Travel Insurance changes HUGE

[Hlitner]

Just a heads-up to future cruisers and travelers to carefully review any travel or medical insurance prior to taking a trip or making a final payment.  Many policies have now written in exclusions for just about anything related to COVID-19.  This is even true for many travel med policies as well as the popular Cancel for any reason policies.  A good example would be our own GeoBlue Global Trek policy which is an annual travel medical policy we have long recommended.  They now have an exclusion which limits coverage for travel anywhere that has an existing Level 3 government warning for those of us in the US.  Currently, there is a Level 3 Warning for ALL cruise and International travel.  

 

Many other policies now have similar COVID-19 and/or Level 3 exclusions.  Folks booking or taking trips may well find out that they have absolutely no insurance even though they have paid for a policy.   Bottom line is that it is your own responsibility to read your policy, check the latest from your insurance provider, and make sure that you get any assurances in writing.  What somebody tells you over the phone if worthless unless you have it in writing.   Be careful, be skeptical, and be safe!

 

Hank

[njhorseman]

Excellent heads up and advice.

 

[puppycanducruise]

Good advice.  Thanks.

[ontheweb]

Insurance that covers nothing that might happen to you---just wonderful. But thanks for the heads up. Have these changes also been made to policies bought before this crisis? Many of us buy insurance early so as to cover preexisting conditions.

[c-boy]

thanks for the heads up, &  we will check our's 

[sparks1093]

12 minutes ago, ontheweb said:

Insurance that covers nothing that might happen to you---just wonderful. But thanks for the heads up. Have these changes also been made to policies bought before this crisis? Many of us buy insurance early so as to cover preexisting conditions.

I purchased my policy for our (now cancelled) cruise for August and even though COVID-19 had not been identified as a threat there was no coverage for certain things related to it (for example if a country we were traveling to closed its borders). 

 

Hank, thanks for the heads up.

[Roger88]

Virus have never been mentioned in all those insurance policies. Moreover, the insurance companies know that in case of some epidemic connected with a virus break out will leave them on a safe side. Yes, there are cases when people filed a case against an insurance company and won but its so rare that these insurance companies dont care really.

[Toofarfromthesea]

28 minutes ago, ontheweb said:

Insurance that covers nothing that might happen to you---just wonderful. But thanks for the heads up. Have these changes also been made to policies bought before this crisis? Many of us buy insurance early so as to cover preexisting conditions.

 

Insurance can only cover known risks.  

[Shmoo here]

1 hour ago, Hlitner said:

Just a heads-up to future cruisers and travelers to carefully review any travel or medical insurance prior to taking a trip or making a final payment.  Many policies have now written in exclusions for just about anything related to COVID-19.  This is even true for many travel med policies as well as the popular Cancel for any reason policies.  A good example would be our own GeoBlue Global Trek policy which is an annual travel medical policy we have long recommended.  They now have an exclusion which limits coverage for travel anywhere that has an existing Level 3 government warning for those of us in the US.  Currently, there is a Level 3 Warning for ALL cruise and International travel.  

 

Many other policies now have similar COVID-19 and/or Level 3 exclusions.  Folks booking or taking trips may well find out that they have absolutely no insurance even though they have paid for a policy.   Bottom line is that it is your own responsibility to read your policy, check the latest from your insurance provider, and make sure that you get any assurances in writing.  What somebody tells you over the phone if worthless unless you have it in writing.   Be careful, be skeptical, and be safe!

 

Hank

Does that mean if the trip taken is during the travel advisory such things are not covered?  Or does it mean if you book a trip during the travel advisory (but the trip itself winds up being after the advisory has been lifted) they're not covered?

 

And, does it apply to those who've already purchased prior to the advisory?

[Roz]

We'll insure you against unforeseen events until we won't.

[Hlitner]

47 minutes ago, Shmoo here said:

Does that mean if the trip taken is during the travel advisory such things are not covered?  Or does it mean if you book a trip during the travel advisory (but the trip itself winds up being after the advisory has been lifted) they're not covered?

