- Accident
- A sudden, unexpected, unusual, specific event that occurs at an identifiable time and place, but shall also include exposure resulting from a mishap to a transport in which you are traveling.
- Accidental Injury
- Bodily injury to a covered person as a direct result of an accident.
- Accommodation
- Accommodation
- Actual Cash Value
- The purchase price of an item, less depreciation of the item’s value since you bought it.
- Baggage
- Personal property you take on your trip and the suitcases or other kinds of containers you use to carry them.
- Bankruptcy
- The filing of a petition for voluntary or involuntary bankruptcy in a court of competent jurisdiction under Chapter 7 or Chapter 11 of the United States Bankruptcy Code 11 L.S.C. Subsection 101 et seq.
- Bodily Injury
- Identifiable physical injury which is caused by an accident and is independent of disease or bodily infirmity.
- Business Partner
- An individual who: (a) is involved in a legal partnership; and/or (b) is actively involved in the day-to-day management of the business.
- Common Carrier
- Any land, sea, or air conveyance operating under a valid license for the transportation of passengers for hire.
- Covered Reasons
- The specific situations and events that are covered by a specific coverage or policy.
- Deductible
- The dollar amount you must contribute to the loss.
- Default
- A material failure or inability to provide contracted services due to financial insolvency.
- Dependent
- Your lawful spouse or unmarried children under 19 years of age.
- Destination
- A place more than 100 miles from your primary residence where you spend more than 24 hours of your trip.
- Domestic Partner
- A person who is at least eighteen years of age and you can show: 1) evidence of financial interdependence, such as joint bank accounts or credit cards, jointly owned property, and mutual life insurance or pension beneficiary designations; 2) evidence of cohabitation for at least the previous 6 months; and 3) an affidavit of domestic partnership if recognized by the jurisdiction within which they reside.
- Economy Fare
- The lowest published rate for an economy ticket.
- Effective Date
- The date and time your travel insurance coverage begins. This varies based on the type of plan purchased.
- Elective Treatment and Procedures
- Any medical treatment or surgical procedure that is not medically necessary including any service, treatment, or supplies that are deemed by the federal, or a state or local government authority, or by us to be research or experimental or that is not recognized as a generally accepted medical practice.
- Epidemic
- An outbreak of a contagious disease that spreads rapidly and widely and that is identified as an epidemic by The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
- Exotic Vehicles
- Expensive cars that may not be covered by a policy, including cars such as Alfa Romeo, Aston Martin, Auburn, Avanti, Bentley, Bertone, BMC/Leyland, BMW M Series, Bradley, Bricklin, Cosworth, Citroen, Clenet, De Lorean, Excalibre, Ferrari, Fiat, Iso, Jaguar, Jensen Healy, Lamborghini, Lancia, Lotus, Maserati, Morgan, Pantera, Panther, Pininfarina, Rolls Royce, Rover, Stutz, Sterling, Triumph, TVR, Yugo, Corvette, Mercedes Benz, Porsche, and MG. If you are renting a car on this list or similar to cars on this list, you should contact the provider before purchasing the policy.
- Family Member
- Your dependent, son or daughter (including adopted and those who are in the process of becoming adopted, foster, step or in-law), domestic partner’s son or daughter (including adopted and those who are in the process of becoming adopted, foster, step or in-law), brother or sister (including step or in-law), parent (including step or in-law), grandparent (including step or in-law), grandchild (including adopted and those who are in the process of becoming adopted, foster or step), aunt, uncle, niece, nephew, guardian, or ward.
- Financial Insolvency
- The total cessation or complete suspension of operations due to insolvency, with or without the filing of a bankruptcy petition, whether voluntary or involuntary, by a tour operator, cruise line, airline, rental car company, hotel, condominium, railroad, motor coach company, or other supplier of travel services which is duly licensed in the state(s) of operation other than the entity or the person, organization, agency or firm from whom you directly purchased or paid for your covered trip. There is no coverage for the total cessation or complete suspension of operations for losses caused by fraud or negligent misrepresentation by the supplier of travel services.
- Hazard
- (a) Any delay of a common carrier (including inclement weather); (b) any delay by a traffic accident en route to a departure, in which you or a traveling companion is not directly involved; (c) any delay due to lost or stolen passports, travel documents or money, quarantine, hijacking, unannounced strike, natural disaster, civil commotion or riot; (d) a closed roadway causing cessation of travel to the destination of the trip (substantiated by the department of transportation, state police, etc.).
