Travel Tips: Travel Insurance
We are probably a lot a like. We don't really think about insurance until we need it.
But since I have been working with large numbers of travelers and taking them around the world, I have learned the value of travel insurance.
The recent case of Andrew Speaker traveling with tuberculosis makes the idea of having travel insurance particularly relevant.
Travel insurance has many facets it to it, and whatever company you use to purchase it, make sure you understand the details. But the basic coverage is this: trip delay and cancellation, travel accident, and medical expenses and evacuation.
It is this last point that applies to Andrew Speaker. Depending on the insurance he bought and a few other factors, he may have received emergency medical evacuation. This might have only been to a hospital in Italy that could have helped him, but in any case, he would have had no worries about cancelling his honeymoon travel plans. He could have cancelled, potentially received a refund of (most) of his travel costs and had assistance in seeking medical attention. In fact, his bride-to-be may have also received a refund due to his cancellation and medical emergency.
This is an extreme case, but it is in the extreme that the value of travel insurance proves itself. For a few hundred dollars, he could have saved himself and a lot of other people a big headache.
Whatever you do, be sure to shop around. Your own policies may cover you, but most do not cover you once you leave the country.
Most travel insurance companies base their policies on a number of factors, including age, length of the trip and the cost of the trip. Some do not consider the cost of the trip.
Some travel insurance companies to consider: AIG Travel Guard, Travel Safe, and Access America. You can also purchase it from STA Travel. Again, be sure to read all the details. Some have coverage for pre-existing conditions, but require purchase of the insurance within a certain time frame after the trip purchase, and in the case of STA Travel, the exception applies only if the trip is bought through them.
Travel Guard also offers a full year of coverage. If you travel often throughout the year, this makes great sense. The coverage cannot be found on their website, you need to call them.
And if you don't like having to call each and everyone to find out premium amounts, you can try a comparison site such as InsureMyTrip.com.
Tom
Sign up for my newsletter.
But since I have been working with large numbers of travelers and taking them around the world, I have learned the value of travel insurance.
The recent case of Andrew Speaker traveling with tuberculosis makes the idea of having travel insurance particularly relevant.
Travel insurance has many facets it to it, and whatever company you use to purchase it, make sure you understand the details. But the basic coverage is this: trip delay and cancellation, travel accident, and medical expenses and evacuation.
It is this last point that applies to Andrew Speaker. Depending on the insurance he bought and a few other factors, he may have received emergency medical evacuation. This might have only been to a hospital in Italy that could have helped him, but in any case, he would have had no worries about cancelling his honeymoon travel plans. He could have cancelled, potentially received a refund of (most) of his travel costs and had assistance in seeking medical attention. In fact, his bride-to-be may have also received a refund due to his cancellation and medical emergency.
This is an extreme case, but it is in the extreme that the value of travel insurance proves itself. For a few hundred dollars, he could have saved himself and a lot of other people a big headache.
Whatever you do, be sure to shop around. Your own policies may cover you, but most do not cover you once you leave the country.
Most travel insurance companies base their policies on a number of factors, including age, length of the trip and the cost of the trip. Some do not consider the cost of the trip.
Some travel insurance companies to consider: AIG Travel Guard, Travel Safe, and Access America. You can also purchase it from STA Travel. Again, be sure to read all the details. Some have coverage for pre-existing conditions, but require purchase of the insurance within a certain time frame after the trip purchase, and in the case of STA Travel, the exception applies only if the trip is bought through them.
Travel Guard also offers a full year of coverage. If you travel often throughout the year, this makes great sense. The coverage cannot be found on their website, you need to call them.
And if you don't like having to call each and everyone to find out premium amounts, you can try a comparison site such as InsureMyTrip.com.
Tom
Sign up for my newsletter.
Labels: Insurance, Travel Tips
posted by Tom - Ubiquity International at 5:34 PM Permalink
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