BOOK YOUR OWN INSURANCE
TRIP INSURANCE—WHAT IS THIS ALL ABOUT?
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There is nothing less glamorous about travel than trip insurance. For anyone other than an insurance salesman it is totally boring. It is also important and worth spending some time learning about.
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No one wants to think about getting sick on a trip. Or about a canceled flight. Or missing a connection and knowing the ship sailed without you or the tour bus left hours ago.
Possibly worst of all is canceling a trip due to an unexpected illness or family disaster. Unfortunately, these problems do occur, and without trip insurance you can lost all the money invested in your dream vacation.
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Trip insurance exist because most of those medical and home owner’s policies you have do not cover travel beyond our borders.
They might not even cover outside of your hospital network. Medicare not does cover you overseas.
Your homeowner’s policy might cover theft of your personal belongings. But if your luggage doesn’t arrive on the same flight as you do, you will need travel insurance to get reimbursed for those t-shirts and toiletries you had to buy.
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Travel insurance typically covers trip cancelation for reasons specified in the policy, and expenses due to trip delays or trip interruption as canceled or delayed flights.
There is coverage for baggage loss or delay, and for medical expenses incurred while traveling. Most policies include some form of evacuation coverage for serious accidents or illnesses.
Costs vary, depending on the coverage provided, the age of the traveler, the cost and length of the trip. Even refund policies vary, another reason to spend time learning about insurance.
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No one wants to think about possible problems. We all want to believe we are invincible. The problem is we are not, and you never know what might happen. Or where.
On a trip to romantic Italy I was too busy looking up at the amazing architecture and didn’t see the loose cobblestones. The fall fractured my elbow, but without insurance I tried to convince myself it was just a sprain.
We continued our trip, and I wore long-sleeves to cover the growing discoloration of my arm. By the time I arrived home, and received a proper diagnosis, it took two rounds of surgery over six months to repair the accumulated damage.
Insurance would have paid for medical care to a doctor of my choice in Europe and probably an early flight home.
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Insurance is important. Important enough that like many travel planners, I always offer it and require a signed waiver if declined.
Insurance is not a one size fits all product. There are many different plans and options. If you are not certain about you need, talk to a travel professional licensed to sell travel insurance. There is an appropriate plan at an affordable price for every trip. You do not want to leave home without it.
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For further information, trusted travel companies include:
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