Trip Protection Insurance?
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Trip Protection Insurance?
Next month I'm flying to Italy for a month, with a mini-trip to Ireland in the middle. Would it be better to add Delta's (Allianz Global) trip protection for $108? Would this cover anything that may happen during the mini-trip to Ireland, even though my flights aren't through Delta? Alternatively, I was thinking of using SafetyWing insurance for ~$50 to cover the whole trip. Any others I should consider for this situation?
I know absolutely nothing about trip insurance because I've never gotten it and never needed it, but in these days I'm sure it's important!
I know absolutely nothing about trip insurance because I've never gotten it and never needed it, but in these days I'm sure it's important!
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Re: Trip Protection Insurance?
If you're flying on two different tickets with two different airlines, the insurance from one probably won't cover the trip on the other. I would get good third-party travel insurance rather than buying insurance through an airline. The website "The Points Guy" has regularly updated information on travel insurance.
Re: Trip Protection Insurance?
Just be aware should your trip be cancelled due to COVID, your insurance may not help. It happened with us last year due to COVID and they dutifully already had a pandemic exception in the contract even though we bought it in Fall 2019. It was written broadly like: "Health authorities disallow travel" or something. They were ready.
Last edited by Tubes on Thu Jul 22, 2021 12:56 pm, edited 2 times in total.
- ResearchMed
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Re: Trip Protection Insurance?
Do a search for "travel insurance" (or "trip insurance"?) here on BH. There are quite a few discussions that you might find helpful.Geographer wrote: ↑Thu Jul 22, 2021 12:35 pm Next month I'm flying to Italy for a month, with a mini-trip to Ireland in the middle. Would it be better to add Delta's (Allianz Global) trip protection for $108? Would this cover anything that may happen during the mini-trip to Ireland, even though my flights aren't through Delta? Alternatively, I was thinking of using SafetyWing insurance for ~$50 to cover the whole trip. Any others I should consider for this situation?
I know absolutely nothing about trip insurance because I've never gotten it and never needed it, but in these days I'm sure it's important!
We always get travel insurance, for both medical coverage and also in case of trip cancellation or interruption.
We recommend
www.TripInsuranceStore.com
but CALL, don't just rely upon the online summaries which simply cannot capture the pros and cons of each policy.
They are a broker and work with several travel insurers that they've vetted (meaning mostly that they pay!).
Do make SURE that at a minimum you have medical coverage overseas. That could add up to... a huge amount in the case of a medical catastrophe. The cancel/interrupt coverage is at least mostly known in advance (not totally; returning home may cost extra, etc., but that's not a gigantic cost).
Be sure you understand what is and what is *not* covered.
We've had quite a few claims, including 2 large ones, and payment was prompt.
RM
This signature is a placebo. You are in the control group.
Re: Trip Protection Insurance?
Yes, I should add not all contracts are the same. Make sure you read what you are buying, especially the exceptions areas. Some cover everything. Ours did not.
You don't have to take what they recommend. The previous post had good tips.
You don't have to take what they recommend. The previous post had good tips.
- ResearchMed
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Re: Trip Protection Insurance?
One important thing I forgot.
I'm not sure when you made your very first payment (refundable or not), but you'll have the most choice of types of coverages if you start the insurance within 10-20 days of the FIRST payment. (It varies by state.)
That may or may not restrict things in terms of what you want, but the main restriction is likely for pre-existing medical conditions (last I checked, there was one insurer that would still cover this if started later, but one must be "fit to travel" on the day insurance is started), and also "cancel for any reason" (which has little in the way of work-around, but many people don't choose this; we do).
Double check, for example (in that 'fine print') how any illness in non-traveling family members is handled if this is relevant. This can vary a lot.
RM
I'm not sure when you made your very first payment (refundable or not), but you'll have the most choice of types of coverages if you start the insurance within 10-20 days of the FIRST payment. (It varies by state.)
That may or may not restrict things in terms of what you want, but the main restriction is likely for pre-existing medical conditions (last I checked, there was one insurer that would still cover this if started later, but one must be "fit to travel" on the day insurance is started), and also "cancel for any reason" (which has little in the way of work-around, but many people don't choose this; we do).
Double check, for example (in that 'fine print') how any illness in non-traveling family members is handled if this is relevant. This can vary a lot.
