Insurance Idiot

[midwestsolo]

Keep in mind that Princess insurance requires you to use Princess air. If you are flying to Seattle and booking yourself, it will not cover everything. Just about every time I cruise, I use Travelguard. This time the difference in price is $3 for me and Travelguard pays medical as a primary-you don't have to submit it to Medicare/Medicaid first.

[martincath]

Do you have any suggestions about insurance we are seniors...medicare/medicaid...no other insurance medical ins. Thanks

Also for Waltd who asked the same further down the thread:

 

Sorry, we're neither seniors nor US citizens so I can't offer personal experience with specific providers/policies that would be good for you. I know US friends who had excellent international medical coverage through Blue Cross, and I recognise Travelguard, mentioned above, as being a reliable international company to deal with - we had one of their policies years ago but never had to make a claim so I can't say how good that side of things is.

 

As to why it's virtually always better value to get your own insurance, it's very simple - insurance is another source of profit for Princess (this and any other time I mentioned Princess, I also mean 'and other cruiselines, airlines, bus tour operators etc.')

 

Marketing proves over and over again that brand loyalty and simplicity are worth money to most consumers. Checking a box, or as is even more common, having a box to accept insurance pre-checked so you have to actually opt-out rather than opt-in, fits perfectly with the simplicity angle. To NOT get Princess insurance you normally have to actually DO something.

 

The effort involved in assessing other policies is something most people simply don't like to do - they will never compare Princess insurance to any other. As long as they're happy with the price they paid, that's just fine - but personally I'm happy to spend a couple of hours a year doing a cost/benefit analysis of my travel insurance needs.

 

Insurance really isn't any different to shore excursions - you don't have to buy it, so it's very rare to actually include it 'free' in a base package price, but it's a very popular add-on and most do take the easy choice rather than put in the work to actually compare providers. Only a small minority of cruisers are CC users; many CC users are happy to take ships excursions, even with the vast array of threads on smaller groups/cheaper prices/better experiences by going private.

 

It's impossible to prove a negative - but in 25 years of comparing travel insurance policies I have literally never found a policy for sale to Joe Q Public that did not offer better value (less $, more coverage, or both) compared to a package operator policy.

 

The rule of thumb I first referred to, that a good annual multi-trip policy costs less than two weeks on a package policy, held true when we first started traveling regularly from the UK ~25 years ago; it continued to hold true when we moved to Canada 12+ years ago. I'm sure that the US insurance market is different in some respects, but I would be shocked if there is not a similar rapid break-even-point for multi-trip insurance - unless for some reason US vacation companies like to make smaller profits than British or Canadian ones...

 

One thing that Princess offer, which I've yet to find on annual policies, is the 'cancel for any reason' angle - but at 10% of the cost of the cruise, you really need to just ask yourself "Will I manage to miss MORE than one in ten of the cruises I book for controllable reasons?" If you actually miss one in ten, you break even - you'd have to miss enough more than that, WITHOUT the reason for the cancellation actually being valid for other insurance policy terms (e.g. you or family member get sick or injured, death in the family) to offset the costs. That is one seriously expensive 'peace of mind' coverage that I cannot imagine ever needing myself.

 

If you have an insurance broker that you trust, ask them about travel insurance. If you don't, these are the steps I took/continue to take:

 

Checking your existing insurance:

your home insurance might already cover some of your stuff when you're traveling (the one time I ever made a claim while traveling was for a stolen camera: my travel insurance would have paid, but the deductible was half the price of the camera; I check with my home insurer, and because it was a camera - i.e. an item which is normally used outside the home - they let me process the claim with a zero deductible and because I had 'replace with new' coverage I got the newest model);

your medical insurance might already have coverage while on vacation (we now have a policy through work that gives us excellent emergency medical coverage anywhere in the world as part of my wife's remuneration package;

your credit cards might offer some trip cancellation and/or baggage coverage (after getting the above medical, we priced up just trip cancellation & baggage and found that a for-fee credit card gave us all the coverage we needed for C$79 year);

even if they don't have any of these features there might be an add-on available - check with your insurance & credit card companies.

 

Insuremytrip.com is a good place to comparison shop - they are not an insurer, but an online comparison site with many insurance providers. Think of them as a travel agent - they sell you policies from many different companies.

