I need travel insurance. I know nothing about it. Help?
April 25, 2024 2:00 PM Subscribe
Mr. DrGail and I have an international trip coming up in January, and should probably have travel insurance of some sort. Beyond that, I haven't a clue.
We are both on regular Medicare A&B with a supplemental (Aetna, if it matters) that covers prescriptions and pays whatever Medicare doesn't pay. Aetna will cover us medically while we're abroad (in Cuba) at 90% of the in-network rate after our low deductible. So I think we don't need travel insurance for medical issues, but there may be aspects I'm overlooking. The real issue, I think, is if we are unable to go for some reason, as well as any odd things that might occur like adverse weather or our luggage is lost.
What is the name for what we need? The two companies I've looked at - the one affiliated with the tour operator and World Nomads which was recommended in an old AskMetafilter question - both cost ~10% of the trip total, but also cover medical expenses while we're on the trip. But I was unsure about some of the questions they asked, like how much money was at risk (is that the total cost of the trip or some other amount?) and what the "deposit date" is. Can you give me a crash course in the world of travel insurance? Bonus points for pointing me to a good company as well.
We are both on regular Medicare A&B with a supplemental (Aetna, if it matters) that covers prescriptions and pays whatever Medicare doesn't pay. Aetna will cover us medically while we're abroad (in Cuba) at 90% of the in-network rate after our low deductible. So I think we don't need travel insurance for medical issues, but there may be aspects I'm overlooking. The real issue, I think, is if we are unable to go for some reason, as well as any odd things that might occur like adverse weather or our luggage is lost.
What is the name for what we need? The two companies I've looked at - the one affiliated with the tour operator and World Nomads which was recommended in an old AskMetafilter question - both cost ~10% of the trip total, but also cover medical expenses while we're on the trip. But I was unsure about some of the questions they asked, like how much money was at risk (is that the total cost of the trip or some other amount?) and what the "deposit date" is. Can you give me a crash course in the world of travel insurance? Bonus points for pointing me to a good company as well.
What your U.S. based health insurance probably doesn’t cover is medical/ emergency evacuations.
posted by oceano at 4:00 PM on April 25 [2 favorites]
posted by oceano at 4:00 PM on April 25 [2 favorites]
Whatever options you end up exploring, I'd check especially to see if there are coverage carve-outs for Cuba.
posted by kickingtheground at 4:13 PM on April 25
posted by kickingtheground at 4:13 PM on April 25
Best answer: I was just buying travel insurance today for my family's trip to Japan this summer. I'd say that most of the things covered fall into 3 categories:
1) Medical, both for medical expenses and emergency evacuations.
2) Trip cancellation. The covered reasons are things like someone dies or gets too sick, there's a natural disaster, or your passports are stolen.
3) Things that can go wrong on your trip (lost luggage, car rental insurance, your flight was late and you missed your cruise, etc.)
One of the things you specify is how much coverage you want. This number should be enough to cover all of the money you'd lose if you didn't take the trip -- usually at least the flights, but possibly also nonrefundable hotel reservations, tickets you bought for events, these kinds of things.
It sounds like the medical is less important to you, so you can probably pick an insurance which has low limits. I suggest using an aggregate site like travelinsurance.com or InsureMyTrip - they have easy ways to compare policies from multiple providers to see what the differences are.
You can also include add-ons, like extra coverage for electronics. My family always gets the "Cancel for Any Reason" option, which means we can cancel without justification and still get 50-75% of the costs back (depending on the policy). We like that because we can come up with many reasons why we might not go on a trip which aren't otherwise covered. However, you usually have to buy this within 21 days of your initial deposit date if you want it, which gets me to your last question. The deposit date is just the first day you paid money for some aspect of your trip.
My family has only used travel insurance once - in the summer of 2022 I got COVID on a Greek island and we had to stay there for my quarantine period, cancel our last leg of the trip, and go home late. When I got home I filed a claim for all the extra expenses, and the insurance reimbursed me without complaint (about $3500, I think), though it did take them about 6 months - guess I wasn't the only person with COVID that summer! So there are situations other than medical costs where it can be useful.
posted by scottcal at 4:22 PM on April 25
1) Medical, both for medical expenses and emergency evacuations.
2) Trip cancellation. The covered reasons are things like someone dies or gets too sick, there's a natural disaster, or your passports are stolen.
3) Things that can go wrong on your trip (lost luggage, car rental insurance, your flight was late and you missed your cruise, etc.)
One of the things you specify is how much coverage you want. This number should be enough to cover all of the money you'd lose if you didn't take the trip -- usually at least the flights, but possibly also nonrefundable hotel reservations, tickets you bought for events, these kinds of things.
It sounds like the medical is less important to you, so you can probably pick an insurance which has low limits. I suggest using an aggregate site like travelinsurance.com or InsureMyTrip - they have easy ways to compare policies from multiple providers to see what the differences are.
You can also include add-ons, like extra coverage for electronics. My family always gets the "Cancel for Any Reason" option, which means we can cancel without justification and still get 50-75% of the costs back (depending on the policy). We like that because we can come up with many reasons why we might not go on a trip which aren't otherwise covered. However, you usually have to buy this within 21 days of your initial deposit date if you want it, which gets me to your last question. The deposit date is just the first day you paid money for some aspect of your trip.
