OMAAT reader James asked if I’ve ever written about my approach to travel insurance. As he asked, “not sure if you ever buy it sporadically or have an annual policy, but you’ve been to some pretty far flung places, and I’m curious how you protect yourself and your family when you travel.”
Well, I don’t think I’ve ever addressed this in a post before, but I have a confession to make… and I hope to learn something from the comments section of this post!
In this post:
I don’t typically buy any sort of travel insurance
I don’t think I’ve ever deliberately purchased travel insurance, believe it or not. Maybe I take too much of an “out of sight, out of mind” approach to this. I can’t say I’m familiar with travel insurance policies in great detail, though generally speaking, I tend to think they fall into one of several categories (with a huge amount of variability, of course):
- There’s the type of travel coverage you may get with credit cards, for things like rental car coverage, lost luggage, delayed flights, emergency evacuation, etc.
- There’s more health insurance focused coverage, for any sort of illness or hospitalization that may happen abroad
- There’s travel insurance that covers things like trip cancelation due to illness, or some policies even allow travelers to cancel their trip for any reason, and receive reimbursement
Typically, my approach has been that I try to strategically use credit cards that offer certain types of travel coverage, for rental cars, delayed bags, emergency evacuation, etc. Beyond that, though, I haven’t really purchased coverage. Why?
- Since I often use airline and hotel points for my travels, that gets complicated in terms of potential reimbursement with these policies, and it also gives me more flexibility, since these kinds of reservations can often be canceled until close to departure
- While the concept of a “cancel anytime” travel insurance policy sounds great, they’re typically astronomically priced for obvious reasons
- So my only concern would be for some sort of a health emergency outside the United States, though frankly healthcare is usually so much more reasonably priced abroad, so it’s not something I put much thought into
- I generally find insurance to be a hassle, given the terms, conditions, restrictions, etc.
I tend to think that insurance policies are important for things you couldn’t reasonably afford to fund or replace, like major damage to a home, treatment for a long term illness, etc. But when it comes to things that could reasonably come up when traveling abroad, I think that I’m lucky enough to have a safety net where it’s not worth spending extra money to be protected in that way.
Similarly, I can understand wanting travel insurance if you’re planning a once in a lifetime trip, or something, but for me, travel is a pretty consistent part of life.
How do other frequent travelers approach travel coverage?
The above is the approach I take, but that’s not to say that it’s the correct approach. If anything, perhaps my luck with traveling so far has made me not consider this, when it’s something I should put more thought into, especially with an increasing amount of family travel. Perhaps I’m just in the “ignorance is bliss” camp.
So I’d love to learn from others. What approach do you take with travel insurance policies? Is there some sort of annual policy that makes sense, especially for those of us who frequently redeem points, and as a supplement to the coverage we have on many credit cards? Or are there per-trip policies that it makes sense to purchase?
Bottom line
I love when I’m asked questions I simply don’t have answers to, because it gives me an opportunity to learn. While travel insurance is a massive industry, it’s one that I’ve not put much thought into. I hope that the limited coverage provided by my credit card will provide some value, but other than that, I’ve never really purchased a policy.
To fellow frequent travelers, where do you stand on the concept of travel insurance? And to those who use it, how do you do the math on it?
A lot of comments but not a details from folks detailing which providers they use and whether the claim process went smooth or a complete circus.
Like Ben, I never purchased medical insurance before. After potentially dodging an appendicitis in the Bahamas by a few days, I looked at it for my first extended Europe trip and must say, not the easiest to find medical only plans let alone repatriation never showed up.
Kinda shocked to read this naive approach to international travel. A frequent travel blogger without travel insurance (at least med) is the equivalent of a sex worker not using protection or having themselves checked regularly. Completely reckless. Why risk paying even 10k out of your pocket (I won't even say 100k or 1m that are also quite possible) when you can avoid this for a couple of hundreds bucks a year? That's less than the...
Kinda shocked to read this naive approach to international travel. A frequent travel blogger without travel insurance (at least med) is the equivalent of a sex worker not using protection or having themselves checked regularly. Completely reckless. Why risk paying even 10k out of your pocket (I won't even say 100k or 1m that are also quite possible) when you can avoid this for a couple of hundreds bucks a year? That's less than the fees you pay for a one-way award ticket, it's just ridiculous to even debate this.
It really amazes me the difference in ways of thinking between millennials like myself, 44, and these ...elderly folk. so...despite 44, my mother is Portuguese so ive spent summers there since 1, dads side Canadian and im dual citizen so many trips there til adulthood, studied abroad in Italy, MBA in Paris, about 100 trips to europe, Mexico, abroad etc etc etc ....despite my study abroad trip, never bought insurance for travel. ur plan will...
It really amazes me the difference in ways of thinking between millennials like myself, 44, and these ...elderly folk. so...despite 44, my mother is Portuguese so ive spent summers there since 1, dads side Canadian and im dual citizen so many trips there til adulthood, studied abroad in Italy, MBA in Paris, about 100 trips to europe, Mexico, abroad etc etc etc ....despite my study abroad trip, never bought insurance for travel. ur plan will cover, the country covers, plus CC stuff...its a scam. its socialistic healthcare btw. ur not getting a big bill. what credit score are they hurting btw? it seems boomers, im guessing white boomers, are the main, like so so so many, sources of revenue for these. which is great! I support people propping up economy on dumb ass things while others dont.
I join the many others here who say you need to buy a travel policy that covers emergency medical and evacuation costs. I have an annual policy that covers anny number of trips per year for less than $325 (I am 69 years old. Your price would be less.) The only challenge I have had is that the policy only covers trips of up to 70 days each, so I am careful to get myself...
I join the many others here who say you need to buy a travel policy that covers emergency medical and evacuation costs. I have an annual policy that covers anny number of trips per year for less than $325 (I am 69 years old. Your price would be less.) The only challenge I have had is that the policy only covers trips of up to 70 days each, so I am careful to get myself back home within that time frame. But you take lots of shorter trips, so that would not be a problem for you.
I totally agree that buying insurance for cancelations, or lost baggage, or similar expenses that are either covered by credit cards or could be absorbed on your own is not generally necessary. Though people should think carefully about their own health situation and ability to handle unexpected costs. For example, as I get older I do think more about buying coverage that would cover cancellation costs if I had to cancel for health reasons. I haven't bought it yet, but if I book a very expensive trip I would seriously consider it.
Thanks for all your excellent posts.
Medical care in Europe is cheaper than the US ... for locals.
A private hospital sees an American passport, and is likely to charge what seems reasonable to an American!
Yes. Travelers should definitely get travel insurance. It's like $150. If a medical emergency something happens overseas, even with domestic insurance, you can go bankrupt.
We didn't really worry about travel insurance until we retired. Medicare doesn't cover medical care outside the US, and while our supplement plan offers coverage, it's limited to a lifetime total of 50k. That's not a lot.
We took out an annual Allianz plan this year. It has better coverage,without the restrictions imposed by our Medicare supplement. I consider it worth the cost for my peace of mind.
What does the Allianz policy cover?
Does it cover emergency evacuation costs, like from outside the USA? Our Medicare Advantage policy does cover healthcare costs overseas.
Blue Cross Global Solutions quotes $193 a year for a 36-year-old living in Miami; $1 million coverage with $100 deductible. Let's start a GoFundMe for Ben. (Premiums are a lot higher for OF's my age.)
It suddenly occured to me that maybe the terms of travel insurance from the USA is very different from my country because in my country there's no need to study the various types. Generally all of them has coverage for travel inconveniences, medical etc, though of course they have different fine print but in general they cover the same main things. There is no insurance that only does one part.. And some policies do cover...
It suddenly occured to me that maybe the terms of travel insurance from the USA is very different from my country because in my country there's no need to study the various types. Generally all of them has coverage for travel inconveniences, medical etc, though of course they have different fine print but in general they cover the same main things. There is no insurance that only does one part.. And some policies do cover loss of points for airlines or hotels too. It is also inexpensive if you travel a lot to have an annual plan. At least that's the kind of money can is low enough to overlook for the peace of mind.
That aside, are you aware that in some countries if you ever need hospitalisation, they may actually ask for your travel insurance details before letting you get treated? Don't quote me but I have heard of someone who has a fire burn accident in Japan and the hospital asked for insurance details, otherwise they would not get them admitted even though their condition was visibly serious.
In some countries, hospital bills can snowball and be ridiculously expensive especially for foreigners and Singapore is an example. Having insurance allows you not to worry about whether the hospital is private or government owned (in Singapore there is a big difference in price for these 2, especially for foreigners) and you can just get whatever treatment you need to save your life without being worried about the bills which can be 5 or 6 figures. If you don't have insurance it's best to understand the healthcare situation in your destination country before going.
Personally I had experiences with travel inconvenience claims and even though some may think don't book something which you can't afford to lose, I'd say if you can afford to lose that amount in missed hotels nights you can definitely afford the insurance too? I had a flight cancellation by Air France this year making me lose 1 night I booked in Zurich, which we know is one of the most expensive markets for hotels. That hotel night cost ~US$1300. My insurance paid out the full amount down to the exact figure I was charged by my credit card in my local currency (which includes the fx rate by the bank) and that cost was more than double the cost of the annual insurance itself. Aside from that I also got compensated for my delay as my flight was rebooked overnight. I'd say if you're often booking into expensive hotels, it is definitely beneficial to have insurance because it's just such a small amount compared to all other travel expenses
1. GeoBlue (Blue Shield) Trekker Plan for annual worldwide travel medical insurance.
2. Medjet Assist multi-year family membership for emergency evacuation without a lengthy approval process. (Discount available for AAA members)
3. Chase Sapphire Reserve card travel protection benefits for everything else.
What is the cost of a Medjet policy? We just purchased EA+ $329 per year for family emergency evacuation costs by helicopter (local transfer to another hospital) commercial airline (trf back to USA from outside the country) or medical transport plane if medically needed back to USA. Just curious…
I always buy travel insurance. Mainly because of the health portion. We have Medicare and VA for my husband and Medicare and ChampVa for me, Medicare won't work for anything out of the USA, and getting care at a VA facility while traveling is not a guarantee. Plus, neither of my coverages work out of the USA.
Then there is medical transport. There is no plan, that I am aware of, that covers you...
I always buy travel insurance. Mainly because of the health portion. We have Medicare and VA for my husband and Medicare and ChampVa for me, Medicare won't work for anything out of the USA, and getting care at a VA facility while traveling is not a guarantee. Plus, neither of my coverages work out of the USA.
Then there is medical transport. There is no plan, that I am aware of, that covers you being evacuated from a cruise ship(our preferred mode of travel.) or will help pay for you to return to the USA while you are are ill or have passed away.
