Deluxe Review
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This travel insurance plan is perfect for…
- Vacation Travelers-This plan is an excellent, overall package plan suitable for most travelers
- Cruise Travelers- The add on coverages available with Deluxe make this a plan perfect for cruise-takers
- High-end vacation travelers- Top level coverage for the discriminating traveler
Overview of Deluxe from Access America:
- Provides $50,000 of emergency medical and accident coverage
- $1,500 coverage for lost, stolen, or damaged baggage
- $1,000,000 of emergency medical evacuation coverage
Access America Deluxe is the “first class” travel insurance package for your luxury vacation. The plan features primary emergency medical coverage, rental car protection, and personal concierge. The coverage limits in practically all areas of the policy are also higher, with trip cancellation coverage at $50,000, trip interruption at $75,000, and emergency medical at $50,000.
Deluxe also features the same comprehensive list of covered reasons for trip cancellation/interruption that you see with Deluxe. Deluxe also provides the wide variety of assistance services such as concierge service, 24 hour hotline support, and online policy access.
Premium Coverage for Luxury Travelers
Access America Deluxe provides coverage for trip cancellation/interruption, emergency medical, emergency medical evacuation, travel accident, lost/stolen/damaged baggage, missed connection expenses, rental car collision coverage, and delayed trips. This is known as “full coverage”, with comprehensive coverage and high coverage amounts. These benefits cover the essential concerns travelers are looking to insure against, and more. In addition to this coverage, Deluxe has high limits in all areas, as well as an exhaustive list of covered reasons for trip cancellation/interruption.
Also, much like Access America Deluxe, with Deluxe you have the choice to purchase it with the trip cancellation/interruption coverage (called Comprehensive), or without (called Limited). If you choose to decline the trip cancellation/interruption coverage, you still enjoy all the benefits of the policy, such as the emergency medical coverage, medical evacuation, baggage, and delayed trip coverage. Since a large portion of the cost of your policy is determined by the cancellation and interruption coverage, this version is lower priced. Deluxe Limited is perfect for travelers using frequent flyer rewards for their trip, or for others who do not need to cover their non-refundable trip costs.
Where to buy this policy:
1. Buy direct from the company- Get a quote and purchase this plan directly from the Access America website here
2. Compare this plan with other plans- The best way to buy travel insurance is to use a comparison website (similar to using Expedia or Travelocity for airline tickets). There are several, but we recommend a comparison site called Squaremouth.com to get instant quotes and purchase online. Squaremouth.com only works with reputable companies, and you can get instant quotes and purchase instantly online with a credit card.
What is the coverage with Deluxe?
Trip Cancellation
Access America Deluxe provides coverage for your canceled trips, and covers your non-refundable trip payments. Any number of incidents can cause you to cancel a trip. An injury or illness, to you or a close family member, can ruin an entire trip and cause you to lose all non-refundable trip payments. You may not get to travel, but you don’t have to lost all the money you invested too. Without trip cancellation insurance, you can lose it all. There are many non-refundable expenses at risk on your business trip, family vacation, or even honeymoon. Without trip cancellation coverage, your are not covered for those expenses that you lose.
The key to trip cancellation coverage is understanding the covered reasons for cancellation. For example, simply deciding that you do not want to go is not a covered reason for canceling the trip, and this policy would not cover you. A death in the family, however, is a covered reason and would pay for your lost, non-refundable trip expenses. In and trip cancellation policy, it is important to read the “fine print” and make sure you fully understand the covered reasons for cancellation. In the policy certificate, you will find a section regarding covered reasons for trip cancellation/interruption. This literally spells out the exact covered reasons for cancellation; including illness or injury, death in the family, loss of job, or your residence in made inhabitable.
Note: this coverage is only available with Deluxe Comprehensive, with coverage up to the amount purchased with a maximum of $50,000. Trip cancellation coverage is not available with Deluxe Limited, if you need trip cancellation coverage opt for Deluxe Comprehensive.
Trip Interruption
Trip Interruption coverage is similar to cancellation coverage in that there is a list of covered reasons, but is intended for losses that happen after departure. From the policy certificate: “Trip Cancellation coverage provides benefits for loss(es) you incur for trips canceled up to the time and date of departure. Trip Interruption coverage provides benefits for loss(es) you incur for trips that are interrupted or delayed after the time and date of departure.”
If a covered reason causes you to cut the trip short, you can recover non-refundable payments you have already made. This could include an injury or illness while traveling, but can also cover reasons at home. For example; your mother gets sick and needs you to care for her, or your home is rendered uninhabitable by a flood. There are many reasons why you might need to cut a trip short; trip cancellation insurance makes sure you don’t lose your non-refundable money if it happens.
