Travel Insurance-Don't leave home w/o it!

[greatam]

InsureMyTrip Rep is partially correct. A lot depends on how you ask the questions.Here are the pre-existing clauses directly from the policy: You decide.

CSA Freestyle LUXE

 

Pre-Existing Conditions

PRE-EXISTING CONDITION means an illness, disease, or other condition during the 180-day period immediately prior to your effective date for which you or your Traveling Companion or Family Member is scheduled or booked to travel with you:

 

1. Received or received a recommendation for a diagnostic test, examination, or medical treatment; or

2. Took a prescription for drugs or medicine.

 

Item (2) of this definition does not apply to a condition which is treated or controlled solely through the taking of prescription drugs or medicine and remains treated or controlled without any adjustment or change in the required prescription throughout the 180-day period before coverage is effective under this Policy.

 

Waiver of the Pre-Existing Condition Exclusion

 

The Pre-Existing Condition Exclusion is waived provided you meet all of the following requirements:

 

1) the payment for this plan is received prior to or within 24 hours of the final payment for your Covered Trip; and

 

2) you are not disabled from travel at the time you make your plan payment; and

 

3) the booking for the Covered Trip must be the first and only booking for this travel period and destination.

 

CSA Freestyle (cheaper plan)

 

 

PRE-EXISTING CONDITION means an illness, disease, or other condition during the 180-day period immediately prior to your effective date for which you or your Traveling Companion or Family Member is scheduled or booked to travel with you:

 

1. Received or received a recommendation for a diagnostic test, examination, or medical treatment; or

2. Took a prescription for drugs or medicine.

 

 

Item (2) of this definition does not apply to a condition which is treated or controlled solely through the taking of prescription drugs or medicine and remains treated or controlled without any adjustment or change in the required prescription throughout the 180-day period before coverage is effective under this Policy.

 

Pre-Existing Conditions

Pre-Existing Condition waiver is Not Available for this plan.

 

Travelex Lite

 

Pre-Existing Conditions Exclusion

 

This exclusion applies to Trip Cancellation/Interruption and Emergency Medical Benefits.

The program does not cover losses or expenses if they result from:

 

1. Any injury to You or Your Traveling Companion, Your Business Partner or Your Family Member occurring prior to and including the Effective Date;

2. Any sickness of You or Your Traveling Companion, Your Business Partner or Your Family Member occurring during the 90 days prior to and including the Effective Date for which treatment by a Legally Qualified Physician has been sought or advised or for which symptoms exist which would cause a prudent person to seek diagnosis, care or treatment.

 

If You have purchased a program where pre-existing conditions are waived, the Company covers these pre-existing conditions provided:

 

1. The protection plan was purchased within twenty-one (21) calendar days of the initial Covered Trip payment;

2. On the date of purchase of the protection plan, You were Medically Fit;

3. You had not filed a claim for Trip Cancellation/Interruption due to a sickness or injury within 90 days prior to the purchase of the protection plan;

4. You do not have a sickness excluded by General Exclusions "m)" and "n)";

5. The pre-existing condition exclusion applies to all amounts over the Maximum Waiver Amount* shown on the Confirmation of Coverage except for Medical Evacuation/Repatriation benefits which are not subject to the Maximum Waiver Amount.

 

If You do not meet the above criteria, You will still be covered for Trip Cancellation/Interruption and Emergency Medical Benefits caused by reasons other than those related to the pre-existing condition.

 

[ * In the event of a medical claim (during travel), if the claim is due to a pre-existing condition and pre-existing conditions are waived, Travelex will cover the medical claim up to the Maximum Waiver Amount. The Maximum Waiver Amount is the maximum amount of Trip Cancellation available on the plan ($30,000 with TraveLite and $100,000 with Travel Plus). If the medical claim is not due to a pre-existing condition, Travelex will pay up to the policy limit. ]

[NancyIL]

One more: Does anyone know if Access America is primary coverage?

 

You should be able to tell by looking at the background colors at http://www.insuremytrip.com whether it is primary or secondary coverage. Anything in yellow is secondary, and Access America has secondary coverage for Travel baggage, Medical, and Dental.

 

By the way, I noticed Insure My Trip is no longer carrying CSA's "Comfort" policy - which was less expensive than Freestyle and Freestyle Luxe.

[Lynda90]

Now I am even more confused. Where does it address an immediate family member not travelling with you?

