Beware of travelguard's new policy conditions

[bgwilson41]

We've just returned from a Med cruise using Costco as our agent and Travelguard for insurance. The policy included a pre-existing insurance waiver. Yesterday I booked a Viking European river cruise with Costco and was transferred to Travelguard as the recommended Insurance carrier. The quote I received was over three times what I paid for the similarly priced Med tour and it had to be purchased within 20 days of booking the tour to include a pre-condition waiver. It was over 10% of the total cruise price. Previously I paid the travel insurance the day before I made full payment and received the waiver. I asked why the huge increase and was told that they altered their policy on May 1st. The cruise I booked was for August 2015 and Viking wanted full payment by February 28th, six months in advance!!!!. I went back to Costco and cancelled the trip and had to argue strongly to not have to pay the $100 per person that Viking charges to cancel.

A Google review of other travel insurance companies indicates that most of them require you to purchase insurance at the time of booking or close to it ,to receive a pre-condition waiver. If you don't get the waiver you are basically risking the total cost of the trip from the time you pay the full amount until the end of the trip.

If anyone has a better way/company to get cheaper insurance and /or a precondition waiver I would be grateful.

[GeezerCouple]

There was quite a bit posted online a while ago about the changes to the Costco/TravelGuard trip insurance. (I thought it was only the "Costco" version, but don't have any direct experience with that.)

 

You might try contacting

 

TripInsuranceStore.com

 

We've used TravelInsured through them, and that must be purchased within 21 days of FIRST payment (refundable or not) to include the pre-existing condition waiver.

 

However, I just spoke with them to find out if there is a policy that would include that coverage but could be purchased much later, and apparently there is.

 

Please contact them, because I am not certain enough of the terms to want to post them, lest I understood something incorrectly.

I think the trade-off was that the total medical coverage had a lower limit. Not sure what else.

 

Good luck.

 

GeezerCouple

[pris993]

Our situation is a bit different, we usually buy insurance from our TA at tthe time of final payment because we are healthy, and simply are concerned about medical and emergency evacuation coverage, since we are 82 and 67. Just purchased a Travel Guard from our TA, it was At $350 more than what we have paid in the past - was nearly $800 and all we covered was our airfare costs to buy it. TA explanation is because of Obama care all insurance now age based.

 

I suspect the TA simply gave me a story... but I am looking for options for the next trip, want to find an annual plan... for the future.

 

My point is it seems Travel Guard costs have increased.

[GeezerCouple]

Our situation is a bit different, we usually buy insurance from our TA at tthe time of final payment because we are healthy, and simply are concerned about medical and emergency evacuation coverage, since we are 82 and 67. Just purchased a Travel Guard from our TA, it was At $350 more than what we have paid in the past - was nearly $800 and all we covered was our airfare costs to buy it. TA explanation is because of Obama care all insurance now age based.

 

I suspect the TA simply gave me a story... but I am looking for options for the next trip, want to find an annual plan... for the future.

 

My point is it seems Travel Guard costs have increased.

 

The nonsense about Obamacare is just that: nonsense.

Yes, the TA gave you a "story".

 

However, trip insurance rates might be going up, generally, given what you've experienced, and now our experience.

 

We went to insure a few more trips, and found out (THANK YOU TripInsuranceStore!!) that for a few more days, we could get our old rate, but then it would go up a few percent per trip for the same type of policy.

 

So we quickly insured a few more trips. That will save us several hundred dollars, not a huge amount, but it's a few extra nights somewhere :)

 

This was within the past month or so.

 

So it may be that costs are generally going up...??

 

GeezerCouple

[bgwilson41]

Thanks for your reply. It all helps to sort out the best solution. Travelguard allow you now to take out the policy right up to the sailing date. The problem is that the cruising companies require you to pay 4-6 months in advance. This means that if you don't take out the policy when you pay the full amount , then you are on the hook for the total trip cost until the sailing date. Our cost is $19023 which I don't want to be exposed to. One way to minimise your exposure and get precondition waiver is to book the trip closer to the sailing date. The disadvantage of that is that you may not get the cabin you want.

 

It used to be that you could put a deposit down to get your desired cabin, wait until 90 days prior to sailing to pay the full amount and your travel insurance with a precondition waiver. That does not seem possible now.

[bgwilson41]

Thanks PRIS993 . What was the total cost of your cruise?

[pris993]

Thanks PRIS993 . What was the total cost of your cruise?

About $5500 for cruise alone. Air separate.

 

Since I am not trying to insure the cost of the trip, we only use our airfare with Air France to purchase the policy which was $1650 each, use the airfare because then we are covered from date we leave home til we return.

 

In the past we have paid about $400 or a little less to cover similar costs, this time nearly $800. Past plans with Travel Guard with $100,000 medical and $500,000 I think evcuation each, plus other package options.

 

I called Travel Guard, same insurance I have purchased from the TA, last night, discussed options for an annual plan. For the two of us, age 67/82, $50,000 medical, $1 million in evacuation, plus other package options included total for both of for a year is $516 - under a plan for "business travelers". This type of plan does not cover travel expenses, i.e., cruise and air per se, which we have never really been concerned about covering.

 

Customer Service personal at Travel Guard, advised we did not need to be business travelers to use. Unlimited number of trips duirng a year, each trip can't be more than 90 days, need to be over night and 100 miles away from home, if claims are made, total amount of insurance is reduced by amount of claims paid.

 

I plan to check out other firms as well and will made a decision.

 

Went this way, because I wanted more than $10,000 medical which was typical on most packages I saw on line for person 80+ ... which is not sufficient if something happens with medical expenses these day... plus in Europe - the value of dollar to euro... I may even try to up medical to $100,000 just for that reason.

[bgwilson41]

Thanks again PRIS993. I am going to do some calling around as well. It does seem that the industry as a whole has upped its rates and changed its attitude to pre- existing conditions. We take suites on our cruises so the cost of the cruise is usually high. Therefore we want that insured as well.

One way that one could get around the preexisting situation is to only book your travel after you and your companion have had a steady medical record for the look back period of the policy. usually this is 60-120days. In this case even if you have a heart problem, as long as your medications have not changed for that period and you are stable , then it is not counted as a pre-existing condition. You will still have to pay for the policy at or close to paying the deposit but your trip cost will be covered even if you subsequently have a problem with your heart. That's the way I understand it and I'm going to call around to test if I am right

 

I'll post my findings for you and others . If someone reading this knows whether I'm right or not I would appreciate them letting me know.

Best Regards

[Gail & Marty sailing away]

Thanks for the tip..