Trip Insurance & the Pre-Existing Clause

[MaxeyMom]

I cannot get a definitive answer from the insurance co on this matter.

FCC was $100.00 and applied in June of 2016. Final payment of $4000.00 was due this week.

 

The insurance that HAL sells is expensive when you figure in that you will only get back 90% of your fare plus the $10,000 medical cap and 50,000 dollar cap on medical evacuation is deficient, IMHO. Yes you can cancel for any reason and they exclude pre-existing but then they do not cover enough.

 

Hope I remain healthy and do not need to use the insurance.

 

Thanks to all

[alwaysfrantic]

I didn't think the insurance company would have any idea of the answer.

 

Did you pay any additional in June when you bought the insurance or just the $100?

 

As long as you have the booking date, I don't see any problems. You insured the full cost and bought it at time of booking.

 

I agree the HAL coverage wouldn't meet my needs.

 

Have a great trip and hopefully you won't have to use the policy at all :)

[IndyDenise]

I cannot get a definitive answer from the insurance co on this matter.

 

FCC was $100.00 and applied in June of 2016. Final payment of $4000.00 was due this week.

 

 

 

The insurance that HAL sells is expensive when you figure in that you will only get back 90% of your fare plus the $10,000 medical cap and 50,000 dollar cap on medical evacuation is deficient, IMHO. Yes you can cancel for any reason and they exclude pre-existing but then they do not cover enough.

 

 

 

Hope I remain healthy and do not need to use the insurance.

 

 

 

Thanks to all

 

 

 

I found that it was the cheapest way to go. My mom's insurance through HAL was $92.00 for the Platinum plan.,not bad for aged 74. This was because she is the third person in the cabin ( her fare was less) I am thankful that my astute HAL Cruise Consultant hooked me up this way. Pricing it out on Insuremytrip was crazy high for pre-existing and cancel for any reason coverage for her.

 

 

 

 

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[Jemima]

Travel insurance companies usually ask for the deposit date. That's the date you booked and made a deposit on a specific cruise. Several times I have cancelled a cruise, booked a new cruise, and transferred the travel insurance to the new cruise with the new deposit date and still had the pre-existing condition coverage show on the revised coverage.

Edited December 15, 2016 by Jemima
wording

[easyboy]

I found that it was the cheapest way to go. My mom's insurance through HAL was $92.00 for the Platinum plan.,not bad for aged 74. This was because she is the third person in the cabin ( her fare was less) I am thankful that my astute HAL Cruise Consultant hooked me up this way. Pricing it out on Insuremytrip was crazy high for pre-existing and cancel for any reason coverage for her.

3rd party insurance factor in the age for premium rates, while cruise lines don't.

[IndyDenise]

3rd party insurance factor in the age for premium rates, while cruise lines don't.

 

 

 

Exactly! Just to add in a pre existing clause and cancel for any reason was more than her whole HAL policy.

 

 

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[RocketMan275]

Exactly! Just to add in a pre existing clause and cancel for any reason was more than her whole HAL policy.

 

 

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For comparable coverages?

[avian777]

Excellent question. Would suggest you contact the insurance company rather than rely upon advice from the internet.

 

Seriously, you need to contact your insurance company to get the answer to your question. Regardless of the advice you get here (even if it is correct), it is the insurer who makes the definitive decision; not anyone here.

 

Excellent Posts - so good, in fact, that they deserve to be re-Posted togather. Thanks to RocketMan275 and Bill S for the clarity of their advice.

Smooth sailing ...

[MaxeyMom]

I didn't think the insurance company would have any idea of the answer.

 

Did you pay any additional in June when you bought the insurance or just the $100?

 

As long as you have the booking date, I don't see any problems. You insured the full cost and bought it at time of booking.

 

I agree the HAL coverage wouldn't meet my needs.

 

Have a great trip and hopefully you won't have to use the policy at all :)

 

I was not certain of the trip when I used the FCC to reserve a cabin. By the time the time I paid for the trip it was way past the 14 day window for pre-existing medical problems.

[alwaysfrantic]

Oh, then yes, out of luck for pre-existing coverage. But if you have insurance it will still help if you have to cancel for a covered reason.

[crystalspin]

MaxeyMom

 

Have you gone to insuremytrip.com and plugged in the numbers (with the booking date as "first money paid" date), checking CFAR and pre-existing waiver checked in the left column?

 

I was somewhat amazed to find coverage IS available, even after over a year has elapsed. For my cruise, there is only one carrier (two plans), but it is available. Now to decide on the risk of going without...

 

Whether it is worth the cost, is for you to determine.

[twentyknots]

We have cruised many times and always buy trip insurance. We usually buy directly from our TA and it contains a pre existing waiver. I see many posts that say the insurance usually needs to be paid for the cost of the entire trip within 21 days of the initial cruise deposit and we have always done that. Now I am about to book another cruise in a few days. As I interpret my policy purchased for my last cruise a year ago it looks to me as if I could have purchased just insurance on the deposit and then added the final cruise payment and other non refundable costs to the policy and paid that up to 21 days after. Did I misunderstand?

 

The Company will waive the pre-existing medical conditionexclusion if the following conditions are met:(1) This plan is purchased within 21 days of Initial Trip Payment;(2) The amount of coverage purchased equals all prepaidnonrefundable payments or deposits applicable to the Trip atthe time of purchase and the costs of any subsequentarrangements added to the same Trip are insured within 21days of the date of payment or deposit for any subsequentTrip arrangements;(3) All Insured’s are medically able to travel when this plan cost ispaid.(4) The Trip Cost does not exceed $100,000 per person (onlyapplicable to Trip Cancellation/Interruption).This coverage will be terminated and no benefits will be paidunder this Pre-existing Medical Condition Exclusion Waivercoverage if the full costs of all prepaid, non-refundable Triparrangements are not insured.

