With the recent earthquake in Japan, civil unrest in multiple regions of the world, and a recent rash of travel delays caused by massive wind, hail, and tornadoes across the southern regions of the U.S., interest in travel insurance protection is on the rise.

Travel costs have gone up in the last five years, partly due to rising gas prices, and the end doesn’t appear to be in sight. Many people have put off expensive travel over the past few years in favor of ‘staycations’ (vacations at home with family) due to fears of the economy, unemployment, and slow job growth. Those who are currently making travel plans may find that adding the cost of travel insurance to the tab is worth the cost simply to avoid the huge financial bills that can occur on vacation.

Any good comprehensive travel insurance policy comes with a 24-hour assistance services number staffed with representatives who can provide travel assistance, help navigate a medical emergency, and provide assistance and reimbursement for canceled or delayed plans in addition to problems with accommodations.

Travelers wanting financial protection may opt for these coverages

In addition to having a help hot-line at your fingertips, travel insurance can provide reimbursement for unexpected travel costs that can wreck your travel budget. Protection for financial losses due to stolen baggage, missed connections, and travel delays are included in many comprehensive travel insurance package plans.

If you plan to rent a car on your vacation, avoiding the high charges imposed by rental car companies if the car is damaged is also crucial – especially since this type of coverage is not typically provided by your own auto insurance coverage or the coverage provided by your credit card.

Of course, it’s important for those traveling abroad to consider any pre-existing medical conditions along with medical coverage because U.S.-based health insurance does not extend outside the American borders. If you or someone traveling with you gets ill or injured on the trip, you could face a large medical bill very quickly.

Having travel delay and missed connection coverage can help in instances when a tornado crashes through the airport you planned to flight out of or land at. The airlines don’t provide any help when the situation that caused the delay is a natural act, but travel insurance protection for these situations can mean the difference between sleeping on the floor of the airport and having a hotel room and meals reimbursed.

The U.S. Travel Association recently indicated that mature travelers (those who are 65 years of age or older) represent 21 percent of all leisure travelers in 2010. In addition, multi-generational vacations are becoming more common – this is where grandparents are traveling with their children and grandchildren, often with the older generation picking up more of the tab due to the tight economy.

U.S. seniors are more active than in generations past. They are also more physically fit and more able to afford vacations. And, as they join the ranks of the retired, they have more time on their hands for exploring.

What travel insurance protections are most important to senior travelers?

1. While seniors have fewer concerns about having to cancel their trip due to work conflicts, they may still face a situation where they are forced to cancel a long-planned trip due to other reasons. Trip cancellation coverage helps travelers who have to cancel trips due to illness (your own, or that of a family member), natural disasters (such as tornadoes and hurricanes that destroy your destination), financial default of a travel supplier (such as a cruise operator), and even school year extensions (if you’re traveling with the grandkids).
2. Trip interruption coverage is a little different – this coverage lets a traveler abandon their trip after it has started and even return to the trip if there’s time left. This coverage is useful in situations where you have to return home, perhaps to visit a sick relative or take care of an issue back home. It reimburses up to 150% of your unused trip costs and provides additional money for return airfare if you have to end your trip for a covered reason (the reasons are outlined in the policy certificate and listed for plans on this page).
3. Medical coverage is crucial for travelers – especially senior travelers. U.S.-based health insurance coverage, including Medicaid, does not extend beyond American borders. So any travel outside our borders is subject to the rules and payments of that country. This coverage provides money for medical benefits, emergency transportation, physician charges, drugs, X-rays, and more.
4. Evacuation and repatriation coverage is vital for travelers as well and not simply for the evacuation expenses, which can be very expensive. This coverage pays for medically necessary evacuations or the repatriation of a traveler’s remains to their home country. In addition, this coverage usually provides for a chaperoned return of minor children and bringing a friend or relative to your hospital bedside. If you’re traveling alone with the grandkids, you can’t ask for a better safety net.

See our complete Senior Travel Insurance Buying Guide to understand the common risks for senior travelers, a list of useful coverage, and the best travel insurance plans for seniors.

