Might Need To Cancel Last Minute

[1985rz1]

15 hours ago, DrKoob said:

We carry a Chase Sapphire Reserve VISA card that we charge everything to. By everything, I mean out entire life. Every penny we spend that can go on a credit card goes on that card. It has a VERY high annual fee ($550/you get back the first $300 you spend on travel as a credit), but it gives us complete coverage for all trips we use it on. If your situation had happened to us, we would have been covered. 

 

It also has some great advantages beyond insurance. First, each dollar you spend comes to about 2-3¢ when spent on travel through Chase. A year of spending usually nets us a round-trip Business class ticket to Europe. You also get a Priority Pass that lets you into First Class lounges in most airports. If you use it at restaurants, you can get 3x points and higher for other types of purchases. 

 

When you get the card the first time, you have an opportunity to earn bonus miles if you spend a certain amount in the first 90-120 days (the current offer is 60,000 points—worth $900 in travel). 

Doesn't the Chase Insurance have caps?  I thought they were $20 K per trip ($10 K pp) and $40 K per year.

[GeezerCouple]

3 hours ago, macaroni said:

Host Jazzbeau,

can you explain more about increasing the amount of coverage as you go along? Do you just call to increase or do it online yourself? Your travel agent? Is it the usual cruise insurance that they offer or specific to a cruise line?

thanks!

 

Obviously not Jazzbeau, but our policies also let us increase the amount of coverage as one goes along.  We [used to, in the before days 😞 ] tend to make reservations very far in advance (1-2+ years), so we can get a cabin/suite that we want, *and* we sometimes change our plans, we don't want to pay far in advance for insurance for the entire cost of what may be a pricey cruise.  And we'd rather not pay all of that upfront anyway, if it can be avoided.

 

We get Travel Insured coverage through www.TripInsuranceStore.com - if you call them you can get all the exact details for any of these policies that they offer.

 

So we pay the premium for just the deposit (refundable or not) when we make that, and then, as we up the non-refundable payments for other parts of the trip, we notify TIS and they bill us for the additional.  Rinse and repeat.

 

Note:  Some of this is because we want to start the coverage within 10-20 days (depends upon state of residence; this is for USA residents) so that there are *no* exclusions for pre-existing conditions.  Aside from that being a benefit of its own, we suspect it speeds up the claims process for any claim with a medical basis, be it medical costs or trip cancellation.  There's no need for the insurer to "double check" that the condition generating the need for a claim was/was not "pre-existing".

 

Also note:  We also want to get the Cancel For Any Reason (CFAR) coverage.  This pays 75% cash back without the need to prove that the reason for the claim was a "covered reason".

This does cost extra, and although we've had quite a few travel insurance claims (alas!), including some high claims, we've never yet made a CFAR claim.  However, we have several times "almost" made a CFAR claim (and this now includes travel "Interruption", not just full cancellation) and during those times, *knowing* we had that option was a considerable help.

It's definitely an additional SWAN thing (Sleep Well At Night)! 🙂 

 

Some policies will let you start the coverage closer to the travel date and still include any pre-existing conditions, but one must always be "fit to travel" on the day the policy is started.  Thus, if we are in penalty phase of reservation and get sick, we may not be able to start the coverage.

But I don't think any policy will allow one to include CFAR coverage after that 10-20 day window after the first trip payment is made.

 

Again, call Steve or others at TIS.  They are incredibly patient with newbies (or oldies, too 😉) and they'll sometimes ask extra questions of you so they can better understand which policies might work best for you, or which may not work at all for your needs.

 

GC

[Host Jazzbeau]

6 hours ago, macaroni said:

Host Jazzbeau,

can you explain more about increasing the amount of coverage as you go along? Do you just call to increase or do it online yourself? Your travel agent? Is it the usual cruise insurance that they offer or specific to a cruise line?

thanks!