 

Compare the total piecemeal cost of adding what you need to home/existing medical/credit cards with comprehensive policies - any that don't offer at least as good coverage as Princess ignore, those that do offer the same or better coverage compare the price.

[donaldsc]

OK, so this is new to me and was not aware of this option. Without meddling in your personal life, I would like to know more about this. Would three cruises a year qualify for this "one year" insurance?

 

"Any and all" means exactly what I said. The only thing that you have to look out for is the maximum length of any single trip. One year, we did a 90+ day drip and we had to find a policy that covered a trip of that length. All other shorter trips would have been covered but until we found a 90+ day policy, only the first 90 days of the long trip would have been covered.

 

Policies of this type are sort of specialized and you need to discuss them with the insurer. Bear in mind that they are medical and evacuation ONLY. No cancellation. No cancellation for any reason. No loss of luggage. No trip delay. No "it rained and I had a bad time". Medical and evacuation ONLY.

 

DON

[Riviera bound]

I used Travel Guard. I called and a very nice girl walked me through it.

 

I have used Travel Guard. Twice I had to collect because of health issues. They were very good to work with and guided us through the whole claims process.

[hun]

we've also used Travel Guard and found them easy to deal with (actually needed to file a claim once!) - we would not book with the cruise line as it is typically more expensive and less coverage. We would insure the cost of airfare and the cruise

[FlightMedic555]

If I knew I was going to get sick or have to cancel the cruise I would get the insurance. If I knew nothing bad was going to happen I would not get the insurance. Sounds stupid but this is what you have to consider.

 

I look at insurance as having a few important components that I need to consider.

 

Insuring the cost of the cruise and air should I either miss an airline connection or have to cancel the cruise. IMHO I can easily afford not to insure this. Worst case scenario is that I pay for all of the components of the cruise and have to cancel. I then flush all the $$ down the drain (in reality many cruise lines will allow you to move some of the cost to another cruise and I commonly use miles for no charge flights which can't be covered under insurance and can be cancelled at the last minute for a fee of about $125 to get the miles back into my account). Since I had the $$ for the vacation I could (again it would suck) pay for the vacation, not take the vacation, and this would not change my lifestyle at all.

 

Purchasing insurance to cover medical costs while on the vacation is something very personal to everyone. Many of us have good insurance that will cover us whether in the US on an Alaskan cruise or in a foreign country. Many will require that you pay upfront which means you probably have to have a credit card with a decent line of credit. Also, take into consideration your overall health. At least for me I don't need the medical insurance as I have a good plan that does cover me overseas and I can, if required, pay upfront the cost for care.

 

Evacuation insurance is what most concerns me. If I am ill/injured away from home I want to get back to my local hospital as soon as medically appropriate. The cost for this can range from about $50,000 via air ambulance from the Caribbean to almost $500,000 in Asia. If I had to pay this personally it would not only suck but it would change my lifestyle. For this reason I purchase an annual plan that allows for me to decide if and when I want to be transported and where I want to be transported to. Many plans will transport you to the closest place that can provide care. In about 2 months I leave for a cruise out of Tahiti. If something happens I don't want to be flown to New Zealand, I want to get back to NY. From the Caribbean many plans will fly you to Miami or Houston. Places like On Call Internationsl, Med Jet Assist and a few others have good annual plans that run about $300 for the two of us and cover all trips within a 365 day period.

 

I have been fortunate to take some cruises that are off the beaten path. Insurance from the cruise line and from places like insure my trip.com run almost 10% of the cost of the cruise. Tahiti cruises (our 4th) are pricey and our insurance, for the 2 of us, would be about $1,300 if we took out a policy that had cancellation coverage, medical coverage and evacuation coverage. We have been lucky not to need any medical care while on a trip and have saved enough $$ thus far that we can self insure most of the trip cost.

[MandD]

Hi! I have searched to try to find the answer and have not been successful...so....I looked on insuremytrip.com to get insurance for our Sept Alaska cruise on the Ruby. I am an insurance idiot..not sure what I should look for to compare the various plans offered. Has anyone used this site? If so, do you have any hints and what should one included on the trip cost? Cruise of course, airfare, hotels, dog boarding...or just items you would be charged for in paid in advance and would not be refundable? Thanks in advance to any/all that can give me some guidance.