After a few years of ‘staycations’ – vacationing at home or close to home – Americans seem more than ready to travel again, but with rising gas prices airfare may remain out of reach for many travelers. In keeping with the indomitable American spirit, however, travelers may find road trips the best way to go this summer.

To make sure your road trip goes smoothly, road trippers are recommended to follow these safety tips:

1. Create a list of emergency contacts, including relatives, neighbors, doctors, pharmacy, etc. that you may need in case you are involved in an accident or need medical attention. Take this list of contacts with you (including your travel insurance documents).
2. Leave a copy of your travel itinerary with a neighbor, friend or relative in case you go missing. This will help put police on the track of finding you and help if people need to contact you while you are out of cellphone reach.
3. Make copies of important identification and credit cards and keep them separate from your wallet. This will help if your wallet is stolen and you need to cancel your credit cards from the road.
4. Be wary of sounds-too-good-to-be-true travel bargains because they nearly always are.

Of course, it’s important to consider whether you will be crossing the border into Mexico or Canada as well. Remember that your own automobile insurance may not cover you outside the U.S., but travel insurance for rental cars can provide extra protection for break-downs, accidents, assistance services, and more.

In his latest contribution to science, billionaire and adventurer, Sir Richard Branson, recently revealed plans to set a batch of new world records by exploring the five deepest regions of Earth’s oceans: the Mariana Trench in the Pacific, the Puerto Rico Trench and the South Sandwich Trench in the Atlantic, the Diamantina trench in the Indian, and the Molloy Deep in the Arctic. The businessman has also been working on a space tourism venture with the construction of a $209 million spaceport in New Mexico.

At Travel Insurance Review, we want to be clear that travel insurance plans do not currently provide coverage for space travel or deep sea dives. At least not yet.

As travel extends to these new frontiers, travel insurance companies may re-evaluate their coverage plans in time, and  given the Necker Nymph, a three-person submarine used by guests of Branson’s private Caribbean resort, can dive to a depth of 130 feet below the ocean’s surface travel insurance companies may have to take a look at deep sea diving coverage sooner than later.

For the time being, however, travelers should understand that even coverage for SCUBA diving has depth limits that apply to their coverage. So be sure to know what your plan covers and the limits that are applied before you head out on your next trip.

Beyond the need for travel medical coverage, global travelers are starting to recognize emergency travel kits as one method of travel preparedness. Well stocked emergency ‘go’ kits can help travelers out of a bad travel situation by arming them with some tools and objects useful in emergency situations.

Be Prepared with an Emergency Travel Kit

What should go into an emergency travel kit? Experts are recommending the following:

• A good police whistle for capturing the attention of others when you need it.
• A roll of adhesive tape when it’s necessary to keep your hotel room from locking behind you.
• Some local currency (approximately $100-$200 US-worth) in small denominations.
• A smartphone with a reliable service provider.

In the case of the recent disaster in Japan, for example, a smartphone can help travelers connect with others, get information about the situation, and book flights out of a danger zone.

Travelers should always keep their identification documents (passport, etc.) and medications organized and prepared to be stuffed quickly into bags when necessary as well. You don’t want to be hunting around a hotel room for vital items when every minute counts.

Beyond the Basics

In addition to the basics listed above, some travelers recommend having the following when you travel:

• Water purifier for ensuring safe, drinkable water when water supplies are compromised.
• Earplugs for situations when you encounter noise areas and you need to sleep
• Headlamp for navigating in the dark in a power outage.

The best advice is to think about where you are going and know the risk where you will be traveling. A folding mosquito nets can be helpful in areas where malaria is a risk, but not much use in the cold of Norway for example.

 

A recent study indicates that more nations, particularly in Europe, are requiring tourists to have proof of international medical coverage prior to entering the country.

While not yet universal – some countries are specifying the need for travel medical coverage – virtually all of the countries of eastern and western Europe recommend visitors have some form of international medical coverage as most of their hospitals and doctors expect payment for services at the time of service.

Some travel insurance plans guarantee pre-payment in order to gain access to medical attention, and some provide reimbursement for medical services to travelers after the fact.

What constitutes acceptable coverage?