I email my TA and she increases the coverage.  It is not linked to any cruise line [my TA even handles the insurance on trips she didn't book] – but if the vendor isn't on Allianz's list they do not provide Vendor Default coverage.  All major cruise lines, land tour vendors, etc. are on the list.  [Crystal wasn't...]

 

5 hours ago, LHT28 said:

Is this for medical only ?

Or trip cancellation prior to the cruise?

Journey is a comprehensive policy that covers trip cancellation/delay/luggage – all that stuff – as well as medical.

 

The one weakness with this policy – and every other one I have seen – is medical evacuation coverage.  It's not so much the amount limit as the rules: the insurance company decides whether you need to be evacuated and where to send you, which will probably be the nearest hospital that can treat your condition.  

 

But the solution is easy:  join MedJet Assist.  They provide only evacuation, but you have control over the decision:  once you are admitted to a hospital you can call them and initiate evacuation to any hospital you choose – of course we would choose a major teaching hospital in NYC.  The coverage also applies even if you are in your home country, as long as you are over 150 miles from home.  Note: MedJet Assist is only for residents of the United States, Canada and Mexico.  Hint: buy through the AARP website and get big savings [enough to pay for AARP membership]

[luvsmickey]

I use Squaremouth.com. They let you build your own needs and then list all insurance offers. We have used several companies, including Tin Leg. I’ve never had a problem finding the right policy, including zero deductible medical. I’ve been I’ll on 3 different cruises over the years and never had a problem. BTW, insurance rates are the same on all these websites. They are regulated. 

[davencl]

3 hours ago, 1985rz1 said:

Doesn't the Chase Insurance have caps?  I thought they were $20 K per trip ($10 K pp) and $40 K per year.

Yes they do and your numbers sound correct.   This works for me but may not for everyone.

[1985rz1]

25 minutes ago, davencl said:

Yes they do and your numbers sound correct.   This works for me but may not for everyone.

Thanks. We make it work for us 🙂, splitting costs between Chase and our annual Allianz policy. 

[edgee]

2 hours ago, Host Jazzbeau said:

I email my TA and she increases the coverage.  It is not linked to any cruise line [my TA even handles the insurance on trips she didn't book] – but if the vendor isn't on Allianz's list they do not provide Vendor Default coverage.  All major cruise lines, land tour vendors, etc. are on the list.  [Crystal wasn't...]

 

Journey is a comprehensive policy that covers trip cancellation/delay/luggage – all that stuff – as well as medical.

 

The one weakness with this policy – and every other one I have seen – is medical evacuation coverage.  It's not so much the amount limit as the rules: the insurance company decides whether you need to be evacuated and where to send you, which will probably be the nearest hospital that can treat your condition.  

 

But the solution is easy:  join MedJet Assist.  They provide only evacuation, but you have control over the decision:  once you are admitted to a hospital you can call them and initiate evacuation to any hospital you choose – of course we would choose a major teaching hospital in NYC.  The coverage also applies even if you are in your home country, as long as you are over 150 miles from home.  Note: MedJet Assist is only for residents of the United States, Canada and Mexico.  Hint: buy through the AARP website and get big savings [enough to pay for AARP membership]

Medjet is great, but two things to keep in mind:

1. You must be admitted to a hospital more than 150 miles from home and after admission they will only transfer you to another hospital willing to admit you.

2. If you are over age 75, enrollment in Medjet is subject to health screening and you may have certain pre existing conditions excluded from coverage. Evacuations are limited to one a year if over 75 and two per year otherwise.

[GeezerCouple]

55 minutes ago, edgee said:

Medjet is great, but two things to keep in mind:

1. You must be admitted to a hospital more than 150 miles from home and after admission they will only transfer you to another hospital willing to admit you.

2. If you are over age 75, enrollment in Medjet is subject to health screening and you may have certain pre existing conditions excluded from coverage. Evacuations are limited to one a year if over 75 and two per year otherwise.

 

We always have an annual MJA plan (well, when we are traveling, pre-COVID, and hopefully again in the not too distant future).