[*Miss G*]

I am confused. Our TA told us we didn't have to pay the insurance until the final payment date, which is quite far from the initial deposit.

[JVilleGal]

I am confused. Our TA told us we didn't have to pay the insurance until the final payment date, which is quite far from the initial deposit.

 

 

Not very good advice :(

 

 

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[*Miss G*]

Not very good advice :(

 

I read through the HAL page as well as the PDF description and can't find a reference to what's posted above. I did find this, though:

 

• NO PRE-EXISTING CONDITIONS. Our Standard and Platinum Plans do not contain pre-existing condition exclusions.
  

[JVilleGal]

I read through the HAL page as well as the PDF description and can't find a reference to what's posted above. I did find this, though:

 

 

 

• 
   
  
• NO PRE-EXISTING CONDITIONS. Our Standard and Platinum Plans do not contain pre-existing condition exclusions.
   
  

 

 

AND this is based on purchasing the policy WHEN??? I am not an Insurance Agent, but I think you may need to speak to an actual agent to really understand this policy.

 

 

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[TiogaCruiser]

I read through the HAL page as well as the PDF description and can't find a reference to what's posted above. I did find this, though:

 

• NO PRE-EXISTING CONDITIONS. Our Standard and Platinum Plans do not contain pre-existing condition exclusions.
  

I believe you and your TA are only looking at the HAL cancel for any reason insurance. You do not need to buy it until you make final payment. HAL holds the funds (self insures) until something like 24 hours before you begin your trip, then purchases a policy to cover the your trip. If you have a loss during travel, you file with the third party insurance. If you cancel prior to 24 hours, HAL returns a percentage of your money (90% for the platinum). (I just did the latter a few weeks ago for a family emergency just prior to travel).��

 

Other posters (such as the OP) are talking about trip insurance not supplied by HAL (example: Travel Guard, CSA, etc.) For many people, the coverage purchased from insurance companies is better for their exposures. It depends on your situation. And it is many of these independent policies which have to be purchased within 14 days of the deposit to get cancel for any reason. Many people find they can get higher limits for a better price by going with independent insurance, rather than going with HAL.

 

I'd suggest taking a look at Insuremytrip dot com and comparing what HAL offers with what you see there, and which matches your needs best. HALs medical limits are low. But in my case, my medical insurance through work covers me abroad, so I don't need high medical limits. For the price, and the return, it fit my needs for my situation. YMMV.

 

 

My friend is on Medicare, which will not pay out of the US, so her needs are very different. Her TA was expecting her to just buy the HAL plan. The TA ( who works for a big insurance/travel company that does "HAL Alaska Roadshows") said her companies policies were too expensive compared to HAL. I suspect the coverage is very different too.

Edited April 12, 2017 by TiogaCruiser

[JVilleGal]

This is about insurance that covers Pre Existing Conditions!

 

 

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[*Miss G*]

Thanks for a great, and thorough, explanation, TiogaCruiser. It makes much more sense now. :)

[TiogaCruiser]

This is about insurance that covers Pre Existing Conditions!

 

 

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Yep. It is.

[bdcbbq]

When I booked a HAL Alaska cruise back in November for a July cruise this year the consultant told me I had until final cruise payment to buy insurance from them. I felt their policy did not meet my personal needs so I contacted http://www.insuremytrip.com and explained my situation (possible liver transplant prior to cruise or death from liver cancer). Then sent me a policy pay that covered all of my needs with no pre-existing issues. I had included evacuation anywhere, cancel for any reason. My primary concern was I a pinched nerve that was not getting better that might cause me to cancel a few days before. (A transplant would not interfere. If I made the list I could cancel and that was/still is up in the air). Insure my trip said I did not need to purchase the insurance until final payment (give or take a few days). Turned out a disability court hearing was scheduled smack dab in the middle so I called and rescheduled the cruise for 2 weeks later. Within a week I decided my back was in so much pain that the likelihood of enough relief to go on the cruise was minuscule. Back surgery of any sort is not an option in my case and if I found a physician stupid enough to do it rehab or dying during surgery pretty well guaranteed this was a bucket list item I wasn't going to make.

 

I rescheduled to a Mexican Riviera cruise over New Year's and don't plan to make insurance arrangements until final payment is due.

 

I do agree with the posters above about contacting insure my trip, asking them questions, getting a quote, and reading a copy of the policy. It might even be worth spending a few $$$ and have your or an attorney read over it.

[torpeedo]

We purchase a one year multiple trip MEDICAL insurance from Geoblue, the Trekker policy. It covers all preexisting conditions and offers some high limits depending on your age. The total premium for two of us was $460 for a year. We don't buy cancellation insurance because we can always absorb that but don't want the big medical bills!! You can also purchase a one trip plan from Geoblue called Voyager Choice and they offer high limits for very little. But again, medical only and it does cover pre existing medical. The only caveat is you have to have a primary health insurer and Medicare does count.

[TiogaCruiser]

Torpedoed: Medicare does count?

[torpeedo]

Yes it does, I called and checked with them to be sure. I've had the yearly policy for two going on three years. I haven't needed to use it yet though, thankfully! They also have an app you can download with info on providers.

[TiogaCruiser]

Yes it does, I called and checked with them to be sure. I've had the yearly policy for two going on three years. I haven't needed to use it yet though, thankfully! They also have an app you can download with info on providers.

Thank you. I will forward the info to the appropriate friend.