It’s important for travel insurance consumers to understand that travel insurance, like any other type of insurance, is an evolving industry.
What do you mean by ‘evolving’?
Before 2001, for example, acts of terrorism were specifically excluded from all plans, but now many policies will refund trip costs for destinations hit by terrorists within 30 days of your visit. In most cases, civil unrest and riots are not covered for trip cancellation benefits, but some plans do provide security evacuation benefits to get you out of harm’s way. As businesses worldwide have begun to work together on a global scale, the threat of kidnapping, ransom and extortionhas evolved and so have the available travel insurance protections.
OK, so what’s the problem then?
Unfortunately, many consumers expect to be able to purchase a travel insurance plan whenever they want and have it cover any travel risk they encounter.
Recently, one commenter was frustrated that they couldn’t purchase hurricane trip coverage when the hurricane was already named and mandatory evacuations were being discussed. That’s not really fair, is it? It’s like trying to insure your vacation home from wildfires when the wildfire is heading across your neighbor’s pasture toward your door.
So, how do we understand our policy?
The key is understanding your policy and what it’s designed to cover. To accomplish that, you have to spend a little time reviewing the terms and conditions of the policy. Here, we provide reviews of the policies to help you choose those that will meet your travel needs, but reading the plan certificate is the only way to understand the full coverage included with the policy. The plan certificates are available online at the travel insurance website and we provide links to those as well.
How do we know we’re getting the right travel insurance?
With all the scary headlines – volcano eruptions, earthquakes, hurricanes, and more – travelers can get a little focused on the news and fail to remember the more common risks of travel, such as the need for medical care if you get sick or an evacuation if you have a serious accident. The bottom line is if you’re willing to spend thousands of dollars on a trip, it makes sense to spend a few more to ensure a refund of that money if something happens before or during that trip.