RM
This signature is a placebo. You are in the control group.
Re: Trip Protection Insurance?
I have never thought travel insurance made any sense and have never bought it. It is only worth paying a company to assume a risk that I cannot afford to bear myself. So, by that standard, homeowner's insurance is necessary, but laptop insurance is foolish. The loss of the price of recreational travel is one that we can by definition always afford, since whether we complete the trip as planned or lose the entire cost for some reason, after the trip we will be out the money. If we do lose the whole price of the trip, we have not lost any money, but only an experience that we had expected to be pleasant. Insuring against the loss of a pleasurable experience seems silly.
In the past fifty years of travel I have lost the cost of one flight due to the bankruptcy of the carrier.
In the past fifty years of travel I have lost the cost of one flight due to the bankruptcy of the carrier.
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Re: Trip Protection Insurance?
Some credit cards (particularly travel credit cards) may have some insurance baked in. Would check the terms of the card used to purchase the flight. This may not be enough insurance, but it should help you figure out what you want to purchase.
"Anyone who claims to understand quantum theory is either lying or crazy" -- Richard Feynman
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Re: Trip Protection Insurance?
That's an interesting way to look at it. If someone's uninsured house burns down, they have not lost any money at all, just the pleasurable experience of living in a house...
Seriously, I agree that insurance should be for things one cannot afford to lose. Travel insurance, in particular, is a bad deal for the price, much like "cancer insurance" or some such. Still, few people are entirely rational about such things. If travel insurance buys a reduction in anxiety, that is worth something.
Last edited by Chuckles960 on Fri Jul 23, 2021 12:09 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Trip Protection Insurance?
That is certainly part of travel insurance, but honestly any basic travel credit card will cover that part.Chuckles960 wrote: ↑Fri Jul 23, 2021 11:34 amThat's an interesting way to look at it. If someone's uninsured house burns own, they have not lost any money at all, just the pleasurable experience of living in a house...
Seriously, I agree that insurance should be for things one cannot afford to lose. Travel insurance, in particular, is a bad deal for the price, much like "cancer insurance" or some such. Still, few people are entirely rational about such things. If travel insurance buys a reduction in anxiety, that is worth something.
The parts that are more worrisome are having medical issues abroad. Am guessing based on the comments here this is an experience that you have fortunately not had to endure. For the rest of us that are either worried about that or having had first hand experience, having some kind of travel insurance the covers these medical aspects is a no brainer.
"Anyone who claims to understand quantum theory is either lying or crazy" -- Richard Feynman
Re: Trip Protection Insurance?
We bought our insurance last summer with medical in mind, since someone in our group on a previous trip had a medical emergency and it really paid off. The cancellation part was a bonus. But we didn't read it well and found out some cancellations were not covered. Oh well. No bonus for us.
BTW, if you are going with a group, check on the travel organizer too. Some are better than others. Last summer, many refunded everything. Ours did not, so we had to eat a good portion of our upfront payments.
BTW, if you are going with a group, check on the travel organizer too. Some are better than others. Last summer, many refunded everything. Ours did not, so we had to eat a good portion of our upfront payments.
Re: Trip Protection Insurance?
Another recommendation for TripInsuranceStore
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Re: Trip Protection Insurance?
don't most US health care insurers cover ER visits abroad? My plan isn't great, but ER visits are covered.tomsense76 wrote: ↑Fri Jul 23, 2021 11:43 amThat is certainly part of travel insurance, but honestly any basic travel credit card will cover that part.Chuckles960 wrote: ↑Fri Jul 23, 2021 11:34 amThat's an interesting way to look at it. If someone's uninsured house burns own, they have not lost any money at all, just the pleasurable experience of living in a house...
Seriously, I agree that insurance should be for things one cannot afford to lose. Travel insurance, in particular, is a bad deal for the price, much like "cancer insurance" or some such. Still, few people are entirely rational about such things. If travel insurance buys a reduction in anxiety, that is worth something.
The parts that are more worrisome are having medical issues abroad. Am guessing based on the comments here this is an experience that you have fortunately not had to endure. For the rest of us that are either worried about that or having had first hand experience, having some kind of travel insurance the covers these medical aspects is a no brainer.
"How Can I Get Emergency Medical Care?
