War has broken out. How do I get out of here?

April 7, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Libyan evacuation sceneWhen thousands of Britons could not get out of Libya recently due to holes in their holiday travel insurance coverage, they realized that war effectively nullifies their coverage. Many travel insurance plans include exclusions similar to the following:

This plan does not cover any loss caused by or resulting from war or act of war, whether declared or not, civil disorder, riot, or insurrection.

Therefore, it’s vital that those purchasing travel insurance plans understand their policies and what is (and is not) covered.

How Travel Insurance Covers War, Civil Disorder, and Unrest

Travel insurance plans cover travelers for war, civil disorder, and political unrest by allowing travelers to cancel their trip if they have ‘cancel for any reason’ coverage.

Some plans allow for non medical evacuations that include social upheaval as a covered reason for evacuation, but it’s important to understand your policy limits and exclusions. See a list of plans offering non medical evacuations.

Important notes
  1. If political unrest is not listed as a covered reason for a non medical evacuation, you won’t have coverage.
  2. All evacuation arrangements must be arranged and coordinated by the travel insurance provider’s assistance services for coverage to apply.

 

Buy trip insurance early, there’s a money-back guarantee

December 15, 2006 By 5 Comments

Travel insurance policies come with a money-back guarantee, called a “free-look” period, that usually lasts from 10-15 days. This is standard on most plans, and is a great benefit to the customer. Here are a few reasons to take advantage of the free-look period.

The free-look gives you peace of mind. Buy the policy you think is best, knowing that you can read over every detail and return it for a full premium refund. Buying travel insurance is complicated, and you want to make the right decision. By using the free-look period, you are being thorough and shopping wisely.

Insurance documents are so wordy, it is helpful to take your time reading the details. Most misunderstandings regarding what a policy will or will not cover can be avoided by fully understanding the policy. The only way to do this is to read it.

Print it out, sit down with a highlighter, and read the trip insurance policy (also called a certificate). Mark anything that is unclear, and call the insurance company with your questions. Remember, if you are not completely satisfied in your decision, return it for a refund of premium.

The free-look period expires after the stated number of days. Most companies offer free-look periods of between 10-15 days. The free-look also expires if a claim is made or the departure date arrives. Some companies also charge a small administration fee, typically under $10, when a policy is returned for a premium refund under the free-look guarantee.

Family of dead Irishman get a huge Thai hospital bill

November 19, 2006 By Leave a Comment

Here is a story of a family receiving a 50,000 euro hospital bill for their family member, who died after a fall. The hospital will not release the body to be flown home until they pay the bill, and even the repatriation of the mortal remains will cost an additional 5,000 euro.

The man did not have travel insurance, so the family is stuck with the bill.

This is a perfect example of the need for travel medical insurance. Travel medical, also known as international medical, is cheaper than trip cancellation insurance and can provide very basic medical and evacuation coverage.

As you can see in the example above, the costs can be huge. The last thing you want to worry about in such a terrible situation is how you’re going to pay the bills.

Get a quote for travel medical insurance at Insuremytrip.com.

Pre-existing conditions can be covered, but check with the travel insurance company before you buy

October 28, 2006 By 3 Comments

Reading a travel forum recently, I came across someone asking about travel insurance. Specifically, where to find a policy and more importantly, one that will cover pre-existing medical conditions.

This is a very common question. Even travel insurance novices have heard that pre-existing conditions are one of the most common reasons for a claim being denied.

Imagine you’re enjoying your trip aboard a cruise ship, enjoying the ports of call, sightseeing, and relaxation. Out of nowhere, an old condition acts up and puts you in the hospital. You need to cut the trip short, receive medical treatment in a foreign country, and eventually be flown home on a special medical evacuation flight.

Sounds expensive right? It is, and if the expenses are not covered by your travel insurance policy, there is a serious bill to pay. You have travel insurance, but will it cover the expense, even though it was from a pre-existing condition?

Some policies will cover pre-existing conditions

The key is to do some research and ask some questions first. Check out one of the comparison sites (listed at end of post) and see how the different products stack up against each other.

To cover pre-existing conditions, a travel insurance policy must be purchased at the right time

You will see some that have pre-ex coverage, but only if the policy was purchased within a certain time frame. Usually, this time frame is within a couple weeks of the initial trip deposit date.

In other words, once you started planning and paying for the trip, buy your travel insurance and get covered

Once you have compared some policies online, call the company and ask specific questions. Have them go over the actual policy wording with you so you understand what is covered, and what is not.

Be honest about pre-existing conditions. If a claim is made, the insurance company will research your medical history. The best policy is to be honest upfront, and avoid a bad situation later

Expats living abroad have different insurance needs

October 25, 2006 By 1 Comment

istock_000001804351small.jpgSo you have decided to live and work abroad as an expatriot. The lure of life in a new and exciting country has finally pushed you into it.

There are special insurance plans designed for expats living abroad. You have a different set of needs. Insurance products designed for short term travelers aren’t the best for you. Let’s take a look at all the angles:

First of all, package plans are out because you do not need cancellation coverage

As an expat living abroad, you would not need the trip cancellation coverage that is included in package plans. In fact, most package plans are only available for shorter periods of time (30 days for example).

This is a good thing, since much of the cost of a package plan results from the cancellation coverage. Travel medical plan premiums are lower that package plan premiums.

As an expat, you need international medical insurance to cover you in a foreign country

InsureMyTrip.com compares several travel medical insurance plans. These plans are for trips of a week or less, and up to a few years, depending on the insurance company. They often include emergency medical, emergency dental, and medical evacuation.

These plans also include some variables, such as deductible amount, hazardous sports coverage, or home country coverage.

Some companies offer even longer term plans with US style health benefits available worldwide 

Specialty Risk International (see disclosure on about page) offers Reside and Reside Prime plans. These policies include comprehensive worldwide coverage, a choice of deductibles, coverage for families and individuals, and up to $5,000,000 in lifetime benefits.

Why most policies will not cover the 8/10 terror threats

August 24, 2006 By 1 Comment

The terror threats in the UK earlier this month affected many travelers, many of which had purchased travel insurance policies. Many of the policies even contain coverage for Acts of Terrorism in a city or country which you intend to visit.

Terrorist threats, however, are generally not covered

The following from Access America’s Deluxe plan:

9. A terrorist act committed by an organized terrorist group (recognized as such by the U.S. State Department) that results in property damage, Injury or loss of life. The incident must take place in a domestic or foreign city in which You are scheduled to arrive within 30 days following the incident and Your tour operator (if applicable) must not have offered a substitute itinerary. For foreign terrorism coverage only, coverage for travel to or through countries in which such a documented or reported incident has occurred during the 30 days prior to purchase of insurance is excluded. Losses resulting due to the issuance of travel advisories, bulletin or alerts; war or acts thereof; civil disorder, riot or unrest; bomb scares or threats of terrorist activity; or terrorist acts against any Common Carrier (e.g., airline or cruise line) are not covered. …

One way to avoid some issues is to purchase a “cancel for any reason” policy. At least those travelling a few days after the threats were able to cancel their trip and recover up to 75% of the trip cost.

Related Links
TravelInsuranceReview.Net article about “cancel for any reason” policies
Is terrorism covered by travel insurance policies?