Comparing Travel & Trip Insurance

[Jim DeLillo]

Who can give me some guidance on how to best compare travel & trip insurance?

There seems to be so many different combinations of benefits and coverage.

If I subscribe to global rescue, is medical & evac insurance still needed?

I am planning a trip in November that will take me from safaris in Kenya to a trek of Mt Kilimanjaro.

I am expecting to need heavy coverage.

=jim=

[InsureMyTrip]

Hi Jim! What an amazing trip!  It sounds like you need to talk this through with a licensed travel insurance professional. Your needs are a bit more complex than the average traveler's, due to the nature of your trip, so it's a smart idea to get detailed advice about your specific situation before you buy anything.  You'll definitely need comprehensive coverage; the best place to start is with looking at a comprehensive package plan, as they all contain medical evacuation coverage.  Some even include Hospital of Choice coverage, which may be a very desirable benefit for you.  But with an adventure component such as a trek of Kilimanjaro in your itinerary, there may be some additional benefits you need to explore.  I've let our Customer Care Center know about your inquiry, and they'll be happy to talk through the options with you even if you're not ready to buy.  We recommend you ask for Gail -- she is one of our most seasoned and knowledgeable representatives and would be more than happy to help.  Our number is 800-487-4722 and Gail's extension is 221.

[Susan Frost]

Hi Jim, curious what carrier you selected for your Travel Insurance. I will need travel insurance for my trip to London in August. And, I'm only familiar with Travel Guard. My trip won't be as adventurous as yours, but it is wise to have travel insurance. 

[Jim DeLillo]

I selected with Allianz, whose response is listed below (and also a widely used supplier).  I used them because I was able to work with the same agent that set up the travel for the Eclipse Trip.  

I did my research and compared features. Just like auto insurance, it is based on the limits of loss that your are seeking.  I chose a premium collection of services and higher limits, hence it was more highly priced than some others.

My advice, work with a trusted agent.  Select only what you need, some of it varies with duration. I chose 'cancel for any reason' as well as the 'pre-existing condition waiver'. The latter requires that you purchase the insurance within 14-days of putting the initial deposit on the trip.  Another reason to work with your travel arranger, if that is an option.

Hope that helps.

Happy travels!

=jim=

[Daniel Durazo]

Hi Jim,

I work for Allianz Global Assistance and I would recommend that you consider purchasing our Deluxe plan.  It is best suited for international travel in remote locations as it includes $1,000,000 in Emergency Medical Transportation coverage. You can learn more at http://www.allianztravelinsurance.com/aa/selectaplan.aspx?001003039... or call us at 866-884-3556.

Wherever you buy your travel insurance policy, I would urge you to read the policy thoroughly so that you understand the benefits and coverage levels, as well as important terms, conditions and exclusions.  Some policies may have an exclusion for extreme activities and your trek up Mt. Kilimanjaro may fit that bill.

Have a great trip!

Best,

Daniel Durazo

[Simon & Baker Travel Review]

One travel agent we worked with proposed a plan but we were turned off after discovering she made a commission from the policy if we bought it and hadn't mentioned that. We thought she should have mentioned she was selling their product on commission.

The last time we had extended itineraries such as the one you describe, after looking at several options and the feedback online, we bought a one year emergency and medical care evacuation policy. Since our main concern was safe health care in case of an emergency that worked best for us. There were other policies that covered trip interruption, cancellation, etc but the costs were not worth it for what we needed. We never had need to use it fortunately. Best of luck and happy travels!

Elena

[Allan Lynch]

Jim - I live in Canada so our insurance situations are much different. 

I do have a cousin who travels extensively to the US as well as overseas. On several occasions her late husband had to be airlifted home because of heart attacks. Their travel insurance was provided via the British Columbia Automobile Association. They were always pleased with the coverage and service they got. 

I also have travel insurance. But beyond the policy you buy is the need to let someone else know you have it, the details of coverage and how to get help. If you need the policy to kick in, is there someone with you who knows what to do and who to call? It's no good having coverage if no one knows.