 

I suggest you call the Trip Insurance Store at 888-407-3854 and talk to Steve or one of his employees. They will be able to answer all of your questions. They are especially helpful to "Insurance idiots".

[slg1979]

If I knew I was going to get sick or have to cancel the cruise I would get the insurance. If I knew nothing bad was going to happen I would not get the insurance. Sounds stupid but this is what you have to consider.

 

I look at insurance as having a few important components that I need to consider.

 

Insuring the cost of the cruise and air should I either miss an airline connection or have to cancel the cruise. IMHO I can easily afford not to insure this. Worst case scenario is that I pay for all of the components of the cruise and have to cancel. I then flush all the $$ down the drain (in reality many cruise lines will allow you to move some of the cost to another cruise and I commonly use miles for no charge flights which can't be covered under insurance and can be cancelled at the last minute for a fee of about $125 to get the miles back into my account). Since I had the $$ for the vacation I could (again it would suck) pay for the vacation, not take the vacation, and this would not change my lifestyle at all.

 

Purchasing insurance to cover medical costs while on the vacation is something very personal to everyone. Many of us have good insurance that will cover us whether in the US on an Alaskan cruise or in a foreign country. Many will require that you pay upfront which means you probably have to have a credit card with a decent line of credit. Also, take into consideration your overall health. At least for me I don't need the medical insurance as I have a good plan that does cover me overseas and I can, if required, pay upfront the cost for care.

 

Evacuation insurance is what most concerns me. If I am ill/injured away from home I want to get back to my local hospital as soon as medically appropriate. The cost for this can range from about $50,000 via air ambulance from the Caribbean to almost $500,000 in Asia. If I had to pay this personally it would not only suck but it would change my lifestyle. For this reason I purchase an annual plan that allows for me to decide if and when I want to be transported and where I want to be transported to. Many plans will transport you to the closest place that can provide care. In about 2 months I leave for a cruise out of Tahiti. If something happens I don't want to be flown to New Zealand, I want to get back to NY. From the Caribbean many plans will fly you to Miami or Houston. Places like On Call Internationsl, Med Jet Assist and a few others have good annual plans that run about $300 for the two of us and cover all trips within a 365 day period.

 

I have been fortunate to take some cruises that are off the beaten path. Insurance from the cruise line and from places like insure my trip.com run almost 10% of the cost of the cruise. Tahiti cruises (our 4th) are pricey and our insurance, for the 2 of us, would be about $1,300 if we took out a policy that had cancellation coverage, medical coverage and evacuation coverage. We have been lucky not to need any medical care while on a trip and have saved enough $$ thus far that we can self insure most of the trip cost.

 

 

We have also used this play the odds method.. On our last transatlantic hubby had an allergic reaction and ended up in the infirmary. They did a wonderful job getting him whipped back into shape. In an amount of time that makes most land hospitals inferior. Anyways, $928 later I decided we will take the insurance in the future. I am now on this board trying to find out what works for us :).

[N&J]

I just purchased - Travel guard very professional and nice. Called several others and it was like pulling teeth to get information and one company I called I was on hold for over 10 minutes. I maxed out with Travel guard medical (100,000) and evac (1 mil) and made sure to have pre existing coverage plus all the other stuff, I am paying for 3 of us $242. (i know a bit much but we all have pre existing and you never know) The cruise line quoted me a bit more for alot less.

 

Enjoy

Nan:cool:

[GolfMom321]

I just purchased - Travel guard very professional and nice. Called several others and it was like pulling teeth to get information and one company I called I was on hold for over 10 minutes. I maxed out with Travel guard medical (100,000) and evac (1 mil) and made sure to have pre existing coverage plus all the other stuff, I am paying for 3 of us $242. (i know a bit much but we all have pre existing and you never know) The cruise line quoted me a bit more for alot less.

 

Enjoy

Nan:cool:

 

Wow, that's a great price! I'm paying twice that for just me--maybe based on a longer trip, or my age, or who knows what. That's Travel Guard Gold. $25K medical expenses (wow, that's not much, is it?) and $500K evacuation. My TA never told me we could upgrade the medical coverage. Hmmm... maybe I need to look into that annual policy NOW, instead of later...

