Travel Insurance/Pre-Existing Conditions/Death of a Family Member

Hi.

I am in the process of purchasing travel insurance. Cruise was booked only about one week ago, so I am looking @ purchasing the insurance now in order to cover any pre-existing condition.

Here is my question: Maybe someone has some experience with this situation.

I have an elderly father-in-law....who resides in a nursing home. Among other reasons, I want this trip to be insured in case he should die right when we are about to cruise.

The pre-existing waivers mention a time frame...like 180 days. If the illness/death occurs as a result of something happening during the 180 days prior to coverage....the cancellation of the trip would be covered.

Well, my father-in-law has been in the nursing home for over 2 years now. So we are outside of the 180 days..... (for stoke, etc..)

I will be covered, right? If I purchase the insurance right away....?

I hope this isn't too confusing. It's confusing me! :confused:

BTW, I purchased insurance for my last cruise only a few weeks prior to sailing.....and made a phone call to the travel insurance agent...and visited with her about this scenario. It was her opinion that under the circumstances of my last cruise/insurance purchase date....if he should die....the trip would not be covered...because he had this "illness" for a while.....and I did not have the Pre-existing condition waiver.

Anyway..... help if you can.

Thanks.

go to www.insuremytrip.com and you will be able to check out a number of travel insurance companies and read their small print regarding preexisting conditions --some companies waive the time limitations on pre existing conditions if the policy is bought within a certain time frame after the initial cruise deposit is made

That is a great website - thanks.

I am in the same situation except it is my Dad. He is 86 and stable at the moment, well we did have an emergency trip to have angioplasty on 2 14 year old bypasses yesterday, but he made it thru with flying colors. I am glad we weren't on a cruise! God is great and God is merciful in truth! Anyway, I never purchased ins. when it was DH and I. Now I always purchase it thru my TA thru an independent co. to cover what you are saying. I am thinking though that for some medical reason, I cannot even go on the cruise though. Then, I know it will be covered. Pre-existing, now with this new operation yesterday, I don't know either. Before that, he had not had a hospital visit for two years and stablized. But we have a 10 day cruise coming up in '05 on the Summit and we bought the insurance and it only cost us $137 total. So I buy it and hope it will cover something should I need it. The cost compared to the cruise is so little more, IMHO, I would include it as a matter of course. I know that I will continue to buy it at least until my Dad and Mom go home to be with our Lord.

I am in the same situation, with 3 family members that have serious health issues. I missed the window of opportunity for purchasing insurance within the 2-3 week period. (we booked while on the ship in SA). Our cruise is not until next Feb. and as of this time I do not have any policy in place.

However, in reading the Silver Plan for CSA, the policy states that family members are covered for pre existing conditions, and you don't have to purchase it within the 2-3 week time span of booking.

Is this what others have read into the policy?

Grace

Unless I'm reading the original post wrong, there's absolutely nothing about pre-existing conditions and death of a relative. If a member of the immediate family dies, a pre-existing condition does not come into play at all---you cancel the cruise and the insurance will reimburse the cost of the cruise. All you will need to do is present a copy of the death certificate along with the insurance form and you will get reimbursed. There will be no questions as to why the person died or if it was caused by a pre-existing condition. The only time a pre-existing would come into play when it concerns a member of the family is if you have to cancel your cruise because that family member is sick and needs you to take care of them. But a death in the immediate family is always covered regardless of the cause of death. My sister had a cruise scheduled and our Aunt passed away after a very long illness. She had insurance and everything was covered despite the fact that she had been sick for a long time. Not to sound callous, but a death is a death and for most of us who have elderly parents, they usually pass away after a long illness so if these insurance companies won't cover a death due to a long illness, there would be no point in taking insurance to cover the death of a loved one.

If you read the clause in the pre-existing condtion section of all the policies on the insuremytrip website, you will see that this clause applies only to you and any members of your travel party. There's nothing about pre-existing condtions for family members who remain at home. Also note, there are clauses for trip interruption which would also include the sudden illness or death of an immediate family member who is at home, and for which you must interrupt your trip to return home.

