Travel Insurance- Pros & Cons

[boom op]

We had to cancel our trip the day we before we were going to leave, Oct 9th., for medical reasons. I faxed all the paper work to the ins. co. so lets hope we get all our money back.

[Lynnees]

Since Alaska is in the US, most US medical insurance would cover necessary medical treatment and whatever ambulance transport was necessary.

 

Are you sure about that? As a lot of high risk would have to be medi-vaced to either Vancouver or Seattle do you really think regular insurance is going to cover this? I would doubt it.

[sneffles]

Are you sure about that? As a lot of high risk would have to be medi-vaced to either Vancouver or Seattle do you really think regular insurance is going to cover this? I would doubt it.

I too very much doubt that regular health insurance would cover anything other than a (ground, not air) ambulance to the nearest medical facility.

Should you buy trip insurance? Of course.

[eagletwo]

We booked a cruise for March 09, and while the TA didn't ask as about travel insurance, our confirmation came back "declilned". I am thinking about calling to purchase it, but would like some feedback is it worth it or not, and what w/b covered. I used to purchase it religiously, then stopped a few years ago, now I am wavering again.:confused:

 

We hesitated this year to purchase travel insurance. Finally purchased the insurance 5 months before the cruise. On the end of our trip, the weather in Newark was terrible. Thunderstorms moved in and Continental canceled almost every flight leaving Newark on a Regional Jet. Stranding over 4000 passengers.

 

After waiting in line to rebook our flights, we got the the customer service counter to find out that Continental had re-booked us on another flight...two days later. Ok, I have been gone from work for almost two weeks. It is now Sunday afternoon and the airline tells me I will be home Tuesday evening, which will make me two days late for work. No way!

 

I ask the agent to get us anywhere close to Columbia, SC. The only flight available this evening is to Atlanta. Fine, I can rent a car and drive home. Long story short...Hertz car was $300 for a one way drop, plus $58 in gas. I filed my claim to ***** and within three weeks, we had our check for the entire amount. I will always buy the insurance.

 

As a final note, my father just had unexpected heart surgery. If this had happened just before our cruise, I would have been out of luck since we bought the insurance well after our first payment. Also, being in the air charter business, we fly folks from the Caribbean all the time that have a family emergency. A pick up in Nassau back to Columbia SC will cost you over $10,000.00 in one of our 8 passenger jets.

[A & R]

Eagletwo's post says it all.

We would never leave home, or commit to paying for a holiday of any description, without taking out insurance.

It's worth it just for the peace of mind.

[richkinkade]

I too very much doubt that regular health insurance would cover anything other than a (ground, not air) ambulance to the nearest medical facility.

Should you buy trip insurance? Of course.

 

You may, of course, doubt whatever you want. The facts are that most medical insurance, even medicare, covers air evacuation and ambulance transportation if it's medically necessary. Also, most travel insurance 1. is secondary to other insurance and 2. only covers evacuation to the nearest appropriate facility (just like medicare). Medjetassist is an exception.

 

Should you buy travel insurance? Only if you think it's worth it. Otherwise, you shouldn't.

[RoofingPrincess]

I started buying travel insurance when it occurred to me that I *might* not be covered by my regular health insurance when I'm travelling.

I definitely buy it when my mom travels with me since she's older and might have to cancel last-minute due to health concerns - or have a health issue whilst on the trip.

It hasn't cost me much at all, and I believe I've received more in benefits from one incident than I've paid in premiums for several trips -- I was stranded in Houston when the airports shut down Sept 12 for Hurricane Ike! Fortunately (for the insurance company) my mom's best friend lives in the area and was able to take me in, otherwise there would've been lodging, etc bills to be paid instead of just the transportation to get me to her house and then back to the airport once the planes were flying again!

[beachchick]

You may, of course, doubt whatever you want. The facts are that most medical insurance, even medicare, covers air evacuation and ambulance transportation if it's medically necessary. Also, most travel insurance 1. is secondary to other insurance and 2. only covers evacuation to the nearest appropriate facility (just like medicare). Medjetassist is an exception.

 

Should you buy travel insurance? Only if you think it's worth it. Otherwise, you shouldn't.

 

Medicare coverage is only valid in the US and only covers medical care in non-US medical facilities under defined and limited circumstances, all of which are predicated on being close to the US or traveling en route through Canada from the lower 48 to Alaska. I'm pretty sure that coverage only applies on a cruise ship if the ship is within a certain number of miles or hours (not sure which) and in very limited situations. I seriously doubt they would cover air evacuation or anything else if the ship was not in US waters or within a certain parameter. Can you confirm with first-hand experience that Medicare would cover something like air evacuation in the Caribbean, Europe, or other non-US situations?

