Travel insurance - what are we actually paying for?
Travel insurance is divided into two main layers:
1. The base policy (medical coverage): This is the mandatory minimum for any traveler. It covers emergency medical expenses, hospitalization, emergency dental care, medical flights back to Israel, and search and rescue. In this core layer, coverage limits and deductibles are highly similar across all major insurance companies.
2. Additions (specific financial and medical protections): The base policy does not cover your luggage, flight cancellations, pre-existing medical conditions, or extreme sports. This is where significant price differences between companies emerge, and where you must tailor the policy to your specific trip.
Which additions do you actually need?
• Baggage insurance: Always recommended. It compensates for lost or stolen luggage (note that there are limits per item, and laptops/smartphones usually require separate, dedicated extensions).
• Trip cancellation or shortening: Crucial for families, seniors, and expensive holidays. It provides refunds for prepaid expenses if you are forced to cancel due to a sudden medical emergency.
• Pre-existing medical conditions: Mandatory for anyone taking regular medication or under medical supervision. Withholding medical history during purchase will lead to an automatic rejection of any future claim.
• Extreme sports: Required for high-adrenaline activities (note that some companies classify even standard ATV rides or jet skiing as "extreme").
• Rental car excess waiver: This extension covers the hefty deductible you would otherwise have to pay out-of-pocket in the event of an accident, damage, or theft involving your rental car. The biggest advantage here is the price. Purchasing this coverage in advance through your travel insurance policy costs less than half of what the rental agency will try to charge you at the counter for the exact same protection, saving you a significant amount of money right from the start
Insurance market specialist's golden tips for emergencies
• Download the app in advance: Don't wait for an emergency. One of the most important tips for travelers is to download your insurance company's mobile app while still in Israel, before departure. All emergency centers are now fully accessible 24/7 via WhatsApp or Israeli phone, ensuring you get fast and effective assistance globally without relying on expensive phone calls.
• Don't compromise - compare: The insurance market is dynamic, but technology has made choosing the right policy easier than ever.
• Don't skip the insurance agent (especially when it's free): Many travelers are unaware that the cost of an insurance agent is already fully baked into the policy's price. This means that buying directly does not actually make your insurance cheaper - and it is a massive shame to miss out on this built-in advantage.
When you purchase a policy through a dedicated travel insurance expert, you are buying peace of mind. The experts at "Shuk Habituach" are fluent English speakers with extensive experience. They will personally hold your hand during an incident abroad, guiding you through the often complex medical and insurance bureaucracy in a foreign country. Instead of getting tangled up with call centers and long wait times, you have a professional advocate who operates strictly in the insurance market.
The platform operates purely as a direct comparison aggregator. We display the direct market prices from the insurance companies exactly as they are, without any internal underwriting logic modifying the results. Simply enter your age, travel dates, and complete a unified medical questionnaire. In exactly half a minute, you will receive Price quotes from 7 different insurance providers, including a transparent breakdown of coverage and perks from Israel's leading insurers, allowing you to instantly secure the most cost-effective and personalized policy.