Should I buy travel insurance or not?

[cherrybear]

Hi, I don't post on the HAL board, heck I don’t post much anywhere, but I read it all the time. I want to really encourage you to purchase the travel insurance and here’s my tale of why.

In February of this year we (sister, mother, and self) set out to go through the Panama Canal on the Coral Princess. The night before we were to dock in Costa Rica Mom got sick and had to be medically evacuated to San Jose, Costa Rica. Nine days later we flew home. Mom had to have oxygen and a nurse fly with her, because of the oxygen she had to fly first class with her nurse. The insurance company sent a nurse from Florida to Costa Rica and the nurse flew home with us to Las Vegas. The insurance company took care of all the arrangements and more importantly paid the whole bill for Mom and her nurse, and reimbursed my sister and I for the tickets we had to buy (over $1,200). We had to pay the hospital bill before she was discharged, almost $19,000; between her own medical insurance and the trip insurance that was reimbursed. Our hotel bill of over $1,700 was reimbursed and last but not least the missed portion of our cruise was reimbursed (10 days).

Mom is fine now but this financial hit would have been very hard for us to absorb. So should you buy trip insurance, unequivocally yes and the best you can get. Then pray you don’t need it.

[sppunk]

These stories are starting to sound like insurance sales pitches.

 

My mother was recently transported a much longer distance via ambulance and the bill was $1,000. Seriously, you could hire a dozen doctors in a dozen Rolls-Royces for $17k.

 

Besides, I already have health insurance from work. And yes, it covers me in foreign countries.

 

igraf

It is all where you live, the hospital and company. If I'd gone somewhere else it no doubt would've been cheaper. I'd happily scan my bills for you, but I won't be doing that of course.

 

Does your insurance cover evacuation? Mine doesn't, and it s a state system-inspired plan.

[Jade13]

If you are getting anything through the cruise line I would only get the Platinum because the Standard is not insurance. Only the Platinum has insurance while on your cruise with $10,000.00 medical and $50,000.00 medivac.

 

Of course if you already have medical and medivac you can use out of network, and just want to protect the cost of you vacation prior to departure, the standard could be an option.

[MR NW GUY]

OK - I am back... First of all, thanks for all the input I agree with those of you that suggest I get insurance. HAL is going to cost $1,157. American Express is $779.

 

AM EXP =

Global Medical Protection =

Medical - Up to $4,000

Dental - Up to $750

Evacuation/Repatriation-Up to $100,000

Trip Cancellation = Up to 100% of Trip Cost

Interruption = Up to 100% of Trip Cost

Travel Accident Protection =

24-hour - Up to $50,000

Common Carrier - Up to $100,000

Global Baggage Protection =

Baggage Loss - Up to $500

Up to $300 for a 6+ Hour Delay

Global Trip Delay = Up to $150 per day ($500 max. per trip)

 

Stick with HAL or American Express??? $378.00 cost difference.

[Randyk47]

We don't always buy trip insurance but when we do we go through InsureMyTrip. We did insure our March Med cruise because, quite frankly, we had a lot invested in that trip. We've been less likely to insure Caribbean cruises but even that is subject to review and consideration as we get older and we're now leaning more toward travel insurance. Now that I'm retired, or at least semi-retired, and on a fixed pension the ability to replace lost funds is not quite what it was before I retired. We have virtually no other immediate family, there are only five of us in the whole world, so our decision to purchase or not purchase insurance is pretty much based solely on us.

[kelmac]

I'm an EMT with a fire department 90 minutes by car from Albuquerque. A ground ambulance from here costs about $1500 and a helicopter ride (which we do about 10% of the time) runs closer to $25,000.

 

I answered NO on the poll, but here's where I'm coming from:

 

Cancelation insurance: We'll eat that if necessary. We've already made up for that in the number of cruises we've taken by not buying extra insurance.

 

Trip interruption insurance: I guess we'll eat that too. But we fly in the day before or have a plan that we could drive if necessary, meaning if the airports are closed or there are no planes because of storms elsewhere. If there's a volcano or earthquake we could have a problem but life will go on and we'd chalk that up and move forward.

 

Medical Evacuation: We buy a separate policy good all year for domestic and foreign travels and it covers up to $500,000 per event. We pay $120/yr for it through our RV club, Good Sam. It also covers repatriation of remains and provides for English speaking assistance throughout the event.

 

Medical Expenses: DH is on a Medicare Advantage plan that covers international urgent or emergancy care; my plan does so also.

 

Baggage claims: No coverage. But my motto is "pack like you'll never see it again".

