11 real world reasons to consider travel insurance (Day 1)

(This is an 11 part series discussing real world reasons to consider travel insurance for your next trip)

1. Someone gets sick right before you leave

Trip cancellation coverage is there in case something (a serious injury, unforeseen sickness, or death) happens to you, a traveling companion, a family member, and sometimes a business partner, right before you leave.

What is covered?

• serious injuries
• unforeseen sicknesses
• deaths

The above reasons typically must be so disabling as to cause a reasonable person to delay, cancel, or interrupt a trip. A doctor usually needs to verify this with the insurance company. A broken leg would be a good reason to cancel. A runny nose would probably not qualify.

Who is covered?

• you
• a traveling companion
• a family member
• a business partner

This is where things get a little tricky and you need to read the policies from the different companies. Most plans cover you and a traveling companion for sickness and injuries. For your family members or your traveling companion’s family members, the condition must be considered life-threatening or require hospitalization, or your immediate care.

Death coverage usually includes you, a family member, a business partner, a traveling companion, and sometimes your traveling companion’s family member.

How do I find out what the different insurance companies cover?

Go to Insuremytrip.com and look at the policy comparison page here. This lists the benefits and coverage for the different package plans. Look down at the “Trip Cancellation” coverage, and going across to the right you will see “Trip Cost” listed for each travel insurance company. This means they cover trip cancellation up to the trip cost. Click on “Trip Cost” to see each company’s actual policy wording (See Below)