- Hospital
- A facility that (a) holds a valid license if it is required by the law; (b) operates primarily for the care and treatment of sick or injured persons as in-patients; (c) has a staff of one or more physicians available at all times; (d) provides twenty-four (24)-hour nursing service and has at least one registered professional nurse on duty or call; (e) has organized diagnostic and surgical facilities, either on the premises or in facilities available to the hospital on a prearranged basis; and (f) is not, except incidentally, a clinic, nursing home, rest home, or convalescent home for the aged, or similar institution.
- Host at Destination
- A person with whom you are sharing pre-arranged overnight accommodations at the host’s usual principal place of residence.
- Illness
- Sickness, infirmity or disease. It doesn’t include conditions you already had or knew about when you purchased your plan.
- Inclement Weather
- Any severe weather condition that delays the scheduled arrival or departure of a common carrier.
- Injury
- Bodily harm caused by an accident which: 1) occurs while your coverage is in effect under the plan; and 2) requires examination and treatment by a physician. The Injury must be the direct cause of loss and must be independent of all other causes and must not be caused by, or result from, sickness.
- Insured
- An eligible person who arranges a covered trip, and pays any required plan payment.
- Inpatient
- Someone who receives medical or dental treatment while registered as a bed patient in a hospital or other licensed provider. Room and board is charged for the patient’s stay, in addition to charges for medical treatment and care.
- Land/Sea Arrangements
- Any activities undertaken by you while in the individual coverage term.
- Loss
- Injury or damage sustained by you in consequence of happening of one or more of the occurrences against which the company has undertaken to indemnify you.
- Maximum Benefit
- The largest total amount of covered expenses that the company will pay for your covered losses.
- Medical Condition
- A physical condition you have, or have symptoms of, that you have seen or been advised to see a doctor about; have symptoms of that would cause a prudent person to see a doctor; and/or are taking prescribed medication for.
- Medically Necessary
- Treatment that’s appropriate for your illness or injury, consistent with your symptoms, and that can safely be provided to you. It meets the standards of good medical practice and isn’t for your convenience or the provider’s convenience.
- Natural Disaster
- A large-scale extreme weather or environmental event that damages property, disrupts transportation, or endangers people. Examples include: earthquake, fire, flood, hurricane or volcanic eruption.
- Outpatient
- Someone who receives medical or dental treatment but doesn’t have to stay at a hospital for overnight care.
- Pandemic
- An epidemic over a wide geographic area that affects a large portion of the population.
- Physician
- A licensed practitioner of medical, surgical or dental services acting within the scope of his or her license. The treating physician may not be you, a traveling companion, or a family member.
- Pre-Existing Condition
- Any injury, sickness or condition of you, or your traveling companion, your family member booked to travel with you for which within the 60-180 period prior to the effective date of Trip Cancellation coverage under the policy (a) first manifested itself or exhibited symptoms which would have caused one to seek diagnosis, care or treatment; (b) required taking prescribed drugs or medicine, unless the condition for which the prescribed drug or medicine is taken remains controlled without any change in the required prescription; or (c) required medical treatment or treatment was recommended by a physician. The Pre-Existing Conditions exclusion is waived for you if you enroll in the plan at the time you pay the deposit required for the trip (or within 10-30 days of the initial deposit) and you purchase the coverage under the plan for the full cost of the trip.
- Quarantine
- Mandatory isolation or restrictions on where you can go, intended to stop a contagious disease from spreading.
- Reasonable and Customary Costs
- What customers would usually be charged for a specific service in a particular geographic area. The charges are appropriate to the availability of the service, and of skilled and licensed service providers.
- Refund
- Cash or a credit or voucher for future travel that you get from a travel agent, tour operator, airline, cruise line or other travel supplier, or any credit, recovery or reimbursement you get from your employer, another insurance company, a credit card issuer or any other entity.
- Scheduled Departure Date
- The date on which you are originally scheduled to leave on the trip.
- Scheduled Return Date
- The date on which you are originally scheduled to return to the point of origin or to a different final destination.
