We understand that not every traveler is familiar with travel insurance, and the options can be a little overwhelming. This guide is designed to help you choose which coverage type is right for you.
If you already have travel insurance coverage or plan to use a different insurance company, please send us a copy of your policy so we have it on file.
Who do we partner with?
We partner with Travel Guard who offer a wide range of products and can prepare a personalized quote. Travel Guard Quote.
What to consider
- Coverage benefits can vary greatly by the type of plan and your state of residence.
- ‘Trip cancellation’ does not mean that you are covered to cancel for any under all circumstances. Most plans only cover specific situations outlined in your policy. It is essential that you review the fine print to understand what exactly is and is not covered.
- There are important early purchase benefits when travelers buy comprehensive insurance (usually within 15 days of their first trip payment; deposit or flights, whichever comes first).
- Early purchase benefits typically include a preexisting conditions waiver, and the option to add (at cost) a ‘Cancel for any Reason’ upgrade to comprehensive plans.
- Travel insurance is designed to cover unexpected and unforeseen events.
- Insurance premiums are typically based on age, trip cost, length of trip, and state of residence
- Travelers must live at the same address to be covered under one policy.
- Trip details (including dates and cost) can be updated even after a policy is purchased
Medical Evacuation Insurance
Coverage for Minor & Major Medical Incidents
We recommend that all travelers at minimum have medical evacuation insurance. These types of plans cover basic medical treatment in country, or for more serious issues, transportation to an adequate hospital in a major city. If it is medically necessary, flights back to the United States are also covered. Medical Evacuation policies will often include 24/7 support to assist with any medical arrangements while you are traveling.
Comprehensive Travel Insurance
Coverage for cancellation – Interruption delays – Baggage – Minor & Major medical incidents – Optional upgrades
Most comprehensive insurance plans provide trip cancellation or interruption coverage when canceling for a reason that is included in your specific policy. In the event of a claim, travelers can receive up to 100% reimbursement for their insured paid expenses. Typically, coverage also includes things like lost luggage, travel delays, some weather scenarios, etc.
A comprehensive plan is suitable for all the “what if’s” that are part of our daily life. It is an exan cellent way to ensure peace of mind should the unexpected occur before or during your trip. If you purchase a plan within 15 days of paying your deposit, many insurance companies include the preexisting conditions waiver at no additional cost.
Cancel for any Reason (CFAR), s often available as an *upgrade (at cost) when purchasing a plan within 15 days of your deposit.
The following are examples of situations we have encountered through the years where comprehensive travel insurance was useful in refunding or assisting our clients with unexpected travel issues.
- A serious illness or death in the family before or during travel
- Your regional flight from a remote game reserve is delayed on your departure day causing you to miss your flight home
- Your home is damaged in a flood and you need to attend to immediate repairs
- A traveler becomes pregnant prior to travel
- You are suddenly required to work over your scheduled trip dates
- Lost luggage
- You develop a detached retina and would like to consult a specialist before continuing your trip.
Preexisting conditions waiver: In the event of a claim, travel insurance companies may request documents that prove a specific cancellation reason was unforeseen. If a traveler files a claim for a medical reason, and has a preexisting condition related to the cancellation, it is likely the insurer will view the incident as foreseen.
With the waiver, it is possible to be covered for medical issues on your trip, despite your preexisting condition. The waiver is typically included at no additional cost when insurance is purchased within 15 days of the first trip payment. To retain the waiver, most insurance companies require all non-refundable trip costs (including flights) to be insured on the policy. If you are not ready to book flights yet, you can still get the waiver, but once flights are booked, they are usually required to be insured within 15 days, as well as any subsequent trip payments.