[RoamRight]

Jim,

You’re right in that there are so many different combinations of benefits and coverage for travel insurance and travel medical insurance.  You’re clearly interested in medical coverage and based on your trip, we at RoamRight would agree with that decision. However, you may also want to consider travel insurance to cover expenses related to the trip in addition to medical coverage.  Travel insurance “package plans” have many types of insurance coverage built into them – trip cancellation, lost luggage, etc. Many of these plans have medical coverage built into them. It’s just a question of benefit limits and understanding how a medical emergency will be handled.

Based on your trip, there are a few things to consider when looking at policies:

Medical Coverage:

• Will your trek up Mt. Kilimanjaro be covered? Many medical plans have exclusions for  adventure sports such as mountain climbing. RoamRight has an Adventure Sports policy that covers mountain climbing up to 15,000 feet.
• How much medical coverage do you feel comfortable with? Many package plans have lower benefit limits than medical / evac only plans. We would recommend at minimum $100,000 in medical coverage for your trip to Kenya. For many package plans, including our Adventure Sports plan, this would require an upgrade in coverage.
• Will the plan provide coverage to take you to the nearest hospital, the nearest appropriate hospital, or even all the way home?
• Do you have any pre-existing medical conditions? This may limit your choice of policies, although many allow for controlled pre-existing conditions.

Travel Coverage:

• Is this your only international trip for the year? It may not be cost-effective to subscribe to an annual plan for just one trip.
• Do you want trip cancellation coverage? If you are unable to go on your trip, you’ll want a policy that will cover your deposits and prepaid expenses, such as safari reservations.
• Is security evacuation included? Some policies may not provide adequate protection during political instability or natural disasters.
• Can you cancel your trip for any reason? Many travel insurance policies only cover cancellation for specific reason.
• Do you want lost luggage coverage and how high of a benefit do you need? Are you taking high-quality camera equipment with you on your safari? Check to see that it is covered as well.

To view all of your options, we also encourage you to visit a travel insurance aggregator website, which can give you a side-by-side comparison for different policies from different providers. Of course, as with the other companies who have already responded to you, you’re more than welcome to contact us directly at 800-699-3845 or visit our website at www.roamright.com. We are proud to say that RoamRight is one of the only travel insurance providers whose policies are underwritten by an insurance company with an A.M. Best rating of A+ (Superior).

On a separate note, we couldn’t help but notice you were a photographer. We are currently running a travel photo contest where the winner can win a $500 airline voucher to any U.S. airlines. The submission deadline is March 7, 2013. We’d love for you to submit a photo!

[Jim DeLillo]

Thanks for all that responded. I am still trying to work out my options, but the clock is ticking. I have put my deposits down on the trips, so I have 14 days to make a decision so that any pre-existing conditions are covered.

It is all excellent advice. I do still have the question about adding Global Rescue https://www.globalrescue.com/plans.cfm, which is not an insurance policy, but a service that responds in emergency situations, including security (civil unrest). Do you think both insurance and an emergency service are required or will insurance be flexible enough?

As most of you have noted, the Kilimanjaro trip adds some concern, so it looks like I will be selecting the most comprehensive package that I can find.  In addition, it has to cover "cancel for any reason".

Thanks,

=jim=

[InsureMyTrip]

Hi Jim,

You may or may not need to add an emergency service onto your policy, depending on what you end up choosing.  Travel insurance package plans are comprehensive enough to include emergency medical evacuation, but as to whether civil unrest is covered, that would vary -- that's why it's probably best to just call someone and talk it through, even if you don't end up buying right then.  Also, if you must have Cancel for Any Reason coverage, Pre-Existing Conditions Waiver, and all the other types of benefits that you've discussed, that's a set of needs that should be handled with a fully licensed travel insurance expert to be absolutely 100% certain that you're going to get the coverage you desire.

Hope you are able to work out the best solution for your needs!

[Darla Rochers]

Sorry ofr bring up this old thread but just wanted to share the travel insurance marketplace I found by chance and based on their comparison chose to sign up with Allianz -- whenever traveling I use their backpacker insurance plan