Even as a physician, I had not seriously considered travel insurance until recently. We were in Panama this past year when our toddler started having new seizures. We, of course, got out immediately and, thankfully, were still able to fly commercial back to the US without incident.
As others have said, travel insurance is not about trip cancellation or anything else except emergency medical evac. Well worth it for that peace of mind alone.
Really kinda shocking you travel so much and never really considered this. You can get relatively inexpensive travel medical insurance. For someone with your travel habits you can purchase an annual policy that covers all trips. I’m not concerned about trip cancellation etc other than maybe in the selection of card I use. What I do care about is medical care and god forbid medical evacuation. Healthcare can be massively expensive in some countries.
Lucky,
I miss the good ole days when travel bloggers actually taught me something new.
Now I feel like we are teaching them.
Yes, I definitely buy annual travel insurance. It costs a few hundred bucks.
When things go sideways, like when my flight from EWR to CAI (onward to BOM) got cancelled by Egyptair 2 months ago, I claimed from my insurance for flight delay & missed flight (BOM-SIN).
There were a...
Lucky,
I miss the good ole days when travel bloggers actually taught me something new.
Now I feel like we are teaching them.
Yes, I definitely buy annual travel insurance. It costs a few hundred bucks.
When things go sideways, like when my flight from EWR to CAI (onward to BOM) got cancelled by Egyptair 2 months ago, I claimed from my insurance for flight delay & missed flight (BOM-SIN).
There were a few other claims this year as well.
Final advice - buy your insurance from a big insurance company & not a smaller or “budget” one.
We have been traveling together for 53 years. We have never bought trip cancellation/delay type coverage unless required (e have been required to purchase coverage by the booking company for safari, Patagonia trek, Machu Picchu trek). We've never had a loss that would have required us to make a claim. We do generally book cancellable hotels , and use points for long-haul travel, so both are generally refundable (that's our "insurance"). As for what's not...
We have been traveling together for 53 years. We have never bought trip cancellation/delay type coverage unless required (e have been required to purchase coverage by the booking company for safari, Patagonia trek, Machu Picchu trek). We've never had a loss that would have required us to make a claim. We do generally book cancellable hotels , and use points for long-haul travel, so both are generally refundable (that's our "insurance"). As for what's not refundable, well, we could afford it or we wouldn't have gone on the trip, we just don't get to go on the trip. We DO always buy supplemental medical and evacuation coverage. We are on Medicare Classic with a supplemental policy. That covers only $50,000 for overseas travel. We get a very reasonably priced policy that covers an additional $150K per person in medical, and $1m in evac coverage.
I traveled internationally at least a couple of times a year until last year. I’m old, so always bought travel insurance except cancel for any reason, as if I had to cancel, I could take the hit. Last year I skipped insurance as my credit card seemed to have enough,plus I was going to Scotland. I would not have skipped it had I been going to a more esoteric place.
I'm not going to claim to understand the ins and outs of the American travel insurance market, but I cannot understand the notion of travelling without having adequate Medical, Evacuation and Repatriation insurance.
An American in Britain for example shouldn't expect to have access to free health care (A&E included) - and it can be very expensive - 10s or 100s of thousands of dollars. Why would you risk that?
In the UK my annual...
I'm not going to claim to understand the ins and outs of the American travel insurance market, but I cannot understand the notion of travelling without having adequate Medical, Evacuation and Repatriation insurance.
An American in Britain for example shouldn't expect to have access to free health care (A&E included) - and it can be very expensive - 10s or 100s of thousands of dollars. Why would you risk that?
In the UK my annual family travel insurance covers me world wide (exl. America as for several reasons i won't be setting foot there in the foreseeable) and cost around £130 - that's a family of 4. The cancellation and luggage benefits are gravy - it's the medical it's taken out for.
If the question is do i need airline / hotel etc cover then possibly no - but surely everyone needs medical cover. If it's rolled in with your existing US based cover then fine - but if not, then you would be selfish and foolish not to.
How much is a worldwide annual policy in the states?
"gravy" - spot on!
Ben, travel insurance is ridiculously inexpensive. Just do not purchase the trip cancellation insurance, that’s what’s expensive so make sure you’re getting a “medical only” policy. I think the price of my last policy was something like $38 per person for a three week trip. Seven Corners
I've had an annual policy from Seven Corners for years. I tend to be somewhat adventurous when I travel and its good piece of mind.
For me, the most convincing argument for the essential need for travel insurance is that my company pays for it for every international traveler through a blanket policy. I primarily travel to western Europe and Japan so I am confident I would get great emergency care services. But I am also aware that the hospitals in those countries will bill me, and that it will still be a much larger bill than the original cost...
For me, the most convincing argument for the essential need for travel insurance is that my company pays for it for every international traveler through a blanket policy. I primarily travel to western Europe and Japan so I am confident I would get great emergency care services. But I am also aware that the hospitals in those countries will bill me, and that it will still be a much larger bill than the original cost of the trip.
Combine that with the terrifying potential cost of an emergency evacuation for medical reasons. When I have bought policies for personal travel the coverage is usually for at least $500k, and I've heard enough stories to know that isn't a silly number but closer to what it would actually cost.
Getting reimbursed for the travel costs if something goes wrong in a small way is really the least of my worries - I trust my credit card insurance for that. I buy the travel insurance for protection against costs if something goes wrong in a big way. Years ago a friend was traveling with friends and family, and they were carjacked and he was shot in the leg. It was on a work trip so all was covered, but even so the number of hoops that had to be jumped through to get him stabilized and home safely for the real surgeries was astounding.
Given how little travel insurance costs compared to the hotel and airfare costs, it's a no-brainer to make sure I have that peace of mind.
Ben, I love this blog, and you do an amazing job. I find most of your advice to be extremely relevant and helpful. That being said, all I can say is anyone that is traveling without travel medical insurance is playing with fire and just stupid. Self insuring the cost of a trip is one thing as you can only lose what you put into the trip. Going without medical insurance is like shorting a...
Ben, I love this blog, and you do an amazing job. I find most of your advice to be extremely relevant and helpful. That being said, all I can say is anyone that is traveling without travel medical insurance is playing with fire and just stupid. Self insuring the cost of a trip is one thing as you can only lose what you put into the trip. Going without medical insurance is like shorting a stock. There is no upper limit to the loss. I see all too often people starting gofundme for people injured abroad.
Health care and a med evac can be devastating. While health care can be much cheaper in a foreign country, a med evac is expensive anywhere in the world. Especially a medical repatriation. That can easily reach six figures in USD.
You wouldn’t go without medical insurance in the US, why go without when you travel.
My wife was run over by a car in Zimbabwe in June 2022. Thank God she lived. Getting her out of Zim to Joburg was an absolute nightmare and had no medical care for the first 28 hours. It’s a doughnut. Is there wheels fast if you wanna get chicken let’s go cause it’s a spare tire She spent 14 days in Joburg, and had 6 surgeries before we moved her back to the US. Thank god for Travel Insurance. Paid every single dime I submitted a claim for and it was a massive claim. The ROI on my initial $75 travel medical insurance policy was about 250,000%. Hands down the best investment of my life.
Ben: As a U.S. citizen who has retired and lived abroad in Malta for six years, I have some points to share with you and the readers.
A retired person who lives in the U.S., within Medicare, there is a plan that provides health care for retirees who travel abroad for, I believe a couple of months, max, at a time. Although I have stayed in a Holiday Inn Express, I don't know all the...
Ben: As a U.S. citizen who has retired and lived abroad in Malta for six years, I have some points to share with you and the readers.
A retired person who lives in the U.S., within Medicare, there is a plan that provides health care for retirees who travel abroad for, I believe a couple of months, max, at a time. Although I have stayed in a Holiday Inn Express, I don't know all the particulars on it. But, from talking with fellow traveling retirees, it is pretty good.
We travel extensively now that we are retired. Although I remain a U.S. citizen, my residency card in Malta is because I am married to a Finnish (EU) citizen. So, when we travel within the EU, my card entitles me to receive an EHICS card. What it means is that wherever we travel within the EU(Iceland, Switzerland and Norway). Also in Greenland(part of Denmark), we receive health care services, as if we were in Malta. This comes in particularly handy if you take a cruise, within the EU. They all require a certificate of health insurance, unless you have an EHICS card.
When we travel around the world, we use a company called Globely. They insure us for travel, baggage and health. One policy is good for all countries traveled to, except the U.S. You can buy additional coverage to include travel in the U.S. So, we used it for Japan and Tahiti this year. Next year we will use it for New Zealand, Singapore and Argentina. Reasonably priced. NO age limitation.
I can attest to the quality of healthcare in Sweden, Tahiti, and Singapore. Within the EU, and the above-mentioned countries, the quality is excellent. As a rule, facilities in Europe are not "glamorous" as in the States. But the service is excellent.
My bags are covered under my Navy Federal Visa card, as well as AMEX. Living abroad, we don't use any other American cards for travel, as rules are different in Europe.
When you reach a certain age, you no longer believe or feel you are immortal. The relatively inexpensive nature of this healthcare insurance is a godsend. If for no other reason, you will sleep better at night. Oh, some offered in the States, as well as in Europe, also offer repatriation flights to your home state/country.
Ben, I would urge you to buy this insurance. You have a partner and two children. Makes sense to me.
"healthcare is usually so much more reasonably priced abroad" is a political talking point and a myth in many cases, and also dependent on the level of care available. Do you want to see a medical person with a CNA level of education in a dirty clinic or a Doctor in a clean hospital? Even in nearby places to the US, like Canada, it may cost thousands of dollars for a short hospital visit. In...
"healthcare is usually so much more reasonably priced abroad" is a political talking point and a myth in many cases, and also dependent on the level of care available. Do you want to see a medical person with a CNA level of education in a dirty clinic or a Doctor in a clean hospital? Even in nearby places to the US, like Canada, it may cost thousands of dollars for a short hospital visit. In addition, the price that visitors pay isn't the same as what locals pay in most countries.
Western European countries, Brazil, and many other places have very expensive healthcare for visitors. This doesn't even take into consideration cruise ships, medical evacuation, etc.
When it comes to travel insurance, many people with premium credit cards think they have good coverage. Some even think the primary rental car coverage fully protects them, but it just isn't the case.
I agree that getting travel insurance for award points and miles trips is tricky and I usually just get a medical policy in addition to the basic trip delay cover offered by my credit cards.
Insurance covering points trips shouldn't be a problem if you're claiming for replacement flights which have to be bought with cash. Losing points to expiry after being unable to take a trip (e.g. due to a broken limb prior to departure) would probably be the only really tricky thing to get covered for. Of course, an insurance company choosing to exclude cover under certain circumstances is a different issue and you'll always have to read the small print.
Agreed with Ben's approach. I would only buy specialty insurance if the travel required it (expeditions, etc) or if my health becomes borderline such that I "expect" an incident when I travel. Not otherwise.
