Best choice when a family member is sick at home

My Wifes Dad is in a nursing home and is suffering badly from Alzheimers. He could pass away at any time. what Travel Insurance company is best to insure with in the event he passed away before the cruise or while we are on it. We are scheduled over Christmas December 22-29. Traveling out of San Juan.

We are from the Midwest area. (Kansas City)

We did buy trip insurance on the airline tickets. But not the Cruise. Our cruise was purchase at Costco Travel.

Is there such a thing as "Need to Cancel any Reason? " coverage?

Would this be also Trip Interuption coverage.

My Wifes Dad is in a nursing home and is suffering badly from Alzheimers. He could pass away at any time. what Travel Insurance company is best to insure with in the event he passed away before the cruise or while we are on it. We are scheduled over Christmas December 22-29. Traveling out of San Juan.

 

We are from the Midwest area. (Kansas City)

 

We did buy trip insurance on the airline tickets. But not the Cruise. Our cruise was purchase at Costco Travel.

 

Is there such a thing as "Need to Cancel any Reason? " coverage?

Unfortunately you're in a pickle.

For most insurances to cover pre existing conditions or to get cancel for any reason, you needed to purchase within X number of days after your cruise deposit.

Another important question is regarding you're FILs current status. Are you thinking he may pass at any time? Or have the doctors said that time is short?

Insurance companies protect against unforeseen events, not imminent events.

Costco, where you bought your cruise, sells excellent coverage for their members. Talk to them. Also look at the cruise lines insurance. Some have good cancel for any reasons policies, however most cancel for any reason policies only reimburse a credit of 50 to 75 percent and you must cancel within 48 hours of beginning of trip.

Would this be also Trip Interuption coverage.

No.

Unfortunately you're in a pickle.

For most insurances to cover pre existing conditions or to get cancel for any reason, you needed to purchase within X number of days after your cruise deposit.

Another important question is regarding you're FILs current status. Are you thinking he may pass at any time? Or have the doctors said that time is short?

Insurance companies protect against unforeseen events, not imminent events.

 

Costco, where you bought your cruise, sells excellent coverage for their members. Talk to them. Also look at the cruise lines insurance. Some have good cancel for any reasons policies, however most cancel for any reason policies only reimburse a credit of 50 to 75 percent and you must cancel within 48 hours of beginning of trip.

OK, I am in a similar position. We made our final payment of the Carnival cruise 11/17/12. Wife just visited her dad who has alzheimers and he is in really bad shape. Cruise is for Jan 20. Was told we had so many days to get insurance after our final payment but what I am reading on here is we should have purchased within so many days of our initial deposit. Is there any coverage out there to protect my family (2 adults, 3 kids) in case my FIL dies shortly before or while we are on our cruise?

OK, I am in a similar position. We made our final payment of the Carnival cruise 11/17/12. Wife just visited her dad who has alzheimers and he is in really bad shape. Cruise is for Jan 20. Was told we had so many days to get insurance after our final payment but what I am reading on here is we should have purchased within so many days of our initial deposit. Is there any coverage out there to protect my family (2 adults, 3 kids) in case my FIL dies shortly before or while we are on our cruise?

You're asking about coverage on a pre-existing condition.

Hopefully Cruiseco will be on shortly, but I believe (disclaimer) that since you are past final payment date and have made final payment, it is too late to purchase coverage for pre-existing conditions.

Most insurers require purchasing insurance 14 to 21 days after initial deposit to waive pre-existing conditions. A couple will even waive up to date of final payment. Not sure about after final payment

I don't mean this to be heartless (I can't think of another way to say it), but, is the doctor indicating that his passing is imminent? or is he just going down hill and you're concerned about the timing? I ask this because if the answer is imminent, then I'm not sure any insurer will help protect your risk.

Maybe the below link can help you

http://www.travelinsurancebasics.com/howmuch.php

You're asking about coverage on a pre-existing condition.

Hopefully Cruiseco will be on shortly, but I believe (disclaimer) that since you are past final payment date and have made final payment, it is too late to purchase coverage for pre-existing conditions.