Lets just hope this doesn't happen and pray for good health for all our family members.

Gracecarmo,

I looked at the CSA Silver policy and I interpret it to mean there is no coverage for pre-existing conditions. And if you look at the comparison chart with ALL the policies, follow the pre existing conditions column over, and it says NOT AVAILABLE. Below is direct language from their policy.

The Sickness or Injury must: a) Commence while your coverage is in effect under the plan; b) Require the examination and treatment by a Physician, in person, at the time the Covered Trip is canceled; and c) In the written opinion of the treating Physician, be so disabling as to prevent you from taking your Covered Trip. '

And someplace further down in the fine print, I think under medical conditions, it specifically states that this policy covers only NEW medical events. I would definitely interpret that to mean the broken ankle on the ship is covered, the gall bladder attack, which was been treated 8 (or 4) months ago, is not covered.

Here is an idea. Remember, it is just an idea. You are not in the penalty period yet. Cancel and rebook your trip.

Kitty9...... I am reviewing a policy that I had for a cruise last month....it's a CSA Plan....

Under the "Pre-Departure Trip Cancellation": it states: We will pay....due to your Family Member's, Traveling Companion's....sickness, injury or death, that occurs before departure on your Covered Trip. The sickness or injury must commence while your coverage is in effect....

I guess this is where I get confused.

In the case of my elderly father-in-law....the reason he is in the Nursing Home....(his sickness)....commenced a couple of years ago.

Maybe, I am reading too much into this.

Aaahhh. :(

Under the "Pre-Departure Trip Cancellation": it states: We will pay....due to your Family Member's, Traveling Companion's....sickness, injury or death, that occurs before departure on your Covered Trip. The sickness or injury must commence while your coverage is in effect....

I have Called CSA many times about their policy. IThis is what I got if you purchase the silver there is no pre-existing condition for NON traveling family. So the pre-existing is only for the traveling members of the family. So the elderly Father-in-law not traveling does not matter when it comes to pre-existing.

I had to get this clear also for my parents.

Hope this is clear. You may want to call Like I did and get it straight in your mind. But I always purchase from them. I am more concerned about my family staying at home then I am in ourselves. Donna

. If a member of the immediate family dies, a pre-existing condition does not come into play at all---you cancel the cruise and the insurance will reimburse the cost of the cruise. All you will need to do is present a copy of the death certificate along with the insurance form and you will get reimbursed. There will be no questions as to why the person died or if it was caused by a pre-existing condition.

QUOTE]

 

The above is incorrect for most, but not all, of the third-party insurers. For example with Access America the pre-existing condition exclusions apply to:

 

"Any illness of You, a Traveling Companion, or a Family Member occurring during the 120 days prior to and including the effective date of Your insurance for which medical treatment by a Physician has been sought or advised . . ."

 

And Family Member is defined as:

 

"Family Member means Your spouse; parent; child(ren), including children who are, or are in the process of becoming adopted; sibling; grandparent or grandchild(ren); step-parent; step-child; or step-sibling; in-laws (parent, son, daughter, brother or sister); aunt; uncle; niece; nephew; legal guardian; ward; or business partner; WHETHER OR NOT THEY TRAVEL WITH YOU."

 

So, with these plans if you have to cancel because of the death of someone who falls into the Family Member definition the insurer WILL ask for more than just the death certificate. They can, and will, require a document from the family member's doctor describing the cause of death and and further information needed to determine if the cause of death was a pre-existing condition under the plan's definition.

 

How do you know CSA doesn't include non-traveling family members in their pre-existing condition exclusions? They specifically say so:

 

"PRE-EXISTING CONDITION means an illness, disease, or other condition during the 180-day period immediately prior to your effective date for which you or your Traveling Companion or Family Member is scheduled or booked to travel with you"

 

In this case they're telling you that the exclusion only applies if the family member is scheduled or booked to travel with you.