If you get clattered by a scooter while crossing a street in a foreign country, you could be in trouble Omar.
Yep! My wife was run over by a car in Zimbabwe. She was 42 at the time and in great health. Thank god she lived and thank God for travel insurance. Also thank goodness I am a physician that could advocate for her care. Who knows where she’d be today if she was traveling alone.
She had 2 med evacuation flights and a medical repatriation flight and a 14 night stay in Joburg and 6...
Yep! My wife was run over by a car in Zimbabwe. She was 42 at the time and in great health. Thank god she lived and thank God for travel insurance. Also thank goodness I am a physician that could advocate for her care. Who knows where she’d be today if she was traveling alone.
She had 2 med evacuation flights and a medical repatriation flight and a 14 night stay in Joburg and 6 surgeries before getting home. It was a story for the ages getting out of Zimbabwe. Total nightmare. Just never know what life is gonna throw at you.
What travel insurance do you use?
If you can’t afford comprehensive travel insurance, you can’t afford to travel. Very few people can afford to self-insure for what can be ruinously expensive treatment and repatriation costs. One only has to look at the separate fundraisers on crowd-funding platforms to see this is true…
*Desperate, not separate
Most comments seem to assume you survive any incident but what if the traveller actually passes away? Repatriation of a body can be extremely expensive and it seems rather cavalier to leave that to your loved ones. There are many stories of huge bills as a result. Many countries in Europe are beginning to ask for proof of insurance as an entry requirement for non European visitors.
The one thing I'm never gonna pay (insure myself) for is repatriation of my body, lol. I'd much rather pay for my travels when I'm alive than when I'm dead. Once I'm dead, just leave me where I am, I won't care anymore. But I do care while I'm alive.
My life insurance policy includes cremation worldwide which is just one of those weird things my insurance agent brought up since I was single and travel extensively. There are plenty of stand alone cremation policies as well.
Ben,
It is great that you are covering this. I am a physician working in Hawaii and we deal with this topic all of the time. For Americans, sure your traditional insurance will cover you in the hospital per your policy, but getting you "home" is a completely different issue. For a variety of medical reasons, we have to medically evacuate people "off-Island" to the mainland - and even if you are able to...
Ben,
It is great that you are covering this. I am a physician working in Hawaii and we deal with this topic all of the time. For Americans, sure your traditional insurance will cover you in the hospital per your policy, but getting you "home" is a completely different issue. For a variety of medical reasons, we have to medically evacuate people "off-Island" to the mainland - and even if you are able to (i.e. medically cleared) travel commercial, having good medical travel insurance can mean the difference between you making it home and you making it home with a huge bill. Traveling in first with a nurse escort is not cheap either if you are in a wheelchair and can barely walk. For example, we recently evacuated someone from Hawaii to Los Angeles. It was ~$100k self pay with a required substantial down payment and proof for the remainder of the payment (and it took a week to arrange). This is not up to the doctors or hospitals but the air service that is serving as a medical taxi and fixed wing medical transport is not cheap. Not to mention, we often have patients who are not cleared to travel for several weeks (like after a heart attack, let alone something worse) - you think a well planned Hawaii vacation for a week is expensive, try finding a place at the last minute for 2-3 weeks (yes, we help - but it is still $$$$). And remember, the insurance covers you - your spouse/travel partner/family is a different story. The plan might cover you going fixed wing to LA, but your family might be a different story.
And think you are healthy? We see a lot of tourists who get into bad accidents in the ocean or have really bad luck with previously unknown or sudden catastrophic medical problems. If you live in Kansas, getting you home from Disney is completely different than from an island in the middle of the ocean.
I cant speak to getting evacuated from a foreign country, but I am sure it is neither easier nor cheaper. I know of a patient we got medically evacuated from South Africa after needing emergency surgery. Do you want to pay that bill? I had a friend who needed evacuation from the Congo - they had to get him to Cape Town first and they fly him back to the US. 21 hours, 4 fuel stops - he was sick and he shared that his total bills were around $1m
Other countries seem to be a little easier (sometimes) and I dont want to get political, but I think Canadians and the few Europeans we have seen get everything covered.
Short answer - buy it...... your insurance might/should cover the doctors and hospital bills - but getting you home is a completely different situtation
I am purchasing travel insurance only on international travel - I usually get it from IMG insurance - it is mainly from medical insurance- I pick the lowest amount for trip cancellation ($500 per person) and the daily rate is a few dollars depending on age .
As a frequent flyer if I need to cancel I will either get a refund or e-credit for future travel - and most hotels will let you cancel up to one day prior to the trip -
-
My FIL passed away while on a Caribbean island on vacation. My MIL would have been bankrupt with insurance, plus they manage the logistics of bringing a body home.
The one time I bought travel insurance was through Avianca just because it was like $4 I think. I was in South Africa and I fell pretty hard and hurt my knee. I went to the doctor and paid out of pocket. The insurance company basically said no reimbursement. I asked why and they said it wasn't covered. I spent an hour on the phone talking with different employees and gave up. I guess lesson...
The one time I bought travel insurance was through Avianca just because it was like $4 I think. I was in South Africa and I fell pretty hard and hurt my knee. I went to the doctor and paid out of pocket. The insurance company basically said no reimbursement. I asked why and they said it wasn't covered. I spent an hour on the phone talking with different employees and gave up. I guess lesson is, don't buy travel insurance when it's less than $5 and also limit your interactions with Avianca. Buy the award ticket through Lifemiles online then hope to god there's no IROPS. I've also had to buy travel insurance for visas to specific countries like Russia but luckily have never had to use them. Also once in Italy my kidneys hurt, so I asked the hotel front desk if they knew of a clinic I could go to. They insisted on calling an ambulance. I was like... It might be nothing and I can drive. It was unheard of for an American to call an ambulance for anything other than a detached limb. I got antibiotics from the doctor and the total cost was $8. I told him I am not Italian and I am just a visiting American. I should pay for my visit. He said "Are Americans any less human than Italians"? How beautiful that other countries treat healthcare as a basic human right.
I agree with others who have argued in favor of insurance for medical emergencies, assuming you don't already have this coverage from some other medical plan. Make sure that the med evac coverage is high. One evacuation could easily run up $250k+. I pay very little for medical insurance by setting my trip cost super low (i.e. $500). That number is only important if you are going to try to recover the cost of the...
I agree with others who have argued in favor of insurance for medical emergencies, assuming you don't already have this coverage from some other medical plan. Make sure that the med evac coverage is high. One evacuation could easily run up $250k+. I pay very little for medical insurance by setting my trip cost super low (i.e. $500). That number is only important if you are going to try to recover the cost of the trip, and that is well covered by CCs and cancellation policies so I will not be using this plan for that.
One of the overlooked benefits of the Amex Platinum is the medical evacuation coverage. I don’t buy insurance on most occasions, but I do make sure to use my platinum card when going somewhere farther away where medevac could get expensive.
The medical evac coverage with the AMEX Platinum card does not require that you had paid for the trip with the card, only that you have the card in your name.
@ Mark R. - may depend on the country of the Amex?
We are going to Asia next year and did buy travel insurance for that trip. It's too long and too expensive to take a chance.
The insurance we got is a 1 year policy that will cover multiple trips over the year, so we decided it was a good investment
A travel group member experienced a brain aneurism on the flight from Canada to Melbourne. Had surgery more than once and had to stay in AU for about 6 months. Her daughter had to fly down at first, I'm not sure what happened after, but imagine being stuck living somewhere for 6 months while you recover and cannot fly at all. All sorts of expenses.
You may want to consider something like Ripcord, Medjet or similar for evacuation coverage.
I research travel insurance offered by the country my husband and I are traveling to. If i can i purchase on arrival. If not I usually purchase a health policy feom homw country. Since trip delay and other travel interruptions are often covered by credit cards i try and get health only and something that covers preexisting conditions for my husband. If we have heart attacks or strokes or an accident i want to ensure...
I research travel insurance offered by the country my husband and I are traveling to. If i can i purchase on arrival. If not I usually purchase a health policy feom homw country. Since trip delay and other travel interruptions are often covered by credit cards i try and get health only and something that covers preexisting conditions for my husband. If we have heart attacks or strokes or an accident i want to ensure huge bills get paid. insurance may cover some but Medcare without advantage plan, will not. Being 61 and 71 we think differently. We used to go anywhere without a worry. Also if i was regularly traveling for work i would definitely wantcoverage. Thailand and Mexico may be inexpensive, India once sent us on our way without needing to pay at all, Japan os expensive and i imagine most western countries are.
I always get travel insurance, pretty much solely for the medical angle. As I am pretty young and do go out sometimes when abroad so very valuable - the amount of horror stories you hear someone going to Thailand and ending up with half a million in medical fees over a leg that requires Surgey or something!
this is the dumbest post ever
No.
I bought a travel insurance policy through the cruise line, which was a costly mistake as it an be obtained on your own for much less.
However - this did benefit me, as it was 2021 and I came down with Covid on the last day of the river cruise (along with numerous crew members).
I was forced to remain in Brussels for a week until I could test negative, and Allianz covered the hotels...
I bought a travel insurance policy through the cruise line, which was a costly mistake as it an be obtained on your own for much less.
However - this did benefit me, as it was 2021 and I came down with Covid on the last day of the river cruise (along with numerous crew members).
I was forced to remain in Brussels for a week until I could test negative, and Allianz covered the hotels fortunately, but not meals. There was no medical treatment needed at the time as there was no antidote to Covid.
My Canadian friends however will not leave Canada without a travel insurance policy.
I buy it in three situations: higher risk of a costly medical evacuation (such as hiking in remote areas) situations where a delay could cause me to miss a costly scheduled activity, or the destination country requires it. Short of that, I also don't buy it. I definitely buy it on less than 50% of trips. I always buy third party, insurance offered during booking by OTAs and airlines, for example, is usually nearly useless....
I buy it in three situations: higher risk of a costly medical evacuation (such as hiking in remote areas) situations where a delay could cause me to miss a costly scheduled activity, or the destination country requires it. Short of that, I also don't buy it. I definitely buy it on less than 50% of trips. I always buy third party, insurance offered during booking by OTAs and airlines, for example, is usually nearly useless. I tried to use credit card rental car insurance after a vehicle crash in Japan and discovered that obtaining the necessary documentation in a foreign country is basically impossible, now I just buy the full coverage from the rental company abroad.
Your approach is 100% correct.
You only insure what you can't afford and nothing more; everything else is mathemathically going to cost you on average, especially when it comes to travel insurance, where the commissions are as high as 60% of the premium (this is money never enters the claims pool, so none of the policyholders are ever going to se it).
In 33 years I've saved $9,300 in annual travel insurance premiums, and I...
Your approach is 100% correct.
