BY Clay Larroy
People in general consider traveling as their personal interests. Traveling can quickly become an interest simply
because it is such an enjoyable experience. When you travel around the world
and you will see a variety of different cultures and people. There are two things to remember while
traveling. The first thing is to be open-minded about people and their culture.
The second thing and the most important, is to respect other cultures no matter
how different. When you want to plan a vacation contactme!
‘To insure or
not to insure’ That is the Travel Question
Travel
Insured’s John Stone reminds us to protect the investment we have made in our holidays
Hamlet, Shakespeare’s fictional Prince of Denmark, was
not the only individual to debate with himself about what choices to make when
preparing for a life experience involving risk. Travelers, putting down their
deposit for a cruise, tour or other vacation package, do it every day.
You may have recently had the debate with yourself or
with your travel partner. ‘Should we buy a travel insurance policy to protect
the cost of our trip and any potential emergency medical costs or not?’
Your answer might have been: ‘No, our credit card
insurance will cover us.’ Or your partner may have answered, ‘Well we have
Medicare insurance, don’t we?’ or ‘We can get a plan directly from the travel
supplier, can’t we?’
You may also have seen a Consumer Reports article
earlier this year, which recommended against travel insurance and said that
travelers ought to ‘save their money for souvenirs.’ Less than a month later
the respected former editor of Consumer Reports Travel
Newsletter Ed Perkins wrote for SmarterTravel.com about travel
insurance, and said he thought the Consumer Reports ’authors
listened to some bad advice.’
We agree with Perkins, who wrote: ‘Far more trips are
canceled because of accident or illness, and you don’t get any refunds for
those. Any time you face a penalty or loss that’s more than you can comfortably
afford, consider Trip Cancellation insurance.’
What about that credit card insurance? Most people,
just as with rental car agreements, rarely if ever look at the fine print of
their credit card insurance plan. Many cards’ plans are limited to accident
insurance on a common carrier and baggage loss coverage. No trip cancellation,
medical protection or emergency evacuation coverage is normally included.
In addition to the credit card being required to purchase
the trip being insured, the card insurance terms are normally limited by an ‘excess
coverage provision.’ It means coverage only applies ‘when all other valid
collectible insurance benefits are exhausted.’
A comprehensive insurance plan is primary
insurance that pays you first! The plan covers you for documented Trip
Cancellation, the most important feature cited by Ed Perkins above. The Trip
Cancellation reimburses you up to the full prepaid trip cost.
There is also Trip Interruption, in case you have to
cut the trip short for a covered reason, reimbursing up to 150% of the prepaid
trip cost and should include emergency medical protection and evacuation,
missed connection, trip delay coverage, baggage loss and baggage delay.
There is protection available for a Pre-Existing Medical Condition of the
traveler, his or her travel companion and their covered family members.
As for Medicare and many other U.S. health care
policies? They often do not provide coverage for you in a foreign destination,
where hospitals and doctors often require payment in advance for treatment! A
solid travel insurance program will guarantee that you will be admitted to a
hospital or appropriate health care facility.
If you decide you can get the cheapest insurance
directly from your travel supplier, check the small print again. Many suppliers’
policies, especially those that offer ‘cancel for any reason,’ only offer you a
credit to rebook a trip with the same company. You do not usually get a cash
refund.
Additionally, most suppliers’ policies only credit up
to 75% of the original trip cost, and the credit for rebooking is only valid
for up to one year from the originally scheduled trip that you cancelled!
By contrast, when a Worldwide Trip Protector covered
claim reimburses you, it is a cash refund. It’s your money, use it again
however you choose.
When you get to your vacation spot, your one wish is
that your bags arrive with you. Unfortunately, the airlines don’t always make
your wish come true. A Worldwide Trip Protector policy can reimburse you for up
to $1,000 for lost baggage or personal effects, and up to $200 for delayed
baggage. The latter will, at the least, get each insured into clean clothes and
personal necessities until your bag, hopefully, reaches your accommodation.
Finally, if an emergency illness or accident happens
far from home, nothing will be more welcome than a helpful voice on the phone
working to get your assistance on the spot. Make sure your policy has a global
emergency travel assistance service, which goes with you 24/7 with every
insurance plan. You will be able to contact the service toll-free from wherever
you travel, even when your family or loved ones are not immediately in reach.
As Shakespeare again might say, you can learn to ‘count
the ways’ to love travel insurance when you get to know it as a steady travel
companion. You can also say that having a comprehensive travel policy is much
like having a knowledgeable, professional travel agent to arrange your trip.
You will most appreciate both when they come to your assistance in a travel
emergency. That’s when you’ll know you made the right choice to plan ahead.
REFERENCE SITES:
I love to
photograph the gorgeous landscapes when I travel.
Blake Lively
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