- Severe Weather
- Hazardous weather conditions, like fog, a hailstorm or severe rainstorm, a blizzard, or an ice storm.
- Sickness
- An illness or disease which is diagnosed or treated by a physician after the effective date of insurance and while you are covered under the policy.
- Strike
- Any unannounced labor disagreement that interferes with the normal departure and arrival of a common carrier.
- Subrogation
- Steps the travel insurance company takes, after paying a claim, to collect from other available sources such as other insurance plans or travel suppliers.
- Travel Supplier
- A tour operator, airline, cruise line or other travel service provider.
- Traveling Companion
- A person booked to accompany you on your trip. A group or tour leader is not considered a traveling companion unless you are sharing room accommodations with the group or tour leader.
- Trip
- Prepaid land or sea arrangements and shall include flight connections to join or depart such land or sea arrangements provided such flights are scheduled to commence within one day of the land or sea arrangements.
- Unlawful Acts
- Felonies committed by you, a traveling companion, or a family member, even if the family member isn’t covered by your plan.
- Uninhabitable
- A natural disaster, fire, flood, burglary, or vandalism causes enough damage to make a reasonable person find their home unfit for use.
Month: May 2015
Who is Covered in My Travel Insurance Plan?
Are my kids included in this plan? What if my father is injured at home when I’m away? Can my girlfriend/boyfriend be on my plan too?
First, for the most part, you can insure all the travelers on one plan. The InsureMyTrip online quote tool allows you to insure up to 10 travelers under the age of 100. It is crucial you include the ages of all the travelers in the quoting process for them to be included in the coverage.
Each provider and each plan has a different way of addressing types of travelers and non-travelers. It’s crucial to understand how the plan covers each person. If you have to file a claim at any point, this information will help the process remain stress-free.
Children
Insuring your kids when you travel is worth it. Kids are wacky with wild imaginations that sometimes result in scrapes, bruises or even broken bones. Not to mention, they are germ magnets! Whether you are traveling domestically or internationally, adding your children to your travel insurance plan will add a level of security to your travel investment that may be the most at risk. Don’t let another ear infection cost you hundreds of dollars in rescheduling or cancellation fees!
Huge Benefit: Many providers have plans that cover your children at no additional cost.
Residing in Different States
If travelers live in different states, you’ll most likely need two plans. While some providers may have the ability to sell plans to residents of different states, it’s rare. Most states have their own regulations for travel insurance, meaning the plan details can be different for each traveler.
Huge Benefit: Any necessary claims process will be streamlined with two plans because you won’t need to gather documentation across state lines.
Domestic Partners
If you are traveling with a girlfriend or boyfriend that you live with, you can both be covered by the same policy. Most providers include a domestic partner as a family member. Typically, in the case of a claim, providers may request proof of cohabitation and financial interdependence (credit card statements, joint accounts or a shared lease agreement). In some cases, providers may want to see an affidavit of domestic partnership, if recognized by your state.
Huge Benefit: This documentation also can extend to benefits if a domestic partner is a non-traveler.
Non-Travelers
Remember, coverage and benefits extend to only travelers. Your travel medical coverage will not help a non-traveler and they cannot file a claim for lost baggage. Your travel insurance plan does, however, cover you for travel interruption, cancellation or delay in the case of a non-traveler causing this need. For example, if one of a parent falls and breaks a hip or a child becomes ill. It may be prudent to ask about how pre-existing conditions affect the plan as many providers look at this differently for travelers and non-travelers alike.
Huge Benefit: You can get home as soon as possible without worry about your travel costs if you are needed at home due to illness or death of a family member.
Disclaimer: The information contained in this article serves as a general overview of benefits and should only be used for informational purposes. Refer to your individual certificate of insurance for specific coverages, exclusions and benefits. When in doubt, please contact one of our licensed agents for additional assistance.
Do I Need Travel Insurance?
The short answer is: Maybe; if you are planning a trip and hypersensitive to unknown medical expenses or lost money due to cancellation – travel insurance will most likely be right for you.
A Quick Checklist for Needing Travel Insurance
- Are you traveling abroad or more than 100 miles away from home?
- Are you hyper-aware of the cost of your travel arrangements?
- Are you concerned an injury or illness of you or a loved one may affect your trip?
- Are you traveling during a heightened risk of severe weather, like the holidays or hurricane season?
