Travel Insurance Africa

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cremeegg

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I am exploring the possibility of travelling to sub-saharan Africa in July and looking for travel insurance. Has anyone any experience, or advice. I am especially looking for reccommendations for a good support service if something goes wrong. Thanks
 
My travel insurance is with Laya and there is a choice between Europe and Worldwide. I've never had to use it during the holiday, but for anything serious you have to contact them for pre-authorisation. Can't comment on the support.
 
Ravima said:
I'm with VHI and have their travel insurance. It seems good value.
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Slim said:
My travel insurance is with Laya and there is a choice between Europe and Worldwide. I've never had to use it during the holiday, but for anything serious you have to contact them for pre-authorisation. Can't comment on the support.
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Thanks for the replies. Its reassurance I am looking for rather that value though. Any experience how well they react when something happens.
 
Would definately recomment World Nomads - daughter had to have appedix op in New Zeland and she was covered - she was travelling at the time and not resident as such anywhere but was covered by them. Claims department in Cork.
 
cremeegg said:
I am exploring the possibility of travelling to sub-saharan Africa in July and looking for travel insurance. Has anyone any experience, or advice. I am especially looking for reccommendations for a good support service if something goes wrong. Thanks
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Where are you thinking of going?
 
Purple said:
Where are you thinking of going?
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Malawi. I am going as a volunteer in a professional capacity with a well known organisation. When I volunteered I thought they would be well organised, unfortunately they are far from it, so I am looking for a bit of reassurance.
 
cremeegg said:
Malawi. I am going as a volunteer in a professional capacity with a well known organisation. When I volunteered I thought they would be well organised, unfortunately they are far from it, so I am looking for a bit of reassurance.
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The locals are meant to be very friendly and hospitable.
It sounds like it could be a great adventure.
 
cremeegg said:
Malawi. I am going as a volunteer in a professional capacity with a well known organisation. When I volunteered I thought they would be well organised, unfortunately they are far from it, so I am looking for a bit of reassurance.
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Be sure that you understand the Terms and Conditions of the policy that it will cover you in your professional capacity rather than just leisure. I'd be inclined to buy it over the phone and make explicitly clear that your going for work so that there's a recording of it.
 
harmlessdonkey said:
I'd be inclined to buy it over the phone and make explicitly clear that your going for work so that there's a recording of it.
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Better to get confirmation of such details in writing. They don't retain recordings of all calls so you shouldn't rely on them maintaining evidence that might cost them money.
 
Make sure you have good health insurance. When we had a serious health problem (heart attach) abroad it was health insurance VhI who covered almost all the costs, Hospital, surgery, new flights with a cardiac nurse escort, and ambulance to our front door. The only cost covered by travel insurance was my apartment rental for the extra time spent there.

I realise that many other types of problems can occur that you need cover for so it's down to the small print
 
Black Sheep said:
Make sure you have good health insurance. When we had a serious health problem (heart attach) abroad it was health insurance VhI who covered almost all the costs,
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Presumably you indicated on the travel insurance form that you had medical insurance and so that takes precedence for all heath related claims.
 
Sounds like it would be very interesting. You've probably done this already but I'd recommend checking with Tropical Medical Bureau about vaccinations. Plus there is malaria in Malawi so might be worth stocking up on whatever you need.
 
cremeegg said:
Thanks for the replies. Its reassurance I am looking for rather that value though. Any experience how well they react when something happens.
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They can’t do anything if the infrastructure isn’t there. Since retirement I have been working on IT services for first responders in Africa for an NGO. A great idea, with a small problem - there are no ambulances etc.. to dispatch! So offers of free software are treated as a joke.
 
cremeegg said:
I am exploring the possibility of travelling to sub-saharan Africa in July and looking for travel insurance. Has anyone any experience, or advice. I am especially looking for reccommendations for a good support service if something goes wrong. Thanks
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while it is 25 years since i was in Malawi ... it was a great place to visit !
you might read about Bilharzia which is probably still present in lake malawi. i returned home with it, but once i got it properly diagnosed (by TMB) then it was easily dealt with.
one of the complications with travel insurance can be if you need to go to an unstable area and have to resort to companies like battleface .. however this is not the case in Malawi
i use multitrip.com , and needed to contact them whilst on holiday recently in east africa. they were good to deal with, though in the end the value of the claim that i needed to make was small and so i handled it through my home med insurance.
important that your cover will include emergency medical evacuation. each country has private air ambulance companies that specialise in getting people who can afford it / have the insurance , to the nearest large hospital - which can also often be privately run.

I hope that you don't let this worry stop you traveling !
 
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