Most insurers require purchasing insurance 14 to 21 days after initial deposit to waive pre-existing conditions. A couple will even waive up to date of final payment. Not sure about after final payment

 

I don't mean this to be heartless (I can't think of another way to say it), but, is the doctor indicating that his passing is imminent? or is he just going down hill and you're concerned about the timing? I ask this because if the answer is imminent, then I'm not sure any insurer will help protect your risk.

 

Maybe the below link can help you

 

 

http://www.travelinsurancebasics.com/howmuch.php

The second (or is he just going down hill and you're concerned about the timing?).

Some providers, such as TravelEx, do not exclude the pre-existing conditions of non-traveling family members. However, I'd read the policy in close detail or engage an online insurance broker to go over the problem.

A plan that doesn't apply the pre-ex exclusion to non-traveling family members is probably your best, or maybe only, choice. But even that might not be enough if the insurer decides that your father's situation means his passing is beyond being a possibility (which they'll insure) and is now inevitable (which they won't insure). I imagine it would all come down to what his doctor will be willing to put in writing about his health status as of the date the policy is purchased.

Is the cruise line's plan still available for purchase? If it is you need to see if it has some sort of "Cancel For Any Reason" benefit attached. The downside is that you would be reimbursed with a credit toward a future cruise (which is better then nothing) and the voucher would probably only equal 75% of your loss with most plans. Also, the "Cancel For Any Reason" feature normally only applies to a pre-departure cancellation, not a post-departure interruption.

Even if the insurer does not apply the normal pre-ex exculsion to non-traveling family members there are still conditions that have to be met. They would first determine a "baseline" with regards to your father's health. This would be his situation as of the date the policy is purchased. Coverage would only apply if there is a significant worsening of the condition.

Say for example his condition is advanced Alzheimer's with death possibly occurring at any time. The day before your cruise departure he is admitted to the hospital and you cancel your cruise because the doctor says that his passing is imminent. Was there a significant worsening of his condition? The insurer could argue that there's been no change since imminent death was basically where he was at when the policy was purchased. And what makes this all so tricky is that there is NOTHING in writing in the plan wording that gives any outline as to what this policy is. Lacking this, the policy in these cases is kind of whatever they say it is.

No he is not in any pre-existing condition. Living in a nursing home but you never know what might happen. He is stable. So I don't think it would be a Pre-existing condtion. But it could be a trip interuption if something occured before leaving or while on the trip.

Unfortunately you're in a pickle.

For most insurances to cover pre existing conditions or to get cancel for any reason, you needed to purchase within X number of days after your cruise deposit.

Another important question is regarding you're FILs current status. Are you thinking he may pass at any time? Or have the doctors said that time is short?

Insurance companies protect against unforeseen events, not imminent events.

 

Costco, where you bought your cruise, sells excellent coverage for their members. Talk to them. Also look at the cruise lines insurance. Some have good cancel for any reasons policies, however most cancel for any reason policies only reimburse a credit of 50 to 75 percent and you must cancel within 48 hours of beginning of trip.

. But it could be a trip interuption if something occured before leaving or while on the trip.

It's not a trip interruption.

Trip Interruption is when a "common carrier" has issues that either delays or stops the continuation of your trip.

It's not a trip interruption.

Trip Interruption is when a "common carrier" has issues that either delays or stops the continuation of your trip.

Actually, a "trip interruption" usually includes many more things than just "common carrier" caused events. Here's a list of covered reasons for trip interruption from a TravelSafe plan:

"Trip Interruption: Benefits will be paid, up to the Maximum Benefit Amount, for the non-refundable, unused portion of the prepaid expenses for land or water Travel Arrangements and the Additional Transportation Cost paid to return home or rejoin the Trip, when You are prevented from completing Your Trip due to:

1. Death involving You or Your Traveling Companion or Your or Your Traveling Companion’s Business Partner or Your Family Member;

2. A covered Sickness or Injury involving You, Your Traveling Companion or Business Partner, or Your Family Member which necessitates Medical Treatment at the time of interruption and results in medically imposed restrictions, as certified by a Legally Qualified Physician, which prevents Your continued participation in the Trip; or

