Top Ten Things You Should Know About Travel Insurance

When was the last time you knew in advance that you, a traveling companion, or a family member were going to get sick? When the last time you knew a storm was going to close the airport and stop all travel or you would open the mailbox and find a summons for jury duty the day before your trip? Travel is expensive and it pays to spend a few dollars more to protect your travel investment.

1. Research insurance you already have. Many seniors are unaware that Medicare does not provide coverage anywhere outside the borders of the United States. If your personal health insurance does cover you, call customer service or visit their website out-of-area and international claims procedures. Many companies have an international claims form. Print it and claim procedures and take them with you on trips outside the U.S.

Some homeowner’s policies offer protection for baggage loss or theft. Some credit card providers offer medical benefits or include an accidental death benefit if you charge your trip on their card. Some credit card provider’s offer buyer’s protection on shopping purchases. It’s critical to know what insurance protection you do and do not have.

2. Medical travel insurance covers you in the event of illness or injury during your trip and, if necessary, for medical evacuation. In developing countries, medical care is limited and you may need medical evacuation to get adequate care. Medical evacuation costs $35,000 or more on average. Check policies carefully to understand criteria for determining the need for evacuation and how evacuation claims are handled.

3. If you travel frequently, especially internationally, consider additional insurance from Air Ambulance Card (formerly MedJet). Air Ambulance Card is an air evacuation only medical provider based in Alabama. They offer an annual membership to U.S. and Canadian travelers for prepaid hospital-to-hospital air ambulance transportation. At the current time, annual coverage with Air Ambulance Card is $195 for individuals and $295 for families. For this annual fee, if you are hospitalized 150 miles or more from home, at your request, Air Ambulance Card provides transportation to your hometown hospital or another hospital of your choice. Check them out at www.airambulancecard.com.

4. Know where to turn if something happens. Most travel insurers and private health insurers provide an emergency telephone number, accessible from anywhere in the world, to help you locate an English-speaking physician. U.S. Embassies and Consulates are also good sources for local medical information. Include Embassy and Consulate telephone numbers and addresses for each country you visit in your travel file. You’ll find this information at http://travel.state.gov/visa/questions_embassy.html.

5. Trip cancellation/interruption insurance offers protection in the event something unexpected forces you to cancel or interrupt your trip. Most policies cover trip cancellation/interruption due to illness or death of you, immediate family, or your travel companion (even if not related). You are covered if your travel agent, tour company, or cruise line defaults or if weather or other external forces cause you to miss your trip. And, coverage includes baggage loss and delay protection.

6. A comprehensive travel policy covers both medical and trip cancellation/interruption events. It is usually best to purchase travel insurance from an independent insurer rather than a cruise or tour provider’s private insurance. Although their policies may be comprehensive and cost efficient, they could cease to exist if the company goes out of business.

7. The majority of travel insurance policies exclude pre-existing medical conditions. If you or an immediate family member has a chronic medical condition, check a potential policy carefully to be sure you are covered. Most waivers of pre-existing conditions require purchase of the insurance within seven days of booking your trip. Plan ahead!

8. The cost of travel insurance varies with the coverage provided. Least expensive is not the only criteria you should use to select a policy. Policies are priced by type of coverage, length of trip, cost of trip, and sometimes travelers’ ages. Average cost of comprehensive travel insurance is approximately $65.00 per $1000 of the trip cost. For instance, our insurance for a recent cruise totaling $2880.00 for two people was $178.00.

9. Visit www.worldtravelcenter.com or www.insuremytrip.com to research and compare travel policies from a multitude of companies covering all nationalities for travel anywhere in the world. Study the benefits, options, and restrictions carefully to choose the policy that best meets your personal travel needs. A final caution: as with all travel documents and agreements, read policy information carefully before you purchase�especially the fine print.

10. Don’t forget to take your travel insurance certificate and emergency call numbers on your trip. Make an extra copy to leave at home with family.

Odds are with you for a safe and healthy trip. Hopefully, this is protection you will never use, but in the event of a problem, it can be a lifesaver. I never leave home without it.

Lynne Christen is a former flight attendant and travel writer living in Florida. She is author of Travel Wisdom – Tips, Tools, and Tactics for All Travelers. Her weekly column, Travel Wisdom, is available for syndication. Contact Christen at travelwisdom@yahoo.com.