- Does your trip include prepaid home rentals, car rentals or event tickets?
Travel insurance isn’t a great investment for every trip, however. A road trip to Grandma’s house probably doesn’t need to be insured – unless your road trip takes you coast to coast. Likewise, a couple planning a weekend getaway close to home probably won’t need it. Anybody traveling abroad or more than 100 miles from home should consider travel insurance as a serious investment.
Buying a plan is a smart move if you are feeling cautious about the cost of your trip, possible illness or injury of you or a loved one, or potential weather-related cancellations or interruption. Travel insurance can add an extra level of protection if you are traveling with any children. In most cases, children can be added to a plan without any additional cost to the premium. Whether your trip is short or extended, we can find a plan to cover you and your companions.
When considering a plan, take inventory of the components of your trip. Pre-paid vacation home rentals, car rentals, and event tickets are more unconventional items to insure, yet they can be costly if forfeited due to an unexpected circumstance. If these costs are added into the total pre-paid cost of the trip, a comprehensive travel insurance plan could protect you if your trip should be cancelled or interrupted.
If you still aren’t sold on the idea, give us a call! We have travel insurance experts licensed in your state ready to answer your questions and find the right plan for you. Or, browse the Travel Insurance Review section of our website to see what previous customers have said about their purchase and experience.
Disclaimer: The information contained in this article serves as a general overview of benefits and should only be used for informational purposes. Refer to your individual certificate of insurance for specific coverages, exclusions and benefits. When in doubt, please contact one of our licensed agents for additional assistance.
What Should I Expect from Travel Insurance?
If you have never purchased travel insurance, you may be wondering what to expect from the buying process. What kinds of questions will you be asked? How much should a travel insurance plan cost? What do you need to know before you buy a plan?
One of the telltale signs of an inferior travel insurance plan is that it may be offered to you as an “add-on” when booking a trip. Buying a plan this way will not require any additional information from you to insure your trip.
A quality, comprehensive travel insurance plan will require you to enter some necessary information about yourself, any traveling companions and your trip before you will be able to receive a travel insurance quote and make a purchase.
However, purchasing travel insurance does not need to be complicated. You should not be asked for personal information, such as your Social Security number, primary health insurance details or driver’s license number. Any travel insurance site that requires these types of personal disclosures from you is likely untrustworthy.
Information you should need to provide when buying travel insurance
- Names and ages (and possibly birth dates) of yourself and your traveling companions. Age is a requirement and helps to determine the price of the plan.
- Country and state of residency are minimum requirements that will determine which plans are legally available to you. Your full home address may be asked for later in the process so that the travel insurance company can contact you as needed.
- The primary destination of your trip – the place to which you’ll be traveling for the greatest length of time, or the place you’re visiting first – will help to quantify the level of risk in your travel plans. It’s not necessary to provide every destination on your list if you are going to multiple places.
- Dates of travel, which helps determine both which plans will provide you with adequate coverage and what the price may be.
- The total pre-paid, non-refundable cost of your trip. Since travel insurance pricing is based, in part, on what the reimbursable value of your trip might be, it’s essential to have this information on hand before you begin the process of purchasing travel insurance. Since some travel insurance plans require you to insure the full amount of your trip cost to receive benefits, it’s important to be as accurate as possible.
With this information, you should be able to get a travel insurance quote and begin the process of purchasing a plan. You may also be asked for information such as a phone number or email address at which the travel insurance company can contact you. Please know the name of any tour company that may be providing some of your travel experiences; and whether or not you, a travel companion, or a non-traveling family member might have any pre-existing medical conditions which might interfere with your travel plans.
You should never be expected to purchase a travel insurance plan without at least being able to see a sampling of the coverage and benefits it would offer. If you are not able to read the plan details in full before purchasing, you should be offered a review period in which you can receive the plan from the company. Read it and, no worries, return it for a full refund if it does not meet your expectations. These safeguards ensure that you will be able to verify that you’re satisfied with the terms of any plan you do purchase.
Disclaimer: The information contained in this article serves as a general overview of benefits and should only be used for informational purposes. Refer to your individual certificate of insurance for specific coverages, exclusions and benefits. When in doubt, please contact one of our licensed agents for additional assistance.
What is Driveway to Driveway Coverage?