3. For the Other Covered Reasons listed below; provided such circumstances occurred after Your Effective Date.

Other Covered Reasons:

a. You or Your Traveling Companion being hijacked, quarantined, required to serve on a jury (notice of jury duty must be received after Your Effective Date) served with a court order to appear as a witness in a legal action in which You or Your Traveling Companion is not a party (except law enforcement officers);

b. Your or Your Traveling Companion’s principal place of residence or destination being rendered uninhabitable by fire, flood, burglary or other natural disaster within 10 days of departure;

c. Your or Your Traveling Companion’s place of employment is rendered unsuitable for business due to fire, flood, burglary or other natural disaster and You and/or Your Traveling Companion are required to work as a result;

d. a documented theft of passports or visas;

e. a permanent transfer of employment of 250 miles or more;

f. You or Your Traveling Companion being directly involved in a traffic accident, which must be substantiated by a police report, while en route to Your scheduled point of departure;

g. unannounced Strike that causes complete cessation of services of Your Common Carrier for at least 12 consecutive hours;

h. Inclement Weather that causes complete cessation of services of Your Common Carrier for at least 12 consecutive hours;

i. mechanical breakdown that causes complete cessation of services of Your Common Carrier for at least 12 consecutive hours;

j. You or Your Traveling Companion is in the Military and called to emergency duty for a national disaster other than war;

k. involuntary employer termination or layoff affecting You or a person(s) sharing the same room with You during Your Trip. Employment must have been with the same employer for at least 1 continuous year;

l. a Terrorist Incident that occurs in a city listed on the itinerary of Your Trip and within 30 days prior to Your Scheduled Departure Date. Benefits are not provided if the Travel Supplier offers a substitute itinerary;

m. revocation of Your previously granted leave or reassignment due to war. Official written revocation/re-assignment by a supervisor or commanding officer of the appropriate branch of service will be required;

n. Bankruptcy or Default of an airline, cruise line, tour operator or travel supplier (other than the tour operator or travel agency from whom You purchased Your Travel Arrangements) causing a complete cessation of travel services more than 14 days following Your Effective Date. Benefits will be paid due to Bankruptcy or Default of an airline only if no alternate transportation is available. If alternate transportation is available, benefits will be limited to the change fee charged to allow You to transfer to another airline in order to get to Your intended destination. This benefit only applies if the policy has been purchased within 21 days of Your initial payment for the Trip and for the full cost of the Trip;

o. Your family or friends living abroad with whom You were planning to stay are unable to provide accommodations due to life threatening illness, life threatening injury or death of one of them;

p. You or Your Traveling Companion are required to work during the Trip. A written statement by a company officer and/or the Human Resources department demonstrating revocation of previously approved time off will be required;

q. mandatory evacuation or public official evacuation advisements where there is no mandatory evacuation issued by local government authorities at Your destination due to adverse weather or natural disaster. In order to cancel Your Trip, You must have 4 days or 50% of Your total Trip length or less remaining on Your Trip at the time the mandatory evacuation ends;

r. felonious assault of You or Your Traveling Companion within 10 days of the Scheduled Departure Date;

s. You or Your Traveling Companion are directly involved in the merger of Your employer or the acquisition of Your employer by another company;

t. a cancellation of Your Trip within 24 hours of Your Scheduled Departure Date and time if Your Trip destination is under a hurricane warning issued by the NOAA National Hurricane Center, provided the cancellation of Your Trip occurs more than 15 days following Your Effective Date

of coverage for the Trip Cancellation Benefits;

u. a cancellation of Your Trip if Your arrival on the Trip is delayed and causes You to lose 50% or more of the scheduled Trip duration due to the reasons covered under the Missed Connection Benefit."

So, for example, if while on your trip your place of employment is damaged by a tornado and you need to return home to take care of the situation you could file a trip interruption claim under "b" above. It would reimburse you for value of the unused portion of your trip that you're forfeiting plus pay for any additional transportation expenses required to return home to a maximum benefit equal to (in this example) 150% of the trip cost insured.

With most insurers the covered reasons for trip cancellation and trip interruption are identical. The only difference is if the covered event happens prior to departure it's a trip cancellation claim. If it happens post-departure it's a trip interruption clam.

