Recent months confirm that we are masters of organizing our free time. Scattered single days off in the calendar are turned into long weekends, providing opportunities to get away from home, into nature, and explore interesting places to get to know new areas. Often, we go on such trips with the whole family or with a group of friends, so we can have fun, experience things, and enjoy our free time in a larger group.
When preparing for such a trip, we plan how to get to the destination, check routes, attractions along the way, accommodations, and rest spots. Electric car owners also need to consider charging station points and reserve additional time for charging. This is a new element that increasingly appears on the checklist before a trip.
I remember a few years ago when I was preparing for the first vacation trip with our youngest family member. Stroller, bathtub, carrier, diapers, cosmetics… The list of things to take and matters to handle related to the young citizen was practically unlimited. In addition to the above points, there was one more thing: checking all available medical offices, clinics, and hospitals in the area where we would be staying, just in case. Nothing motivates adults to take action like the responsibility for a small child.
The issue of medical help for a child is one thing, but we adults also need to be fit and available, especially when taking care of a little one. So, how do you manage away from home, in an unfamiliar area, if suddenly someone needs medical attention? Most often, during such trips, injuries occur, such as a sprained ankle, a cut foot, sunburn, or an ear infection after a wild swim in the sea or lake. Getting quick access to a National Health Fund doctor in a small resort town can be nearly impossible, and medical intervention is sometimes necessary.
Therefore, when preparing for a trip, it is worth considering purchasing special health insurance coverage. Such a policy provides multiple benefits:
- Quick access to private offices, clinics, and hospitals,
- Covers the costs of first aid, tests, treatments, rehabilitation, and even purchasing medications,
- Access to general and specialized medical care.
Most importantly, this coverage works at home, away from home, during travel, and stays far from your residence. Depending on the variant purchased, it can cover the entire country or even abroad.
Nowadays, access to healthcare should not be treated as a luxury, as it pertains to one of the basic human needs: ensuring a sense of security. The knowledge that in case of need, you can access medical help paid for by the insurer without causing a dent in your household budget can significantly enhance the comfort of your dream vacation.
The same applies to business trips, conference travels, or performing your usual professional duties that involve moving from place to place. Despite learning to handle many things remotely during the pandemic, trains and highways are still very crowded, indicating frequent travels and changes of location. Each time, you need to have an answer to the question: where to seek medical help if something happens to me? These do not have to be sudden events like a broken leg or other injury. You might suffer from headaches, backaches, fever, or an infection. Will I be able to cover the costs of such treatment if I go to a private office?
Is it worth worrying about such matters? Perhaps it’s better to think about it once, decide on appropriate insurance coverage, and have this problem out of the way. This way, we avoid stress during and after an illness because at least the expenses related to it won’t impact our already strained wallet.
There is only one important thing: you need to think about and take action on such matters before experiencing health problems. Thinking about buying insurance when health issues already appear is decidedly too late.
PhD Renata Pajewska-Kwaśny
Chair of Risk and Insurance
Institute of Risk and Financial Markets
Warsaw School of Economics
