Although emergency health care (but not the cost of medicines) is free of charge in Bulgaria, you'd do well to take out an insurance policy before travelling to cover against theft, loss and illness or injury. Before paying for a new policy, however, it's worth checking whether you are already covered: some all-risks home insurance policies may cover your possessions when overseas, and many private medical schemes include cover when abroad. In Canada, provincial health Plans usually provide partial cover for medical mishaps overseas, while holders of official student/teacher/youth cards in Canada and the US are entitled to meagre accident coverage and hospital in-patient benefits. Students will often find that their student health coverage extends during the vacations and for one term beyond the date of last enrolment.
After exhausting the possibilities above, you might want to contact a specialist travel ihsurance company, or consider the travel insurance deal we offer (see box over). A typical travel insurance policy usually provides cover for the loss of baggage, ticketsand - up to a certain limit - cash or cheques, as well as cancellation or curtailment of your journey. Most of them exclude so-called dangerous sports unless an extra premium is paid: in Bulgaria this can mean scuba-diving, Whitewater rafting, windsurfing and trekking, though probably not kayaking or jeep safaris. Many policies can be chopped and changed to exclude coverage you don't need - for example, sickness and accident benefits can often be excluded or included at will. If you do take medical coverage,ascertain whether benefits will be paid as treatment proceeds or only after return home, and whether there is a 24-hour medical emergency number. When securing bag gage cover, make sure that the per-article limit - typically under £500/€700 - will cover your most valuable possession. If you need to make a claim, you should keep receipts for medicines and medical treatment, and in the event you have anything stolen, you must obtain an official statement from the police.
