Expectations are shaped by the worst stories. The actual pattern is different. The typical claim is not large. Baggage that arrives a day late. A minor injury from an ordinary stumble. Ordinary mishaps rather than catastrophes. They are frequent and individually manageable. The other category is uncommon and expensive. Serious illness requiring hospital treatment abroad. The probability for one person on one trip is low. Medical bills abroad escalate faster than people expect. An air ambulance is a very large number. These two categories argue for cover in different ways. The frequent category is what people notice. The severe scenario is what genuinely justifies holding cover. Which affects how to choose. Medical limits matter more than baggage limits. Where the excess exceeds the typical small claim, those claims disappear. Some travellers accept a higher excess deliberately. Compensation typically starts after a stated number of hours. Understanding what is likely and traveltweaks feature what is not removes some anxiety. People whose arrangements match the actual risk weighted medical cover above the rest.