“I’ve been researching travel insurance, and someone mentioned to me that I needed to get driveway-to-driveway coverage for my trip. I’m not sure I need that. What is it and why should I get it?”
“Driveway-to-driveway” coverage is a term that sometimes gets tossed around in the travel insurance industry. It’s just another way of saying that we always recommend that travelers get insurance to cover them from the moment they leave their home, until the moment they return. In general, this term mainly applies to people who are buying comprehensive plans, which offer coverage for many concerns, including trip cancellation, travel delay, baggage loss, and medical benefits.
Sometimes, it may seem like driveway-to-driveway coverage is more than you need. For example, we often hear from travelers who intend to begin or end their scheduled trips by visiting with family or friends along the way. While it’s true that you’re more likely to need your travel insurance coverage while you’re, say, touring France than while you’re relaxing at Aunt Sally’s home in Florida on the way back, that doesn’t mean that driveway-to-driveway coverage isn’t a smart idea. Most travel insurance companies will, in fact, require you to purchase a policy that covers your entire trip; but even if that weren’t the case, there are still other good reasons to do so:
Inconveniences like flight delays and cancellations, or lost luggage, can happen at any point in time – even on the way to or from Aunt Sally’s house.
The “unforeseen” is just that: Unforeseen. Severe weather, airline strikes, and other disruptions could derail your travel plans whenever you’re away from home.
As long as your scheduled trip is less than 30 days in length – that’s from the time you leave your house until you arrive back at your front door – a driveway-to-driveway travel insurance policy likely won’t be any more expensive than one that covers your trip to France. In other words, most travel insurance companies are only concerned with how much your trip costs, not how many stops you’re making, or how many days you’ll be gone.
Disclaimer: The information contained in this article serves as a general overview of benefits and should only be used for informational purposes. Refer to your individual certificate of insurance for specific coverages, exclusions and benefits. When in doubt, please contact one of our licensed agents for additional assistance.
Can You Help Me Understand My Travel Insurance Policy?
Travel insurance is not a significant commitment, but it is the best one you can make when traveling. That said, if you don’t understand the policy you purchased, you could be giving yourself a false sense of security.
You can avoid future claims frustrations by thoroughly reading and understanding the benefits and coverage outlined in the policy. Some providers even offer a review period, allowing you to go over the intricacies of the policy and giving options to cancel and change plans if the current one does not meet your needs.
Every plan is different from another. There is no cookie cutter way to explain a plan, but you should focus on critical components of the plan to review.
Travel Insurance Plan Details to Understand
- Benefits included in your policy
- Coverage limits, so you know exactly how much protection you have
- Company reasons and thresholds, which vary by insurance plan and provider
- Exclusions, which are crucial to a streamlined claims process
- Contact information for the provider, in case you need assistance or to file a claim
While the documents can be lengthy and filled with legal jargon, licensed InsureMyTrip representatives are ready to answer any questions you may have regarding a policy. We encourage you to ask questions during the buying process as well as during the review period if your policy has one. Be sure your plan covers all your needs and all your travelers to ensure your total protection.
Disclaimer: The information contained in this article serves as a general overview of benefits and should only be used for informational purposes. Refer to your individual certificate of insurance for specific coverages, exclusions and benefits. When in doubt, please contact one of our licensed agents for additional assistance.
What are the Travel Insurance ‘Must Knows’?
Travel Insurance is a smart investment for many people, but it can be confusing if you have never purchased a plan before or still unfamiliar with its nuances. Below you’ll find high level information about travel insurance, why it is important for every traveler, and how to stay prepared in case you do need to use the coverage.
How Does Travel Insurance Work?
Unlike home insurance or car insurance, travel insurance is purchased on a need basis for either individual trips or an annual term. The most popular type of travel insurance is a comprehensive plan which will provide a level of coverage for trip concerns, like trip cancellation or travel delay – and for emergency medical care.
What is the Purpose of Travel Insurance?
Simple: to protect a financial investment in travel and one’s self from expensive emergency medical bills. While travel insurance cannot prevent travel mishaps, it can assist travelers in paying for or being reimbursed for unexpected changes in travel plans or emergency medical care – including evacuation costs, if needed.
