Thread: Which insurance company should I go with?

hi, down under in australia i have a gold credit card and i pay for my cruises with the credit card and i get free international insurance, is it the same else where

American Express has a similar protection plan if you use their credit card, but by the time I found that out I had already used another credit card.

The thing we look for is the pre-existing condition coverage. How far into the family tree does it extend to. With having older parents we want to make sure we can cancel if we need to attend a parent.

PE

As you have seen, there are several things to think about when purchasing travel insurance.

If your credit card company offers it, read the fine print. Often you'll find their travel insurance is very limited and may not cover what you want.

Pre-existing conditions is very important. Almost all the major travel insurance companies will cover you for accident, illness, and death of you or your immediate family members. This is defined differently by different companies. But all define parents as immediate family. I had a client just recently cancelled their Hawaiian trip at the last minute because her aunt got deathly ill. Unfortunately, she passed away, but luckily my client was able to get there in time. The insurance company covered my client's out-of-pocket expenses because an aunt is considered by them to be immediate family.

Keep in mind that often in order to be covered for pre-existing conditions, you need to purchase the travel insurance within 14 days after making your initial deposit. This will differ by company.

Another thing to think about is that most policies will cover only if you have to cancel for 'covered' reasons. And often work related activities are not acceptable as a 'covered' reason. You might have to consider Cancel For Any Reason coverage. This is usually an added expense. And some policies will only cover 75%-90% of the out-of-pocket expenses, while others will cover 100%.

There are so many variables and it's important for you to find a policy that suits your specific requirements. There is not one policy that covers everything or is right for everyone. Cost is not the only thing to consider when purchasing travel insurance.

Pete

I'm past the deadline for Pre-existing conditions, kind of makes me wish I did my research earlier. Trip insurance was something I never considered before.

Originally Posted by maximus92

I'm past the deadline for Pre-existing conditions, kind of makes me wish I did my research earlier. Trip insurance was something I never considered before.

You will find companies that cover pre-existing conditions in their policy if purchased after the 14 days. Obviously it will cost more but they are available.

PE

I've done some research on travel insurance and found the following: 1. travel agents get a kick-back on all police they sell to customers, 2. make sure if you get travel insurance that is primary coverage not secondary coverage (IE you have to file a claim with your own medical insurance before the travel insurance kicks in) 3. check with the Better Business Bureau to see how many complaints have been filed against the company 4. call the company claim line line to see how long you'll be placed on hold before speaking to a live person. Finally read the insurance document before you purchase the policy, they are all available for download the companies web site.

I take the UK American Express travel insurance policy. I have great faith in Amex.

Not claimed on that, but have twice claimed in the US on my gold card, on purchases which failed after the original guarantee was up. I just could not believe how fantastic their service proved to be.

And this is not exactly an unknown Company with limited resources -

Originally Posted by bozilla

I've done some research on travel insurance and found the following: 1. travel agents get a kick-back on all police they sell to customers, 2. make sure if you get travel insurance that is primary coverage not secondary coverage (IE you have to file a claim with your own medical insurance before the travel insurance kicks in) 3. check with the Better Business Bureau to see how many complaints have been filed against the company 4. call the company claim line line to see how long you'll be placed on hold before speaking to a live person. Finally read the insurance document before you purchase the policy, they are all available for download the companies web site.

You have offered some great advice on travel insurance.

Travel agents don't get a 'kick-back', they earn commission on the policies they sell. But if you buy the policy directly with the travel insurance company, you'll pay the same amount, so it's best to purchase it through an agent so they are there to help you in case of problems. Also, the commission varies by company - often, the more the cost of the policy, the higher the commission. And not often is the higher price policies any different from the lower price policies.

Pete