My family has only used travel insurance once - in the summer of 2022 I got COVID on a Greek island and we had to stay there for my quarantine period, cancel our last leg of the trip, and go home late. When I got home I filed a claim for all the extra expenses, and the insurance reimbursed me without complaint (about $3500, I think), though it did take them about 6 months - guess I wasn't the only person with COVID that summer! So there are situations other than medical costs where it can be useful.
posted by scottcal at 4:22 PM on April 25
I've always used IMG travel insurance, though I've never had to make a claim. My dad worked in insurance and that was the agency his company used and that's what I have continued to use. Travel Medical Insurance is probably what you need, which handles medical emergencies and evacuations, vs. International Health Insurance, which covers regular checkups for people who live abroad. Whenever I've gotten Travel Medical Insurance for recent trips (mostly to Eastern Europe, a couple to Asia), I think it was usually under $100 for a couple weeks' coverage. Maybe even under $50. Travel Medical Insurance is basically designed for coverage if something catastrophic happens on an international vacation.
There's also Travel Insurance, which is similar to what an airline tries to sell you when you book a ticket, and covers things like delays or cancellations in travel, and may sometimes include some medical coverage (though the plans the airlines try to sell you don't usually include the medical coverage). I think it can be more expensive (like a percentage of your trip total) because a weather delay is much more likely than a medical emergency.
And then there's something like Global Rescue, which is expensive, and usually for people who are traveling in conflict zones. They've got teams of security/military experts available 24/7 to get you out of a bad situation fast. They monitor where you're traveling, give you security briefings, and are ready to send in a team to rescue you when armed militias start to take over the region.
posted by msbrauer at 4:23 PM on April 25 [4 favorites]
There's also Travel Insurance, which is similar to what an airline tries to sell you when you book a ticket, and covers things like delays or cancellations in travel, and may sometimes include some medical coverage (though the plans the airlines try to sell you don't usually include the medical coverage). I think it can be more expensive (like a percentage of your trip total) because a weather delay is much more likely than a medical emergency.
And then there's something like Global Rescue, which is expensive, and usually for people who are traveling in conflict zones. They've got teams of security/military experts available 24/7 to get you out of a bad situation fast. They monitor where you're traveling, give you security briefings, and are ready to send in a team to rescue you when armed militias start to take over the region.
posted by msbrauer at 4:23 PM on April 25 [4 favorites]
Best answer: In general, it only makes sense to pay for insurance for risks that you can't afford to just cover yourself (because in the long run, insurance companies are there to make money so in the long run they charge more in premiums than they pay out in claims). So if a lost bag or a delayed flight is something you can handle financially, then you are better off just taking the risk and handling it yourself should it come to that. I also second the advice above that a travel credit card often includes coverage.
posted by ssg at 4:39 PM on April 25 [3 favorites]
posted by ssg at 4:39 PM on April 25 [3 favorites]
Medical evacuation is the primary concern I had when I bought insurance from World Nomads, but it covered a bunch more, including trip interruption/cancellation. Evacuation and rescue can be very expensive.
posted by donpardo at 5:53 PM on April 25 [2 favorites]
posted by donpardo at 5:53 PM on April 25 [2 favorites]
Best answer: Are your flight/accommodation refundable or flexible? Can you simply reschedule if you get ill and can't go on your trip? If so you probably don't need cover for cancellation.
If bad weather delays your flight it's up to the airline to figure out how to move you to where you're supposed to go.
Once you're on your trip, if local medical is already covered then 2nding the fact that medical evacuation / repatriation is incredibly expensive and most certainly not covered by your normal medical insurance.
Other than that, it depends what valuables you travel with and if you have much by way of pre-booked unrefundable local activities. But normally you can book that kind of thing when you're there so you may not need much additional cover.
posted by koahiatamadl at 1:52 AM on April 26
If bad weather delays your flight it's up to the airline to figure out how to move you to where you're supposed to go.
Once you're on your trip, if local medical is already covered then 2nding the fact that medical evacuation / repatriation is incredibly expensive and most certainly not covered by your normal medical insurance.
Other than that, it depends what valuables you travel with and if you have much by way of pre-booked unrefundable local activities. But normally you can book that kind of thing when you're there so you may not need much additional cover.
posted by koahiatamadl at 1:52 AM on April 26
Speaking from the travel industry side - in the responses above, I don't think I see anyone mention the pre-existing health condition clause. If you have a history of any kind that has affected your health, you should find coverage that specifically mentions this. Often this coverage is only available within 21 days of your original trip deposit, that's why so many travel insurance policy ask you for the date of your deposit and the date of your cancellation.
posted by HeyAllie at 11:19 AM on April 26
posted by HeyAllie at 11:19 AM on April 26
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In the past I've used Generali Global Assistance for travel insurance. They offer various plans based on what you are comfortable with, from the basic traveller problems up through emergency medical evacuation home in certain situations. You can generate a quick quote and see what they offer, line by line.
posted by JoeZydeco at 2:17 PM on April 25 [1 favorite]