Author: ewilmw

What to Expect When Buying 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.

What Information Do You Need to Provide?

Information you should need to provide when buying travel insurance

1. 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.
2. 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.
3. 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.
4. Dates of travel, which helps determine both which plans will provide you with adequate coverage and what the price may be.
5. 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.

What Happens After You Get a Quote?

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.

What Is Driveway-to-Driveway Travel Insurance?

“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.

Why Full-Trip Coverage Matters

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.

Will It Cost More to Cover the Whole Trip?

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.

Why Understanding Your Travel Insurance Policy Matters

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.

What Should You Look for in a Travel Insurance Plan?

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.

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.

Is Travel Insurance Really Necessary?

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

1. Protect the cost of your trip if you have a travel delay or need cancellation.
2. Offset added expenses due to a travel delay or lost, delayed or damaged luggage.
3. Protect from expensive medical bills in case you are injured or become ill while traveling abroad.

Understand Plan Terms and Limitations

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.

How Travel Insurance Works with Other Coverage

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.

Know What Travel Insurance Can and Can’t Do

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.

What Is Travel Insurance & How Does It Work?

Travel insurance is a safety net that you can purchase to help you protect your travel investment in case of unexpected events that have a negative impact on your travel plans. It works quite similarly to other insurance policies in the following ways:

1. Purchase travel insurance before anything actually happens to disrupt your trip. Once the event has occurred, like an act of terrorism, illness or severe weather, you can no longer purchase a plan to cover that or any related events.
2. Read the chosen plan carefully before buying it. You’ll want to understand exactly what your insurance company will cover and what they won’t.
3. Provide documentation of your issue while filing a claim. This documentation could be a medical bill, statement from the airline or a flight schedule depending on the situation.
4. Pay your own costs up-front (most likely). Travel insurance primarily works in a reimbursement structure. You will get reimbursed from the travel insurance company if they approve your claim.

What Does Travel Insurance Typically Cover?

Travel insurance is available for a wide variety of concerns, from delays or cancellation of your trip to medical and evacuation services. Frequently, travelers who are looking for plans end up buying comprehensive travel insurance plans. The right comprehensive plan can provide coverage for a number of things and will include varying levels of coverage for trip cancellation and interruption, some baggage loss and medical emergencies. Some will also offer additional or optional coverage such as a waiver of pre-existing conditions, accidental death or the Cancel for Any Reason benefit.

Travel Insurance for Over 50

Whether travelers over 50 are going abroad for business, seeking adventure activities, or want to relax while the kids play, rest assured that there are suitable coverages for many types of trips. Adventurous travelers planning a vacation that includes sporty activities like surfing or skiing might be inclined to add a hazardous sports rider to their plan. Travel medical plans need this rider to cover treatment for any injuries related to risky activities.

For golf trips, we highly recommend comprehensive travel insurance plans which may include coverage for medical expenses, trip cancellations, and lost or damaged luggage. These coverages do have their own limits, so be sure to review the details of your plan before purchasing. Special considerations should be taken for high-value items like expensive golf gear.

Some travelers in their 50s are empty nesters or have children at home. If you want to travel without your kids, certain travel insurance coverage like trip interruption can offer reimbursement for a trip if you need to return home early for covered medical reasons. Trip interruption can take affect whether something happens to a traveler on the trip or to an immediate family member back at home. The details of your policy will offer the most up-to-date information on these benefits.

Travel Insurance for Over 60

Travelers over 60 years old often prioritize travel medical insurance to address their personal health concerns while traveling. A comprehensive travel insurance plan may include health- and travel-related benefits alike to give travelers the greatest amount of protection during a trip. Mature travelers tend to plan their trips more carefully, but even the most well-planned trips may be subject to some unavoidable circumstances.

Cancellations are sometimes necessary for a variety of reasons. Whether it be due to family, weather, a medical event, or something else, travel insurance may include coverages to reimburse travelers who can’t attend their planned trip. Trip Cancellation and Cancel For Any Reason may be able to refund travelers for otherwise nonrefundable expenses. These coverages may prove to be especially useful for travelers in their 60s who plan to go abroad with their kids or older parents, or who have older parents back at home.

Historically, travelers over 60 are also more likely to travel at least twice annually. Recurring trips can be insured to save travelers time when they know they’ll be taking another trip in the future.

Travel Insurance for Over 70

At 65, U.S. passport-holders may be wondering whether Medicare can cover medical treatment in another country. Unfortunately, the answer is usually no. Supplemental plans with some additional coverage may be available from Medicare.gov, but these plans do still have limits for international travelers. Travelers over 65 are recommended to understand these limitations and fill in any gaps in healthcare coverage with travel medical insurance.

When traveling at 70 years old or above, it becomes increasingly important to know how to travel to another country with prescription medications.

Travel Insurance for Over 75

Lost baggage or travel delays can take a toll on travelers of any age but may be especially difficult for those over 75. It may become necessary to purchase meals, essential items, or a hotel room during a longer delay, and your travel insurance plan may be able to offer some reimbursement with necessary expenses when your delay meets the minimum requirements. Be sure to keep receipts from your purchases when planning to make a claim.

As for activities, laid-back leisures like wine tasting and river cruising are common among the itineraries of travelers over 75. Trips that include activities such as fishing with your own equipment may also benefit from travel insurance for lost and damaged luggage. Travel medical coverage is always recommended for trips away from home for the greatest peace of mind.

Travel Insurance for Over 80

The itinerary of a traveler over 80 years old may include fewer “high-risk” activities, but international travel is always made up of unpredictable elements and having sufficient coverage is vital. Though travel insurance coverage limits for travelers over 80 may be lower, some travel insurance companies can insure travelers up to 100 years old.

By entering your age and trip details into InsureMyTrip’s travel insurance quote generator, our systems will automatically filter through hundreds of plans by your input criteria to find the most relevant plans for your trip.

Travel Insurance for Over 85

As we get older, the importance of great healthcare coverage only increases. This is especially true when traveling, as there are so many variables involved even in recurring trips and things like sudden injury or illness may require emergency treatment or even evacuation. Travelers over 85 may be at greater risk of weakened immune systems and may consider plans that offer higher medical limits when going abroad.

Travelers over 85 years old who are going on a cruise may especially want to consider travel insurance due to the unique, multi-leg nature of traveling by ship. In fact, cruise travel insurance is highly recommended not only for travelers in their 80s, but for all age groups when traveling by sea.