[ad_1]
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs recently extended its advice against unnecessary travel outside the EU until April 15. The purpose is, among other things, to prevent Swedes from traveling during sports holidays and Easter weekend to reduce the spread of the coronavirus.
During the corona pandemic, supply has In the travel companies it has decreased drastically and the interest of the Swedes to travel far is not so great either. The Tui travel company has received around 500 bookings to travel outside the EU before weeks of sports holidays, according to SVT News. They have also asked Apollo to declare that they do not have trips outside the EU during the weeks of Easter and sports holidays and Ving only flies to the Canary Islands. SAS also rarely flies outside the Schengen countries.
For those who are still planning a stay abroad, it is good to check your travel protection. Not having insurance can be expensive if you get sick or have an accident, regardless of the advice of the Foreign Ministry. It can be a few million. Ambulance flights from, for example, Thailand or the USA to Sweden can cost between SEK 800,000 and 1 million, and the average price of medical care in the USA can be around SEK 100,000 per day . A person who becomes seriously ill from COVID-19 may need 10 to 14 days of medical care, and sometimes more.
– If you travel to a country that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs advises against, you should verify the travel coverage of your home insurance because what the insurance covers varies, says Anna-Karin Baltzari Danfors.
The Consumer Insurance Agency has carried out a review with the different insurance companies on the protection of patients with covid-19 on a trip abroad in case of a recommendation from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The survey shows that with most of the 13 insurance companies, protection against covid-19 disease is also covered on the trip. With the other five, the client must pay for the care and transportation home himself.
To travel within the EU there is no counseling, and there Swedes have basic protection through the social security office which reimburses the costs of medical care within the EU, but not for transport home.
Anna-Karin Baltzari Danfors still advises that you contact your insurance company or the alarm center with which the company cooperates to obtain the correct information if you become ill or injured. Companies usually have so-called travel documents, a card with all the contact information that you must take with you during the trip.
The deductible on home insurance is different depending on the type of injury or illness you suffer from. For travel protection, this is usually 1,500 SEK.
Travelers should also be aware that Swedish embassies and consulates in different countries may have limited opportunities to assist Swedes on the spot during the pandemic. Most importantly, the Swedish state does not reimburse for emergency care or home transportation in the event of illness or death for those who do not have travel protection.
– Ambulance flights can cost millions and there is nothing reimbursed by the Swedish state. We have seen cases of young people who have forgotten to buy home insurance and have to start life with big debts when they have had a bad trip abroad, says Anna-Karin Baltzari Danfors.
During the crown, the pandemic has the interest for holidays in Sweden has increased and this has also been noticed in Konsumenternas Försäkringsbyrå. According to Anna-Karin Baltzari Danfors, the same travel protection applies as for trips abroad in home insurance, provided that you have been absent for at least two days. In some cases, additional insurance may be required to receive compensation for risky activities such as rock climbing or off-piste skiing both in Sweden and abroad.
– Home insurance travel coverage covers hospital care and home transportation and these are things that can be very expensive. This is why having home insurance is so important, he says.
