Boomers are finally retiring, and with the extra time and cash will come more travel. Even though health care is better than ever, it is important for the over 65 group to make sure they are insured when they travel. There are a few reasons it is especially important for travelers in this age group to buy insurance.

Medicare provides no coverage outside the US

First, if you are depending on Medicare and plan on traveling abroad, you need to understand there is no Medicare coverage outside of the United States. Medicare will just does not provide any coverage abroad, and even a private plan will most likely not work outside the US. This is why is it important to purchase a travel insurance plan to cover you.

Over 65s have special medical coverage needs

Second, even though they are more active than any retiring generation in history, over 65s simply have greater medical needs than younger travelers. They are also more active and willing to get out and travel. Travel insurance is designed to give travelers from the US the same type of coverage they receive here at home. Don’t get stuck in a foreign country with the right kind of medical coverage.

Trip cancellation coverage protects your vacation investment

Finally, many things can go wrong before leaving for your trip, any one of them can cause you to cancel and lose your non-refundable trip payments. This can easily cost thousands of dollars, unless you purchase trip cancellation coverages. This insurance can cover cancellation due to an illness, accident, death in the family, or even a home fire. Trip cancellation coverage costs more than just medical coverage, but the extra premium can save you thousands of dollars.

Boomers have special considerations when shopping for travel insurance

• Shop online and compare different companies. Use a comparison site  (see How to Compare Quotes with a Travel Insurance Comparison Site) where you can look at quotes from all insurance companies at once without visiting a dozen different sites.
• Travel insurance companies limit the amount of coverage depending on the travelers age. This lets the over 65 traveler get some level of coverage, and for a reasonable price.
• Pre-existing medical conditions can effect the policy coverage. Call the insurance company with specific questions if you have pre-existing medical conditions.

Bad weather can cause severe travel delays

Every holiday season is a very busy time for air travel, and winter storms can cause severe delays. The recent blizzards in Denver caused major delays and closed Denver airports for days. Thousands of travelers were stuck in the airport, and were forced to wait it out. Many connecting flight were missed in other locations due to the delays that ripple through the airline system.

Travel insurance can cover travel delay costs

Package plan travel insurance policies include coverage for travel delay and expenses caused by travel delay. Travel insurance can cover hotel costs or alternate transportation. The major variable is the length of delay before the policy kicks in, and the amount of coverage. The lower delay time, the sooner the delay benefits can be used. The amount of coverage usually states a daily amount and a maximum amount.

Here is a table showing the major travel insurance companies and their respective coverage for travel delay. Companies and policies are listed in order of length of delay. They range from 3 hours to 24 hours.

Platinum is Travel Guard’s premier package plan

Most travel insurance companies offer something called a “package” plan. Package plans are popular because they offer comprehensive, all-in-one coverage, usually including:

• trip cancellation
• trip interruption
• medical emergencies
• emergency evacuation
• baggage

Look for a plan with the appropriate amount of coverage for your trip

When comparing package plans, look at the coverage limits and ask yourself if you feel comfortable with the amount. For example, some people are not as concerned with emergency medical expenses but want as much baggage coverage as possible. Before you start shopping, take a moment and write down what is important to you in a policy. What type of coverage is most important and how much do you need?

Travel Guard offers a plan called Platinum. This is their premier package plan, and offers comprehensive coverage for travelers, including:

See the full review on Travel Guard’s Platinum plan.

Essential, individual coverage for the basic travel protections and not a lot of extras

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.

3 reasons to buy insurance for your last minute trip

You can get some great deals on airfare and hotels by taking advantage of last minute offers. Oftentimes, airlines and hotels have not sold out and are willing to offer huge discounts just to fill the empty spots. This is great for travelers who have some spare time or flexible schedules. But why would you want travel insurance for a last minute trip?

1. Last minute trips are very cheap to insure because you don’t need cancellation coverage

Since it is last minute, you’re pretty sure there is not going to be an accident or illness that causes the trip to be canceled. Trip cancellation coverage is one of the most popular reasons for buying trip insurance, but is also a major factor in premium (cost of insurance). Last minute trip insurance provides a lot of coverage for a little money.

2. Medical emergencies, delayed flights, and lost baggage can still ruin a last minute trip

It is also important to think of medical emergencies. Even on a short, last-minute trip, anything can happen and you could end up in the hospital. In many cases, travelers end up needing medical evacuation requiring special flights, equipment, and personnel. Medical evacuation can easily cost up to $100,000, and is paid out-of-pocket without insurance coverage.

Medical emergencies and evacuation account for some large claim amounts, but there are other reasons to insure last-minute trips.

Lost, damaged, or stolen baggage can also cause plenty of headaches. With the current TSA rules about carry on baggage, more people are checking their luggage and taking less aboard the plane. That means if there is a lost or delayed bag, you are without clothing and other personal items that you might need. Insurance can pay for you to buy some new clothes and other necessities, and ensure a lost or delayed bag does not ruin your trip.

Missed connections and travel delays can also make your relaxing trip turn terrible. If you are forced to stay overnight because of a missed flight, or change flights and pay extra money, that money is paid out-of-pocket. Travel insurance can help you in this situation, and pay for extra expenses. It will definitely give you some extra peace of mind as you travel.

3. Buy today, fly tomorrow

With easy online quotes and purchasing, you can compare policies and find the best deal, buy online with a credit card, and receive an email confirming your coverage right away. This email will have your policy number and some other information. Print it out and you’re set to go. The insurance company will probably send you an actual card in the mail as well, but once you have confirmation of coverage you are set to fly.