 

If the plan doesn't specifically exclude non-traveling family members from the pre-existing condition definition then you can be pretty sure they're included. For example, with Travel Guard they don't have the wording that specifically states that non-traveling family members are subject to the pre-ex exclusions (like Access America) and they don't specifically exclude them either (like CSA). So if there's a question you have to go to the source -- call Travel Guard and ask. You'll find that they apply the pre-ex exclusions the same way that Access America does.

OK, so now reading CSA's Silver Plan, it would be the plan to subscribe to if you, (the traveler) do not have any health issues, and your family (elderly father, mother etc) has an issue with health?

Am I correct?

If so, this would be the policy for me.

If you call, I would tape the phone call (assuming such is legal in your state). That way, you have proof of how they interpreted the policy for you.

We were recently on a tour of the National Parks of the West. We had purchased what we thought was insurance that covered "everything". My

husband's sister passed away suddenly while we were on the trip, we had five

more days to go. Our insurance reimbursed us for a rental car, a hotel room,

the new flight fare that we had to purchase and the five days we missed based on a per diem basis for the entire trip. We had to provide death certificate, a doctor's certificate, the obituary from the newspaper and the funeral card that was given at the funeral home. We were also questioned because of the fact that she was not a "traveling companion". I had been under the impression that it meant any family member but they seemed to indicate otherwise. Be sure to read all the fine print and hope for the best.

OK, so now reading CSA's Silver Plan, it would be the plan to subscribe to if you, (the traveler) do not have any health issues, and your family (elderly father, mother etc) has an issue with health?

 

Am I correct?

 

If so, this would be the policy for me.

Everything else being equal, t's an excellent choice for those in your situation. And one nice extra benefit of this plan is that since non-traveling family members are not subject to the pre-ex exclusions at any, it doesn't matter when you buy the policy. You can buy the policy 6 months after you bok your trip and losses due to pre-existing conditions of non-traveling family members are still covered.

It appears that CSA silver doesn't have a pre-existing condition waiver. There are lots of other plans that do have it if the insurance is purchased soon enough after booking - often 10 or 14 days is the time limit.

You might try Travel Guard, HTH or Access America. CSA is cheaper but the exclusion kind of defeats the purpose of the insurance so it should be worth a small price difference. CSA Gold also has the waiver but I would hate to reward them for not having the waiver on their lower end policy by buying their high end policy.

I visited with a Travelex agent this morning about their policy and my needs.

Here is what she said: Regarding my concern about my father-in-law in the nursing home....: If I did not purchase the policy within the 21 day Pre-Existing Waiver period, and he should die...I would probably not be covered.

That final decision could not be made until after the death...and after they received a report from the Dr....about the cause of death.

I told her that he has had some strokes within the last two years....which has put him in the nursing home... and her professional, policy educated guess...(again, not final)...is that his condition would be considered pre-existing and unless I had the waiver....his death would not be a covered loss.

She also said that if he was terminal (and he is not)...and only given a 12 month life expectancy...that his death would not be covered. This is clearly stated in the policy.

So, I believe I have my answer.

I am probably going to go with Travelex....because it will cover my needs and happens to be the most inexpensive. We are a family of four...staying in a suite...so the cost to insure such a trip is not inexpensive.

I just spoke with Barbara at Insuremytrip, and I asked her about coverage for the death of a family member not traveling with you. She said they recommend the following three companies, as they don't have a pre-existing condition for that family member. The three are: MH Ross, CSA and Travel Safe. I then called those three companies and they concurred with what Barbara said, they don't have any pre-existing clause for the death of a family member not traveling with you. I also asked Barbara about other companies and she said that for the most part, other companies haven't generally asked for a cause of death, just a death certificate, but since there are other companies that have no issues whatsoever, it just makes sense to go with the companies that don't have the pre-existing clause. So I guess one of those three are the way to go if you have a family member who is in a health situation.

Hi Darcie...

I just ran the numbers on insuremytrip.com.....

For my trip:

MH Ross : $300.

CSA: $300.

Travel Safe: $290.