You only insure what you can't afford and nothing more; everything else is mathemathically going to cost you on average, especially when it comes to travel insurance, where the commissions are as high as 60% of the premium (this is money never enters the claims pool, so none of the policyholders are ever going to se it).
In 33 years I've saved $9,300 in annual travel insurance premiums, and I can tell you that my out-of-pocket expenses have been almost non-existent: airlines have reimbursed me for when they've stranded me, when I had to cancel due to the death of my father, when I had to postpone for a communicable disease and for baggage delays. Same with hotels.
I also have a premium credit card that covers medevac (in addition to the health policy, which also covers it) and rental car, a coverage I had to use once (although I'm also insured globally through my auto policy, so being able to use the credit card was just a cherry on the cake).
Not once have I had a covered reimbursement that the airline or the hotel didn't eat.
Yes, my employer's health insurance covers me worldwide in case of emergency, like pretty much all of them do, and I have used that benefit.
My travel patterns are those of a business person, and even with personal travel I never make non-refundable hotel or car rental reservations (which rarely save you money anyway since hotels usually drop their rates at the last minute and you can rebook yourself into them only if you hold changeable reservations). and don't do cruises.
Probably there is a use for this insurance for leisure travelers who are under covered by their medical and/or lack medevac coverage and/or buy non-refundable stuff, but they need to be very good at the detailed paperwork required).
I never bought travel insurance until it was required I had it for a trek in Nepal. Wouldn’t you know it I needed to be evacuated off a mountain and spent days in the hospital due to a stomach virus. Missed flight home. Travel insurance paid for everything including flight home I bought with points. Now I buy insurance when I travel abroad. I really should buy an annual policy though.
We've purchased travel insurance numerous times. Our go-to requirement is for the policy to include "Cancel for Any Reason" This feature usually will pay 75% of your trip non-refundable cost. It will cost more than basic travel insurance. The value is that you can cancel for ANY reason. You don't have to sick, or any of the other covered reasons. Of course, it will still pay 100 or 150% for covered reasons.
Here is how...
We've purchased travel insurance numerous times. Our go-to requirement is for the policy to include "Cancel for Any Reason" This feature usually will pay 75% of your trip non-refundable cost. It will cost more than basic travel insurance. The value is that you can cancel for ANY reason. You don't have to sick, or any of the other covered reasons. Of course, it will still pay 100 or 150% for covered reasons.
Here is how to reduce your insurance cost:
1. Only insure for non-refundable expenses. So, if you are booked with points/miles, or if your airfare is refundable, or if the hotel can be cancelled 2 days prior, then don't cover these expenses.
2. If you have good medical or separate evacuation insurance, then buy a policy that only provides the basics. Avoid duplication.
3. Cruise example: You put down a deposit which is refundable up to 90 days prior, minus a $400 booking fee. Buy coverage for the $400. Minimal cost. Then , when you approach the 90 day point and pay for the entire cruise, then call the insurance company and increase your coverage to cover ALL of your non-refundable cost. The beauty of this is that if you cancel prior to non-refundable date, your insurance cost is minimal.
I buy annual multi-trip for me and my family. It didn’t until Covid and I actually read my credit card policy docs and found what (to me) appeared like holes or inadequacies in coverage. The first time I travelled post covid is the only time I’ve needed to claim - got quarantined in the ritz in Vienna on a points stay and the insurer covered the extra day, lost flight bookings, extra food and medical...
I buy annual multi-trip for me and my family. It didn’t until Covid and I actually read my credit card policy docs and found what (to me) appeared like holes or inadequacies in coverage. The first time I travelled post covid is the only time I’ve needed to claim - got quarantined in the ritz in Vienna on a points stay and the insurer covered the extra day, lost flight bookings, extra food and medical care (less excess) without a quibble.
The main benefit is not having to think about which card I paid with to activate the coverage. Very happy with the provider, price and the coverage - southern cross travel insurance in Australia if anyone is interested
Just as an aside, I do also think there's something partly cultural here. I've noticed in the US that travel insurance is often considered a kind of optional extra that you don't absolutely need, a bit like additional cover on a rental car - nice for peace of mind but many won't bother. Conversely, in Australia where I now live the idea of travelling overseas with no insurance is almost unheard of - this was...
Just as an aside, I do also think there's something partly cultural here. I've noticed in the US that travel insurance is often considered a kind of optional extra that you don't absolutely need, a bit like additional cover on a rental car - nice for peace of mind but many won't bother. Conversely, in Australia where I now live the idea of travelling overseas with no insurance is almost unheard of - this was also the case for long haul travel in Scotland (where I'm originally from). There's a big mantra here that "if you can't afford insurance, you can't afford to travel", and it's considered really important in the event of a medical emergency to the point that I'd wager 90%+ of people will have some kind of policy when going abroad.
Unlike Australia, the typical US home, health and auto policies cover just about anything truly expensive that could happen to you globally, so the only thing travel insurance have to sell is a generic peace of mind shiny object (and cancel for any reason packages tied to a specific non-refundable trip, which are really expensive).
True except when its not true. I assume you are on employer paid health care because Medicare and Medicaid have different coverage provisions outside the US. People should check with their insurance company if they are covered outside the US.
Also, US medical insurance will not cover hotel or transportation home.
Yes as an Australian - 100% agree!!!! The amount of horror stories from people going to Bali etc is rife!
There's a big difference with an American traveling to Ireland versus and Irish person traveling to America. In Ireland you can afford healthcare out of pocket. In America, neither Americans or Tourists can afford healthcare out of pocket.
Imo, don't bother with insurance where you think you can recoup your airfare and hotel. It's nearly impossible especially for the types of travelers on this site. I had a death in the family last year and canceled 2 planned trips. Thinking my hotel was booked with Amex Hilton aspire I could get the insurance to cover the hotels. As soon as I called them the woman who obviously been through this many times just...
Imo, don't bother with insurance where you think you can recoup your airfare and hotel. It's nearly impossible especially for the types of travelers on this site. I had a death in the family last year and canceled 2 planned trips. Thinking my hotel was booked with Amex Hilton aspire I could get the insurance to cover the hotels. As soon as I called them the woman who obviously been through this many times just spewed out "if you didn't do any of the following your claim will be rejected" she tells me the ENTIRE trip had to have been booked on the card. Not just the hotel. I would have had to book the airfare and proved continuous nights of hotels were also booked on the card. AND the airfare had to have been a round-trip ticket. No award redemptions. I asked her specifically of varying scenarios and she said no to all of them. So forget about it unless it's was a small trip like 1 hotel stay and rt air and you paid cash for everything on the same card. Maybe this is just amex. Who knows.
I also got sick in Cusco and canceled a trip. Went home to file a claim and realized I had to file the initial claim with a very short number of days (don't remember). So nope on insurance for me.
A credit card insurance policy isn't likely to be as good as a standalone product.
Presented in the FWIW Dept. Several years ago, my daughter suffered a substantial injury to her leg while traveling in rural Cambodia after her college graduation. She had to get to a hospital in Phnom Penh -- by taxi, no less -- and we recommended she go to "Hospital X," based upon our internet search. We then contacted our domestic health insurer (Kaiser Permanente); they, in turn, turned us over to an international health insurer...
Presented in the FWIW Dept. Several years ago, my daughter suffered a substantial injury to her leg while traveling in rural Cambodia after her college graduation. She had to get to a hospital in Phnom Penh -- by taxi, no less -- and we recommended she go to "Hospital X," based upon our internet search. We then contacted our domestic health insurer (Kaiser Permanente); they, in turn, turned us over to an international health insurer they contract with. This insurer immediately arranged for her transfer to a different hospital in Phnom Penh -- apparently the one we picked off the internet was quite good...back when the French owned Indochina, but not now. Indeed, the insurance carrier was ready to evacuate our daughter to Bangkok if necessary.
Our daughter required two operations on her injured leg. The total hospital bill was ZERO.
Meanwhile, I was able to fly my wife to Cambodia in business class via Taiwan (EVA Air) on points. The hospital would only release our daughter if she could fly back to California in lie-flat seats, as she had to keep her leg elevated. Fortunately, the folks at Alaska Airlines were able to help me secure two business class tickets on Cathay Pacific on points...and thankfully our daughter made a full, complete recovery.
Thanks for sharing. What an awful experience, hope she recovered fully.
Typical experience: your US health insurer covers you globally, including transportation. And good that they brought her to a good hospital.
I rarely get travel insurance *except* if I'm going somewhere particularly remote (for example, Antarctica), I'll get medevac coverage.
as an avid scuba diver. with 3 or 4 internatinonal dive trips a year, and many other internationational trips with hubbie each year...and yes proudly at 70years old... we carry DAN insurance... very few companies will cover divers!!!
That absolutely makes sense unless your regular medical insurance already covers you globally for emergencies (like most of the US policies do). Medical insurance doesn't have exclusions for diving in other so-called risky behaviors that your run-of-the-mill travel policies do.
Just wow! congratulations and never stop the active lifestyle! I'm a battle with my 70 yo mom, who programs herself negatively continuously that she's old, and don't want to take walks and refuses to travel with me :(
If I spend over 1 week in Switzerland I would purchase health insurance. Medical attention is expensive.
A trip to the ER in Vancouver before cost me 1800 CAD.
Canada prefers that you utilize MAID for health care
I'd buy a policy no matter how brief the trip. If you have an accident or a heart-attack during a 36-hour visit, for instance, it can still prove monumentally costly.
I have medical evacuation insurance for my wife and I through Medjet. Fortunately I have never used it. Being over 60 the chances of some sort of medical evacuation is more likely than in the past. I purchase Medjet family plan which will get me and my family home. The plan doesn’t just include medical jet transport but would also pay for commercial transportation back home if I was okay to travel. When I look...
I have medical evacuation insurance for my wife and I through Medjet. Fortunately I have never used it. Being over 60 the chances of some sort of medical evacuation is more likely than in the past. I purchase Medjet family plan which will get me and my family home. The plan doesn’t just include medical jet transport but would also pay for commercial transportation back home if I was okay to travel. When I look at buying a last minute ticket for two from Europe the Medjet plan makes sense to me. Otherwise I self insure and purchase no other insurance.
I had Medjet for many years. I no longer have it. After 75, they require medical records, and excluded some preexisting conditions. Also from what I remember, they will only fly you to the hospital of your choice if you are already in the hospital in a different location. So if you’ve been discharged where you are even if you are still sick, then you are on your own. I never used my Medjet. I...