 

And, does it apply to those who've already purchased prior to the advisory?

You truly need to read the specific policy and check that insurance providers online info.  Most insurance companies have posted some detailed info on their own web sites pertaining to their own position vis-à-vis COVID-19 and sometimes will also reference places that have Level 3 and/or Level 4 warnings.

 

My GeoBlue policy has no language about when anything is booked as it is simply an annual travel medical policy.  But they have adopted new language that specifically speaks to Level 3 Warnings and the lack of coverage to those who go to those areas...which include any cruise.  For those that are already on trips they do continue to get coverage but must make an effort to get back the USA ASAP.  

 

We have purchased this insurance for years and this is new language.  The thing about Level 3 warnings is that until this March, they were only issued to specific limited areas/regions.  But when CDC decided to make all international travel and cruises part of a Level 3 Warning it was a big game changer.  Bottom line is that the US Government does not want anyone to leave the country and they have reinforced that policy with the Level 3 designation.  The insurance companies are simply piggy backing on the US policy.

 

Nobody can predict when these Level 3 warnings will be lifted or modified.  But my own speculation is that as long as Level 3 Warnings apply to cruises and International travel there will be no cruises by any of the US based cruise line.

 

The US CDC's Level 3 Warning on International travel uses this specific language:

"CDC recommends that travelers avoid all nonessential travel to all global destinations:"  which is pretty clear.  Their Level 3 Warning for cruises includes this clear language"

CDC recommends that travelers defer all cruise travel worldwide. 

 

There also this additional reference;

U.S. Department of State advises travelers to not go on cruises.

 

Hank

[iamtrustworthy]

4 hours ago, Hlitner said:

Just a heads-up to future cruisers and travelers to carefully review any travel or medical insurance prior to taking a trip or making a final payment.  Many policies have now written in exclusions for just about anything related to COVID-19.  This is even true for many travel med policies as well as the popular Cancel for any reason policies.  A good example would be our own GeoBlue Global Trek policy which is an annual travel medical policy we have long recommended.  They now have an exclusion which limits coverage for travel anywhere that has an existing Level 3 government warning for those of us in the US.  Currently, there is a Level 3 Warning for ALL cruise and International travel.  

 

Many other policies now have similar COVID-19 and/or Level 3 exclusions.  Folks booking or taking trips may well find out that they have absolutely no insurance even though they have paid for a policy.   Bottom line is that it is your own responsibility to read your policy, check the latest from your insurance provider, and make sure that you get any assurances in writing.  What somebody tells you over the phone if worthless unless you have it in writing.   Be careful, be skeptical, and be safe!

 

Hank

Hi Hank,

 

None of the trip cancellation plans I know well have added any exclusions or restrictions of any kind nor have changed any policy wording in 2020. It's reasonable to assume that may come later, but I have no evidence of this happening.

 

Also, where in the GeoBlue Trekker certificates of coverage do you see this exclusion which limits coverage for travel anywhere that has an existing Level 3 government warning?

 

I downloaded GeoBlue's Certificates of Coverage and there have been no changes since April 1, 2018.

 

The only place I find any restriction for GeoBlue plan is for the Voyager, not Trekker, plan's Post-Departure Trip Interruption coverage.

 

"Is Post-Departure Trip Interruption coverage impacted for Voyager plans in relation to the Covid-19 pandemic?

 

Coverage for Trip Interruption depends on when you purchased your plan. Coverage for Trip Interruption on Voyager plans is not available for trips to a country subject to a CDC level-3 travel warning, or similar warning from the government of the destination country. If the policy was purchased after the date the destination country became subject to such a warning, coverage would not be available.

 

There is no impact to Trip Interruption coverage for eligible members who purchased a GeoBlue Voyager plan prior to the listed dates and have travelled or are planning travel to one of the listed countries. Members who meet this criteria may use the Trip Interruption benefit as needed ($500 max)."