This remains in debate, but most countries who require or ask for proof of coverage specify a minimum of 30,000 euros which is the standard requirement of Schengen zone countries. The Schengen zone consists of 25 mostly western European countries who have agreed to cross-border visa rules for travel between the countries.

Does this affect U.S. citizens?

To date, most countries do not require U.S. or Canadian citizens to show proof of medical insurance, but this is sure to change. By the time the summer travel season starts, more countries are expected to require visitors to prove they have medical coverage

This post outlines some facts you may or may not know about lost or stolen passports.

If your U.S. passport is lost or stolen, what is your responsibility?

You may not know this, but it’s your responsibility to let the U.S. Consulate know if your passport is missing. Missing passports – much like lost or stolen credit cards – can be in the wrong hands and cause you a great deal of trouble. As soon as you discover your passport is missing, contact the nearest U.S. embassy or consulate for assistance.

If you are scheduled to leave a foreign country and have lost your passport, what are your options?

According to the U.S. Department of State’s website, every effort will be made to assist U.S. citizens meet their departure schedule as they return to the U.S. Having the information available, however, can go a long way toward making this true.

What information do you need to provide the Consulate?

You will be asked to provide the following information to assist in verifying your citizenship:

1. Personal information – including name, birth date, place of birth, date and place the passport was issued, and the passport number. All of this information is available in your current passport and one of the best ways you can have this information handy is to make a copy of the relevant passport page and keep that with you when you travel. A hard copy is fine, but you can send it to yourself as an e-mail attachment or keep it on your smartphone as well.
2. Law enforcement report – noting the loss, theft, or misplacement of your passport to local authorities. A police report is not mandatory, but may be required if the consulate believes a fraud has been perpetrated. If a report is not available, you can execute a sworn statement in the presence of a consular officer and describe what happened.
3. Some proof of identity – you will be asked for some proof of identity – perhaps a driver’s license or some other form of identity to prove you are who you say you are. If all your personal documents were stolen with the passport, your identity can be established in a number of ways, but you’ll have to work directly with the consulate to make this happen.

This question is common among travelers – should I deny rental car insurance when I travel? There are a number of factors that point to having travel insurance with car rental collision coverage as the best option.

Why your own auto policy isn’t enough

Some drivers with older cars elect not to carry collision coverage on their older vehicles due to the cost. If you don’t have collision insurance on your primary vehicle, you won’t have it on a rental.

Some travelers rent vehicles that are worth far more than their automobile at home. The coverage you have with your existing policy at home may not be enough to cover the vehicle you rent on vacation or when traveling for business.

Understanding the coverage

Rental car companies can charge you for each day the damaged vehicle is out of service. This is called ‘loss of use’ and your own automobile insurance plan likely does not provide coverage for loss of use. Why would it?

The coverage you have through your credit card may or may not include coverage for loss of use as well.

Some rental car companies can charge you for ‘loss of value’ as well. This means the loss of vehicle value after the damage is repaired and it can run into the thousands of dollars.

Where to get the best price

If you decide to get coverage for the vehicle you rent while on vacation, most people know to avoid the rental coverage offered at the car rental counter. First, it’s typically far more expensive than the coverage provided with travel insurance plans and it often comes with a variety of exclusions you won’t have time to review or understand when the kids are jumping up and down anxious to get going.

 

While the measles has been eradicated in the United States since 2000, a recent measles outbreak in Minnesota shows a surge of cases in young children. According to the Minnesota Department of Health, a Somali child who contracted measles during a trip to Kenya was left at a drop-in child care center a day before that child developed a measles rash. Three children at the daycare then became infected in the days ahead.

While this year’s jump in cases among very young children is considered unusual, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is reminding parents of young children to get their children vaccinated for measles prior to traveling or living abroad.

While the number of reported cases of measles in the United Kingdom are down from previous years, there have been a relatively high number of cases reported in Switzerland, France and Spain recently. Given the geographic spread of cases worldwide, the CDC recommends that parents who are traveling abroad with young children get the vaccinations as early as six months of age. This recommendation has been in place since the 1990s, but it seems that a number of parents have missed the message.