Getting family holiday insurance is the responsible thing to do when travelling. It's far better to protect your family from the unexpected than to have the unexpected force you to dip into your savings - or even fall into bankruptcy if things get really bad.

Yet it is also important to note that not all holiday insurance packages are the same. Yes, virtually all provide medical coverage as well as trip cancellation coverage. But there are other options that you can choose from to better protect your family as the need arises. Below are just a few.

1. Single Trip Coverage – This is, simply put, buying family holiday insurance for a single trip. This is the most economical choice if you and your family travel just once or twice a year, although anything more than three trips will start to cost more than the alternative, which is annual coverage.

2. Annual Coverage – If you and your family tend to travel more frequently, you may want to consider getting annual coverage instead of paying for single trip coverage each time. This type of plan will lead to greater savings in the long run if you take four or more trips a year – with more and more savings as you take more trips.

3. 24/7 Assistance – Many family holiday insurance plans offer an optional add-on where you’ll be able to seek telephone assistance from an English-speaking doctor at any time of the day, any day of the week. This can be of immense help during emergencies or if you’re not entirely familiar with how the local healthcare system works.

4. CFAR – The option to cancel for any reason (CFAR) is a very useful addition if your schedule is unpredictable and you can foresee one event or another that could derail your family’s holiday plans. This is what you want to get if you’re not 100% sure you’ll be able to stay on schedule.

5. AD&D – It’s a bit morbid to consider accidental death and dismemberment (AD&D) coverage, but it's an option that comes with many family holiday insurance packages. No one wants to think about the consequences of death or dismemberment while on holiday, but this coverage will be of immense financial help should the unthinkable happen.

6. Pre-Existing Conditions – If you or a member of your family has a pre-existing condition, like diabetes or asthma, you will have to pay extra in order to be covered for these conditions. This is especially true if the condition can lead to acute, severe and unpredictable attacks despite medications and careful attention.

7. 3rd Party Insolvency – This coverage will ensure that you will be refunded should a third party go bankrupt. Examples of these third parties include but are not limited to: hotels, villas, resorts, touring agencies, shuttle services and other establishments that require reservations and advance payments.

8. Evacuation – A holiday on an isolated island or a tranquil mountain range far away from civilisation might sound nice, but not when someone gets really sick or injured and you’re not able to get them the immediate medical attention they need. This is why medical evacuation coverage comes highly recommended if you plan to visit areas of the world that don’t have major hospitals or health centres nearby.

Keep these options for extra cover in mind, and you’ll be able to better mould your family holiday insurance plan so that it provides exactly what you need.

Patrick Chong is the Managing Director of InsureMore. We provide low cost travel insurance and offer a range of policies including family holiday insurance, annual, multi-trip and single-trip insurance. For all your travel cover needs, InsureMore can help you in the quickest and most cost-efficient way.