You may get covered emergency medical care whenever you need it, from network or out of-network providers. These services may be covered anywhere including outside the United States.."
Re: Trip Protection Insurance?
Depends on your provider many do, some don't also Medicare does not. Also your medical insurance is unlikely to provide you evacuation insurance back to the US or even to a hospital in the country you are visiting. This likely isn't much of an issue in Paris, but you can bet I had evacuation insurance when I went to Easter Island for example.theplayer11 wrote: ↑Fri Jul 23, 2021 4:12 pm don't most US health care insurers cover ER visits abroad? My plan isn't great, but ER visits are covered.
"How Can I Get Emergency Medical Care?
You may get covered emergency medical care whenever you need it, from network or out of-network providers. These services may be covered anywhere including outside the United States.."
Re: Trip Protection Insurance?
policies that inexpensive are unlikely to cover "anything that may happen" and I'll bet it is pretty limited; comprehensive policies are going to be a few hundred dollars.Would it be better to add Delta's (Allianz Global) trip protection for $108? Would this cover anything that may happen
I agree with previous posters that insurance is for costly bills, such as medical (if not covered by your current medical insurance abroad) or for evacuation. Fortunately for less than $100 you can get primary coverage (meaning your current health insurer is not involved) along with evacuation. I've heard stories that secondary coverage can be a hassle, the last thing you need if you fall ill or are injured abroad. These policies often include a few other benefits such as a little coverage for lost luggage or trip delay.
I have used https://www.squaremouth.com/ for past trips, they have a nice search engine that lets you compare policies.
Note that policies for medical-only typically do not pay medical coverage for pre-existing conditions, usually with a 90-day or more lookback. You can get policies that waive pre-existing conditions but then you have to cover the full cost of the trip in the insurance coverage and purchase the policy within a week or so of your 1st payment to anyone for the trip.
For medical evacuation read the terms carefully no matter where you buy the policy. The best evacuation coverage would be something like medjet, but it ain't cheap. Some policies only cover "evacuation" to a hospital in the vicinity if the 1st hospital they take you to isn't capable of treating you. Others have clauses like this that seem like they'd get you home
An example of what appears to be more restrictive wording in a different policy (I am not a lawyer)Emergency Evacuation – means:
<snip>
c) Transportation to the adequate licensed medical facility nearest Your home to obtain further medical treatment or to recover, after being treated at a local licensed medical facility, and the onsite attending Physician determines that the Insured is medically able to be transported; or If the Emergency Evacuation Upgrade is selected and the appropriate cost has been paid, the following will also apply:
d) Transportation from an adequate licensed medical facility to an adequate licensed medical facility of Your choice for further treatment if the onsite attending Physician certifies that the Insured is medically able to travel.
I imagine it is almost never going to be "medically necessary" for you go be flown home as opposed to being treated in a modern country abroad.Medical Repatriation: If the local attending Legally Qualified Physician and the authorized travel assistance company determine that it is Medically Necessary for You to return to Your primary place of residence because of an unforeseen Sickness or Injury which is acute or life-threatening, the Transportation Expense incurred will be paid for Your return to Your primary place of residence or to a Hospital or medical facility closest to Your primary place of place of residence
Re: Trip Protection Insurance?
My wife had an appendicitis attack while on a cruise. The ship dropped us off in Kingston, Jamaica (first port of call) where she was taken by ambulance to a triage facility and then to a hospital for surgery. Thank goodness for credit cards because I had to front $20k for the surgery and subsequent hospital stay. We had travel insurance, and I called them prior to the surgery just to put them on notice. When my wife was able to be discharged, they paid for the cab to the airport, 2 first class seats back to the US (because she had just had surgery, they didn’t want her jammed into a coach seat), and a private car to take us from the airport to our home. They paid for my hotel while in Kingston, most meals, the ambulance, the deductibles that my medical coverage charged (my medical provider wound up covering the medical procedures, so I got my ?20k back), and we were reimbursed for most of the cruise that we missed.
I only bought the insurance to protect against a medical cancellation prior to departure. Never in my life did I think this would happen. Best $150 I ever spent.
I only bought the insurance to protect against a medical cancellation prior to departure. Never in my life did I think this would happen. Best $150 I ever spent.
Re: Trip Protection Insurance?
