If you own a home, you need home insurance. If you have a car, you get auto insurance. Let’s not forget health insurance for you and your family, and if you have a pet, you can even get pet medical insurance. So, when you go on a trip, why not get travel insurance? Here’s ten frequently asked questions about travel insurance.
“Nice vacation you got planned there. Be a shame if anything…happened to it. Maybe you should get some insurance, know what I mean?”
1. Why get travel insurance?
You can plan every aspect of your trip and have everything mapped out down to the last detail. But there’s always the unexpected that needs dealing with. Travel insurance helps take care of unforeseen circumstances such as a bad illness, a cancelled flight, lost luggage, or an accident.
2. Isn’t travel insurance that thing you can buy before boarding a flight?
No, travel insurance covers ANY sort of vacation travel. Whether you’re on a boat, plane, train, or even packing up the SUV and taking a drive down the holiday road, you can get coverage.
3. When’s the latest I can buy travel insurance?
You can get travel insurance up to 24 hours before you leave on vacation.
4. Is there a way to buy travel insurance online?
Sure! You need the names and birthdates of everyone to be insured. You also need travel dates, destinations, the travel companies that you’re using, the overall cost of the trip, and a cost breakdown per person that’s in your itinerary.
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5. Where do I find travel insurance?
Some travel agencies offer travel insurance. Your insurance agent may also provide travel insurance as well as some online travel insurance sites.
6. So if I cancel my trip for any reason, can I get my money back?
No. A trip cancellation is refunded only under the circumstances delineated in your policy. Changing your mind or having to work instead of taking your trip are not covered, as a rule.
7. I have car insurance, health insurance, homeowners insurance that includes personal liability, and my credit cards have certain insurance benefit as well. Isn’t that enough to cover any crisis that could happen on vacation?
No, it’s not. Health insurance doesn’t necessarily cover visits to foreign hospitals, and let’s not forget the deductibles. Those other insurance providers mentioned don’t cover every aspect of a cancelled trip, and some that do provide coverage of certain items don’t cover at 100%.
8. What about pre-existing medical conditions? Are they covered?
Yes, some carriers do indeed cover pre-existing medical conditions.
9. If there’s a group of us traveling, do we all have to be related? Or can I insure friends who are coming along on the trip?
Yes, an entire group can be covered under one policy, but maximums can vary. If the trip expenses are not being covered equally, you might want to take out more than one policy and set them up according to the division of expenses.
10. Do all carriers provide the same coverage and restrictions?
No, just like different auto insurance companies offer different rates, coverage plans, and limitations, so do travel insurance carriers. You should shop around and find the plan that best suits your particular needs.
Byline: John Terra has been writing freelance since 1985,and has covered topics ranging from computer games to online reputation.