Do I really need
Travel Insurance?
Well, most of the time, no. You only need travel insurance when something
unexpected happens… but isn’t that a little too late? I offer travel protection insurance to my
clients and less than 25% of them purchase the coverage. Most of my clients that elect to invest in
the travel insurance are those with some medical problems, seniors, or
occasionally younger travelers. Many of
my clients are either driving to their port of departure or are flying in the
day before and feel they have plenty of time and nothing is going to
happen. We all think that, until it
does, then we wish we had spent the little extra.
Travel insurance is offered in
several ways. The first is through the
trip provider, such as the cruise line or supplier. The second is through independent insurance
companies that list a whole rain of coverages some companies specialize in
travel insurance. Additionally, some
major credit cards offer some type of free protection, but it’s very
limited. Also, like the number of
companies, the types of coverages cover a wide range of needs. For example, Carnival’s Travel Protection cost
between $69.00 per person to about $179.00 per person. This will cover you for almost anything from a
medical issue to just changing your mind.
With this plan, there is a deductible and for medical coverage, you pay
the cost upfront and then Travel Protection will reimburse you. Something that you should consider is that
some medical insurance that is purchased through your employer may not cover you
outside the United States. So on a
cruise ship in international waters, you’re outside the United States and may
not be covered. It is best to check with
your medical insurance carrier before you go.
Other travel insurance covers the entire trip, not just the cruise or
resort, but from the moment you leave your house and sometimes even before you
leave. These coverages vary from the
obvious illness or injury and cover job loss, a personal life emergency,
natural disasters, and even terrorism.
The premiums, depending on the
company, use various ways of calculation of the cost. With the cruise lines, there is a set fee
depending on the type of stateroom.
Other complanies use a sliding type scale of the total cost of the trip
(because that’s what they reimburse) and the age of the individual
traveler. Some have up to a 30 day
waiting period before they take effect, some must be paid by the final payment
date, and others take effect the day the premium is submitted. So you see, there is a lot of variables to
trip insurance and just like the variables in coverage the premiums are also
varied. All supplies will cover medical
expenses from just a simple doctor visit to having to be flown home in an air
ambulance. A doctor visit on a cruise
ship can be around $100, but if you have a true medical emergency and have to
be airlifted back to the States, it can cost up words to $50,000 for a single
incident.
Shirley and I have been very lucky, we have not had to visit
the ships physician on any of our 20+ cruises.
We were close to it once. We were
walking in downtown Nassau where the sidewalk was not in the world’s best
shape. Shirley went to step up from the road over the curb and her foot caught
a raised area and down she went. She hit
her knees pretty hard. I was worried we
would have to go to see the medical staff on the ship. (Cruise ships are staffed with at least one
doctor and two or three nurses.) Luckily, we sat in an internet café for some
time and she was able to walk back to the ship, but it wasn’t very
comfortable. The point is, if she had
fallen any harder, our trip would have become very costly. Another travel agent friend of mine told me
that one of his clients who cruises several times a year never gets trip
insurance. Well, one time cruise they
bought travel insurance. He had a heart
attack and had to be airlifted home after a hospital stay. The total cost of everything was over
$100,000. According to the US Travel
Insurance Association in 2014, “One in
six Americans (17%) say their travel plans have been impacted by medical
conditions, natural disasters including severe weather; or mechanical or
carrier-caused problems” (http://www.ustia.org/studies--statistics.html).
So, you only have a 17% chance of having a need for travel
insurance. That’s not bad odds. However, in 2012 it was 12.5%. So as you see in just two years, there has
been an increase in claims filed by travelers.
A few years ago, Courtney and I were in Costa Maya, Mexico,
visiting some ancient Mayan pyramids. She
and I went scurrying up one like it was nothing. However, normally Courtney is not into
adventures pursuits, back in the good old United State, she would have stayed
on the ground. See my point. Then there’s para sailing, I love it… I never
do it at home but have twice while cruising. Once there was a malfunction in the para-sail
wench, and I almost was pulled under by my parachute. Luckily, I wasn’t injured, but it I had been,
it would have been a mess. Shirley may
have just left me in Costa Maya! LOL
Just think about it, if you went on 10 trips and paid $100
for travel insurance each time, which would be $10,000. But the cost of one medical incident could be
far more expensive than the 10 premiums.
It’s a roll of the dice. Is it
worth the extra cost? That’s something
each traveler has to decide for themselves and their family. One broken arm or toe could be very costly
and your family plan may or may not cover any or all of the treatment cost, but
for a little extra cost may very well be very valuable in the long run. For further information, contact your medical
insurance carrier. But Agape Travel
highly recommends Travel Protection.
Safe Travels!