I thought I made a simple point, but you apparently did not grasp it, so let me repeat. Most people cannot afford to replace their house if it burns down, so yes, it should be insured. Most people can afford to replace a lost laptop, so no, it should not be insured. If a paid trip is lost the disappointed traveller has not actually lost a dime. So, there is big difference between losing a house which you have to replace somehow and losing a trip which you don't.Chuckles960 wrote: ↑Fri Jul 23, 2021 11:34 amThat's an interesting way to look at it. If someone's uninsured house burns down, they have not lost any money at all, just the pleasurable experience of living in a house...
Seriously, I agree that insurance should be for things one cannot afford to lose. Travel insurance, in particular, is a bad deal for the price, much like "cancer insurance" or some such. Still, few people are entirely rational about such things. If travel insurance buys a reduction in anxiety, that is worth something.
Spending money to accommodate an irrational belief is generally to be avoid by sensible people.
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Re: Trip Protection Insurance?
Glad there was good medical care close enough!Boatguy wrote: ↑Fri Jul 23, 2021 7:15 pm My wife had an appendicitis attack while on a cruise. The ship dropped us off in Kingston, Jamaica (first port of call) where she was taken by ambulance to a triage facility and then to a hospital for surgery. Thank goodness for credit cards because I had to front $20k for the surgery and subsequent hospital stay. We had travel insurance, and I called them prior to the surgery just to put them on notice. When my wife was able to be discharged, they paid for the cab to the airport, 2 first class seats back to the US (because she had just had surgery, they didn’t want her jammed into a coach seat), and a private car to take us from the airport to our home. They paid for my hotel while in Kingston, most meals, the ambulance, the deductibles that my medical coverage charged (my medical provider wound up covering the medical procedures, so I got my ?20k back), and we were reimbursed for most of the cruise that we missed.
I only bought the insurance to protect against a medical cancellation prior to departure. Never in my life did I think this would happen. Best $150 I ever spent.
(That's a worry in the back of our minds sometimes, but that's not an insurance issue...)
About pre-paying all those costs:
In many (most?) cases, yes, one must pay up front, or at least at discharge, meaning "out of pocket and then get reimbursed by the travel insurer".
We always travel with charge cards that have a total credit avaiable that is quite high. We don't necesarily carry those cards around with us during the day, however.
However, if some situations, if the money is a real problem, one can call the travel insurer and ask if they can arrange a guarantee or to wire at least some money to the medical provider, etc.
At one overseas hospital ER billing office there was a sign on the wall that said something about they would only accept payment guarantees from certain travel insurers, with a list. This was obviously a big time tourist destination
The big name insurers were listed, and I suspect that if they discussed it with another big insurer, that might work, too. It is definitely worth asking in costs are a problem.
However, in our case, if there's a medical emergency, we just want to be able to hand over charge card(s) and have everything proceed straightaway, etc.
(It is *not* the case in all other countries that ER's will start the care before arranging paymen, as they usually do here in the USA.)
RM
This signature is a placebo. You are in the control group.
Re: Trip Protection Insurance?
I find trip insurance to be a waste of money. The hassle factor to make a small claim, in addition to the high premiums relative to the benefit, make it not worth it to me.
Re: Trip Protection Insurance?
Not based upon my experience described in my post above. I wouldn’t describe ~$10k as a small claim.
Re: Trip Protection Insurance?
I buy Allianz Emergency Medical Travel Insurance from them directly for all our trips (cruises). I had an emergency medical incident on a long cruise and they paid all the travel expenses to get me home and all the shipboard medical.Geographer wrote: ↑Thu Jul 22, 2021 12:35 pm Next month I'm flying to Italy for a month, with a mini-trip to Ireland in the middle. Would it be better to add Delta's (Allianz Global) trip protection for $108? Would this cover anything that may happen during the mini-trip to Ireland, even though my flights aren't through Delta? Alternatively, I was thinking of using SafetyWing insurance for ~$50 to cover the whole trip. Any others I should consider for this situation?
I know absolutely nothing about trip insurance because I've never gotten it and never needed it, but in these days I'm sure it's important!
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Re: Trip Protection Insurance?
I have bought travel insurance a couple of times. I make sure it is primary coverage and has medical evacuation.
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Re: Trip Protection Insurance?