I had Medjet for many years. I no longer have it. After 75, they require medical records, and excluded some preexisting conditions. Also from what I remember, they will only fly you to the hospital of your choice if you are already in the hospital in a different location. So if you’ve been discharged where you are even if you are still sick, then you are on your own. I never used my Medjet. I have used both Travel Guard and Travelex for specific expensive trips. Premium is high running 10-15% of total trip cost. You must buy within about 15 days of your first deposit to waive preexisting conditions, and as you add costs, you must update your coverage with more premium. If not, preexisting waiver is out. My wife got hurt 2 days before a major insured trip we had to cancel, and we were fully paid. But if you add all of the premiums we’ve
paid over 50 years, self insuring would have been the better choice. At this age, I think we are stuck insuring big trips.
I had Medjet for many years. I no longer have it. After 75, they require medical records, and excluded some preexisting conditions. Also from what I remember, they will only fly you to the hospital of your choice if you are already in the hospital in a different location. So if you’ve been discharged where you are even if you are still sick, then you are on your own. I never used my Medjet. I...
I had Medjet for many years. I no longer have it. After 75, they require medical records, and excluded some preexisting conditions. Also from what I remember, they will only fly you to the hospital of your choice if you are already in the hospital in a different location. So if you’ve been discharged where you are even if you are still sick, then you are on your own. I never used my Medjet. I have used both Travel Guard and Travelex for specific expensive trips. Premium is high running 10-15% of total trip cost. You must buy within about 15 days of your first deposit to waive preexisting conditions, and as you add costs, you must update your coverage with more premium. If not, preexisting waiver is out. My wife got hurt 2 days before a major insured trip we had to cancel, and we were fully paid. But if you add all of the premiums we’ve
paid over 50 years, self insuring would have been the better choice. At this age, I think we are stuck insuring big trips.
Your approach is the correct one. It's easy to waste money buying travel insurance, but actually collecting on a claim is totally different. In most cases you will find out you are not actually covered when it matters, when you though you were.
While I never worry about insurance for trip disruption or cancellation (either use miles/points or can afford any nominal loss) I ALWAYS purchase a policy for international travel that includes medical care and return to US if needed due to medical issue or death.
Many assume other places have “free” healthcare but often that is only for citizens and it can get expensive if you need care. Also the vast majority of US health...
While I never worry about insurance for trip disruption or cancellation (either use miles/points or can afford any nominal loss) I ALWAYS purchase a policy for international travel that includes medical care and return to US if needed due to medical issue or death.
Many assume other places have “free” healthcare but often that is only for citizens and it can get expensive if you need care. Also the vast majority of US health insurance policies don’t include coverage outside the US. Finally my wife died on a cruise in Vietnam earlier this year and it was over $18,000 just to return her to the US for burial. My travel insurance covered that.
IMHO to not have at least medical coverage when traveling outside the US is a little reckless. I never buy it for trips in the US since my plan covers that
The vast majority of US policies are employer purchased (or employer self-insured), and they DO covert globally in case of emergency.
Employers do suffer suffer financial losses if their employee can't get medical care just because they crossed a border.
It's easy to check: read the policy or call the support number.
Mary is the pollyanna of "no health insurance needed," ignoring that just one claim can wipe out the 50% of Americans who are not covered by an employer policy (fairly sure this includes Ben, although he doesn't reveal his coverage at home). No one in the comments has mentioned what Medicare and a Medicare supplement does not cover; one person is happy with Medicare Advantage, a profit-centered scam. An annual policy covering medical situations only...
Mary is the pollyanna of "no health insurance needed," ignoring that just one claim can wipe out the 50% of Americans who are not covered by an employer policy (fairly sure this includes Ben, although he doesn't reveal his coverage at home). No one in the comments has mentioned what Medicare and a Medicare supplement does not cover; one person is happy with Medicare Advantage, a profit-centered scam. An annual policy covering medical situations only does not cost that much. Ben should do some shopping, and then blog the results.
I'm Sorry for your loss
I have an annual plan with Allianz. It is mostly for health reasons. While you are correct that health care is good in other parts of the world, my health insurance often doesn't cover the costs. And if you are seriously injured and need to start medical rehab, do you really want to do that in another country away from your family? As I get older, I currently feel my annual policy is too low...
I have an annual plan with Allianz. It is mostly for health reasons. While you are correct that health care is good in other parts of the world, my health insurance often doesn't cover the costs. And if you are seriously injured and need to start medical rehab, do you really want to do that in another country away from your family? As I get older, I currently feel my annual policy is too low for hospital expenses (my medical benefit is $20K and costs can easily run higher...even in other countries). I know two people who have had to use the emergency medical transportation benefit to get them home on a private jet and they were so happy they had it covered. I think its essential. Allianz was really good when I filed a claim for a delay and hotel coverage (it was all done on the app and it was very quick).
I started buying health insurance (also Allianz) once I hit my 60s when we travel overseas except to Canada (where I feel an ambulance could take me to Buffalo). Mostly for fear of a bad fall or traffic accident but other things can arise as one gets older. When I lived Asia I had global health insurance coverage as my job involved a lot of international travel. I was interested to hear about the annual policies. I will look into those.
We also use Allianz annual travel insurance (family plan) for emergency medical evacuation and treatment, but we added cancellation coverage for $15,000 which would cover the most expensive business class tickets and non refundable costs one time per year. Other than the one time trip cancellation, the medical and most other protections are for any amount of trips. We have been fortunate that no cancelled trips yet, but with the one time cancellation along with...
We also use Allianz annual travel insurance (family plan) for emergency medical evacuation and treatment, but we added cancellation coverage for $15,000 which would cover the most expensive business class tickets and non refundable costs one time per year. Other than the one time trip cancellation, the medical and most other protections are for any amount of trips. We have been fortunate that no cancelled trips yet, but with the one time cancellation along with the most important emergency evacuation and treatment, we are playing the odds. As we get into upper middle age, that can be very expensive if no insurance.
We also use Allianz annual travel insurance (family plan), mainly for emergency medical evacuation and treatment, but we added cancellation coverage for $15,000 which would cover the most expensive business class tickets and non refundable costs one time per year. Other than the one time trip cancellation, the medical and most other protections are for any amount of trips. We have been fortunate that no cancelled trips yet, but with the one time cancellation along...
We also use Allianz annual travel insurance (family plan), mainly for emergency medical evacuation and treatment, but we added cancellation coverage for $15,000 which would cover the most expensive business class tickets and non refundable costs one time per year. Other than the one time trip cancellation, the medical and most other protections are for any amount of trips. We have been fortunate that no cancelled trips yet, but with the one time cancellation along with the most important emergency evacuation and treatment, we are playing the odds. As we get into upper middle age, that can be very expensive if no insurance.
We purchase an annual plan from Allianz and have been happy with it. Never know what will happen - and while medical services may be less costly overseas - there may be a need for specialty care that may be only available in the US - and getting home in those circumstances can be very costly. Ben, if you like simplicity, then an annual plan may appeal to you rather than having to comb thru...
We purchase an annual plan from Allianz and have been happy with it. Never know what will happen - and while medical services may be less costly overseas - there may be a need for specialty care that may be only available in the US - and getting home in those circumstances can be very costly. Ben, if you like simplicity, then an annual plan may appeal to you rather than having to comb thru numerous credit cards to figure out coverage. Very much enjoy OMAAT and appreciate your travel discussions.
Wait, you're happy paying an annual fee?
Nothing in your post shows that you ever made a claim, So they must have quite some amazing payment portal for you to be happy with being parted from your hard-earned money!
It is irresponsible to not take out travel insurance. Insurance components of credit cards do not cover pre existing issues. Its a risk not taking out a policy, especially if you do a lot of international travel as I do. It costs me $A3000 a year ( due to pre existing high blood pressure) but I know I am covered and have peace of mind.
In certain countries like the US, your health insurance will almost always cover you globally in case of emergency, so there is no need.
If you're based in a country that is not the case, then agree 100%, especially if you travel to the predatory USA,
Medicare does not cover you outside the US. Tricare will cover military retirees, but will only pay at their low contracted rates (only works with providers who accept Tricare). So travel outside the US, to many countries, could end up with huge personal costs for those with that insurance.
Upon checking my medical coverage (which is excellent) , it will only cover me outside the country in Mexico. They shared that was common for US carriers.
I also don't bother buying. But I increasingly think I should. It's so cheap compared to the potential upside. I often _think_ I'm covered by a card but then realise when I have some travel delay/lost bag that actually I paid on a different card for some promo etc etc and miss out. On top of that - health coverage, evac for sports stuff etc is probably worth having an insurance policy for
I self insure for travel cost - occasionally I do buy insurance for a large trip - but generally I take the risk and can afford to
Health care is different matter - maybe if you are going to a modern country with universal healthcare you are fine - but reasonably priced is relative - in Mexico if you want treatment at a private top notch hospital it will cost you- the good public...
I self insure for travel cost - occasionally I do buy insurance for a large trip - but generally I take the risk and can afford to
Health care is different matter - maybe if you are going to a modern country with universal healthcare you are fine - but reasonably priced is relative - in Mexico if you want treatment at a private top notch hospital it will cost you- the good public system will not treat you do you are left with subpar options
Each country is different of course -
Look at your health plan to see what health coverage you get when abroad. It's different for everyone based on their insurance plans. Some insurance plans, probably HMOs especially, give lousy benefits out of network and may not cover anything abroad. If you have a plan that doesn't cover you abroad, you need insurance. My plan reimburses me at the same rates no matter where I get treatment, so my insurance coverage is the same...
Look at your health plan to see what health coverage you get when abroad. It's different for everyone based on their insurance plans. Some insurance plans, probably HMOs especially, give lousy benefits out of network and may not cover anything abroad. If you have a plan that doesn't cover you abroad, you need insurance. My plan reimburses me at the same rates no matter where I get treatment, so my insurance coverage is the same whether I'm at home or in New Zealand. So there is no point for me to buy insurance and it would be foolish to do so.
I usually depend on my us insurance and credit card coverage. I’ve also gotten a DAN membership (divers insurance but open to all). $40 a year for $150k evacuation benefit. Other more expensive options for families and more coverage
Annual Medical Travel Insurance is my minimum. around $100/year for the peace of mind. the rest depends on the product i need (such as cruise cancellation, etc.) i buy individually.
Piece of mind = self-justifying wasting money.
Only purchasing coverage that fills in gaps of your existing insurance makes sense. The one you're purchasing probably doesn't do that because it's way too cheap.
the $100/year plan is excellent and primary coverage. Had family member use it once in France. Coverage contacted ambulance and hospital and arranged direct payment and also paid out out-of-pocket incidental expenses to family members including non-immediate family members (but on the same ticket). Rather not use it but it was great having it.
For mileage/points generated trips, I agree it's not very useful to worry about travel insurance. My approach generally is to use a credit card with insurance as a benefit for travel expenses with a direct financial cost to me (like paying a tour operator, or a multi-week house rental).
However, after a major medical emergency while traveling for work, I learned very clearly the importance of medical evacuation insurance for piece of mind, access...