[KirkNC]

Also for Waltd who asked the same further down the thread:

 

Sorry, we're neither seniors nor US citizens so I can't offer personal experience with specific providers/policies that would be good for you. I know US friends who had excellent international medical coverage through Blue Cross, and I recognise Travelguard, mentioned above, as being a reliable international company to deal with - we had one of their policies years ago but never had to make a claim so I can't say how good that side of things is.

 

As to why it's virtually always better value to get your own insurance, it's very simple - insurance is another source of profit for Princess (this and any other time I mentioned Princess, I also mean 'and other cruiselines, airlines, bus tour operators etc.')

 

Marketing proves over and over again that brand loyalty and simplicity are worth money to most consumers. Checking a box, or as is even more common, having a box to accept insurance pre-checked so you have to actually opt-out rather than opt-in, fits perfectly with the simplicity angle. To NOT get Princess insurance you normally have to actually DO something.

 

The effort involved in assessing other policies is something most people simply don't like to do - they will never compare Princess insurance to any other. As long as they're happy with the price they paid, that's just fine - but personally I'm happy to spend a couple of hours a year doing a cost/benefit analysis of my travel insurance needs.

 

Insurance really isn't any different to shore excursions - you don't have to buy it, so it's very rare to actually include it 'free' in a base package price, but it's a very popular add-on and most do take the easy choice rather than put in the work to actually compare providers. Only a small minority of cruisers are CC users; many CC users are happy to take ships excursions, even with the vast array of threads on smaller groups/cheaper prices/better experiences by going private.

 

It's impossible to prove a negative - but in 25 years of comparing travel insurance policies I have literally never found a policy for sale to Joe Q Public that did not offer better value (less $, more coverage, or both) compared to a package operator policy.

 

The rule of thumb I first referred to, that a good annual multi-trip policy costs less than two weeks on a package policy, held true when we first started traveling regularly from the UK ~25 years ago; it continued to hold true when we moved to Canada 12+ years ago. I'm sure that the US insurance market is different in some respects, but I would be shocked if there is not a similar rapid break-even-point for multi-trip insurance - unless for some reason US vacation companies like to make smaller profits than British or Canadian ones...

 

One thing that Princess offer, which I've yet to find on annual policies, is the 'cancel for any reason' angle - but at 10% of the cost of the cruise, you really need to just ask yourself "Will I manage to miss MORE than one in ten of the cruises I book for controllable reasons?" If you actually miss one in ten, you break even - you'd have to miss enough more than that, WITHOUT the reason for the cancellation actually being valid for other insurance policy terms (e.g. you or family member get sick or injured, death in the family) to offset the costs. That is one seriously expensive 'peace of mind' coverage that I cannot imagine ever needing myself.

 

If you have an insurance broker that you trust, ask them about travel insurance. If you don't, these are the steps I took/continue to take:

 

Checking your existing insurance:

your home insurance might already cover some of your stuff when you're traveling (the one time I ever made a claim while traveling was for a stolen camera: my travel insurance would have paid, but the deductible was half the price of the camera; I check with my home insurer, and because it was a camera - i.e. an item which is normally used outside the home - they let me process the claim with a zero deductible and because I had 'replace with new' coverage I got the newest model);

your medical insurance might already have coverage while on vacation (we now have a policy through work that gives us excellent emergency medical coverage anywhere in the world as part of my wife's remuneration package;

your credit cards might offer some trip cancellation and/or baggage coverage (after getting the above medical, we priced up just trip cancellation & baggage and found that a for-fee credit card gave us all the coverage we needed for C$79 year);

even if they don't have any of these features there might be an add-on available - check with your insurance & credit card companies.

 

Insuremytrip.com is a good place to comparison shop - they are not an insurer, but an online comparison site with many insurance providers. Think of them as a travel agent - they sell you policies from many different companies.

 

Compare the total piecemeal cost of adding what you need to home/existing medical/credit cards with comprehensive policies - any that don't offer at least as good coverage as Princess ignore, those that do offer the same or better coverage compare the price.

 

Great advice!

[Hlitner]

Whats wrong with Princess ins?