Do you really not understand the concept here? The day you buy a house you pay a down payment, take on debt through the mortgage, and acquire a house. Your net worth has not changed. Now you have a house, which among other things, is a financial asset. If the house burns down you lose that asset and your net worth takes a nose dive. It is against that loss that homeowner's insurance protects you.Chuckles960 wrote: ↑Sat Jul 24, 2021 2:28 pmIf trips aren't worth a dime, why do pay more than a dime for them? It's a mystery.
When you plunk down the money for that trip to Pago Pago of which you have always dreamed, your net worth goes down immediately, because you are not acquiring an asset, you are just consuming. Whether you get to take the trip as planned or you are stuck with an unexpected staycation, will not change your net worth by as much as that time. If you don't go you won't actually lose any money, just the pleasurable experience.
It is reasonable to pay an insurance to assume the risk that our house burns down, because that risk is too large for us to cover ourselves. But when we sign up for the all-expenses paid tour, we are deciding that we can indeed afford to consume that money which will then be gone, never to return.
Therefore, trip insurance is not protecting us against a financial loss that we cannot cover ourselves and so not worth it.
Re: Trip Protection Insurance?
cbeck wrote: ↑Sat Jul 24, 2021 6:06 pmDo you really not understand the concept here? The day you buy a house you pay a down payment, take on debt through the mortgage, and acquire a house. Your net worth has not changed. Now you have a house, which among other things, is a financial asset. If the house burns down you lose that asset and your net worth takes a nose dive. It is against that loss that homeowner's insurance protects you.Chuckles960 wrote: ↑Sat Jul 24, 2021 2:28 pmIf trips aren't worth a dime, why do pay more than a dime for them? It's a mystery.
When you plunk down the money for that trip to Pago Pago of which you have always dreamed, your net worth goes down immediately, because you are not acquiring an asset, you are just consuming. Whether you get to take the trip as planned or you are stuck with an unexpected staycation, will not change your net worth by as much as that dime. If you don't go, you won't actually lose any money, just the pleasurable experience.
It is reasonable to pay an insurance to assume the risk that our house burns down, because that risk is too large for us to cover ourselves. But when we sign up for the all-expenses paid tour, we are deciding that we can indeed afford to consume that money which will then be gone, never to return no matter what happens.
Therefore, trip insurance is not protecting us against a financial loss that we cannot cover ourselves and so not worth it.
Re: Trip Protection Insurance?
This is the best answer as far as I'm concerned. I can usually recoup all or part of the travel cost for a canceled trip, or even absorb the loss (airfare, hotels, cruise costs, etc). But I want to know I have someone on the hook for my medical expenses as the primary, and someone obligated to arrange for Medevac if my wife or I need it due to an accident or illness. I see travel insurance more like Catastrophic Medical coverage in most cases. These situations are so rare that the premiums are dirt cheap. You can learn this for yourself if you price out a few policies that allow you to add or eliminate the travel coverage.Tracker968 wrote: ↑Sat Jul 24, 2021 9:12 am I have bought travel insurance a couple of times. I make sure it is primary coverage and has medical evacuation.
Don't gamble; take all your savings and buy some good stock and hold it till it goes up, then sell it. If it don't go up, don't buy it. - Will Rogers
Re: Trip Protection Insurance?
My experience with this has been that you may be covered, but:theplayer11 wrote: ↑Fri Jul 23, 2021 4:12 pm don't most US health care insurers cover ER visits abroad? My plan isn't great, but ER visits are covered.
"How Can I Get Emergency Medical Care?
You may get covered emergency medical care whenever you need it, from network or out of-network providers. These services may be covered anywhere including outside the United States.."
1. there may be no out-of-network limit on costs above and beyond "customary" charges for care.
2. medical coding differences outside the U.S. may result in misinterpretation of what services you actually received, and reasonable efforts to resolve that may not succeed.
3. you still need to cover transportation from where you might need emergency care to where you can get appropriate treatment, which may not be a huge problem in developed countries and metro areas, but may be with more remote travel.
Having said that you can still be on the hook for huge expenses even with insurance because there's really no limit as to what a provider can charge you, but there is a limit on how much insurance will pay.
Last edited by tibbitts on Sat Jul 24, 2021 9:05 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Trip Protection Insurance?