For mileage/points generated trips, I agree it's not very useful to worry about travel insurance. My approach generally is to use a credit card with insurance as a benefit for travel expenses with a direct financial cost to me (like paying a tour operator, or a multi-week house rental).
However, after a major medical emergency while traveling for work, I learned very clearly the importance of medical evacuation insurance for piece of mind, access to advice, support to family, and importantly, medical accompaniment coming home. I now always buy medical evacuation insurance from International SOS, which can be yearly or by trip.
Spend 4-5 figures on travel, then skimp on insurance.
I leave you where you lay.
I always get insurance when traveling outside the US. Learned my lesson when I was on a family trip to Russia in 2001 and my wife had pregnancy complications. We went to the American Clinic, which was great, and the cost was reasonable, but getting reimbursed from our US health insurance was time consuming and complicated. During covid I drove to Montreal and had a dental emergency, since it was last minute I forgot to...
I always get insurance when traveling outside the US. Learned my lesson when I was on a family trip to Russia in 2001 and my wife had pregnancy complications. We went to the American Clinic, which was great, and the cost was reasonable, but getting reimbursed from our US health insurance was time consuming and complicated. During covid I drove to Montreal and had a dental emergency, since it was last minute I forgot to buy travel insurance. $50 for insurance would have saved me $500 in dentist bills. Travel insurance is based on the amount of cancellation coverage you need and your age, I often cover $0, which still covers medical issues, trip delays, flight cancels... Allianz automatically sends a check if you give them your flights and there's a long flight delay.
Like several other commenters, I maintain an Allianz annual travel insurance policy. In addition, my Medicare Advantage policy (with a $0 annual premium) provides overseas medical coverage (with a $45 copay) and emergency medical evacuation ($125 copay) up to a max of $250k.
My personal US AMEX Platinum card does not list any health insurance or medical evacuation coverage benefits. A few commenters mentioned that their AMEX platinum cards provided this coverage. Which AMEX...
Like several other commenters, I maintain an Allianz annual travel insurance policy. In addition, my Medicare Advantage policy (with a $0 annual premium) provides overseas medical coverage (with a $45 copay) and emergency medical evacuation ($125 copay) up to a max of $250k.
My personal US AMEX Platinum card does not list any health insurance or medical evacuation coverage benefits. A few commenters mentioned that their AMEX platinum cards provided this coverage. Which AMEX platinum cards provide such coverage?
Was yours issued in the US? I haven't held a personal plat in a couple of years but it definitely had medical evac coverage when I had it.
It is a US-issued personal Platinum AMEX card.
As a rule of thumb, I insure myself for events that would cause a substantial financial difficulties to me. That's where the certainty of not losing too much makes up for the very high chance of losing a little.
Thus when it comes to travel I only care about health insurance and not the classic travel insurance stuff (missed connections, cancellations etc), since losing a plane ticket won't ruin my finances, unlike getting hit by...
As a rule of thumb, I insure myself for events that would cause a substantial financial difficulties to me. That's where the certainty of not losing too much makes up for the very high chance of losing a little.
Thus when it comes to travel I only care about health insurance and not the classic travel insurance stuff (missed connections, cancellations etc), since losing a plane ticket won't ruin my finances, unlike getting hit by a car at the other side of the planet. Of course these things often come packaged together so I do have some travel stuff covered too. I buy an annual policy from Allianz that covers me all over the planet except the US and Canada (I have no desire for the former, and will buy a short-term insurance for the latter) + my Revolut plan comes with cancel-for-any-reason coverage up to some 5000€ a year (with 30% deductible) which has been surprisingly useful in recent months.
I guess, as you get older you will begin to appreciate the value of international health cover a great deal. Latest after you pay out of pocket during your first medical issue.
Medical evacuation is wildly expensive. If you needed to be brought back to the US in an air ambulance you would not want to be self-funding. I fully agree about not needing cancellation insurance etc, but travelling without health coverage is wild.
If you have an Amex Platinum they you can be covered for this whether alive or dead… as I travel on points and miles and cheap shorthaul flights I like Ben rely on credit card coverage…like most in this hobby
I do have Amex Platinum - as does Ben. The problem is that requires that you use that card to pay for the trip in full. Personally, I find it cheaper to buy annual insurance than pay the foreign exchange fee which Amex charges on the foreign parts of the payments (definitely breaking even by the time your travel costs are over $10000). PLUS - have you ever made a claim? When you do, you...
I do have Amex Platinum - as does Ben. The problem is that requires that you use that card to pay for the trip in full. Personally, I find it cheaper to buy annual insurance than pay the foreign exchange fee which Amex charges on the foreign parts of the payments (definitely breaking even by the time your travel costs are over $10000). PLUS - have you ever made a claim? When you do, you are asked to prove ever detail of how the trip was planned/paid to check adherence to that rule. Insurers will disclaim liability based on gaps in the story. In this hobby, there are reasons why using one single card may not be optimal or possible. I have had many experiences of making claims.
Everyone has their own attitude to risk. But it's not like it doesn't go wrong. Go Fund Me pages for repatriation or near-bankrupting bills are a regular story - at least in the UK press.
How do you protect against missed experiences rather than incurred cost. For example, you book a 3-night Safari at Singita for $50k, and the night before, the airline from Europe goes on strike. What travel insurance would reimburse you for something like that?
Every normal (European at least) travel insurance would cover you for exactly that. They will specify amounts per person as a cap.
In the US, pretty much all of them will cover this exact scenario, but up to the policy maximum which in the US is typically $100 to $300 per day, from which you have to deduct the amount that the travel organizer may have reimbursed/discounted you (e.g. cost of the meals you didn't consume, goodwill)
Since Ford is a travel professional, he should get a UATP family plan that will cover you and your kids. It's dirt cheap and covers all trips. They used to have a plat plus plan that was very generous but it has been dumbed down (gold only now). Still, I've never gone a single year without getting more in benefits than the premium.
Mixed bag to be honest. I got severely hosed during COVID for our honeymoon/bucket list to the Maldives. We had travel insurance, but somewhere along the line, New York state prohibited CFAR policies. So when the foreign quarantines came into play, I contacted the Berkshire Hathaway policy reps and they pointed out that "government regulations" were an exclusion. So even though you couldn't travel (the resorts WERE open), no coverage. We had to pre-emptively cancel...
Mixed bag to be honest. I got severely hosed during COVID for our honeymoon/bucket list to the Maldives. We had travel insurance, but somewhere along the line, New York state prohibited CFAR policies. So when the foreign quarantines came into play, I contacted the Berkshire Hathaway policy reps and they pointed out that "government regulations" were an exclusion. So even though you couldn't travel (the resorts WERE open), no coverage. We had to pre-emptively cancel as the resorts had an escalation cancellation policy (ie: cancel 60 days out, lose 25%, cancel 45 days out, lose 50%, etc.) End result: Lost about $10,000. One resort did offer to "hold" our money and let us rebook for the next year, but COVID was "still a thing" a year later, and they did graciously refund the money.
Have had to use the other policies occasionally (health issues, etc.) Even when traveling to Hawaii, only one doctor was "in network' with my PPO and it was on another island. So rather than spend the money to fly, etc. went "local" and did get reimbursed by the travel insurance. (note that the PPO only covers EMERGENCY ROOM visits, not "urgent care" if out of network). If I'm just flying to visit relatives I may or may not. Credit cards dont' always cover you (a few are now requiring that you charge 100% to that card), or their coverages are long (ie: travel delay of 8 or 12 hours vs. 4 hours on some policies), etc.
Ultimately it comes down to risk tolerance and how much you can "afford" to be out at the end of the day. If you're OK having to take a flight 2 days later and pay for your own hotel/meals due to weather (out of airlines control, etc.) then no need for insurance.
Oh I'll add one more: Pets. IF you have a pet and something comes up and you have to cancel, etc. then get travel insurance (Citibank when they had their old Hilton card actually included travel insurance that had a Pet clause). Unfortunately in NY you need a CFAR policy (which only took what, 4-5 years after governor Cuomo touted they allowed for it) to be available.
I buy 30 day plans 12 times a year. About 25-50$ a month. Pays for delays, emergency medical and medical evacuation. It's relatively easy to use and especially for those on High Deductible health insurance policy can save thousands
I pay ~$120 for annual medical coverage. $250 deductible and $500k coverage. There's limits on how many days out abroad etc but it's not for routine stuff but in case I break my ankle, it's covered.
@BC: can you provide more details on this type of coverage? Thanks.
Can you tell us your experience with actual claims?
Health care may be cheaper abroad for the people who live there, but that's not necessarily the case for visiting foreigners. If a US citizen was to be hospitalised in Australia, for instance, they would rack up a substantial bill. One must also consider the cost of an international medical transfer if required - it's very expensive to transport you on a stretcher and accompanied by doctors and RNs to the other side of the...
Health care may be cheaper abroad for the people who live there, but that's not necessarily the case for visiting foreigners. If a US citizen was to be hospitalised in Australia, for instance, they would rack up a substantial bill. One must also consider the cost of an international medical transfer if required - it's very expensive to transport you on a stretcher and accompanied by doctors and RNs to the other side of the world. We never skip the insurance - there are too many horror stories of people being left with $1M+ bills for ICU care followed by an air ambulance home. Even if you're very wealthy, that's money you could better spend elsewhere. Buy the insurance.
“my oldest brother . . . died in an accident at a young age.”
So, that’s your plan to avoid serious illness in a faraway place? Die quickly? For someone closer to 40 than 29, who makes his living "on the road," it’s irresponsible parenthood to travel uninsured for catastrophic healthcare events.
My primary health insurance covers me internationally, out of network of course... so between that and CSR I feel pretty covered health wise.
I don't buy any sort of travel insurance ever, other than what is offered by CSR/AP. Insurance companies are there to make money, so statistically they make profit by over-insuring people. I only buy insurance for anything that I couldn't afford to just replace myself, so basically I only insure health, home...
My primary health insurance covers me internationally, out of network of course... so between that and CSR I feel pretty covered health wise.
I don't buy any sort of travel insurance ever, other than what is offered by CSR/AP. Insurance companies are there to make money, so statistically they make profit by over-insuring people. I only buy insurance for anything that I couldn't afford to just replace myself, so basically I only insure health, home and auto in my life. Even those with really big deductibles to keep the mandatory monthly premiums as low as possible. I'm on the risk side of the moral hazard equation.
Don't forget that quite a few countries stipulate travel insurance as a condition of entry. Not needing a visa to visit a country doesn't mean that you have an unfettered right to turn up and get in as you please and, much like the requirement for onward tickets, having been stamped in with a smile and no questions asked on multiple times is no guarantee that you won't be turned straight back on your next...