Note: this coverage is only available with Deluxe Comprehensive, with coverage up to 150% of the amount purchased with a maximum of $75,000. Trip interruption coverage is not available with Deluxe Limited, if you need trip interruption coverage opt for Deluxe Comprehensive.
Emergency Medical and Dental Benefit
What many travelers don’t understand is this; when you leave your home country, your medical coverage stays behind.
For the majority of travelers, medical insurance that you count on everyday will not be applicable while traveling abroad. That means you are without health or accident insurance, traveling in a foreign land, with foreign doctors. This lack of overseas acceptance even includes Medicare, the American system providing care for citizens over 65 years of age.
This emergency medical coverage is here to pay for medical or dental care while away from home, outside the coverage area of your standard health insurance. Anything can happen: a slip and fall, a stomach bug, or even a chipped tooth. Without travel medical insurance, you have no coverage and would have to pay out-of-pocket. In some parts of the world, you will not even receive care until you can prove your ability to pay.
Access America Deluxe provides $50,000 of emergency medical and dental coverage, which applies to both Comprehensive and Limited. This amount of coverage makes Deluxe a smart choice for any traveler looking for higher limits of medical protection.
Emergency Medical Transportation
The other half of the medical emergency problem is transportation, specifically; how do you get to the hospital, and how do you get back home? Medical transportation costs like ambulance rides or helicopter airlifts can have extremely high costs. Without emergency medical transportation coverage, these expenses would be paid out-of-pocket.
What is emergency medical evacuation? If you are injured while on a trip and cannot get to a hospital, you might need emergency medical transport like an ambulance. You might even need an airlift to take you to the nearest medical facility. Sometimes the nearest hospital is not adequately prepared to help, and you need to go even further to get care at a reputable hospital. After you have been cared for, you need to get home somehow, which would result in even more transportation costs. With many injuries, you can’t simply get on a standard flight. You might need a specially designed medical airplane to take you home, with a specially trained medical staff.
Access America Deluxe provides $1,000,000 of emergency medical transportation coverage.
Travel Accident Coverage
This coverage provides a cash payment if you are in an accident during your trip that results in death, loss of limb(s), or sight. This benefits pays if a covered accident occurs during the effective dates of the policy, and the loss occurs within 365 days of the accident. The Deluxe policy provides $50,000 of travel accident coverage.
Lost, Stolen, or Damaged Baggage / Baggage Delay
This insurance provides coverage for your baggage and personal property in the event of loss, theft, or damage. Occasionally, problems do occur as the airlines process thousands of bags a day, and your bags can be lost, damaged, or maybe even stolen. The airlines have some responsibility for your bags, but their coverage has limits. Perhaps you have a nice set of luggage, or the contents within the bag have a high value. Many travelers want extra coverage in case they have a problem collecting from the airline, or the airline does not provide enough coverage. Many travel insurers will provide baggage coverage in their package policies as a way to supplement airline coverage, and make sure travelers have enough coverage.
Another important part of the baggage coverage is baggage delay, which provides for the purchase of essential items while you wait for your baggage. Toiletries, personal items, or a bathing suit for that first swim; baggage delay insurance allows for necessary items while you wait for your belongings.
Access America Deluxe provides for $1500 in lost, stolen, or damaged baggage. The coverage for delayed baggage expenses is $500.
Travel / Trip Delay Coverage
In the event of a trip delay, you might need to spend money on additional needs such as extra nights in a hotel and meals. If your trip is delayed due to a covered reason such as a carrier caused delay (including bad weather), lost or stolen passport, or civil disorder (see above in cancellation and interruption sections), Access America will reimburse you for expenses like accommodations and meals. This coverage limit is $1000.
Missed Connection Coverage
This insurance provides reimbursement for additional costs if you miss your connecting flight or cruise due to a travel accident or severe weather. Missed connection coverage provides reimbursement in the event of a missed flight connection or for the additional costs to catch up to a cruise or tour if the cause of delay is an accident or bad weather. Deluxe provides $500 of missed connection coverage.
24-Hour Hotline Assistance
This is a great benefit provided with Access America Deluxe, and it can provide great peace-of-mind. Available with both the Comprehensive plan and Limited, if you need help while traveling, Access America has a 24-hour hotline to help you with all types of problems anywhere in the world; from reporting lost luggage to getting emergency medical care. This phone center can also help you replace passports and personal documents, refer you to legal help, get you cash in case of emergency, and guarantee payment to hospitals in need of financial proof of your ability to pay. The hotline center is staffed 24 hours a day with multilingual professional who can guide the way for you.