Not comforting maybe but real. I carry on my jewelry, not that it's worth much in $s but some of it is sentimental, but I want to use it while I can. Clothes: We pack carry-ons with something for every need, though basic. A change of clothes that we could wear in the MDR if needed, swimsuit and a pair of something else to wear on our feet ( probably sandals), meds (mostly OTC, no life-sustaining drugs) toilettries and our electronics, cash and passports, plus our insurance policy and it's instructions and copies of all our necessary documents. Checked baggage could be done without if necessary and we self-insure if it's really totally lost.

 

This approach isn't for everyone, I know that. And i'm not suggesting that it should be but this is what we do, so far, for now. I think our biggest risks are driving to the airport without having a car accident! We live in an area that is threatened by fire danger every year and we take precautions for that, plus we live on the edge of a volcanic caldera, not that anyone expects it blow again in the next 10,000 years, I suppose it could - we do have lots of hot springs and sulphur vents around us so it's not impossible. :) m--

 

M,

 

Must be a Land of Enchantment thing, but I'm with you 100%. I voted no; we travel eight to ten weeks of the year, with one, two, three or four cruises thrown in there, and our insurance covers us, and we have a small evacuation policy if needed. There is a reason our insurance company pays it's CEO over $100,000,000 a year.:rolleyes::)

 

Enjoy!

Kel

[Joan G]

It's been often observed here that most of us can afford to lose the cost of our cruise, but we can't afford emergency transportation off the ship and home.

 

I start at insuremytrip.com too.

 

Anyone can have an accident while away from home.

 

Yes it is the emergency transportation that would be beyond belief in cost. No matter how healthy you are accidents can happen.

[3rdGenCunarder]

Another vote for buying insurance.

 

And if you miss a flight and have expenses that go with it (like an extra night in your hotel), save every receipt! When things go wrong, it's easy to get stressed and be careless with paper. But you'll need receipts if your insurance is the kind that reimburses you later.

[cle1]

We never bothered with cruise insurance until when in 2005, on an Alaska cruise, I came down with a virus that attacks the heart. I had to be hospitalized in Sitka. IF I had to be flown to Seattle, it would have required a Med-Evac plane and a bill of roughly $35,000, out of our pocket. Now we never cruise without travel insurance. Carol

[serendipity1499]

OK - I am back... First of all, thanks for all the input I agree with those of you that suggest I get insurance. HAL is going to cost $1,157. American Express is $779.

 

AM EXP =

Global Medical Protection =

Medical - Up to $4,000

Dental - Up to $750

Evacuation/Repatriation-Up to $100,000

Trip Cancellation = Up to 100% of Trip Cost

Interruption = Up to 100% of Trip Cost

Travel Accident Protection =

24-hour - Up to $50,000

Common Carrier - Up to $100,000

Global Baggage Protection =

Baggage Loss - Up to $500

Up to $300 for a 6+ Hour Delay

Global Trip Delay = Up to $150 per day ($500 max. per trip)

 

Stick with HAL or American Express??? $378.00 cost difference.

 

Before you make a decision..Just be aware that even though you have Medical evacuation insurance it will not automatically evacuate you to the U.S. unless the Dr.s determine that you CAN NOT be treated in a local hospital..

On our 2006 Prinsendam cruise to the Amazon a poster had to have her Mom evacuated from the ship in Manaus..She had AAA insurance which would not pay to have her Mom taken back to the U.S. ..Her Mom went into a hospital where they did not speak english..The poster borrowed $50,000 from her own bank to get her Mom home..It was a very sad case as her Mom Passed away within several weeks..

Check out her: Post No. 203 dated June 21, 2006

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=245896&highlight=april+2006&page=11

We normally book TravelEX insurance & can purchase it through Insuremy trip.com..

Cheers...:)Betty

[serendipity1499]

We never bothered with cruise insurance until when in 2005, on an Alaska cruise, I came down with a virus that attacks the heart. I had to be hospitalized in Sitka. IF I had to be flown to Seattle, it would have required a Med-Evac plane and a bill of roughly $35,000, out of our pocket. Now we never cruise without travel insurance. Carol

 

Carol, even if you had insurance the Dr's may not have OKed you being flown back to Seattle.. Evacuation insurance is very tricky on most policies..If there is a Hospital nearby that can treat you, most policies state you must be treated there & will not fly you back unless a Dr. ok's it..

You can purchase separate insurance to guarantee that you will be flown back, but that is not the norm with most policies, & is quite expensive.. Check your policy very carefully..See my post above..