Don't forget that quite a few countries stipulate travel insurance as a condition of entry. Not needing a visa to visit a country doesn't mean that you have an unfettered right to turn up and get in as you please and, much like the requirement for onward tickets, having been stamped in with a smile and no questions asked on multiple times is no guarantee that you won't be turned straight back on your next visit.
I have an annual travel insurance policy which covers medical emergencies with a reasonable excess (which means that it's not worth claiming for basic doctor visits in most parts of the world) keeping the price quite low and has a few other benefits, including the marvellous feature (which many others don't provide) of covering missed flight connections on separate tickets/airlines!
Liar! Nobody has ever smiled at you while you were being stamped in. Why are you such a liar?!
I've been exceptionally lucky in my interactions with border officers the world over. Only ever had one properly negative experience entering a country, and that wasn't in an authoritarian country but at tourist favourite AKL- but, even on that occasion, the border police people were fine and it was the customs staff who were diabolical.
(On a tangential note, my weirdest passport control experience was leaving MPM where the agent was super professional with...
I've been exceptionally lucky in my interactions with border officers the world over. Only ever had one properly negative experience entering a country, and that wasn't in an authoritarian country but at tourist favourite AKL- but, even on that occasion, the border police people were fine and it was the customs staff who were diabolical.
(On a tangential note, my weirdest passport control experience was leaving MPM where the agent was super professional with me but I later discovered she actively blackmailed the passenger who was next in the queue, asking for $100 in exchange for that exit stamp...I guess a young lad with Sri Lankan citizenship was considered an easier target than the holder of an EU passport whose pages were bursting with stamps.)
I'm kind of a "belt and suspenders" guy when it comes to insurance. Now that I'm in my 60's its more likely that things will start to happen when I least expect them. I have a Blue Cross/Blue Shield international travel health insurance plan that includes high coverage for medical evacuations. It's like $485/year but it provides a lot of piece of mind when traveling overseas. And I also have a separate policy for trip...
I'm kind of a "belt and suspenders" guy when it comes to insurance. Now that I'm in my 60's its more likely that things will start to happen when I least expect them. I have a Blue Cross/Blue Shield international travel health insurance plan that includes high coverage for medical evacuations. It's like $485/year but it provides a lot of piece of mind when traveling overseas. And I also have a separate policy for trip cancellation/interruption, lost and damaged baggage, and accidental death. Both cover unlimited trips and destinations, so I'm well-protected.
Like a few others here, I also use Allianz annual travel insurance (family plan), mainly for emergency medical evacuation and treatment. The Basic option is quite affordable and has enough of a coverage for most of the trips one may take, so it's a good option for US-based travelers. Some trips require emergency medical insurance as a condition of sale, for example, antarctic cruises and safari camps. When I went to St. Helena a couple...
Like a few others here, I also use Allianz annual travel insurance (family plan), mainly for emergency medical evacuation and treatment. The Basic option is quite affordable and has enough of a coverage for most of the trips one may take, so it's a good option for US-based travelers. Some trips require emergency medical insurance as a condition of sale, for example, antarctic cruises and safari camps. When I went to St. Helena a couple of years ago, the government mandated medvac insurance (with a minimum coverage requirement) as condition to enter. Having annual plan takes care of all of that.
Considering that my partner and I are in our mid-70s and one of us has significant health challenges, our approach to travel insurance revolves almost exclusively around medical (and medical evacuation) coverage. For several years we've bought an annual Trekker Choice policy from Blue Cross Blue Shield Global Solutions that covers virtually all medical costs incurred outside the United States. No pre-existing conditions. Last annual premium was $483 for two people. The only requirement is...
Considering that my partner and I are in our mid-70s and one of us has significant health challenges, our approach to travel insurance revolves almost exclusively around medical (and medical evacuation) coverage. For several years we've bought an annual Trekker Choice policy from Blue Cross Blue Shield Global Solutions that covers virtually all medical costs incurred outside the United States. No pre-existing conditions. Last annual premium was $483 for two people. The only requirement is that you have a US-based primary care health insurance policy (Medicare included). Last used this summer during a Seabourn Alaska cruise while in a Canadian port. My partner fell and broke/lacerated his left arm. Initial care and follow up was provided onboard the ship, and the total cost of USD $600+ was charged to our cruise folio. Once home we were reimbursed the full amount minus a USD 100 deductible. So, for us this kind of medical insurance coverage provides a huge safety net.
I mean a normal travel insurance is probably not needed, because you can always financially sustain the loss of a trip you booked but were not able to take.
But everyone should In my opinion have a medical coverage for trips as these costs cannot be foreseen and are unpredictable and can go far beyond your trip cost.
Always get medical insurance. Annual policy. Have had to claim twice. Once getting covid whilst on a tour, had to leave the tour. Once when phone was pickpocketed in Bangkok. Travel regularly to the States. Would not wing it there without medical insurance cover with the off the charts cost of healthcare there.
Not travelling with travel insurance is trying to save money in the wrong place. Those credit card coverages have too many...
Always get medical insurance. Annual policy. Have had to claim twice. Once getting covid whilst on a tour, had to leave the tour. Once when phone was pickpocketed in Bangkok. Travel regularly to the States. Would not wing it there without medical insurance cover with the off the charts cost of healthcare there.
Not travelling with travel insurance is trying to save money in the wrong place. Those credit card coverages have too many ifs and buts to be of any use if you need it.
Absolutely. Must of the pax here are Americans and are worried about the $20k helicopter ride out of the bush. The rest of the world are terrified they’ll get sick while on holiday in USA where - without travel insurance - because the hospital will take your house!!!
My understanding was Amex Platinum offers emergency evacuation with no limit whether or not you paid for the trip with Amex. CSR offers it with $100k limit with part of trip paid by Chase.
As for emergency medical, CSR offers $2500 if you pay for the common carrier with Chase, but I think it's really for if you get sick while you are on the common carrier itself.
Your medical insurance plan may also offer...
My understanding was Amex Platinum offers emergency evacuation with no limit whether or not you paid for the trip with Amex. CSR offers it with $100k limit with part of trip paid by Chase.
As for emergency medical, CSR offers $2500 if you pay for the common carrier with Chase, but I think it's really for if you get sick while you are on the common carrier itself.
Your medical insurance plan may also offer emergency coverage abroad (mine does and specifically excludes non-emergency coverage abroad).
As for trip cancellation, again, Amex Platinum and CSR offer coverage which may help if you, etc. are injured, yada yada yada.
I don't think coverage where you just change your mind and don't want to travel has too much value except if you are buying a tour package depending on what their refund policies are, deposits, etc. With US carriers you may (or may not) have some fees with the airfare (if you bought basic economy) but you'll get a travel credit. And unless you are buying non-refundable hotels, you'll usually be able to cancel hotel reservations without penalty (and if you are cancelling within a 24 hour window, it may be for a reason that is already covered by trip cancellation insurance).
Just my two cents.
@Lucky. Before our most recent trip, the only time I purchased travel insurance was during the pandemic when Oman required it to enter the country. A month ago I purchased travel insurance for our 2 week long trip to NZ and Fiji. I did that because we are almost at retirement age and felt that we just do not want to take chances should anything bad happen to us (health-wise). The $129 premium for a 2 week trip for two of us was worth the peace if mind for us.
Absurd question.
So many reasons why you should.
Americans believe if they are in the U.K. or EU they will get free healthcare in case of an incident. No. They are not residents and taxpayers. You pay and claim it via your insurance.
Americans buy no refundable tickets and expect the airline to bail them out.
I'm the first person to say that Britons overinsure themselves for everything, but some of the attitudes on show here really are shocking!
Ben, it's why they call you Lucky.
Since original Medicare doesn’t cover outside the US (with a few "nearby" exceptions), it is important to take that into account. My Medicare Advantage plan covers "emergency" treatments outside the US, but not "followups." So, I get an annual plan that covers all the travel medical (within policy limits) and offers evacuation.
Btw, the plan for a 65yo is only about $275/yr and has some non-medical coverage also. I'm willing and able to self insure a number of things, but I'll have house, car, medical, and this without question.
Medicare Advantage = Your screwed and you believe TV commercial
If you get a Medigap most of the plans cover emergency abroad.
You can get an annual policy for under $100. It’s a no brainer and your US Insurance will not work out of the country. I have used my plan for medical,delays and cancellations.
My US healthcare insurance covers me internationally
My insurance considers it out of network and the reimbursement is minimal. Moreover. The facility you are seeking care may demand full payment before treatment even though you may be covered. Was in Jamaica and I had to come up with over $40,000 to get my mother to the hospital and surgery. Yes it was covered when we got home but the facility in Jamaica wanted their money. My lesson on why I get travel insurance.
I have some medical concerns, but luckily haven't had anything too serious abroad. Nonetheless, I used to cover my health while traveling with the oddly named IMG insurance "Patriot" plan. Now that I have Kaiser health insurance they cover international urgent care on most plans. However, not on the Medicare Advantage plan apparently. I'm not on that plan yet, but was surprised to read that that plan excludes coverage.
We cruise once or twice a year and the insurance costs offered through the cruise lines are exorbitant. We find it's better to purchase an annual policy through Allianz that covers cancellation, medical, etc. given that our average cruise costs are $5-15k each. If it wasn't for the cruises we probably wouldn't carry the coverage, but even a minor medical event on board can easily run well over $1k. We also use CC's for things...
We cruise once or twice a year and the insurance costs offered through the cruise lines are exorbitant. We find it's better to purchase an annual policy through Allianz that covers cancellation, medical, etc. given that our average cruise costs are $5-15k each. If it wasn't for the cruises we probably wouldn't carry the coverage, but even a minor medical event on board can easily run well over $1k. We also use CC's for things like rental car coverage, trip delay, etc.
Keep in mind that medical evacuation insurance generally just pays for the patient to be transported to the nearest available qualified care facility.
So if you are an American on a Safari in Africa, you might get a plane ride to Germany, not back to America.
Our you may end up at a qualified hospital in South Africa, or Kenya or Nigeria.
That is not necessarily correct. My Allianz benefit specifically states that it covers transportation to an 'appropriate medical facility to receive care AND to get you home after you have received care'.
My coworker was in Argentina with her husband when he had a stroke at high altitude. The policy covered the medical transportation off the mountain to the nearest city AND the transportation back to the US after receiving care.
I travel for over 30 years a yearly average as you, even more and never ever I took any kind of insurance. For what regards healthcare insurance, the country where I live and pay covers that in any place of the world. And yes, unfortunately I have the experience.
I am based in Germany and have the following insurances:
- 9,99€/yr medical insurance
- 99,99€/yr travel comfort insurance
- 101,22€/yr rebooking for any reason insurance
The travel comfort insurance pays me a fixed sum 100€ per hour delay (reason doesn't matter, no receipts asked). This has already saved me thousands.