[tapia]

You should be able to tell by looking at the background colors at www.insuremytrip.com whether it is primary or secondary coverage. Anything in yellow is secondary, and Access America has secondary coverage for Travel baggage, Medical, and Dental.

 

By the way, I noticed Insure My Trip is no longer carrying CSA's "Comfort" policy - which was less expensive than Freestyle and Freestyle Luxe.

 

Thank you! I do see that now--appreciate it!

[greatam]

Now I am even more confused. Where does it address an immediate family member not travelling with you?

 

CSA does not cover trip interruption for non-travelers. Access America Classic and TravelGuard Essential Expanded do cover interrupting your trip for illness of non travelers.

 

You really have to read through the policies. Click on the "pre existing conditons" in each policy type you are interested in. The info is there.

[Sandy R]

CSA does still cover their "comfort" policy... csatravelprotectiondotcom/comfort will get you there.

 

IMHO calling the travel companies you're interested in and asking them questions directly is probably better than reading the conflicting reports on this thread!

 

Sandy

[greatam]

CSA does still cover their "comfort" policy... csatravelprotectiondotcom/comfort will get you there.

 

IMHO calling the travel companies you're interested in and asking them questions directly is probably better than reading the conflicting reports on this thread!

 

Sandy

 

As posted by Tapia and SEPyle, conflicting info given out by CSR. Info you receive really depends on the questions you ask.

 

My posts were directly out of the policy info.

[Lynda90]

CSA does not cover trip interruption for non-travelers. Access America Classic and TravelGuard Essential Expanded do cover interrupting your trip for illness of non travelers.

 

You really have to read through the policies. Click on the "pre existing conditons" in each policy type you are interested in. The info is there.

I guess I have not made myself very clear. If I have purchased the insurance and have to cancel prior to cruise because of an immediate family members illness or death, are you saying I will not be covered for this? Something about this doesn't sound right. Many people purchase insurance because of aging parents and the things that might happen.

[greatam]

I guess I have not made myself very clear. If I have purchased the insurance and have to cancel prior to cruise because of an immediate family members illness or death, are you saying I will not be covered for this? Something about this doesn't sound right. Many people purchase insurance because of aging parents and the things that might happen.

 

You made yourself perfectly clear. I can find nothing in the CSA Freestyle policy which allows for trip interruption/cancellation payments when that clause is combined with the "pre existing" conditions clause. You may be in for a fight to get your money back, if you need to make a claim. The CSA Freestyle Luxe policy waives pre existing conditions IF purchased within 24 hours of final trip payment.

 

Sure there are policies which cover EXACTLY what you want to cover, which is what most people want to cover. Just not the wording in the CSA Freestyle policy. READ them yourself.

[Lynda90]

You made yourself perfectly clear. I can find nothing in the CSA Freestyle policy which allows for trip interruption/cancellation payments when that clause is combined with the "pre existing" conditions clause. You may be in for a fight to get your money back, if you need to make a claim. The CSA Freestyle Luxe policy waives pre existing conditions IF purchased within 24 hours of final trip payment.

 

Sure there are policies which cover EXACTLY what you want to cover, which is what most people want to cover. Just not the wording in the CSA Freestyle policy. READ them yourself.

Sorry if I came across as harsh. After I re-read my post it sounded a little abrasive when I didn't mean it to. I'm just frustrated. If we take "pre-existing" out of the equation, would I be able to cancel and be covered for family member illness or death?

Thanks!

[Lynda90]

Well, now after reviewing some of the other policies, I'm thinking Travelex TravelLite might be the best plan for me. I will call tomorrow to get more info on the ones I am looking at. Thanks to everyone for all your great suggestions and information. :o

[greatam]

[/color][/b]

Sorry if I came across as harsh. After I re-read my post it sounded a little abrasive when I didn't mean it to. I'm just frustrated. If we take "pre-existing" out of the equation, would I be able to cancel and be covered for family member illness or death?

Thanks!

 

I'm not really sure what you are asking. Aren't you worried about coverage for someone who has cancer??? Or maybe I misunderstood.

 

The cheaper of the two CSA policies (Freestyle, correct) has the "pre existing condtions" clause. And reading the wording, I would figure a cancer patient has done one of these things within 6 months, if nothing else more than an "examination."

