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Insurance Tips: Do You Need Travel Insurance?
By Hector Flamenco, Special to The Spectrum
If you do a lot of traveling for business, it is very likely that your company
takes care of the travel insurance for you. If you are traveling for recreation
or pleasure, you may not even have thought about needing travel insurance.
Many tourists are exposed to a number of dangers when they travel but may
not actually be aware of the risks they are taking. If you plan to travel, you
should seriously consider looking into travel insurance.
One of the most common dangers that a traveler may face is the loss
or theft of money, luggage, electronics such as a cell phone or iPad, and
important documents related to travel such as your passport or even your
plane tickets. When a loss like this occurs, it can be very important to have
instant help. Your family will need to know that your plans have changed if
you don’t have your original tickets for flying home, and you will need their
assistance to come up with funds if your money has been stolen, so that you
can purchase new tickets to get home. This can be an expensive venture, and
you may end up paying for your trip twice if this type of problem were to
occur. However, with travel insurance, most of your costs would be covered,
and help would be right where you need it so you can get back home.
Sometimes, a person who is traveling gets involved in legal problems or
even in unlawful activities without realizing it. The cost of hiring a lawyer
when you are out of the country could be astronomical. You can get insurance
that will cover at least a portion of any legal expenses that you might incur
when you are traveling.
When you travel, you also expose yourself and your family to possible
health risks associated with changing environments and even different foods.
This is a bigger problem for people who rarely travel than for people who
travel frequently, since they don’t really know what to expect. If you require
medical assistance when you are in a different country, you will find that it
can be very costly, depending on the problem and on the country. Without
travel insurance that covers medical costs, you could end up spending all of
your vacation money on medical care. You can get insurance that covers most
common medical issues that could save you quite a bit of money in the long run.
Another common danger that a person who is traveling may encounter
is an accident. Whether you are at home or abroad, accidents can happen.
Depending on the type of accident, a person could receive a temporary
disability, a permanent disability or even a worst-case scenario of death. You
can imagine the cost of being life-flighted from the scene of an accident to a
hospital when you are in a foreign country, or even the cost of an ambulance
taking you to a nearby medical facility. If you don’t have travel insurance,
you could find that your entire savings account has been emptied or that you
have incurred a large debt because of a single accident.
When you think about it, the cost for travel insurance for one trip is much
less costly than if you were to experience any of the problems listed above.
If you travel frequently, you can get insurance that covers you either for a
period of time or for a number of trips. This will cost more up-front than
a single trip policy, but may be less expensive in the long run. All travel
insurance policies are not created equally, so be sure to read the policy so
that you will know whether you are covered for accident, illness, theft, lost
luggage, legal expenses, ambulance services, etc. Know your policy before
you go, and don’t leave home without it.
Editor’s note: Please note that this article is for general information only and is not a
professional consultation. Always seek information from a licensed insurance professional.
Hector Flamenco is an agent with State Farm Insurance. Visit his website at www.
flamencoinsurance.com.
Senior Activities
The Veterans Memorial Senior Center, 1455 Madison Ave., Redwood City, is providing
the following activities that are open to the public during the month of March.
Friday Movies for Everyone
Every Friday, 1:15 p.m. (unless otherwise announced)
Come to the Veterans Memorial Senior Center for a free feature movie in our
state-of-the-art movie theater! Please note: Movies may be changed at any
time due to availability.
March 8: “Flight”
March 15: “Anna Karenina”
March 22: “Skyfall”
March 29: “The Bouquet”
Lunch
Tuesdays, Wednesdays & Thursdays, noon
Redwood Room, $5
Our new chef, Gavin Gonzado, executive chef at Portobello Restaurant here in
Redwood City, is now cooking on-site and our diners rave about the meals he’s
preparing. Our meals always include soup, an entrée, dessert and your choice of beverage.
Make your reservation for Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday at 650-780-7259.
AARP Free Tax Preparation
By appointment only
Wednesdays through April 10
Call the AARP tax appointment hot line at 650-489-6023. You will be asked
to leave a message and an AARP volunteer will contact you to schedule an
appointment. You must have an appointment for this service.
Blood Pressure Screening
Tuesday, March 5
9–11 a.m., Goldstar Room
11 a.m.–noon, Adaptive PE Room
Did you know you can get a free blood pressure screening here at the center?
Well, you can! Sponsored by Sequoia Health & Wellness Center, on the first
Tuesday of the month, we are glad to be able to offer this service. Come get
your free blood pressure screening.
St. Patrick’s Day Celebration Luncheon
March 14, noon
Redwood Room, $8
Come celebrate St. Patrick’s Day by having lunch with old and new friends.
Our wonderful new chef, Gavin, will be preparing the traditional corned beef
and cabbage. Don’t miss out on this luncheon: Make your reservation(s) by
calling 650-780-7259.
Zumba!
Saturdays, 9:30–10:30 a.m.
Sequoia Room, Wellness Building
Carmen and Vanessa, from M & M Studios, will be holding a Zumba class on
an ongoing basis. Cost is $10/drop-in or purchase a punch card for 10 sessions
for $45. No experience is necessary to attend this calorie-burning class.
SAVE THE DATE: June 22
Bingo, Bunko & Bridge
This event, sponsored by the Peninsula Hills Women’s Club, will be held in
support of families of veterans in recovery at Fischer House in Palo Alto.
To learn more about the Veterans Memorial Senior Center, call 650-780-
7270. Redwood City Parks, Recreation and Community Services Department
provides recreational facilities and activities for all ages and interests, and
supplies building and custodial services for city buildings. Redwood City
Parks also operates the Veterans Memorial Senior Center and the Fair Oaks
Community Center, providing social, educational and cultural activities, as
well as information, referral and counseling services to persons living in
Redwood City and neighboring communities. Redwood City Parks is more
than you think! Its website is located at www.redwoodcity.org/parks.
The Spectrum 29