My rebooting insurance reimburses me fare difference and penalties should I decide to rebook a flight. If a flight is non refundable,...
I am based in Germany and have the following insurances:
- 9,99€/yr medical insurance
- 99,99€/yr travel comfort insurance
- 101,22€/yr rebooking for any reason insurance
The travel comfort insurance pays me a fixed sum 100€ per hour delay (reason doesn't matter, no receipts asked). This has already saved me thousands.
My rebooting insurance reimburses me fare difference and penalties should I decide to rebook a flight. If a flight is non refundable, they will pay the full cost of the new flight to the same destination country.
No deductibles for all these insurances.
€17 a month is great and hopefully you never need to claim, however it’s a safety net. My monthly is around the same however not so comprehensive. The main thing is medical cover
My health insurance is supposed to cover medical care overseas in an emergency, at least for the European countries and Japan when I asked.
If I were 50 and older is questionable health, 60 and older with frequent travel, or 65 and older, I would get medical evacuation coverage. If I flew to countries other than Singapore, Taiwan, Japan, Australia, NZ, UK, original 9 EEC countries, or Scandinavia, I would really think about evacuation.
I always buy medical insurance, including emergency evacuation, when traveling abroad. Although not as expensive as the USA, healthcare would still cost thousands of dollars if you end up being hospitalized most anywhere. The insurance cost depends on your age/country/length of trip and starts in the $20-$40 range.
I only buy insurance for perils that might bankrupt or severely pinch. Medical and evacuation coverage are not adequately covered by any credit card unless it’s a modest issue. An annual policy from GeoBlue fits this gap. The handle direct bill from many hospitals or out of pocke too.
Chase Visa for routine travel. Extra insurance for bucket trips like Antarctica. Nomads for Alps and such.
I start by charging everything on my CSR. Yes, I've read both good and bad stories about the coverage, but it's a start. For more exotic trips I buy Medjet evacuation, such as when we went on safari in Zambia and Botswana.
Ben, the cancel for any reason is less for when you get sick, but when your child does. We don't have children, but when my mother-in-law was in assisted living after a...
I start by charging everything on my CSR. Yes, I've read both good and bad stories about the coverage, but it's a start. For more exotic trips I buy Medjet evacuation, such as when we went on safari in Zambia and Botswana.
Ben, the cancel for any reason is less for when you get sick, but when your child does. We don't have children, but when my mother-in-law was in assisted living after a stroke, we bought cancel for any reason just in case something happened to her, and we had to cancel at the last minute or rush home in the middle of the trip.
I personally have never purchased travel insurance as in my experience with my parents their credit card insurance has worked extremely well. My mother lives in Latin America and had a medical emergency while in the US and since her airplane tickets had been purchased using one of her credit cards she had medical coverage for $150k. Her hospital bill was very high and fully covered by the credit card. I had some small medical...
I personally have never purchased travel insurance as in my experience with my parents their credit card insurance has worked extremely well. My mother lives in Latin America and had a medical emergency while in the US and since her airplane tickets had been purchased using one of her credit cards she had medical coverage for $150k. Her hospital bill was very high and fully covered by the credit card. I had some small medical needs when traveling abroad and paid cash and was fully reimbursed by my US health insurance plan.
My mother has been traveling a lot this year, mostly on cruises, and we bought a sub-$100 annual policy from Allianz chiefly to cover medical treatment and evacuation.
I find it fairly outlandish that you don't buy health/evacuation cover. The cost of medical transport with escort etc from Europe to the US could exceed $100,000 - are you content to pay that if the worse should happen?
Agree. My sister and (now deceased) brother-in-law needed evacuation from a cruise ship in the middle of the Mediterranean to a Spanish hospital (10-day stay), then emergency air transport (commercial / Business) back to California with a flight nurse. Without the affordable policy which takes but minutes to purchase, they would have easily been out of pocket $150k.
My wife and I always purchase the full medical / evacuation for any international trip. We...
Agree. My sister and (now deceased) brother-in-law needed evacuation from a cruise ship in the middle of the Mediterranean to a Spanish hospital (10-day stay), then emergency air transport (commercial / Business) back to California with a flight nurse. Without the affordable policy which takes but minutes to purchase, they would have easily been out of pocket $150k.
My wife and I always purchase the full medical / evacuation for any international trip. We have Medicare + supplemental. Good luck being reimbursed out of country if you are over 65 and have regular Medicare coverage.
My medical emergency was far more tame than some of these other commenters, but purchasing travel insurance still was able to reimburse me for thousands of dollars when I suddenly came down with appendicitis and needed emergency surgery the morning I was leaving for an overseas trip. It may be an 'ignorance is bliss' thing - until the first time you actually need it!
I have never bothered with anything but health and evacuation insurance. That costs me 13€ a year and has worked when I needed it. Everything else is just an inconvenience, not something to get insurance for.
But tbh I had not considered that of course exorbitant medical charges wouldnt be something out of the ordinary for Americans. Not a risk not encountered at home. Oh how glad I am to be from a civilized country.
I buy an annual plan from Allianz for about $500/year. I'm mostly concerned about medical evacuation, but out comes in handy in general. When my grandfather was dying, they reumbursed over $3000 for a cruise that was to late to cancel for any credit. And when I get stuck somewhere overnight, it's nice to get the reimbursement for the hotel. And little things, like recently Qatar Airways damaged my luggage cover and denied payment as...
I buy an annual plan from Allianz for about $500/year. I'm mostly concerned about medical evacuation, but out comes in handy in general. When my grandfather was dying, they reumbursed over $3000 for a cruise that was to late to cancel for any credit. And when I get stuck somewhere overnight, it's nice to get the reimbursement for the hotel. And little things, like recently Qatar Airways damaged my luggage cover and denied payment as it was the outer covering....Allianz then reimbursed the $60... easy and processed by their AI and I got the direct deposit the next day.
@Chris_ I just signed up for Allianz a couple months ago (went with their top-tier option which was also ~$500). Obviously hope to never need it but I'm also glad to hear they're reasonable with reimbursing when things happen.
After this first year I may consider dropping down to a lower level of coverage. What I got is probably overkill.
I get coverage for emergency helicopter/private jet transport home when I travel to Africa, far flung islands, or any trip including mountaineering or scuba. The cost can be hundreds of thousands of dollars, which would really suck to pay out of pocket.
They are basically a scam. They have so many exclusions and hoops for you to jump through that make it impossible to recover any funds. The health insurance ones are the worst. I read the terms and conditions of one offered through airline websites and it requires a live signature of all the physicians that treated you on your insurance claim form. So after your medical emergency abroad, you have to return to the country...
They are basically a scam. They have so many exclusions and hoops for you to jump through that make it impossible to recover any funds. The health insurance ones are the worst. I read the terms and conditions of one offered through airline websites and it requires a live signature of all the physicians that treated you on your insurance claim form. So after your medical emergency abroad, you have to return to the country you travelled to and track down all the individual physicians who treated you at the hospital to have them sign your claim form.
I never used to get travel insurance until the past few years, but then only on expensive trips or expensive stays, and that's due to getting older and having more possibly go wrong.
Example: Landed in Johannesburg on a Monday in 2023, one eye wasn't working well. Day two, go to the retinologist, find my retina is detached, he puts a stopgap in place. Day 3, fly out of Joburg for home.
I prepaid...
I never used to get travel insurance until the past few years, but then only on expensive trips or expensive stays, and that's due to getting older and having more possibly go wrong.
Example: Landed in Johannesburg on a Monday in 2023, one eye wasn't working well. Day two, go to the retinologist, find my retina is detached, he puts a stopgap in place. Day 3, fly out of Joburg for home.
I prepaid at Cape Grace in CPT, call and ask to defer the stay for a couple of months, am told no, should have purchased travel insurance. Lessons learned? 1) Eff Cape Grace, 2) Don't prepay whenever possible, 3) if prepayment is required somewhere/for some reason, get travel insurance.
7 years ago I needed an emergency helicopter in Nepal, the bring me to a clinic after I got severely sick. Costs where around $17k and I’m happy the insurance paid all. And that I’m still alive. I don’t care about delayed luggage or theft insurances, but a medical insurance can really help.
Agree .
Simply don't buy duplicate coverage, as that would be throwing money down the drain.
I have a friend who was in a bad biking accident in the mountains in Italy whose regular medical insurance paid for his helicopter ambulance, sice it included global emergency coverage.
Although I wouldn’t be happy to pay $17k, this is something that I can afford. So not catastrophic to me and not worth paying insurance for this.
I fly/travel about once a week almost all personal. I might get stuck somewhere due to weather once, twice max a year. The price of a hotel for that night or two isn't worth the insurance. If I have an AC I can eat there.
It's not medical care you need to worry about it's medical evacuation or repatriation. That could cost in the tens of thousands at least. In my opinion, that's why you buy insurance, not for baggage delays. Annual policies are not very expensive.
You’re good.
I only insure against catastrophic loss.
The cost of a trip isn’t catastrophic.
I get an annual plan. I don't care about the trip cancellation coverage, my main focus is for the medical/evacuation if I have a medical emergency overseas, which could run in the tens of thousands of dollars. Luckily, I've never had to use it for that. Every other year on average I have a missed connection which requires me to stay overnight at a hub airport and I have consistently used the insurance to cover...
I get an annual plan. I don't care about the trip cancellation coverage, my main focus is for the medical/evacuation if I have a medical emergency overseas, which could run in the tens of thousands of dollars. Luckily, I've never had to use it for that. Every other year on average I have a missed connection which requires me to stay overnight at a hub airport and I have consistently used the insurance to cover the airport hotel/food. This saves me the hassle of trying to get a hotel voucher from the airline (if they even provide one) and also allows me to choose my own hotel, which usually means I get to stay at a nicer property directly connected to the terminal instead of taking a shuttle to a Doubletree or Four points.
Agree. I still laugh/shudder the time we mis-connected in PHX and AA lovingly put us up at the “Sky Harbor Four Points”, which was easily a 30-minute van drive. We slept with our socks on. Even funnier, our daughter mistakenly thought we were headed to the Four Seasons.
Airlines will reimburse you for your own hotel. Done it multiple times, never had one not pay out.
The booking service is only a convenience, as if you use it you don't have to put up your own money in advance and then make a claim.
especially if you have status with them, but yes.
I bought supplementary travel insurance once, through an airline during check out. It was the second leg of a separately ticketed itinerary.
Ended up being an amazing choice. I had to move the flight to a few days later due to extremely unusual circumstances, and thankfully the insurance covered it (and most other insurance policies likely would not have had a clause for my situation, so it worked perfectly).
Traveling without a medical insurance sounds risky... I use the one on my AMEX Platinum which does NOT require the ticket to be purchased with the card.
I make like an airplane and wing it. Im sure luck will run out sooner or later. Im looking at you, kidney stones.