Where can I find last-minute travel insurance?

Travel Guard offers several travel insurance plans including their Pack ‘N Go plan made specially for last-minute trips. It provides coverage for medical emergencies, evacuation, and baggage. Visit travelguard.com to read about Pack ‘N Go and other Travel Guard insurance policies.

A trip insurance policy usually costs 5-8% of the total trip cost

As a general rule of thumb, travel insurance should cost between 5-8 percent of the total trip cost. This applies to “package” plans, which provide coverage for canceled trips, medical emergencies/evacuations, and lost baggage.

It can cost more or less than this, depending on policy benefits offered by the insurance company. The more comprehensive the plan, the higher the cost.

There are several factors that determine the insurance premium

The insurance company uses several factors to determine your insurance premium, including the length of the trip and ages of travelers. It is easiest to use a comparison sit(see How to Compare Quotes with a Travel Insurance Comparison Site)

There is such a thing as paying too little for travel insurance

Even though is seems crazy, you can pay too little for travel insurance. As with many purchases, you tend to get what you pay for, and saving a few bucks on a travel insurance policy can cause nightmares if you need to file a claim.

Maybe the cost is low because there is not enough coverage. Be sure to read and understand the levels of coverage, and make sure you are comfortable with the amount that will be paid if you need to make a claim.

You might also see a low price offered by an un-reputable company. Trip Assured of Tennessee has been in the news recently for selling “travel protection” to clients, even though they did not hold an insurance license. They currently have several suits against them for unpaid claims.

Compare insurance quotes online to find the best company

(see How to Compare Quotes with a Travel Insurance Comparison Site)

Scuba diving guarantees an exciting adventure on your tropical vacation, but comes with risks

Many vacationers who head to the warmer weather decide to take up S.C.U.B.A.(Self Contained Underwater Breathing Apparatus) diving. Many destinations specialize in scuba diving, offering many tours, equipment rentals, and guides.

With the adventure of scuba diving comes additional risk. Any time you are dealing with activities such as this, you are at a higher risk for injury. Even with proper training and diving conditions, it is still riskier than sitting in a chair reading a book (for instance).

Travel insurance is available, but make sure your policy covers scuba diving

Travel insurance is a good idea for most trips, whether you are insuring against the cost of a canceled trip or for medical emergencies while away from home. But how do you know if your travel insurance will cover scuba-related incidents?

All travel insurance policies have a list of exclusions. These are situations in which the policy would not pay. For activities, travel insurance typically excludes injuries resulting from:

• Mountaineering requiring ropes/guides
• Hang gliding
• Parachuting
• Bungee jumping
• Horse, vehicle, or motorcycle racing
• Snowmobiling
• Water skiing
• Snow skiing
• Snow boarding

For scuba diving, different companies have different policies. Some cover scuba diving completely, some cover scuba diving in certain conditions, and others exclude scuba diving all together.

Some travel insurance companies will cover scuba divers. Discover which ones in the table below

Here is a helpful table listing major travel insurance companies and which plans provide coverage for scuba diving. Two companies offer complete scuba diving coverage, Travel Guard and Travel Safe.

*Not listed under “exclusions”, also not specifically addressed as being covered
Where can I get travel insurance quotes for my scuba diving trip? (see How to Compare Quotes with a Travel Insurance Comparison Site)

Trip insurance is a must-have for travelers worried about baggage

Lost baggage can ruin an entire trip, and even delays can cause unneeded stress. Your baggage can also suffer rips or tears, or the contents can be damaged beyond repair. If any of these happen on your next trip, how will you make sure the entire vacation is not ruined?

Baggage coverage protects against lost, stolen, damaged, or delayed bags

Most package plans include coverage for baggage, ranging anywhere from $500 all the up to $2500. This is enough coverage to buy new clothes, pay for a lost camera, or get new luggage.

Typical coverage includes:

• Loss
• Theft
• Damage
• Destruction

This coverage applies to travel baggage, as well as passports, visas, and other travel documents. This will provide a lot of peace of mind in a foreign country.

Some items are excluded from baggage coverage, including:

• Animals
• property used in trade, business or for the production of income
• household furniture, musical instruments, brittle or fragile articles
• sporting equipment if the loss results from the use thereof
• artificial limbs or other prosthetic devices, artificial teeth, dental bridges, dentures, dental braces, retainers or other orthodontic devices, hearing aids, any type of eyeglasses, sunglasses or contact lenses
• documents or tickets, except for administrative fees required to reissue tickets
• money, stamps, stocks and bonds, postal or money orders, securities, accounts, bills, deeds, food stamps or credit cards
• contraband

Each company has different specific policy wording in regards to baggage coverage, so it is important to read your certificate thoroughly. There are some general guidelines however.
Tips to get the most out of travel insurance baggage coverage:

• inventory your baggage and belongings, write down a total value
• when shopping for a policy, find a plan that matches your baggage value
• receipts are very important in case of a claim. Many plans pay only 75% of estimated value for items without receipts (to adjust for depreciation)
• in case of a loss, notify the local authorities and get documentation
• also in case of a loss, contact your insurance company as soon as possible, and make any claims in a timely fashion

Here is a table listing the baggage coverage provided by major travel insurance companies. As you can see, some companies offer different plans under different names. The difference is usually some sort of policy upgrade, which provides more coverage for more premium.