I hope you cut and pasted that; if you typed it from memory, you really are the insurance guru :)!

Cruiseco your amazing with you knowledge of the trip insurance issues. While I did not buy coverage thru Costco Travels progam when I purchased the cruise I did happen to buy thru AMEX back on Sept 13, 2012 their travel protection program for what I thought was the value of the Airfare only the trip to San Juan and back. So I called AMEX today tro find out what my coverages included and they said the cruise would be covered. That my coverage was from the day I left My home city till I returned.

Does this sound correct to you? If so then I probably don't need any other coverages. Their program is called: TRIP PROTECTION PLUS.

the benefits are:

Trip Protector Plus

The Trip Protector Plus includes:

• Trip Cancellation/Interruption - for trip costing up to $25,000* per Covered Person
  
• Emergency Medical and Dental Expenses - up to $20,000 per Covered Person
  
• Emergency Medical Evacuation/Repatriation - up to $20,000 per Covered Person
  
• Baggage Loss - up to $400 per Covered Person
  
• Baggage Delay - up to $100 per Covered Person
  
• Airflight Insurance - up to $50,000 per Covered Person
  
• 24-Hour Travel Assistance Support - available 24 hours, 7 days a week
  

Trip Cancellation/ Interruption> Up to Trip Cost (Max. $25,000)* per Covered Person

Reimburses cancellation penalties or unused arrangements and for additional travel costs up to your total trip cost of a maximum of $25,000 per Covered Person should you need to cancel or interrupt because of illness, injury, or death to yourself, a family member, or traveling companion; jury duty; subpoena; labor dispute or strike affecting travel services; and other unexpected incidents.Emergency Medical/Dental Expense> Max. $20,000 per Covered Person

Reimburses medical and dental costs should you incur hospital charges or other emergency medical or dental bills not covered by other health insurance as a result of Sickness** or Accidental Injury occurring during your Covered Trip.

Emergency Medical Evacuation/Repatriation> Max. $20,000 per Covered Person

Reimburses and arranges for medical transportation services, including ambulance and evacuation, should a Sickness** or an Accidental Injury make it necessary. Also covers cost of round-trip transportation for visitor to be at your bedside if you're hospitalized for five or more days***.

Baggage Loss> Max. $400 per Covered Person

Reimburses you for baggage and certain personal items that are lost, stolen, or damaged during your Covered Trip.

Baggage Delay> Max. $100 per Covered Person

Reimburses for the purchase of necessary personal items contained in your baggage if delayed by the airline for as little as six hours.

Airflight Insurance> Max. $50,000 per Covered Person

Provides coverage during your flight for Accidental Death or serious accidental injuries.24-Hour Travel Assistance Support> 24/7

Provides travelers with medical and legal referrals, assistance with lost travel documents, translators, and interpreters, as well as arrange for visitors if you're hospitalized while on your Covered Trip.

What am I missing from the coverages mentioned above?

The price was nominal at the time of booking for $43.06 per person X 5.

Do I need to buy any additional coverages?

A few things:

1) Yes, your policy does cover your entire trip length for most of the coverages (i.e. medical, baggage, emerg. assistance, etc.), but it does NOT cover cancellation/interruption for your cruise fare if the policy was only priced to include the plane tickets.

2) $20k is a pretty low amount of medevac coverage. Depending on what kind of medevac you need, it could be anywhere from marginal to tragically low.

3) You are going to need to check the policy details on whether or not a cancellation or interruption due to your Father-in-law is covered; AmEx has too many plans, many of which do not have publicly available insurance documents. But speaking generally, someone in a nursing home will almost certainly be considered to have a pre-existing condition receiving active treatment, and further illness or death could be construed as complications of that illness. Unless the policy has a pre-ex exclusion waiver, I would not consider you covered for that circumstance.

So I called AMEX today tro find out what my coverages included and they said the cruise would be covered. That my coverage was from the day I left My home city till I returned.

 

Does this sound correct to you?

Covered for what?

For medical and/or emergency evacuation? Probably.

For baggage loss and/or damage? Probably.

