5 Reasons Why Travel Insurance Is a wise move

Reason #1- Can you really afford to lose your vacation investment?

Let's pretend you've booked the number one item on your Bucket List: a once-in-a-lifetime cruise to Alaska, followed by another week doing a land tour. You've saved for years and now your dream is just a plane ride to Seattle or Vancouver away. The week before you depart on your big adventure, you fall and break your leg.  The cruise line shares your disappointment when you call to inform them why you simply can't go on this dream vacation with a broken leg.  But guess what?  You aren't getting your money back.  They'll sadly remind you that their company policy clearly states that there are no refunds if you cancel within 14 days of departure.

Like I mentioned above, sometimes life gets messy.  And if you declined Travel Insurance and something like this pops up, you're really in a pickle.  But, had you purchased the very reasonably priced travel insurance with trip cancellation benefits, you'd be reimbursed for your prepaid, nonrefundable trip costs if you find it necessary to cancel for a covered reason (like the covered serious illness or injury of the insured person, a travel companion or a family member; the death of the insured traveler, traveling companion or a family member; a natural disaster or other event that renders your destination uninhabitable; etc.)  

Reason #2 – A Medical emergencies overseas can be really expensive.

We’ve all heard the horror stories of someone getting injured or sick while on a cruise. Just imagine needing emergency medical care in a foreign country:  many of those countries may not have the benefit of the medical advances our country enjoys.  And some of the smaller locations simply aren’t prepared to handle serious emergencies. Now add to that concern the realization that the foreign hospital doesn’t accept your health insurance.  They demand upfront payment!  And if you require medical evacuation, you’re now looking at hundreds of thousands of dollars.  I don’t know about you, but I’m afraid MY savings account might come up a bit short for that one!

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As the U.S. State Department notes, “many foreign medical facilities and providers require cash payment up front and do not accept U.S. insurance plans. Medicare does not provide coverage outside of the United States.”1
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Now, had you purchased travel insurance with emergency medical benefits, you’d have peace of mind and could relax and focus on healing.  Travel insurance with emergency medical benefits can pay for losses due to covered medical and dental emergencies that you might have during your trip. It can also pay for medically necessary transportation to the closest appropriate medical facility, as well as the expenses associated with getting you home following a covered injury or illness.  Travel insurance staff are often able to arrange payment in advance for emergency medical care that is covered with your policy.  The bottom line when you ask yourself if it’s worth it to purchase travel insurance:  compare the small cost of buying protection against the enormous costs of a medical emergency overseas.

​Reason #3 – You don’t want a glitch to ruin your trip.

You’ve worked hard and saved for this vacation.  You and I have planned every step, and this is truly a dream vacation.  Unfortunately, so many glitches can happen that are out of your control … the airlines canceled your flight; you missed your connection; or your luggage has gone MIA.  We really do not want a snag to cloud your dream vacation.

Another benefit of Travel insurance is that it can help cover the costs for lost prepaid expenses due to a covered departure delay of six or more hours, as well as additional hotel accommodations and travel expenses.  It can also reimburse you for the reasonable additional purchase of essential items during your trip if your MIA luggage is delayed or misdirected by a common carrier for 24 hours or more.  Other benefits can be included as well, so check your plan carefully to see what’s included.

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​Reason #4 – The U.S. Department of State strongly encourages it!

If you have an emergency while out of the country, what’s your first step?  Most American travelers would answer:  call the local U.S. embassy for help.  Unfortunately, the embassy’s staff’s powers are limited.

Yes, they can help replace a stolen or lost passport.  They can contact family or friends in the US, and they can help you locate medical care or legal assistance. They can communicate with local police and they can connect you with other resources.  But they CAN’T pay for emergency medical care, nor can they provide emergency transportation (one exception is a rare, major catastrophe). And they can’t help with other financial losses you may suffer while you’re traveling. 2

For that reason, the State Department encourages American travelers to carry travel insurance, specifically, insurance that covers emergency medical treatment, emergency medical transportation benefits, and coverage for other unexpected expenses (like trip cancellation and lost or stolen luggage).

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Reason #5 – It’s really not as expensive as you might think!

So now that we’ve laid all the reasons why you SHOULD purchase travel protection, what would be the number one reason why you might still be hesitant?  Obviously, it’s cost.  And I get that.  You’ve saved and sacrificed to pay for this dream vacation … adding another expense pinches!

You’d be surprised to learn that insurance is really very affordable!  Make sure that, when you get a quote, you are given multiple coverage options so you can pick the one that best suits your trip … and your budget. And here’s an added great piece of info:  if you’re a frequent traveler, you can purchase a yearly Travel Insurance policy which covers you for all travel taken during a 365-day period. (Be sure to carefully check the provisions as they apply to trip cancellation reimbursement though – sometimes carriers set a flat fee for each trip.)

Our best advice is to get a couple of quotes for low-cost travel protection and then compare plans.  The protection offered by travel suppliers is a good place to start, but it may not be the best coverage for YOU!  We can help sort out the details, but unless you choose the policy provided by the travel supplier (such as cruise lines), legally we can only point you in the right direction, but we can not purchase the policy for you. 

And please, if you have any questions, just give us a call!
 ​SOURCE:  Alliance Travel
Citations

1. Travel.State.gov 
2. Travel.State.gov