Online Access to Policy Information
Access America has designed a website where policyholders can access important information after purchase. If you need to review your policy, the conditions, make modifications, or even cancel it, you can log in to your account and make the changes. Another great feature of the Access America website is the ability to submit claims online and even track claim progress.
Rental Car Damage Protector
This is an optional coverage with the Deluxe plan. So many travelers rent a car when they arrive at their destination, but end up either buying expensive insurance coverage at the counter, “winging it” and going without any coverage at all, or depending on their personal auto insurance.
There are problems with each of these choices. Buying insurance at the car rental counter can be expensive, usually starting at $25 per day. Not having any insurance at all is risky, especially in a foreign country where driving regulations can make operating a vehicle more dangerous than usual. Finally, depending on your personal auto insurance from home can work, but in the event of a claim you will suffer from much higher rates which will end up costing you money. True, that is what the insurance is there for, but quite often drivers in minor accidents will prefer to just pay out-of-pocket to avoid filing a claim and raising their rates.
The advantage to using a travel insurance policy for coverage with a rental is the fact that the travel insurance coverage is primary, meaning in the event of an accident it will pay first, and you won’t even need to file a claim with your personal auto insurer. Everyone knows their rates go through the roof after an accident, and with a temporary rental car protection policy, you do not need top worry about raising your rates.
Access America Deluxe provides $25,000 of rental collision coverage.
Existing Medical Condition Coverage (Available)
The Access America Deluxe plan gives you the option to cover existing medical conditions. Access America defines an existing medical condition as an injury or illness that you, a traveling companion or a family member were seeking or receiving treatment for or had symptoms of on the day you purchased your plan, or at any time in the 120 days before you purchased it. Coverage for an existing medical condition is excluded unless: 1) you purchased your plan within 14 days of making your first trip payment or trip deposit, 2) you purchased trip cancellation coverage that covers the full cost of all your non-refundable trip arrangements, 3) you were a U.S. resident and medically able to travel on the day you purchased the plan, and 4) the total cost of the trip is $10,000 or less.
Just a word on “initial trip deposits”, since pre-existing medical condition coverage is subject to them. Initial Trip Deposit date is defined as the date upon which trip dates, rates and itinerary are confirmed and a full deposit is made. A “Good Faith” deposit will not be considered an Initial Trip Deposit if: 1) the good faith deposit is less than $300.00; and 2) trip dates are not determined at the time of the good faith deposit.
Supplier Default/Bankruptcy Coverage (Available)
This coverage is to provide protection against canceled trips due to the financial troubles of your travel supplier, i.e. tour operator or airline.
If your travel supplier ceases operations due to financial default or bankruptcy, you are eligible for coverage as long as: 1) You purchase your insurance within 14 days of initial trip payment or deposit;
2) Financial default occurs more than seven days after the policy’s effective date; and 3) You use a travel supplier (other than the organization from which you purchased this insurance or their affiliate companies) listed as a covered supplier at the time of insurance purchase.
Take note of that last item. Your travel supplier must be listed on the list of covered suppliers. Please check before you rely on this coverage for default/bankruptcy coverage.
BizPack Expanded Coverage (Optional Coverage)
This is a unique product for Access America. The optional BizPack add-on provides coverage for business-related reasons for canceling or interrupting your trip. This adds 3 business related reasons to the covered reasons list: 1) Required to work, 2) Business/company merger, 3) Business unsuitable due to fire, flood, natural disaster, or burglary.
BizPack costs $19 per adult (18 or older), and must be purchased within 14 days of the initial trip deposit.
Special Notes
Satisfaction Guarantee- Access America will provide you with a full refund of premium if you cancel your insurance with 10 days of purchase and have not filed a claim or departed for your trip. Also known as the “10-Day Free Look” clause, this allows travelers to buy their plan, take some time to read it through and understand the details, and then return it for a full refund if they so choose.
Effective Date- Any insurance policy needs to define, very specifically, when the policy becomes effective and when it expires. With Access America, insurance is effective at 12:01am on the date the scheduled trip begins. Trip cancellation coverage, if purchased, begins the day after your web order is received and approved. This illustrates the importance of buying your trip cancellation policy as close to the time of initial deposit as possible. If you’re booking a trip and make an initial deposit, go ahead and buy your trip cancellation policy at the same time. This give you the most amount of coverage time.
Termination Date- Coverage ends at midnight on the date of return selected, or upon return to the city of residence or when the trip is canceled, whichever is earliest. If your return is delayed for any covered reason, your coverage is extended to the date when you are able to return to your city of residence.