 

There is a lot wrong with the Princess policy for those that do not have excellent medical insurance that covers them everywhere they go on their trip. Assume you are cruising in the Caribbean and take a very bad fall down the steps on the ship and sustain a major head/brain injury. You are then evacuated to a hospital at your next port which happens to be....lets say St Maarten. You are taken to a local hospital where you have immediate emergency surgery and then spend the next 10 days recovering enough so that you can safely be moved (via medical jet) to the USA. During this time you run up $200,000 in medical bills. Your Princess policy will pay $10,000 ($20,000 if you have Platinum) of that bill and you are responsible for the remainder. So now you have $190,000 in debt because you got snookered into a cancellation policy that provides awful medical coverage. Many naïve travelers are concerned about covering a $2-5000 risk (cost of cancellation) with little thought to the unlimited liability of medical care. Go figure.

 

This is why, after a lifetime working in the Medical Insurance industry, we urge travelers to take a good look at their personal medical coverage (before you book a trip) and consider if you need decent medical coverage. If so, you should generally avoid any cruise line policy and shop around for the best policy that meets your personal needs. In simple terms, you should first determine your own needs before you start looking at policies. Do not ever assume that just because somebody is trying to sell you a policy (be it a cruise line, travel agent, etc) that the product they are selling is right for you.

 

 

 

Hank

Edited June 22, 2015 by Hlitner

[BullDawg91]

Excellent advice Hank! So many people say "but I'm young and healthy" as if they can't have accidents.

[KirkNC]

Excellent advice Hank! So many people say "but I'm young and healthy" as if they can't have accidents.

 

I remember the story of the lady who on the first stop of the world cruise got hit by a taxi and broke her leg. Had to go back to US. Imagine the medical and others costs she had to pay.

[Hlitner]

Sometimes I want to get on my bandstand and scream out about how many folks horribly underinsured with cruise line policies. Folks are willing to pay hundreds of dollars to insure themselves for a maximum few thousand dollars of cancellation loss without any consideration of their unlimited liability for medical expenses. The leading cause of personal bankruptcy in the USA are medical bills! Nobody has ever gone bankrupt cancelling a trip that they were going to pay for anyway.

 

Hank

[Colo Cruiser]

There is a lot wrong with the Princess policy for those that do not have excellent medical insurance that covers them everywhere they go on their trip. Assume you are cruising in the Caribbean and take a very bad fall down the steps on the ship and sustain a major head/brain injury. You are then evacuated to a hospital at your next port which happens to be....lets say St Maarten. You are taken to a local hospital where you have immediate emergency surgery and then spend the next 10 days recovering enough so that you can safely be moved (via medical jet) to the USA. During this time you run up $200,000 in medical bills. Your Princess policy will pay $10,000 ($20,000 if you have Platinum) of that bill and you are responsible for the remainder. So now you have $190,000 in debt because you got snookered into a cancellation policy that provides awful medical coverage. Many naïve travelers are concerned about covering a $2-5000 risk (cost of cancellation) with little thought to the unlimited liability of medical care. Go figure.

 

This is why, after a lifetime working in the Medical Insurance industry, we urge travelers to take a good look at their personal medical coverage (before you book a trip) and consider if you need decent medical coverage. If so, you should generally avoid any cruise line policy and shop around for the best policy that meets your personal needs. In simple terms, you should first determine your own needs before you start looking at policies. Do not ever assume that just because somebody is trying to sell you a policy (be it a cruise line, travel agent, etc) that the product they are selling is right for you.

 

 

 

Hank

 

 

 

No reason to be condescending........

 

Please tell me who has excellent medical insurance that covers them everywhere they go on their trip?

So you are saying that this scenario can only happen on a trip?

This can and does happen anywhere, even at home.

 

Why not give some suggestions for insurance for passengers to purchase???

Edited June 24, 2015 by Colo Cruiser

[hun]

For our October cruise, based on positive reviews on CC, we got our insurance via trip insurance store and Steve and his helpful staff.

I suggest checking them out!

[GolfMom321]

For our October cruise, based on positive reviews on CC, we got our insurance via trip insurance store and Steve and his helpful staff.

I suggest checking them out!

 

Steve is amazing! I contacted him with a TON of questions about existing policies (NOT booked with him), as well as an annual med/evac plan and future cruise coverage. He has spent well over an hour on the phone with me, patiently answering my questions. He contacted the company my current policies are with, on my behalf, to answer some real humdinger questions. He has explained everything in a way that makes sense. I will be working with him for ALL my travel insurance needs going forward!