1. Received or received a recommendation for a diagnostic test, examination, or medical treatment; or

2. Took a prescription for drugs or medicine.

 

If you are not worried about the cancer patient, then you will be fine. And no, I didn't take your post as harsh-I was just getting frustrated with all the different answers, when I posted the stuff cut and paste right out of the policy info. You really do have to READ the policy, including all the conflicting "fine print". I was a Prudential agent years ago and have read many insurance policies.

 

I went through a whole bunch of people at CSA before I got someone who could address my claim (bear viewing trip). Once I got someone who KNEW what they were talking about, everything was fine. The claim was paid very promptly. But I had three or four people tell me that the trip was NOT covered, MUST be part of an "organized" tour (I guess like a cruisetour), and one person told me it had to be on a "regulated" airline. I said OK, all airplanes in Alaska that carry passengers are regulated by Alaska and Federal DOT. That person said, NO, had to be someone like AA, Delta, Alaska Air. I said thanks and hung up. No sense arguing with someone who knows less than I do. Good luck!!!

[Lynda90]

I'm not really sure what you are asking. Aren't you worried about coverage for someone who has cancer??? Or maybe I misunderstood.

 

The cheaper of the two CSA policies (Freestyle, correct) has the "pre existing condtions" clause. And reading the wording, I would figure a cancer patient has done one of these things within 6 months, if nothing else more than an "examination."

1. Received or received a recommendation for a diagnostic test, examination, or medical treatment; or

2. Took a prescription for drugs or medicine.

 

If you are not worried about the cancer patient, then you will be fine. And no, I didn't take your post as harsh-I was just getting frustrated with all the different answers, when I posted the stuff cut and paste right out of the policy info. You really do have to READ the policy, including all the conflicting "fine print". I was a Prudential agent years ago and have read many insurance policies.

 

I went through a whole bunch of people at CSA before I got someone who could address my claim (bear viewing trip). Once I got someone who KNEW what they were talking about, everything was fine. The claim was paid very promptly. But I had three or four people tell me that the trip was NOT covered, MUST be part of an "organized" tour (I guess like a cruisetour), and one person told me it had to be on a "regulated" airline. I said OK, all airplanes in Alaska that carry passengers are regulated by Alaska and Federal DOT. That person said, NO, had to be someone like AA, Delta, Alaska Air. I said thanks and hung up. No sense arguing with someone who knows less than I do. Good luck!!!

My mom's cancer has been in remission since December. She is on no medication or treatment. She goes to the doctor every 3 months for a check-up and so far, so good. Her next appt. is June 12 and my final payment is due June 18. There is no reason to believe she won't have a good check-up result. Her next scheduled appointment after June, won't be until I get back from my cruise. So I'm figuring that since nothing has changed, and she was actually cleared for travel about 6 months ago, I should be ok for the pre-existing rule. Hope that makes sense.

[SEPyle]

My mom's cancer has been in remission since December. She is on no medication or treatment. She goes to the doctor every 3 months for a check-up and so far, so good. Her next appt. is June 12 and my final payment is due June 18. There is no reason to believe she won't have a good check-up result. Her next scheduled appointment after June, won't be until I get back from my cruise. So I'm figuring that since nothing has changed, and she was actually cleared for travel about 6 months ago, I should be ok for the pre-existing rule. Hope that makes sense.

 

I really didn't start this thread to get everyone confused with details of each policy. It is however very important to read the fine print and find the plan that's right for you. Each plan is different and I will say I am most familiar with the plan that our company sells which is actually a custom product, giving better cover in some instances. A good example is the pre-existing clause. Our policy has only a 60 day period preceeding purchase for pre-existing conditions). Greatam is correct, others have an 180 day period. That's a big difference.

 

Now about your Mom...my advice is to purchase a policy BEFORE she goes back to the DR. Since she's hasn't had any treatment in the last few months, you should be fine. Remember though...call the insurance company. Write down the person you are talking to; write down what they tell you; if it doesn't sound right, (or even too good to be true) call back. If in doubt, insist on speaking to a supervisor.

 

One last thought. Again, don't forget to also check with the company you used to book your cruise. They may offer a policy with better coverage at a lower rate. There's a lot of competition out there and the various Travel Insurance company's do give benifits in the form of lower rates and better coverage to get a large agency's business!

 

Bottom line, I really feel as though many people don't think of insurance when planning an independent land tour. It's an important issue and that's why I started this thread.