For air flight accident? Probably.

For trip cancellation and/or trip interruption? Probably not.

The plan benefits for things like medical, evac, baggage, etc cover for a period of time -- from your scheduled departure from home until your scheduled return to home. They are not dependent on any dollar amount you choose to insure for cancellation/interruption. Whether you insure $1 or $10,000 those don't change.

Trip cancellation/interruption ARE dependent on the amount of your trip cost you have chosen to insure. I seriously doubt that if you only initially insured the cost of the flights that Amex will just go ahead and throw in coverage for the cost of the cruise without wanting to collect a much higher premium. Insurers don't think that way.

Call them back and find out exactly how much trip cancellation and trip interruption coverage is included in the premium you have already paid. I'm afraid you'll find that it's limited to the cost of the air tickets. But ask them if you can add the cost of the cruise to the existing policy and at what cost. And be sure to ask what would happen if you do ave to cancel or cut short the trip due to your father's situation. Get it all in writing if possible.

While I did not buy coverage thru Costco Travels progam when I purchased the cruise I did happen to buy thru AMEX back on Sept 13, 2012 their travel protection program for what I thought was the value of the Airfare only the trip to San Juan and back. So I called AMEX today tro find out what my coverages included and they said the cruise would be covered. That my coverage was from the day I left My home city till I returned.

 

I also question this because it makes no sense. If you only insured the cost of your airfare to SJU and back, you are not covered for your cruise. No insurance company is going to insure something you didn't pay to insure.

Please come back and post what AMEX said when you verify this with them.

AMEX will let me cancel today with no fee and a full refund. So its now picking the coverage that is best. Their new coverage is even more limited on what it covers. So I need to pick another vendor but who? I went to a web sitre that shows a compairson of all coverages and costs. Very confusing.

I also question this because it makes no sense. If you only insured the cost of your airfare to SJU and back, you are not covered for your cruise. No insurance company is going to insure something you didn't pay to insure.

 

Please come back and post what AMEX said when you verify this with them.

We use Insuremytrip or Squaremouth. They have representatives who can help you choose the right insurance for your situation.

Actually, a "trip interruption" usually includes many more things than just "common carrier" caused events. Here's a list of covered reasons for trip interruption from a TravelSafe plan:

 

"Trip Interruption: Benefits will be paid, up to the Maximum Benefit Amount, for the non-refundable, unused portion of the prepaid expenses for land or water Travel Arrangements and the Additional Transportation Cost paid to return home or rejoin the Trip, when You are prevented from completing Your Trip due to:

 

1. Death involving You or Your Traveling Companion or Your or Your Traveling Companion’s Business Partner or Your Family Member;

2. A covered Sickness or Injury involving You, Your Traveling Companion or Business Partner, or Your Family Member which necessitates Medical Treatment at the time of interruption and results in medically imposed restrictions, as certified by a Legally Qualified Physician, which prevents Your continued participation in the Trip; or

3. For the Other Covered Reasons listed below; provided such circumstances occurred after Your Effective Date.

 

Other Covered Reasons:

 

a. You or Your Traveling Companion being hijacked, quarantined, required to serve on a jury (notice of jury duty must be received after Your Effective Date) served with a court order to appear as a witness in a legal action in which You or Your Traveling Companion is not a party (except law enforcement officers);

b. Your or Your Traveling Companion’s principal place of residence or destination being rendered uninhabitable by fire, flood, burglary or other natural disaster within 10 days of departure;

c. Your or Your Traveling Companion’s place of employment is rendered unsuitable for business due to fire, flood, burglary or other natural disaster and You and/or Your Traveling Companion are required to work as a result;

d. a documented theft of passports or visas;

e. a permanent transfer of employment of 250 miles or more;

f. You or Your Traveling Companion being directly involved in a traffic accident, which must be substantiated by a police report, while en route to Your scheduled point of departure;

g. unannounced Strike that causes complete cessation of services of Your Common Carrier for at least 12 consecutive hours;

h. Inclement Weather that causes complete cessation of services of Your Common Carrier for at least 12 consecutive hours;

i. mechanical breakdown that causes complete cessation of services of Your Common Carrier for at least 12 consecutive hours;