[BullDawg91]

Delete - wrong thread.

Edited June 25, 2015 by BullDawg91

[BullDawg91]

No reason to be condescending........

 

 

 

Please tell me who has excellent medical insurance that covers them everywhere they go on their trip?

 

So you are saying that this scenario can only happen on a trip?

 

This can and does happen anywhere, even at home.

 

 

 

Why not give some suggestions for insurance for passengers to purchase???

 

 

I don't think Hank was being condescending. He was also not saying the scenario could only happen on a trip.

 

People often don't consider whether their health insurance covers them outside of the home country and think of travel insurance as needed only in the event they miss a plane or have to cancel. They are also fond of saying that they are young and healthy and don't need travel health insurance as if only old or previous sick people can have accidents or appendicitis.

[maureencruiser]

Policies of this type are sort of specialized and you need to discuss them with the insurer. Bear in mind that they are medical and evacuation ONLY. No cancellation. No cancellation for any reason. No loss of luggage. No trip delay. No "it rained and I had a bad time". Medical and evacuation ONLY.DON

 

Sometimes I want to get on my bandstand and scream out about how many folks horribly underinsured with cruise line policies. Folks are willing to pay hundreds of dollars to insure themselves for a maximum few thousand dollars of cancellation loss without any consideration of their unlimited liability for medical expenses. The leading cause of personal bankruptcy in the USA are medical bills! Nobody has ever gone bankrupt cancelling a trip that they were going to pay for anyway.Hank

 

Hi, I'm also an Insurance Idiot, LOL. I did not find Hank condescending in any way, in fact, his words hit me over the head and made me change my way of thinking. I came here worried about losing my airfare or cruise fare, but, now I'm worried about losing my house and going bankrupt. And, I know it can happen, I was injured on a cruise once and now I am so cautious, creeping around the wet decks like a granny. But, a fall can happen at any time.

 

I need advice, though. I plan to do several cruises a year for as long as I can, physically and financially. I learned here about multi trip policies and i think that would be a good option for me, covering me if I had to be evacuated, etc. But, does anyone think it would be a good idea to also buy each cruise line's insurance to get the trip delay, baggage, cancellation, etc benefits. Those policies, although limited, would help with the everyday problems that can happen when we cruise. And, at less than $100 per cruise, they're cheap. I can't find any multi trip policies that cover me for those things. Thanks in advance.

[GeezerCouple]

Hi, I'm also an Insurance Idiot, LOL. I did not find Hank condescending in any way, in fact, his words hit me over the head and made me change my way of thinking. I came here worried about losing my airfare or cruise fare, but, now I'm worried about losing my house and going bankrupt. And, I know it can happen, I was injured on a cruise once and now I am so cautious, creeping around the wet decks like a granny. But, a fall can happen at any time.

 

I need advice, though. I plan to do several cruises a year for as long as I can, physically and financially. I learned here about multi trip policies and i think that would be a good option for me, covering me if I had to be evacuated, etc. But, does anyone think it would be a good idea to also buy each cruise line's insurance to get the trip delay, baggage, cancellation, etc benefits. Those policies, although limited, would help with the everyday problems that can happen when we cruise. And, at less than $100 per cruise, they're cheap. I can't find any multi trip policies that cover me for those things. Thanks in advance.

 

GolfMom321 (above) gave an excellent example of the service that one gets from Steve and his associates at

TripInsuranceStore.com

 

But make sure that you CALL them, don't just read the policy summaries on their website, although that can help with a general overview if you have no familiarity.

 

-->> But there is SO MUCH FINE PRINT, and also everyone's situation and needs are different!

 

Steve will take the time to figure out the best policy for YOUR situation, needs, etc., and better yet, he'll even say, "No, you don't need the more expensive policy because..." or something like "If you've got xyz coverage already [e.g., through own health coverage], then you don't need to add this..."

 

We were complete novices about travel insurance (but not about insurance in general) when we planned our first big cruise (DH's first ever) for a major celebration about 2 years ago.

 

I had a lot of questions, and DH had even more, from a different perspective.

