Primary vs. Secondary Trip Insurance- Help!

[Soleil09]

I am looking in to purchasing TI for all of my upcoming cruises. I am comparing those on insuremytrip.com and through USAA. Insuremytrip.com has slightly better prices but I've noticed that the medical coverage is secondary to my health insurance. USAA's plan doesn't mention anything about being secondary so I am assuming that I wouldn't have to use my health insurance at all ??

Any insight will be appreciated!

[okgirl]

The reason that it says that is because most of our insurance doesn't cover us if we are out of the country. So if you are injured while still in the US then your insurance would pay most of the charges incurred, the TI would pick up for any copays and stuff.

 

But if you are injured while out of the country since your primary insurance wouldn't pay anything the TI pays 100%.

[Soleil09]

Thank you!! That makes a lot more sense to me!

[Ken076]

I am looking in to purchasing TI for all of my upcoming cruises. I am comparing those on insuremytrip.com and through USAA. Insuremytrip.com has slightly better prices but I've noticed that the medical coverage is secondary to my health insurance. USAA's plan doesn't mention anything about being secondary so I am assuming that I wouldn't have to use my health insurance at all ??

Any insight will be appreciated!

 

USAA's Trip Insurance is TravelInsured which is a secondary insurance; through USAA it's normally priced a bit less than than through insuremytrip.com and several of the coverages are increased for USAA members. TravelInsured also insures kids free with insured adults. I consider this one of the better insurance deals around.

 

with SECONDARY insurance you have coordination of benefits with your own personal health insurance and the secondary policy pays whatever your personal health insurance insurance doesn't pay (which may be nothing) - up to the maximum of the secondary policy's coverage.

 

With PRIMARY insurance the Policy covers all the costs of your claim (up to the max coverage of the Policy) without you filing a claim or coordinating with any personal health insurance you might have. If you have Primary policy the claim process can be quicker and more efficient as there's no coordinarting/arguing/checking between the two insurers.

 

TravelEx and IMG offer PRIMARY policies - most of the others are Secondary.

 

ken

[blindrid]

Thank you!! That makes a lot more sense to me!

 

And remember some insurances actually do cover out of country, check your plan. Mine for example, covers it "out of area" (much great out of pocklet, deductible). My wife's covers fully up to 30 days "leisure travel" out of country.

 

Regardless, we still purchase travel insurance. Just know what your personal coverages are. I prefer primary vs secondary. In secondary, you file with your insurance company then submit to travel like Ken mentioned. I have bought both and at the end of the day it really doesn't make much difference.

[Ken076]

And remember some insurances actually do cover out of country, check your plan. Mine for example, covers it "out of area" (much great out of pocklet, deductible). My wife's covers fully up to 30 days "leisure travel" out of country.

 

 

You look to be in similar situation as we are - we have BCBS which has a complete "out-of-Country" coverage w/ pretty much equivalent benefits as in-country and an out-of-country Network. So we really don't need medical. This February Freedom Panama cruise we're actually going w/o Trip Insurance, relying on our BCBS for Medical and our Mastercard for "adequate" Cancellation/Interruption & Baggage coverage.

 

If interested, checkout World Mastercard benefits for Trip Protection - it's not as good as Carnival or 3rd party Policies, but "adequate" for our needs.

 

ken

[Traveler353]

My Tricare covers all medical in and out of the country. But it does not cover the cost of the trip. For that reason I buy travel insurance. Pretty cheap for the piece of mind if I have to cancel for any reason.