We've talked alot about travel insurance and it's something I always recommend. But I highly recommend it under these circumstances:
1) Traveling during the Winter - obvious travel delays.
2) Traveling during hurricane season - doesn't need explanation.
3) Anytime traveling to Europe - lots of lost baggage and possible health problems.
4) Traveling with children - common illnesses and injuries that can occur before or during the trip.
5) Traveling with seniors - as with children, there's a higher possibility of illness or injury.
6) Traveling with pre-existing health conditions - could crop up before or during the trip.
I always look at buying travel insurance that I hope it's a waste of my money, because if I need it, then it's usually not a good thing. It's always best to have it and not need it, than need it and not have it.
A friend of mine who's a travel agent had a client who's worse-case scenario became reality. The client's husband had a heart-attack and ended up in a foreign hospital where he was in a coma for a month before he died. Total bill was around $100,000! Luckily, she had travel insurance and was covered for all the expenses.
So, there's no question that we always purchase the travel insurance whenever we travel and hope we never need it.
But the one thing that no one talks about is the difference between travel protection versus travel insurance.
What's the difference? It can be huge!
Do not buy travel protection - it's not the same as travel insurance. Don't assume that what you are buying from your agent is travel insurance. Make sure you read the policy before you buy it and find out if it will cover you in situations that might arise.
Here's a story on our local news that I thought would help explain it:
Travel Insurance - 11 p.m.: 8/12/08 - Consumer News Story - WRC | Washington
It's about a couple who purchased travel protection through their travel agent with their Mediterranean cruise worth over $6800. The husband injured his knee playing golf and had to have surgery and they had to cancel their trip. Even though they had all the documentation from their doctor showing he had to have the surgery, this was considered 'elective surgery' by the travel protection company, they lost all their money. And because this was not sold or advertised as travel 'insurance', there was nothing the State insurance commission could do about it.
Bottom line, always buy travel insurance not travel protection, but ask questions, read the policy, and make sure you know exactly what you are getting.
Pete