 

It was an expensive cruise (or so we thought; we love it all so much now that most trips we take now cost as much or far more!), and OF COURSE we could "afford" cancellation costs without going bankrupt (or we'd have gone bankrupt just by going, right?).

(Note: This comment is for those who rant that no one should get insurance for cancellation costs. That's a personal decision, no different from what amount of deductible on homeowners' insurance, etc.)

 

But we were especially worried about medical costs away from home, and also about medivac, and those potential costs can skyrocket...

 

The bottom line is that we purchased a policy with TravelInsured, with Steve's help in choosing which policy offered the most appropriate benefits and the best cost for *our* specific needs.

 

And lo an behold... less than 2 weeks before we were to leave home, DH had a medical emergency, and everything was cancelled.

 

Obviously, our regular health insurance paid for the medical costs, but I must say that while we were dealing with the medical concerns, there were quite a few times we muttered about how "at least we'll get that money back and not have to pay a second time to do this trip in the future".

It was one relatively small comfort during what was an extraordinarily difficult situation.

 

Fortunately, he finally recovered, and we've had several wonderful trips.

And we are acutely aware that if the same condition had occurred not much later, we would *not* have been "at home and with our regular medical care and insurance"...

 

So we do also have MedJetAssist, which only applies if one is admitted to a hospital as an inpatient (not just ER or observation). But if that happens, and one is not particularly happy with that hospital, or just wants to 'go home', then MedJetAssist will medivac you to the hospital of YOUR choice.

There is no need to have the local medical team "declare themselves inadequate for your care" and there is no need to argue with beancounters about the costs. All that is needed is the patient to be stable enough for transfer in an air ambulance, etc. (Or they'll escort you business class with a nurse accompanying you, if that's "all" that is needed.)

 

Anyway... TravelInsured paid with "no nonsense".

Within a week of all docs being received, they called us to say "the check's in the mail", and a few days later the check arrived.

I should add that we get coverage that waives the "pre-existing condition exclusion". Thus, there was no time wasted while they needed to confirm "whether or not" there was any pre-existing condition that would void the coverage, and no need to bicker if they thought there was, etc.

 

The "annual policy" did not work for us. We discussed this at great length with Steve, and realized there were too many possible situations where it wouldn't work if we had one claim, with future trips still planned that year.

A different annual policy had fine print that didn't work for us, either.

 

GeezerCouple

[maureencruiser]

Thanks, Geezers! I guess I'll have to give them a call, glad things worked out for you.

[ChucktownSteve]

Geezers had a very good point buried in his post. He said, "Within a week of all docs being received, they called us to say "the check's in the mail", and a few days later the check arrived."

 

Buying insurance is only half the battle. The other half is getting the claim paid. I thought I bought a good policy through TravelSafe directly. They had all the coverage I wanted (including medical evacuation).

 

The problem is my flight was cancelled in May and there was no way I could make it to the ship in time, couldn't catch it at the next port. So I submitted a claim to their claims company Trip Mate. I submitted all required documentation including receipts and credit card statements.

 

It took Trip Mate SEVEN WEEKS just to confirm I had a valid policy with TravelSafe. Then it took ELEVEN WEEKS to confirm with American Airlines that my flight was indeed cancelled.

 

I finally got a call three months after the claim was submitted that they paid the claim. It took numerous calls during this time to inquire about the status of the claim. I got "no answer" answers.

 

When I asked who I could file a complaint with, I was told they don't have a complaint department or procedure...call the Better Business Bureau!

 

So find out before you buy the policy who administers the claim and what people have experienced when filing a claim. It doesn't do any good to have great policy coverage that looks for ways NOT to pay your valid claim.

 

I'll never purchase insurance again that uses Trip Mate to administer claims!! But next time I will call Steve to see what insurance he would recommend. I've read on this board that he has gone to bat for his clients with the insurance company. If that's true, it probably would have sped up the claim and saved me from having to hound the process.

Edited August 8, 2015 by ChucktownSteve

[Happy2cruise]

 

But next time I will call Steve to see what insurance he would recommend. I've read on this board that he has gone to bat for his clients with the insurance company. If that's true, it probably would have sped up the claim and saved me from having to hound the process.

 

We always purchase our insurance thru Steve's website, not only for the expert advice but also in the event a claim needs to be submitted because we know he will help with any problems;)