Cheers...:)Betty

[luxurysailer]

IMO, the decision shouldn't be dependant upon whether or not you can afford the loss of the cost of your trip. It's whether or not you want to run the risk of having to be hospitalized in some foreign port where competent medical care may or may not be available.

 

The aerovac insurance is the main reason we purchase travel insurance. About twenty years ago a very good friend's young adult daughter developed deep vein thrombosis, a potentially fatal condition, while in Mexico. I don't know if she could have received adequate treatment there, but I sure wouldn't wanted to have risked it. She didn't have aerovac insurance, and before a plane would even leave the U.S. to go pick her up they wanted $50,000 up front. The husband and father scrambled around and maxed out both of their credit cards and they got her back home. But it cost them $50,000 out of their pockets.

[serendipity1499]

IMO, the decision shouldn't be dependant upon whether or not you can afford the loss of the cost of your trip. It's whether or not you want to run the risk of having to be hospitalized in some foreign port where competent medical care may or may not be available.

 

The aerovac insurance is the main reason we purchase travel insurance. About twenty years ago a very good friend's young adult daughter developed deep vein thrombosis, a potentially fatal condition, while in Mexico. I don't know if she could have received adequate treatment there, but I sure wouldn't wanted to have risked it. She didn't have aerovac insurance, and before a plane would even leave the U.S. to go pick her up they wanted $50,000 up front. The husband and father scrambled around and maxed out both of their credit cards and they got her back home. But it cost them $50,000 out of their pockets.

 

However, even though you have medivac insurance it does not guarantee that you will be flown home..If a Dr determines you can be treated locally, the insurance in most cases will not pay to have you flown home, unless your policy guarantees it..Read your policy very carefully & see my post above..

Cheers...Betty

[Wormy53]

I wonder if this is a cultural thing. I've never met an Australian above about 25 years of age who didn't have travel insurance, but most Americans I have known don't bother with it. I think we Aussies are absolutely terrified of needing medical attention in the US - there are always horror stories of the huge medical bills incurred there by people who don't have travel insurance - that attracts a bill about the size of an average mortgage. Having said that, it seems that most folks here a very pro-insurance, which is great. And bear in mind, a good policy will cover all your medical bills, plus lost luggage - including cameras, jewellery, clothing - missed flights and the costs associated with those delays, car hire excess, plus getting you home if you need a medical evacuation. Over here we tend to say that if you can't afford travel insurance, you can't afford to travel.

 

One of the posters mentioned travel insurance attached to credit cards. I have year-round travel insurance attached to my Mastercard/Amex. Yes, there is an annual fee on the card, but travel insurance is quite pricey and so the fee is nothing compared to that. The insurance is actually through Zurich, who are one of the biggest travel insurance companies in the world, and you have a 24 hour emergency contact number with them should anything go wrong anywhere in the world. I have known a couple of people who have had to call on them when they have had accidents - the usual broken leg, and one case of luggage disappearing - and the issues have been handled promptly and professionally. Worth checking out. :)

 

You are absolutely right! Never come to the US without some sort of travel insurance that includes medical expenses. The prices are outlandish.

 

I once had to stop in England for a minor ailment - amazed that I could just pay a small amount and be treated. Thank your lucky stars for such coverage!

 

I will sometimes "cover myself" if I am not going overseas, but otherwise always get insurance.

[Ontariotrekker]

My all-inclusive travel insurance covers a lot of stuff including things like a missed flight, lost luggage etc. I purchase my yearly insurance through the same company that handles our extended health. They know my history and assorted issues and the cost per year is only about $200. CDN - really just the price of an all-day excursion on HAL!

[luxurysailer]

However, even though you have medivac insurance it does not guarantee that you will be flown home..If a Dr determines you can be treated locally, the insurance in most cases will not pay to have you flown home, unless your policy guarantees it..Read your policy very carefully & see my post above..

 

Cheers...Betty

 

We've carried aerovac insurance with the same company for a number of years now. If you're hospitalized they'll come get you anywhere in the world where they can land their jet. However, you have to provide your own transportation to the airport, and from remote areas this could get expensive in and of itself.

 

In addition, even if you're in a hospital in your hometown and need specialized treatment this company will fly you to that location. Or, if you're in a hospital at least 150 miles from home they will fly you to a hospital in your hometown.

 

This insurance isn't all that expensive, and IMO, it is good to have even when traveling here in the U.S. Being hospitalized away from home, especially for a prolonged period, can be a severe burden upon family members.