What to Expect When Purchasing Travel Insurance
Depending on where you purchase your travel insurance plan, your experience will be very different. When you purchase a plan from a travel agent or the travel supplier (cruise line or airline), you may not be getting the right coverage for your entire trip. Purchasing a plan from a third-party comparison site allows you to review the options, compare plans and find the right plan that meets your specialized coverage needs.
How Much Should Travel Insurance Cost?
Generally, your coverage should cost 4-10% of your trip cost. The premium of a plan will range due to the level of coverage and maximum benefits available in the plan. It’s important to understand how to calculate your trip cost correctly so you do not overpay (or underpay) for a plan.
Understanding Your Travel Insurance Policy
Like homeowners or car insurance, travel insurance policies have inclusions, exclusions and time specifications you will want to be aware of before you purchase the plan. Each travel insurance plan will vary from each other, so it is important to read the policy details (or rather, certificate) upon purchasing the plan. It is available for review before purchase on the website, however we recommend buying the plan as some benefits may vary due to the state you reside in and this certificate is delivered to you digitally soon after you purchase it. Most plans will allow you a review period, with some stipulations, where you can decide whether you need the plan after reviewing it.
What is a Review Period?
Most travel insurance companies allow up to 10 days to review a plan you have purchased. Essentially, this is grace period that allows you to read through the policy and decide if you purchased the right level of coverage. During this time you can cancel your policy, if you don’t think it’s necessary, or make adjustments to it to scale your benefits up or down.
Avoiding Travel Insurance Claims Issues
One of the biggest reasons travelers become dissatisfied with travel insurance is due to issues with filing a claim. Before you travel it’s important to know exactly what you need in case filing a claim is necessary. We recommend keeping all your receipts, having your policy number handy and keeping the correct phone numbers for your travel insurance company close by. This will help reduce frustrations during a claim process.
Disclaimer: The information contained in this article serves as a general overview of benefits and should only be used for informational purposes. Refer to your individual certificate of insurance for specific coverages, exclusions and benefits. When in doubt, please contact one of our licensed agents for additional assistance.
Calculating Trip Cost for Travel Insurance
Correctly calculating trip cost is vital to finding the right travel insurance plan. Your final trip cost will have a hand in determining the price of a plan. Sometimes, travelers get tripped up when they hear trip cost because they assume it includes every expense made while traveling. However, the “insurable” trip cost is not the same as “total” trip cost.
What Does Insurable Trip Cost Mean?
Essentially, you can only add prepaid, non-refundable expenses to a travel insurance plan. In other words, you can only insure the amount of prepaid costs that will not be refunded entirely in the event of a covered cancellation.
Typically, these expenses comprise of airline tickets, cruise costs, and even hotels, tours, and prepaid excursions. Almost all plans insure expenditures like event tickets or theme park admissions too. Expenses like tuition or class fees and popular expenses for business trips are also insurable, but only with specific companies.
How Do I Calculate Trip Cost?
Calculating trip cost may not be as straightforward as we would all hope. For instance, costs that you do not have to pay before traveling, but will be assessed in the event of a covered cancellation, can be insured. Any money that you would lose if you have to cancel your trip before departure, or on the day of, is what you want to insure.
If you are booking a flight using frequent flyer miles, understand they cannot be added to your trip cost for a travel insurance plan. Only the government taxes and fees associated with the frequent flyer miles can be insured, but the miles/points may not. This is because the credit card or airline will have a way of reimbursing the points or miles.
The price of a travel insurance plan and the benefit eligibility rely on trip cost. Remember, you must insure 100% of your prepaid, non-refundable expenses to be eligible for certain benefits. Don’t forget that you can always add trip cost to your plan after purchase. The key is to purchase a plan as soon as you make your first trip payment or book your flights. If you add costs as you get closer to your departure date, you can add this to your insured trip cost, but know those additions to your trip cost may result in a higher premium due to some benefit levels increasing.
Disclaimer: The information contained in this article serves as a general overview of benefits and should only be used for informational purposes. Refer to your individual certificate of insurance for specific coverages, exclusions and benefits. When in doubt, please contact one of our licensed agents for additional assistance.
Travel Insurance for Couples
Call us hopeless romantics, but when we think of couples traveling together, we can’t help but think of all the travel insurance facts they need to know to protect their trip. While married couples living together will find it easier to insure a trip together, non-married couples need to be a little more aware. Here are some lesser-known tidbits that could help you and your significant other avoid unexpected travel costs and stay focused on each other.