Travelex: $171

What a price difference. I don't see a whole lot of other differences....except that Travelex is the primary in most every category....and the others are not. Actually, Travelex is a better provider than the others in several categories...ie: medical evacuation

Interesting, huh?

Hey...thanks, everyone...for all your commenting. It is appreciated. ;)

I would suggest travelinsured.com. They were great to deal with a couple years ago when my traveling companion's grandmother passed away from cancer during the time we would have been on the trip. There was no pre-existing issues and all we did was fill out some paper work and have the doctor sign a couple forms. We were fully reimbursed for our trip. Plus, I've found their rates to be very good as well. Good luck.

Cheers!

Stacey

Since my problem is that I did not take out the trip insurance within the 2 week period of booking I have a question re the 180 day period prior to the trip.

The 180 day period is coming up for my cruise in Feb. Is it advisable to take out the insurance prior to the 180 day period, or wait until final payment?

Right now, health issues in our family include cancer (people are undergoing chemo), and MS, that will never go away or get better. If these people can't be included, what good would insurance do me? Still somewhat confused as to if they will be covered.

Hi Grace.

When did you make you initial deposit? Some insurance companies (for example: Travelex ) require you to purchase the policy within 21 days of your initial deposit...in order to qualify for their waiver of pre-existing conditions.

Even if you have missed the window of opportunity for the Pre- Existing Waiver... you still should get the insurance. Up until you make the final payment, you can cancel and get a full refund. But, after that final payment....you are only eligible for a portion of the cruise amount (decreases greatly as you get closer to the cruise date).

You should then purchase the insurance by the time you make your final payment....or anytime after that...up till the day of the cruise. I wouldn't gamble...and I would do it right before I made my final payment.

Things happen: car acidents on the way the pier, stolen lugage, lost luggage, airline delays, ....... not to mention, all of things your traveling party could be involved in during the two month + time period between final payment and cruise date.

It's a small price to pay...for a lot of insurance and peace of mind.

Boo'sMom: I made my res for next Feb. cruise while aboard the Infinity this past Feb.,practically a year in advance. We were in SA for about three weeks, and thus the insurance problem arose.

I have decided to do as many (and yourself) have advised: take out the insurance just prior to making final payment.

I have the CSA insurance brochure in hand, and it does state that the Silver Plan does indedd provide for loss due to pre-existing medical conditions of a non-traveling family member when the Silver Plan is purchased on or before the scheduled final payment date.

This is exactly what I was looking for.

Thanks to all for advice!

Grace

Since my problem is that I did not take out the trip insurance within the 2 week period of booking I have a question re the 180 day period prior to the trip.

 

The 180 day period is coming up for my cruise in Feb. Is it advisable to take out the insurance prior to the 180 day period, or wait until final payment?

 

Right now, health issues in our family include cancer (people are undergoing chemo), and MS, that will never go away or get better. If these people can't be included, what good would insurance do me? Still somewhat confused as to if they will be covered.

The "180 day period" does not refer to the period prior to the trip. It refers to the 180 day period prior to the plan's effective date. The effective date is not your departure date. It's the day after you purchase the policy. If you were to buy a plan today your effective date would be tomorrow.

So, in determining if an illness is pre-existing they look at the situation in the six months before you buy the policy -- not the six months before you depart.

Here's from CSA's info under "When Coverage Begins":

"Pre-Departure Trip Cancellation coverage will take effect at 12:01 A.M. Standard Time on the day after the date your plan payment is received." (Note: all of the other coverages begin when you lesve home -- they're post-departure benefits)

If you're looking at the CSA plan it doesn't matter when you purchase the plan in regards to non-traveling family members with health problems. But, since it doesn't cover pre-ex conditions for YOU, you want to buy it before something medical pops up for you. If that happens, it's now pre-existing if the policy has not yet been purchased. If you feel you need the coverage there's big advantage to waiting. The trade-off of course is that if you decide to cancel the cruise before there's any penalties you won't get a refund of the premium -- they'll transfer the coverage to another trip though.