 

We would almost definitely want to be taken to our regular medical center, which is a top teaching hospital/medical school, etc.  We'd want to go there, as they have our medical records and they "understand" us and our health care, etc.  It would have to be really extraordinary that our physicians couldn't arrange for us to be admitted, although something like the early days of COVID, when there weren't hospital beds available anywhere... in which case there are no doubt more serious "issues".

 

About the after age 75 health screening, we were quite concerned about that when DH was turning 75 just before our most recent trip.  We were figuring (hoping?) that IF MJA excluded seniors if they have relatively common things like high blood pressure or cholesterol, etc., conditions that are controlled with meds, they probably wouldn't be covering many over 75's at all, so why go to the expense of screening applications, etc.  And similarly, if other relatively frequent vagaries of aging would be excluded...

 

So we weren't sure what to expect... more screening questions?  Copies of medical records?  Much more detailed forms to be completed by the physician beyond the initial form?

As it turned out, we sent the regular forms in, including a short form from his physician, and in just a few days, without any additional comment or inquiries, DH was approved for coverage.

 

I don't know at what point they wouldn't accept someone over 75, but they certainly aren't requiring that someone be a senior tri-athlete or such! 🙂

 

GC

[Host Jazzbeau]

3 minutes ago, GeezerCouple said:

they certainly aren't requiring that someone be a senior tri-athlete or such! 🙂

Such a person would be the riskiest type to insure:  sports injuries + old body = Ouch! 😀

[GoingPlacesSoon]

So sorry to hear this.  I have always purchased travel insurance and have had to use it twice.  Once when my brother in law had a major stroke.  I had good experiences with travel insurance paying in full.

[DrHemlock]

Further to GeezerCouple above re MJA's "over 75" renewal procedure:

 

They send you two forms: one for you to complete; the other for your primary care (or possibly other) physician to complete.  Your form is basically just "How ya been feelin' this past year?"  The physician's form is also brief, asking a few questions about your observed health and concluding with attestation to the effect that "This person is healthy enough to travel."  

 

I schedule renewals to coincide with my annual Medicare "wellness exam" so the doc has a fresh impression.  He completes and signs the form at the end of my exam and tacks an extra fifty bucks or so onto the bill since Medicare won't cover that expense.  Easy peasy -- although perhaps more difficult if a person has had illnesses or other medical issues over the past year.  Haven't yet had that experience.

 

Important to be aware that MJA is not insurance, per se.  It is membership in a company that provides medical evacuation transportation; period.  Costs for any pre-evacuation medical care that you receive locally, along with incidental expenses incurred during that medical care, are your responsibility and require separate insurance, e.g., GeoBlue for medical expenses outside the U.S., supplemented by trip interruption coverage from a travel insurance policy or credit card.

 

For us, the combined annual cost of MJA plus GeoBlue is significantly less than buying individual travel insurance policies for each overseas cruise and land journey.  However, single-trip policies may make better financial sense for infrequent travelers.  There's also the issue that MJA grants membership only up to one's 85th birthday.  After that, it's the Wild West for true geezers....

 

[Linda W.]

On 12/26/2022 at 2:36 PM, Host Jazzbeau said:

I email my TA and she increases the coverage.  It is not linked to any cruise line [my TA even handles the insurance on trips she didn't book] – but if the vendor isn't on Allianz's list they do not provide Vendor Default coverage.  All major cruise lines, land tour vendors, etc. are on the list.  [Crystal wasn't...]

 

Journey is a comprehensive policy that covers trip cancellation/delay/luggage – all that stuff – as well as medical.

 

The one weakness with this policy – and every other one I have seen – is medical evacuation coverage.  It's not so much the amount limit as the rules: the insurance company decides whether you need to be evacuated and where to send you, which will probably be the nearest hospital that can treat your condition.  