Proof of Domestic Partnership
Most travel insurance companies will allow you and your domestic partner to be listed on the same plan and define the two of you as family members. Depending on the policy you choose, documentation of your partnership may be needed if you file a claim. The provider might ask for proof that you and your partner have shared a home for a specified amount of time. This could be anywhere from six months to a year. The company may also ask you to provide documents showing that the two of you are financially interdependent in some way. This could be determined through a copy of a shared lease or a jointly held bank account. Keep in mind, these benefits may be contingent on whether the state you reside in legally recognize domestic partnerships.
Living Separately, Insuring Together
If you and your significant other live separately, you may not be able to be covered under the same travel insurance plan. While insurance companies generally prefer that everyone on a plan are residents of the same household, it may not be a requirement for all plans. If you and your valentine are living separately but insuring together, be aware that any paperwork related to your plan – particular in the event of the claim – will only be sent to one of you (the person listed as the primary traveler on the insurance plan itself).
If the two of you happen to live in separate states, you may not be legally able to share a plan since states’ regulations vary, but in many other cases travel insurance for couples is available. A call to our Customer Care Center would be the best way to find out if there’s any policy that will allow you to insure jointly in this instance.
Disclaimer: The information contained in this article serves as a general overview of benefits and should only be used for informational purposes. Refer to your individual certificate of insurance for specific coverages, exclusions and benefits. When in doubt, please contact one of our licensed agents for additional assistance.
What is the Purpose of Travel Insurance?
Travel insurance is often seen as a “luxury” purchase or something that’s “nice to have, but not necessary.” At InsureMyTrip we know this isn’t true because we’ve talked to the travelers who regret not buying a plan and those who are grateful they did.
While travel insurance cannot prevent mishaps from occurring, it can reduce the burden of unexpected expenses and additional travel arrangements that need to be taken care of with very little notice. Travel insurance plans seek to provide you with the peace of mind if a delay, cancellation, natural disaster or terrorist event impact your plans.
3 Reasons Why Travel Insurance is Worth It
- Protect the cost of your trip if you have a travel delay or need cancellation.
- Offset added expenses due to a travel delay or lost, delayed or damaged luggage.
- Protect from expensive medical bills in case you are injured or become ill while traveling abroad.
Just as with other kinds of insurance, a travel insurance plan will have stated benefits, stated exclusions and limitations. It’s not a one-size-fits-all product, so it’s crucial to read any plan’s terms carefully and fully understand them before purchasing. Often, travel insurance companies may provide a review period, which allows you to buy a policy, read it thoroughly and return it for a refund should you find that you are not entirely comfortable with its terms. However, some companies may charge a small non-refundable service fee if canceling within the review period. Many claims issues eventually arise because travelers are not aware of the plan’s limitations.
Travel insurance is also often intended to act as a supplement to insurance coverage you may already have; this is the difference between “primary” and “secondary” coverage. Secondary coverage helps provide you with a safety net in the case of an unforeseen event that disrupts your trip. The most common “secondary” coverage on a comprehensive travel insurance plan are emergency travel medical benefits. A travel insurance plan may help bridge the gap in your health insurance to better protect you against an unforeseen medical emergency that happens while you’re away from home.
You’ll have to file a claim through your primary health coverage first, and expenses that are denied may be covered, up to the stated limit, by the travel insurance company. It is important to know what your primary health insurance will cover, and also what your secondary travel insurance will as well.
In other cases, homeowner’s insurance or insurance offered as part of your credit card membership may give you some protection against financial loss in the event your belongings are lost or damaged. A comprehensive travel insurance plan supplements those benefits with secondary coverage that can offer additional protection.
Knowing what travel insurance is intended to do – and what it’s not – can help answer some of the most fundamental questions you may have about purchasing a travel insurance plan for your next trip. If you plan on taking a cruise for your upcoming trip, you may want to compare cruise insurance plans specifically; InsureMyTrip can help with that too.
Disclaimer: The information contained in this article serves as a general overview of benefits and should only be used for informational purposes. Refer to your individual certificate of insurance for specific coverages, exclusions and benefits. When in doubt, please contact one of our licensed agents for additional assistance.