Benefits are per person, and all insureds must purchase the same plan- Each person traveling needs to be listed on the policy.
Maximum Coverage- The maximum coverage available for trip cancellation is $30,000, and is $45,000 for trip interruption.
Pre-Existing Medical Conditions- Coverage for an existing medical condition is excluded. An existing medical condition is an illness or injury that exhibited symptoms or was treated for anytime 120 days prior to purchasing your trip cancellation plan. One of the most confusing and misunderstood aspects of a travel insurance policy are pre-existing medical conditions. Essentially, travel insurance companies need to make sure that they are providing coverage for a condition that occurs while they are insuring you. If you are having diagnosed kidney issues, and then purchase a travel insurance policy, you will not have coverage if your kidney causes you to cancel your trip. The kidney was already a problem before you purchased insurance. If you are perfectly healthy, purchase a policy, and then have symptoms of kidney issues and need to cancel, you will have coverage.
All travel insurance policies have stipulations for pre-existing medical conditions, and usually have a time period of coverage, like the 120 days with Access America Deluxe.
For trips over 30 days, an additional daily rate of $3 applies, regardless of age. The reasoning here is that the longer you are traveling, the higher likelihood of a claim.
List of Covered Reasons for Trip Cancellation & Trip Interruption (with Comprehensive plan)
The Access America Deluxe plan is offered with or without trip cancellation/interruption coverage. Deluxe Comprehensive includes a long list of covered reasons for canceled or interrupted trips, which makes the coverage that much better. As you can see from the list below, they are situations that could happen to anyone, and if they do and you need to cancel a trip it helps to have the right coverage.
Covered reasons for trip cancellation/interruption include:
Attending immediate family members birth- Attending an immediate family member’s childbirth as long as the pregnancy occurs after the effective date of coverage and can be verified by medical records (only applies to trip cancellation).
Complete cessation of services – FAA- Complete cessation of services by your common carrier for 24 or more hours due to a strike, natural disaster, bad weather or FAA mandated shutdown.
Covered Travel Delay – loss of 50%- You miss more than half of the total length of your trip because your travel is delayed.
Death of Family Member
Death of Insured
Death of Traveling Companion
Destination uninhabitable- Your destination is uninhabitable because of a natural disaster, fire, flood, burglary, or vandalism.
Employer Termination- You or a traveling companion, with the same employer for at least 3 continuous years are terminated or laid off, through no fault of your own, after your insurance effective date.
Felonious Assault- You or your traveling companion are the victim of a felonious assault within 10 days prior to your departure date.
Financial Default- Your tour operator, airline, or cruise line ceases operation due to bankruptcy.
Foreign and Domestic Terrorism- A terrorist event happens at your US destination within 30 days of the day you’re scheduled to arrive or a terrorist event happens at your foreign destination within 30 days of the day you’re scheduled to arrive.
Hijacking- You or traveling companion are hijacked
Home uninhabitable- Your primary residence is uninhabitable due to natural disaster, fire, flood, burglary, or vandalism.
Illness of Family Member
Illness of Insured
Illness of Traveling Companion
Injury of Family Member
Injury of Insured
Injury of Traveling Companion
Involved in a traffic accident- You or a traveling companion are directly involved in a traffic accident on the way to your point of departure.
Jury/Subpoena- You are summoned by a court order or a subpoena to serve on a jury or appear in court.
Legal separation or divorce- You or a traveling companion legally separate or divorce after your insurance effective date but before your scheduled departure dats.
Loss of accommodations abroad- Family or friends outside the United States can’t accommodate you as planned because someone in the household has died or has been diagnosed with a serious illness or injury.
Military Obligations- You or a traveling companion serving in the U.S. Armed Forces are reassigned, or have your personal leave revoked, except because of war, the War Powers Act, base or unit mobilization, unit reassignment, or disciplinary action.
Normal Pregnancy- You become pregnant as long as the pregnancy occurs after the effective date of coverage and can be verified by medical records (only applied to trip cancellation)
Quarantine- You or a traveling companion are quarantined.
Where to buy this policy:
1. Buy direct from the company- Get a quote and purchase this plan directly from the Access America website here
2. Compare this plan with other plans- The best way to buy travel insurance is to use a comparison website (similar to using Expedia or Travelocity for airline tickets). There are several, but we recommend a comparison site called Squaremouth.com to get instant quotes and purchase online. Squaremouth.com only works with reputable companies, and you can get instant quotes and purchase instantly online with a credit card.
