Is this insurance thru online TA adequate?

[PartyAllDaTyme]

We're thinking of booking with an online TA that offers free travel insurance. I assume the same forum rules about not discussing individual TAs would also apply to their insurers, so I'm not naming names. The basic per person coverage details include $20,000 trip interruption, $10,000 emergency medical/dental, $20,000 medical evac, $100,000 accidental death/dismemberment. Not so worrried about the last, but are these levels adequate for trip interruption and medical? The trip is eastern Caribbean.

 

Anyone have experience with getting insurance through online TAs? Any pitfalls? Is it worth it? If this is not considered adequate (I remember someone recommending at least $50,000 medical), any clue as to whether there's secondary or supplemental insurance plans available out there?

 

Thanks in advance for your input!

[Traveler353]

Those amounts are at the very low end of offered coverage. EX: medical evac can easily cost over $100,000. I would check out "Insuremytrip.com". to see what else is available for you.

[patseacruiser]

Just to be clear on this. GENERALLY when a TA is giving you free travel insurance they are not buying the insurance until you make final payment. They want to be sure you are going because insurance is never refundable. Therefore, if you have a pre existing condition it will NOT be covered because it wasn't purchased 10-14 days prior to initial deposit. A friend of mine did this with an online agent and developed a problem between the time of booking and final payment. Had he went through with final payment and cancelled before sailing or needed medivac he would not have been covered.

[PartyAllDaTyme]

Thanks, Traveler353 and patseacruiser. I figured the insurance offered was minimal; I was hoping to find out about adding some supplemental insurance, but it appears from InsureMyTrip that you can only book standalone policies, some of which offer certain benefits as secondary coverage. I didn't find anything on a policy designed to be a supplemental policy to a low-coverage policy offered by the TA. The sail date is less than 60 days, so I'd have to pay in full, anyway, so the preexisting condition stipulations would not apply in this case.

 

Thanks again for taking the time to answer!

[eandj]

We're thinking of booking with an online TA that offers free travel insurance. I assume the same forum rules about not discussing individual TAs would also apply to their insurers, so I'm not naming names. The basic per person coverage details include $20,000 trip interruption, $10,000 emergency medical/dental, $20,000 medical evac, $100,000 accidental death/dismemberment. Not so worrried about the last, but are these levels adequate for trip interruption and medical? The trip is eastern Caribbean.

 

Anyone have experience with getting insurance through online TAs? Any pitfalls? Is it worth it? If this is not considered adequate (I remember someone recommending at least $50,000 medical), any clue as to whether there's secondary or supplemental insurance plans available out there?

 

Thanks in advance for your input!

 

 

If I were you, I would have asked the TA to.. instead of offereing insurance coverage, offer you on board credits. However, That would have worked at booking, now it is probably too late. If the insurance doesn't cover your individual needs it is worthless. You should re reading the entire policy and spend time on the exclusions. That's where low cost policies get ya. Make sure your own medical insurance covers you out of the country. Many don't.

[cruiseco]

Thanks, Traveler353 and patseacruiser. I figured the insurance offered was minimal; I was hoping to find out about adding some supplemental insurance, but it appears from InsureMyTrip that you can only book standalone policies, some of which offer certain benefits as secondary coverage. I didn't find anything on a policy designed to be a supplemental policy to a low-coverage policy offered by the TA. The sail date is less than 60 days, so I'd have to pay in full, anyway, so the preexisting condition stipulations would not apply in this case.

 

Thanks again for taking the time to answer!

 

Before you buy anything in addition to the plan offered by the TA find out what coverage you already have. Does your regular insurance cover you while on the cruise? Do you have another source for the evac coverage? For example, one of my credit cards covers an emergency evac so a low limit on a travel insurance policy is not a huge deal for me. And my regular health insurance covers me outside the US but I would have to pay a higher out-of-network deductible/co-payment. As long as the travel insurance is enough to pick up the deductible/co-payment amount I'm good.

[PartyAllDaTyme]

duplicate post

[Peg_S]

You're from Wisconsin, traveling in 60 days....make sure your policy has adequate coverage for delayed flights and such.

 

Peg, a Minnasoooohtin' traveling in 48 days!