So I just got a quote for just $72 for a trip paid with airline points, just the taxes and fees of about $500. So for $72, I can get $250K emergency medical expense coverage? Since a have a high deductible health insurance plan, this seems to good to be true. It's primary coverage, but I could just state I have other medical coverage when submitting a claim so it would be treated as secondary and pay my deductible.ResearchMed wrote: ↑Thu Jul 22, 2021 12:51 pmDo a search for "travel insurance" (or "trip insurance"?) here on BH. There are quite a few discussions that you might find helpful.Geographer wrote: ↑Thu Jul 22, 2021 12:35 pm Next month I'm flying to Italy for a month, with a mini-trip to Ireland in the middle. Would it be better to add Delta's (Allianz Global) trip protection for $108? Would this cover anything that may happen during the mini-trip to Ireland, even though my flights aren't through Delta? Alternatively, I was thinking of using SafetyWing insurance for ~$50 to cover the whole trip. Any others I should consider for this situation?
I know absolutely nothing about trip insurance because I've never gotten it and never needed it, but in these days I'm sure it's important!
We always get travel insurance, for both medical coverage and also in case of trip cancellation or interruption.
We recommend
www.TripInsuranceStore.com
but CALL, don't just rely upon the online summaries which simply cannot capture the pros and cons of each policy.
They are a broker and work with several travel insurers that they've vetted (meaning mostly that they pay!).
Do make SURE that at a minimum you have medical coverage overseas. That could add up to... a huge amount in the case of a medical catastrophe. The cancel/interrupt coverage is at least mostly known in advance (not totally; returning home may cost extra, etc., but that's not a gigantic cost).
Be sure you understand what is and what is *not* covered.
We've had quite a few claims, including 2 large ones, and payment was prompt.
RM
Is this correct? I never realize trip coverage was so cheap. I would be buying the policy just for the medical part, other coverages don't concern me really.
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Re: Trip Protection Insurance?
from reading the blogs, primary vs secondary is not a huge concern and for those with high deductibles, secondary is better.(and primary would be treated as secondary if you have other coverage)Tracker968 wrote: ↑Sat Jul 24, 2021 9:12 am I have bought travel insurance a couple of times. I make sure it is primary coverage and has medical evacuation.
"Primary (First Payer) Medical Coverage works best if your medical claim is less than the coverage amount. That’s because your travel insurance will pay the claim up to its limit. But, when the Primary travel insurance benefits are exhausted, your other insurance won’t count your deductibles and co-pays as paid."
Re: Trip Protection Insurance?
I've used World Nomads for travel insurance on a couple of trips. It was around 1-2% of the total trip cost, and IMO well worth it for a bit of peace of mind in the event of a medical emergency. I think their policies are actually underwritten by Allianz, but they seem pretty comprehensive.
They do have an age limit of either 65 or 70, which is probably one reason they're able to keep costs reasonable. I once priced insurance for a friend in her 70s through a different vendor and they wanted something ridiculous like $500 + $100 per $1000 of trip being insured. She didn't insure the trip itself (only medical/evacuation), but her cost was still 5X what I would have paid for full trip insurance.
They do have an age limit of either 65 or 70, which is probably one reason they're able to keep costs reasonable. I once priced insurance for a friend in her 70s through a different vendor and they wanted something ridiculous like $500 + $100 per $1000 of trip being insured. She didn't insure the trip itself (only medical/evacuation), but her cost was still 5X what I would have paid for full trip insurance.
Re: Trip Protection Insurance?
I think this is the best way to look at it. Get it with a contract for catastrophic issues, not trip cost replacement.spectec wrote: ↑Sat Jul 24, 2021 6:40 pmThis is the best answer as far as I'm concerned. I can usually recoup all or part of the travel cost for a canceled trip, or even absorb the loss (airfare, hotels, cruise costs, etc). But I want to know I have someone on the hook for my medical expenses as the primary, and someone obligated to arrange for Medevac if my wife or I need it due to an accident or illness. I see travel insurance more like Catastrophic Medical coverage in most cases. These situations are so rare that the premiums are dirt cheap. You can learn this for yourself if you price out a few policies that allow you to add or eliminate the travel coverage.Tracker968 wrote: ↑Sat Jul 24, 2021 9:12 am I have bought travel insurance a couple of times. I make sure it is primary coverage and has medical evacuation.