j. You or Your Traveling Companion is in the Military and called to emergency duty for a national disaster other than war;

k. involuntary employer termination or layoff affecting You or a person(s) sharing the same room with You during Your Trip. Employment must have been with the same employer for at least 1 continuous year;

l. a Terrorist Incident that occurs in a city listed on the itinerary of Your Trip and within 30 days prior to Your Scheduled Departure Date. Benefits are not provided if the Travel Supplier offers a substitute itinerary;

m. revocation of Your previously granted leave or reassignment due to war. Official written revocation/re-assignment by a supervisor or commanding officer of the appropriate branch of service will be required;

n. Bankruptcy or Default of an airline, cruise line, tour operator or travel supplier (other than the tour operator or travel agency from whom You purchased Your Travel Arrangements) causing a complete cessation of travel services more than 14 days following Your Effective Date. Benefits will be paid due to Bankruptcy or Default of an airline only if no alternate transportation is available. If alternate transportation is available, benefits will be limited to the change fee charged to allow You to transfer to another airline in order to get to Your intended destination. This benefit only applies if the policy has been purchased within 21 days of Your initial payment for the Trip and for the full cost of the Trip;

o. Your family or friends living abroad with whom You were planning to stay are unable to provide accommodations due to life threatening illness, life threatening injury or death of one of them;

p. You or Your Traveling Companion are required to work during the Trip. A written statement by a company officer and/or the Human Resources department demonstrating revocation of previously approved time off will be required;

q. mandatory evacuation or public official evacuation advisements where there is no mandatory evacuation issued by local government authorities at Your destination due to adverse weather or natural disaster. In order to cancel Your Trip, You must have 4 days or 50% of Your total Trip length or less remaining on Your Trip at the time the mandatory evacuation ends;

r. felonious assault of You or Your Traveling Companion within 10 days of the Scheduled Departure Date;

s. You or Your Traveling Companion are directly involved in the merger of Your employer or the acquisition of Your employer by another company;

t. a cancellation of Your Trip within 24 hours of Your Scheduled Departure Date and time if Your Trip destination is under a hurricane warning issued by the NOAA National Hurricane Center, provided the cancellation of Your Trip occurs more than 15 days following Your Effective Date

of coverage for the Trip Cancellation Benefits;

u. a cancellation of Your Trip if Your arrival on the Trip is delayed and causes You to lose 50% or more of the scheduled Trip duration due to the reasons covered under the Missed Connection Benefit."

 

So, for example, if while on your trip your place of employment is damaged by a tornado and you need to return home to take care of the situation you could file a trip interruption claim under "b" above. It would reimburse you for value of the unused portion of your trip that you're forfeiting plus pay for any additional transportation expenses required to return home to a maximum benefit equal to (in this example) 150% of the trip cost insured.

 

With most insurers the covered reasons for trip cancellation and trip interruption are identical. The only difference is if the covered event happens prior to departure it's a trip cancellation claim. If it happens post-departure it's a trip interruption clam.

I know this post is 5 yrs old but maybe it applies to my wife and I. We have a 7 day carnival cruise on 12/2/17(paid in full), we have cruise insurance that includes trip cancellation. My wife's brother(59) who lives with us has been in ICU for last few days because of heart/kidney issues. We doubt we will be able to cruise. Are we covered under our plan for reimbursement?

I know this post is 5 yrs old but maybe it applies to my wife and I. We have a 7 day carnival cruise on 12/2/17(paid in full), we have cruise insurance that includes trip cancellation. My wife's brother(59) who lives with us has been in ICU for last few days because of heart/kidney issues. We doubt we will be able to cruise. Are we covered under our plan for reimbursement?

Call your insurance company and ask them.

Call your insurance company and ask them.

Exactly.

First, who knows if the quoted post is accurate anymore, years later?

MUCH more importantly, even if it is... the ONLY thing that matters for you now are the terms of YOUR specific travel insurance policy.

There are just too many different insurers and types of policies.

In terms of future travel, you might want to ask questions here about other types of coverage, or ask of the insurers. But that won't apply to your current situation.

GC