 

Here's the link:

https://about.geo-blue.com/crisisalert/covid19-members

 

I hope this makes sense.

 

Steve Dasseos

[Kartgv]

Just to clarify, does this change apply to existing GeoBlue policies (ours runs through September) or only new ones?   We did not receive any notification of change which they surely must provide if it affects existing policies.  It probably doesn't make much difference since we've cancelled all cruises through September, but I am curious.        

[Joebucks]

The only thing new here is policies specifically calling out "COVID-19". Epidemic/Pandemic are excluded from almost all plans already. They're just wanting to be extra clear, and hopefully save a few hundred phone calls. If there is anything to learn here, more plans will be extra sure to exclude this going forward.

 

Travel insurance is largely a zero-sum game. Heck, most insurance is. It is good for unexpected, catastrophic, one-off disasters. It is NOT some plan that will refund all of your money at your slightest inconvenience.

[Hlitner]

Some great questions and I do not have the answers to most since it depends on your specific policy and, to some degree, the insurance company.  

 

Hank

[Hlitner]

2 hours ago, Kartgv said:

Just to clarify, does this change apply to existing GeoBlue policies (ours runs through September) or only new ones?   We did not receive any notification of change which they surely must provide if it affects existing policies.  It probably doesn't make much difference since we've cancelled all cruises through September, but I am curious.        

It does appear to apply to all of their short term Voyager or Trekker policies.  Take a look on their web site under the Coverage FAQs.  Here is a link:

https://about.geo-blue.com/crisisalert/covid19-members

 

Hank

[iamtrustworthy]

6 hours ago, Joebucks said:

The only thing new here is policies specifically calling out "COVID-19". Epidemic/Pandemic are excluded from almost all plans already. They're just wanting to be extra clear, and hopefully save a few hundred phone calls. If there is anything to learn here, more plans will be extra sure to exclude this going forward.

 

Travel insurance is largely a zero-sum game. Heck, most insurance is. It is good for unexpected, catastrophic, one-off disasters. It is NOT some plan that will refund all of your money at your slightest inconvenience.

Hi Joebuck,

 

I am familiar with many trip cancellation travel insurance plans and they typically do not exclude pandemics or epidemics. This means if you got ill from a pandemic or epidemic your policy would cover you just like any other illness or injury.

 

Instead, the exclusions people are discovering that have always been there are these two commnly overlooked ones:

 

- Failure of any tour operator, common carrier, person or agency to provide the bargained-for travel arrangements. If a travel supplier changes the itinerary, but still gives you a similar trip or a future travel credit or waives the change fees, there's no payable claim.

- Government Actions, Advisories or Recommendations

 

Other than the people who are currently ill or injured, most people are not cancelling their trips because there are illnesses in the world. There have always been serious illnesses in different places and people have chosen not to go to those places.

 

In spite of this, travelers are being forced to change their travel plans due to the Coronavirus. However, it's not exactly the Coronavirus, but it's a combination of Fear (worry, concern, precation) and Government Actions, Advisories or Recommendations that is disrupting travel.

 

I hope this makes sense,

 

Steve Dasseos

[sanger727]

The head up is always good but I don’t think these would qualify as ‘huge’ changes. I think many people found out during the course of this pandemic that many insurance policies have always excluded pandemics. To insert covid into the language specifically seems like a reasonable clarification. As far as the travel to level 3 or 4 areas; it will remain to be seen how common those restrictions are when people are able to travel again. I probably wouldn’t have planned a trip before all this to an area with a travel restriction. At the moment I’m sure the US is considered by other countries to be a ‘do not go’ zone so can’t see another country allowing me to travel there even if the US relaxed their restrictions. I suspect that by the time people can safely travel again these restrictions will be surpurfluous. They are probably in there now for the handful of yahoos that stil want to take the trip they have planned.