded from the travel insurance policy. According to Baby Center, insurance companies cover expenses related to pregnancy if the passenger travels within the first trimester of the pregnancy. Afterwards, the insurance cover will usually vary from one insurance company to another.
Travel insurance can offer helpful services for 24 hours such as emergency travel help and concierge services. Many people regret greatly for not taking a travel insurance cover thinking that their private medical cover, home insurance or accident cover is enough to cover losses incurred during travelling. Therefore, it is crucial for a person to visit an insurer and take a separate travel insurance cover to insure against hazards that happen during the journey.
Direct payments to care providers
Direct payments are payments made by the local council to people that need assistance from social services. It is important to reinforce the need to provide direct payments to care providers because they hardly have sufficient funds to access care. Direct payments enable care providers to purchase support services that they may need for their daily lives. The care providers can use the direct payments to purchase services from an organization or they can employ someone to offer the needed assistance. As a care provider, a person can use the direct payments to buy the services he or she needs for support in the caring role (Leece & Bornat, 2006). The support services may include help needed for the care provider to maintain his or her health and well-being. The care provider cannot use the direct payments provide services for the person receiving care but the payments are meant to provide support that the care provider has been accessed to need.
Direct payments enable care providers to control and choose the services that they use to meet their assessed needs. Each care provider under this scheme receives a given amount of money that he or she can use and manage to access the needed support services. The care providers should use the money to buy any services that meet the individual’s assessed requirements. The local council provides the money to purchase the needed services and thus every person that receives the direct payments must account for them to the local government (Pearson, 2006). Care providers need the direct payments because they engage in various activities ensuring the well-being of others. Therefore, the local authority should take the initiative to ensure that care providers receive direct payments to access needed support services from their favorite organizations.
The amount of direct payments payable to a person depends on the assessment that the local authorities make regarding the needs of a person. Incase someone is receiving other benefits, it is necessary to let the other benefit providers know about the direct payments. This situation applies when the care provider is receiving the benefit him/herself and incase the provider gets the direct payment from the person he or she is offering the service. Thus, the authority assesses the benefits to determine if the direct payments have an effect on other benefits paid. Sometimes, the needs of the person being offered care by the care provider may change in the long or short-term, for either better or worse. Under such circumstances, it is crucial to contact the local authority immediately so that they can re-assess the amount of direct payments that the care provider requires.
The direct payments act as an insurance cover to care providers during the course of their work. In most cases, care providers do not take insurance cover because of high premiums and other stringent measures required by the insurance companies (Pearson, 2006). The local council enables care providers to have a form of insurance cover for their safety during times of emergency. Direct payments provided to care providers are useful because they enable care providers to access support services from an organization of their choice or from a trustworthy person. The local council assesses the needs of care providers to determine the amount of direct payments needed just as an insurance company would. Therefore, it is important for the local council to reinforce direct payments to care providers to enable them access the needed services.
References
Airline rules and travel insurance in pregnancy. BabyCentre. September 2009.
Leece, J. & Bornat, J. (eds). (2006). Developments in Direct Payments. Bristol: The Policy Press.
Mintel International Group Ltd (MIG). (2004). Travel Insurance. Mintel International Group.
Pearson, C. (ed). (2006). Direct Payments and Personalisation of Care. Edinburgh: Dunedin
Academic Press.