 

There are many travel insurance policies that cover medical as primary, rather than secondary to other insurance, but they are usually more expensive.

 

Of course, whether to purchase travel insurance is always a personal call based on many factors.

 

beachchick

[richkinkade]

Medicare coverage is only valid in the US and only covers medical care in non-US medical facilities under defined and limited circumstances, all of which are predicated on being close to the US or traveling en route through Canada from the lower 48 to Alaska. I'm pretty sure that coverage only applies on a cruise ship if the ship is within a certain number of miles or hours (not sure which) and in very limited situations. I seriously doubt they would cover air evacuation or anything else if the ship was not in US waters or within a certain parameter. Can you confirm with first-hand experience that Medicare would cover something like air evacuation in the Caribbean, Europe, or other non-US situations?

 

There are many travel insurance policies that cover medical as primary, rather than secondary to other insurance, but they are usually more expensive.

 

Of course, whether to purchase travel insurance is always a personal call based on many factors.

 

beachchick

 

In the post I first responded to, the poster had written about being in port in Alaska, so that would be in the US, unless Alaska seceded when I wasn't looking. I've actually witnesssed a helicopter rescue north of Hispaniola and it was by the US Coast Guard. They don't charge. The vast majority of cruising is done near US coasts and in the Caribbean, so the probability of having to pay for a $25,000 air evac, which that poster claimed someone else paid, (It's always someone else, or the poster knew someone, or heard of someone) are infinitessimally small. (Note that the poster didn't seem to know if it was his wife or someone else's wife who got sick). I have yet to hear of a single credible claim here that a poster personally had to pay any such amount for evacuation from a cruise ship, and I've been reading these boards for years.

In short, the air evac cost seems to be a bogeyman used to scare people into buying cruise insurance. You pay a lot of money for very little insurance. Again, I'm not saying you shouldn't buy insurance. I'm just saying the case for insurance isn't as cut and dried as some people make out.

[Jade13]

The vast majority of cruising is done near US coasts and in the Caribbean, so the probability of having to pay for a $25,000 air evac, which that poster claimed someone else paid,.

 

Really, the world is a large place and I believe the majority of cruises are not in the Caribbean and near US coasts.

[avcruz]

Your TA didn't ask if you wanted insurance? Bad TA!

 

If you had to cancel could anyone fford to lose the cost of the cruise? I doubt anyone could these days!! :eek: Ship evocation can be up wards of $25,000 and trip interruption can be costly.

 

You can add insurance anytime BEFORE final payment is made. After final payment you can purchase 3rd party insurance through some carriers.

 

I hope you get insurance one way or another, for a few dollars its worth its weight in gold. :)

 

***

 

Given that they're not cruising until March '09 there's a possibility that they're only under deposit right now, which is usually 100% refundable. My TA doesn't issue my (non-cruise line) cancellation insurance until I pay my final payment, which is when the penalties kick in. That way I'm able to hang onto my hard earned money for a few additional months or years. Why should I give them my money to insure something before I need it??? :confused:

 

However I completely agree with you - insurance is definitely worth the few dollars it costs. Would someone spend several thousand dollars on a car or a nice piece of jewellery & not insure it? To me a vacation is another investment (in my sanity!!!)

[beachchick]

In the post I first responded to, the poster had written about being in port in Alaska, so that would be in the US, unless Alaska seceded when I wasn't looking. I've actually witnesssed a helicopter rescue north of Hispaniola and it was by the US Coast Guard. They don't charge. The vast majority of cruising is done near US coasts and in the Caribbean, so the probability of having to pay for a $25,000 air evac, which that poster claimed someone else paid, (It's always someone else, or the poster knew someone, or heard of someone) are infinitessimally small. (Note that the poster didn't seem to know if it was his wife or someone else's wife who got sick). I have yet to hear of a single credible claim here that a poster personally had to pay any such amount for evacuation from a cruise ship, and I've been reading these boards for years.

In short, the air evac cost seems to be a bogeyman used to scare people into buying cruise insurance. You pay a lot of money for very little insurance. Again, I'm not saying you shouldn't buy insurance. I'm just saying the case for insurance isn't as cut and dried as some people make out.

 

True, but the thread had/has taken a more general turn, so I think it's important to differentiate between the OP and what everyone is discussing.

 

I definitely don't think buying travel insurance is a "cut and dried" issue. It is, as I wrote, a very personal decision that is (or should be) based on numerous factors, including the itinerary of the trip.

 

IMO (and that of many others), air evac coverage is only one of many reasons to consider travel insurance. In fact, we don't consider it a primary reason to purchase travel insurance because good policies cover so many other, far more likely, issues and problems.

 

beachchick