 

But the solution is easy:  join MedJet Assist.  They provide only evacuation, but you have control over the decision:  once you are admitted to a hospital you can call them and initiate evacuation to any hospital you choose – of course we would choose a major teaching hospital in NYC.  The coverage also applies even if you are in your home country, as long as you are over 150 miles from home.  Note: MedJet Assist is only for residents of the United States, Canada and Mexico.  Hint: buy through the AARP website and get big savings [enough to pay for AARP membership]

I have MedJet Assist and never knew I could get a discount through AARP!  What IS the discount?  I’m up for renewal next month!

[Host Jazzbeau]

2 hours ago, Linda W. said:

I have MedJet Assist and never knew I could get a discount through AARP!  What IS the discount?  I’m up for renewal next month!

20% off:  https://www.aarp.org/membership/benefits/travel/medjetassist/

 

[edgee]

On 12/27/2022 at 10:10 AM, DrHemlock said:

Further to GeezerCouple above re MJA's "over 75" renewal procedure:

 

They send you two forms: one for you to complete; the other for your primary care (or possibly other) physician to complete.  Your form is basically just "How ya been feelin' this past year?"  The physician's form is also brief, asking a few questions about your observed health and concluding with attestation to the effect that "This person is healthy enough to travel."  

 

I schedule renewals to coincide with my annual Medicare "wellness exam" so the doc has a fresh impression.  He completes and signs the form at the end of my exam and tacks an extra fifty bucks or so onto the bill since Medicare won't cover that expense.  Easy peasy -- although perhaps more difficult if a person has had illnesses or other medical issues over the past year.  Haven't yet had that experience.

 

Important to be aware that MJA is not insurance, per se.  It is membership in a company that provides medical evacuation transportation; period.  Costs for any pre-evacuation medical care that you receive locally, along with incidental expenses incurred during that medical care, are your responsibility and require separate insurance, e.g., GeoBlue for medical expenses outside the U.S., supplemented by trip interruption coverage from a travel insurance policy or credit card.

 

For us, the combined annual cost of MJA plus GeoBlue is significantly less than buying individual travel insurance policies for each overseas cruise and land journey.  However, single-trip policies may make better financial sense for infrequent travelers.  There's also the issue that MJA grants membership only up to one's 85th birthday.  After that, it's the Wild West for true geezers....

 

Then there are us NY residents whose state insurance regulators do not allow annual policies such as Geo Blue or cancel for any reason policies😒

[Host Jazzbeau]

5 hours ago, edgee said:

Then there are us NY residents whose state insurance regulators do not allow annual policies such as Geo Blue or cancel for any reason policies😒

But they do allow MedJet Assist.

[edgee]

19 minutes ago, Host Jazzbeau said:

But they do allow MedJet Assist.

Shhh...those negative Nellies love to say no! Don't remind them that they let it slip by! 😏

[Host Jazzbeau]

1 hour ago, edgee said:

Shhh...those negative Nellies love to say no! Don't remind them that they let it slip by! 😏

That's why they are so clear on their website that this is NOT insurance!

[DrHemlock]

19 hours ago, edgee said:

Then there are us NY residents whose state insurance regulators do not allow annual policies such as Geo Blue or cancel for any reason policies

Wow...I had no idea.  Can't imagine what their logic might be, and frankly don't want to get into it.  Guess I'd better qualify my remarks above with "YSMV" (your state may vary).

[caviargal]

On 12/25/2022 at 4:14 PM, halfapair said:

I am pretty sure I know the answer, but thought I would see what the professionals have to say.

My husband and I are in Miami, FL and ready to board the Insignia on December 28th, but my dad was taken to the hospital for what might be a small stroke. His brother and my mom are with him. Tests are being run, etc. 

If I need to cancel our cruise, will we just be out our whole cruise fare? Probably yes, I am guessing…. 
 

Has anyone had this happen? We did not take out insurance, and I don’t know if travel insurance would cover something like this. If anyone has experience with travel insurance for medical emergencies for family members, it would be great to hear about your experiences (for next time).

Yes, travel insurance would have covered this, policy dependent of course.

I don't ever travel without it and have had to use it twice.