Is hurricane coverage enough or do I need cancel for any reason

[lhsail]

We are looking to book a trip to the BVI in August or September.   Not a cruise, but there are so many knowledgeable people on this board. Obviously, we need trip insurance. Are we adequately covered if the policy has hurricane coverage, or do we need a cancel for any reason provision? We don’t usually book at this time of year. Last time we tried there was a named storm headed straight to Fort Lauderdale before we left.  Princess gave us a full refund and we were able to use our airfare for another trip. Think we got lucky on that one.   

 

Appreciate any insight. 

[Babr]

I believe the language of some  policies states that your destination must be made uninhabitable. That means the storm has already struck, and the damage is done. 

It is not so clear about what happens if a storm is approaching. The coverage may not begin unless a mandatory evacuation is ordered or the airports shut down.

 

If you don’t want to get caught up in that, CFAR may be a good idea; but I think you should speak to a travel insurance broker first and be specific about your concerns.

 

I spent a lot of time researching this a few years ago because we live in a hurricane zone - not that we were traveling to one. Basically, the hurricane clause gave us little protection from the departure side of things. Apparently they don’t consider the threat of an approaching storm a valid reason for cancellation in spite of the necessity to make preparations to protect one’s life and property in that eventuality -  It is only after the fact if indeed you suffer damage or can’t get to the airport.

Edited June 3, 2019 by Babr

[lhsail]

23 hours ago, Babr said:

I believe the language of some  policies states that your destination must be made uninhabitable. That means the storm has already struck, and the damage is done. 

It is not so clear about what happens if a storm is approaching. The coverage may not begin unless a mandatory evacuation is ordered or the airports shut down.

 

If you don’t want to get caught up in that, CFAR may be a good idea; but I think you should speak to a travel insurance broker first and be specific about your concerns.

 

I spent a lot of time researching this a few years ago because we live in a hurricane zone - not that we were traveling to one. Basically, the hurricane clause gave us little protection from the departure side of things. Apparently they don’t consider the threat of an approaching storm a valid reason for cancellation in spite of the necessity to make preparations to protect one’s life and property in that eventuality -  It is only after the fact if indeed you suffer damage or can’t get to the airport.

Thank you for your comments. In my research I have found that my Chase Mastercard provides coverage for severe weather and I’ve talked with a benefits rep. In all, it sounds every bit as good as the hurricane coverage from a travel policy. Realize that still won’t cover us if we chicken out, but then if there is close weather our flights would most likely be cancelled which would trigger the Chase coverage. Now to get smart on the fact this would be our first trip out of the country since my husband went on Medicare. 

[Babr]

Since you have been researching the subject, you probably already know that Medicare does not pay for services outside the US.  If he has a supplemental policy, the lifetime limit is usually $50,000. If he has supplemental coverage through his employer, the terms will be different. Consider a travel policy with primary coverage just for the simplicity of filing a claim if you have to.  That way you don’t have to deal with Medicare at all during the claims process, and it will preserve your foreign travel coverage in the supplemental policy if that is a concern.

 

I consider coverage from my Chase card as a last resort. The coverage limit has changed significantly so that it seldom covers the full cost of a trip unless you have the Reserve card. The language does say something to the effect that it will cover cancellation if the weather  “would cause a reasonable person not to proceed.”  Be aware that it does not cover pre-existing conditions. That may not matter to you since you seem to be looking at it for weather related cancellation.

[lhsail]

3 hours ago, Babr said:

Since you have been researching the subject, you probably already know that Medicare does not pay for services outside the US.  If he has a supplemental policy, the lifetime limit is usually $50,000. If he has supplemental coverage through his employer, the terms will be different. Consider a travel policy with primary coverage just for the simplicity of filing a claim if you have to.  That way you don’t have to deal with Medicare at all during the claims process, and it will preserve your foreign travel coverage in the supplemental policy if that is a concern.

 

I consider coverage from my Chase card as a last resort. The coverage limit has changed significantly so that it seldom covers the full cost of a trip unless you have the Reserve card. The language does say something to the effect that it will cover cancellation if the weather  “would cause a reasonable person not to proceed.”  Be aware that it does not cover pre-existing conditions. That may not matter to you since you seem to be looking at it for weather related cancellation.

Again, thank you for your insight. I am aware of the MasterCard limits, but this is a quick trip with a very attractive price for the lodging, so the limit is not an issue. For about $37 I can get him a policy that provides a nice cushion of primary medical and good medical evac coverage.  This is a good trip to get my feet wet. We have a 16 day Transatlantic late on the year and 30 days to Australia next year.

 

In the past I’ve not usually purchased insurance until closer to final payment, feeling I didn’t have much on the line until then. Need to change my thought processes. 

[Babr]

Sounds like you are in good shape.  Enjoy your trips!

Edited June 5, 2019 by Babr

[Walfam]

On 6/4/2019 at 7:40 PM, lhsail said:

 

In the past I’ve not usually purchased insurance until closer to final payment, feeling I didn’t have much on the line until then. Need to change my thought processes. 

We have always purchased our trip insurance shortly after booking the trip, for the pre-existing medical issues waiver.  We don't want to take any chances.  YMMV