I was surprised how easy it is to get into medical trouble overseas. We had two group trips and both had someone in our group end up in the hospital or the equivalent of urgent care:
1) Broken ankle due to wonky steps at historic sites. All too easy to do, even for a 55 year old in this case.
2) Slight panic attack and directive by captain of airplane to seek medical care. If the captain says you go, you go.
On #2. We had a long trip and a long day. The wear and tear finally built up on one of our 60 somethings in our group. Unfortunately, it was while we were taxi-ing to the runway for the trip home. The eagle eye flight attendants saw her and felt she might have a medical event while we were over the Atlantic. They made the call to the captain who then made the call to return to gate. By then, she stopped sweating and breathing and was OK. But it doesn't matter. The captain says you gotta go, then you gotta go.
Re: Trip Protection Insurance?
Have you looked at insuremytrip.com? They compare quotes from different insurers, and I find the price to be the same as if I went on individual insurers' website when purchasing. It's a very handy site.Geographer wrote: ↑Thu Jul 22, 2021 12:35 pm Next month I'm flying to Italy for a month, with a mini-trip to Ireland in the middle. Would it be better to add Delta's (Allianz Global) trip protection for $108? Would this cover anything that may happen during the mini-trip to Ireland, even though my flights aren't through Delta? Alternatively, I was thinking of using SafetyWing insurance for ~$50 to cover the whole trip. Any others I should consider for this situation?
I know absolutely nothing about trip insurance because I've never gotten it and never needed it, but in these days I'm sure it's important!
I bought quite a few comprehensive coverage from insuremytrip whenever I traveled overseas. Don't remember the name of the insurers as each time it was different - the site gives you a nice comparison tool to shop around. On trips where I brought my parents for vacation, a trip insurance gave me peace of mind to cover medical emergencies. Sometimes I buy coverage with "cancel for any reason," if it's an expensive trip in a month I could possibly be tied up for work or something.
Of course nowadays it seems that most insurer made COVID a "foreseeable" factor, thus not eligible for any claims based on emergency interruptions.
Re: Trip Protection Insurance?
Just to be clear, I am not buying trip insurance because of the risk of the cost of the tour. I am buying it because the cost of a medical evacuation should one of us need that.cbeck wrote: ↑Sat Jul 24, 2021 6:06 pm
It is reasonable to pay an insurance to assume the risk that our house burns down, because that risk is too large for us to cover ourselves. But when we sign up for the all-expenses paid tour, we are deciding that we can indeed afford to consume that money which will then be gone, never to return.
Therefore, trip insurance is not protecting us against a financial loss that we cannot cover ourselves and so not worth it.
Our trip this year is to North Macedonia and Northern Greece. Lots of hiking.
And I think that every cruise we've been on has left at least one passenger at some port in an ambulance.
I guess if you have priced out the cost of a medical evacuation and can afford it, sure. We cannot. It seems like a good deal to us, because it is the difference between traveling and not.
Re: Trip Protection Insurance?
I don't buy trip insurance, but I do buy medical travel insurance.Naismith wrote: ↑Sun Jul 25, 2021 6:29 pmJust to be clear, I am not buying trip insurance because of the risk of the cost of the tour. I am buying it because the cost of a medical evacuation should one of us need that.cbeck wrote: ↑Sat Jul 24, 2021 6:06 pm
It is reasonable to pay an insurance to assume the risk that our house burns down, because that risk is too large for us to cover ourselves. But when we sign up for the all-expenses paid tour, we are deciding that we can indeed afford to consume that money which will then be gone, never to return.
Therefore, trip insurance is not protecting us against a financial loss that we cannot cover ourselves and so not worth it.
Our trip this year is to North Macedonia and Northern Greece. Lots of hiking.
And I think that every cruise we've been on has left at least one passenger at some port in an ambulance.
I guess if you have priced out the cost of a medical evacuation and can afford it, sure. We cannot. It seems like a good deal to us, because it is the difference between traveling and not.
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Re: Trip Protection Insurance?
Thanks for all the great responses guys, I completely agree with those of you advising not to insure against travel costs (flights, hotels, etc.) which are easily affordable -- however I do want to insure for medical emergencies. Looks like SafetyWing or World Nomads may be what I decide to go with, as it appears they both include coverage in the event of COVID.