Saturday, August 28, 2010

Travel Insurance - To Buy or Not to Buy

Most people don't buy travel insurance because they either don't believe their going to need it (a gamble) or they believe that their present insurance and credit card assistance plans will protect them. I wish that any of it were true. A careful reading these plans provisions may surprise you as to what IS NOT included. Even in the best and most generous plans there are serious gaps in coverage.

First, your employer provided insurance does not cover trip cancellation, trip interruption, missed travel connections, lost luggage and/or trip delays. These are common issues that Trip Insurances Plans addresses directly. It only takes one trip to the airport to realize that your trip can be ruined events beyond your control. Missed flights, delayed flights, cancelled flights or bad weather on travel.

Second, while your credit card assistance program may ARRANGE for emergency medical evacuation it probably does not cover the actual medical cost associated with the evacuation or the evacuation itself. Travel or Trip Insurance directly addresses these issues and provides 24/7 assistance as well.

Even when health insurance does cover "out of country" expenses it probably will require you to pay out of pocket for medical expenses and then apply for reimbursement and all the out of provider network provisions will apply. Medicare does not provide any coverage outside the USA!

Don't get caught unprepared. When your travel consultant recommends trip insurance accept their advice and get the trip insurance. They have seen the loss suffered by clients who didn't and they are trying to help you avoid a similar fate.

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