When is Travel Insurance NOT Necessary?

There are many travel situations where travel insurance is simply unnecessary. In these situations, having travel insurance simply means you are over-insured and no one likes to waste money that way.

Here are 3 situations where insurance (probably) isn’t necessary

The decision to buy travel insurance comes down to 2 major factors: financial risk and medical concerns. Are you concerned about losing money due to canceled trips, interrupted trips, lost bags, delayed trips, or medical expenses? Are you leaving your home country where your insurance from home won’t cover you for accidents?

1. Last-minute domestic trips

If you are taking a last-minute trip in the US you probably don’t need travel insurance.

Since you have not pre-paid any non-refundable trip costs, you are not concerned with trip cancellation or interruption coverage.

And since you are within the US, your health insurance plan will cover you for any emergency medical situations.

Buying travel insurance would give you coverage for lost baggage and travel delays, but these coverages alone might not be worth the cost of a plan.

2. Cheap domestic trips

If you get a super saver $129 round trip flight and you’re staying with family members, you don’t have much money at risk.

Travel insurance is best used when your pre-paid and non-refundable expenses are more than you are willing to lose. In this case, you’re only at risk of losing $129, which might not be worth insuring.

Again, you are missing out on coverage for baggage and delays, but these coverages alone might not be worth it.

3. If you can afford to lose your pre-paid trip expenses

If you can afford to lose the money, skip the insurance.

As stated above, travel insurance is best used when your pre-paid and non-refundable expenses are more than you are willing to lose. If you only have a few hundred dollars at risk, you can afford to ‘self-insure’ this risk.

*One situation where you should always buy insurance

If you are leaving your home country, you should always have emergency medical and evacuation coverage.

This coverage is included in all vacation travel insurance plans, or you can buy a travel medical insurance (which does not have cancellation coverage). ClIck here for more about these types of plans.

When you leave your home country, your health insurance may or may not travel with you. Whenever you are traveling abroad, buy either a travel medical plan or vacation plan that includes medical emergencies.