Travelling without insurance

[wowzz]

1 hour ago, sanger727 said:

have checked and my health insurance covers me out of the country and covers evacuation. Now, I will on some trips get a medical/evacuation policy

So you do have insurance cover.  The vast majority of us Brits do not have any form of medical insurance, as the NHS (National Health Service) provides free health care. That is why we buy travel insurance for foreign travel.

[mafig]

We do get insurance now, because we're getting older.☹️

 

However......we took 30 cruises without  purchasing it.  Never needed it.  Think of all the $$$ we saved.

[sanger727]

35 minutes ago, wowzz said:

So you do have insurance cover.  The vast majority of us Brits do not have any form of medical insurance, as the NHS (National Health Service) provides free health care. That is why we buy travel insurance for foreign travel.

oh, of course. If I didn’t have a primary health insurance plan then travel medical would be essential. But I live in the US so medical insurance is necessary. And I think living in the US changes your mindset a bit. If I have an significant medical issue (at home) I already know that I will be our hundreds to a thousand + in copays. That’s just how things work here. So not being fully covered when we travel is easier to swallow. I just don’t want to be put tens to hundreds of thousands.

[evandbob]

When I was younger, healthier,  and traveling solo, I rarely got cruise or travel insurance, and I always flew into the cruiseport the morning of the sailing.  Did this at least 20 times.

 

Had I bought insurance for each trip along with a hotel room, perhaps I would have had to cut those 20 cruises to 10.

 

Never had an issue, medical or accident, late or missed the ship.  I don't drink, so I don't do stupid risky drunk stuff on the ship or off in port  If I had missed a cruise, no big deal, I was cruising again in a few short months and I could always absorb a solo cruise cost of $1,000 or so.  

 

Now, older, with health and aging issues, and traveling maybe 1/3 of the year, we have an annual travel policy.  Circumstances vary, and there is no right or wrong answer, just one has to do what's best for them and not rue any consequences of that decision.

[cb at sea]

If you're young and healthy, the odds are in your favor.  If you have enough money where losing your cruise fare won't hurt too much, you really can do without.  As you get older, with more family obligations that could prevent your trip, or if your health is getting "iffy", you should always spring for insurance.

[wowzz]

2 hours ago, mafig said:

However......we took 30 cruises without  purchasing it.  Never needed it. 

Whenever I see this sort of answer, my reaction is to ask if you use a safety belt in your car when driving?

Same logic - never had an accident, so never bother with a safety belt!

I take the approach that if do need medical treatment abroad,  I want the best possible treatment, not the best that I can afford. So, insurance every time. 

[wowzz]

2 minutes ago, cb at sea said:

If you're young and healthy, the odds are in your favor.  If you have enough money where losing your cruise fare won't hurt too much, you really can do without.  As you get older, with more family obligations that could prevent your trip, or if your health is getting "iffy", you should always spring for insurance.

Losing your cruise fare is a known cost, and I can understand why you might self-insure against not being able to go on a booked cruise. 

I take out insurance to cover unknown costs whilst on the cruise/on holiday,  such as hospital stays,  medical flights etc. My wife and I travel around 10 weeks per year - our annual travel policy costs the equivalent of around $50US for each week of travel. Why would you not take insurance when it costs so little?

[mafig]

31 minutes ago, wowzz said:

Whenever I see this sort of answer, my reaction is to ask if you use a safety belt in your car when driving?

Same logic - never had an accident, so never bother with a safety belt!

I take the approach that if do need medical treatment abroad,  I want the best possible treatment, not the best that I can afford. So, insurance every time. 

 

 

I notice when you quoted me you left out that I purchase it now.  

 

Yes I do use a seat belt now.  Didn't always.  LOL

[mayleeman]

17 hours ago, donaldsc said:

 

Doesn't "cancel for any reason" mean "any reason".  The fact that they were not covered seems strange.  Are you sure that it was cancel for any reason>

DON

 

The post you are referring to says the "expenses" were denied. Sometimes people only cover the cost of the cruise. Maybe extra things like airfare, hotels, etc were what the insurance company denied. Trip Insurance Store reminds me to notify them of any new expenses we might be incurring before boarding.

[2wheelin]

19 minutes ago, mayleeman said:

 

The post you are referring to says the "expenses" were denied. Sometimes people only cover the cost of the cruise. Maybe extra things like airfare, hotels, etc were what the insurance company denied. Trip Insurance Store reminds me to notify them of any new expenses we might be incurring before boarding.

CFAR policies I have looked at require covering the entire cost of the trip to get any coverage. That is why you must notify them of any increased cost and make sure you have enough coverage. You can increase coverage as you incur non refundable reservations.

[wowzz]

41 minutes ago, mafig said:

 

 

I notice when you quoted me you left out that I purchase it now.  

 

Yes I do use a seat belt now.  Didn't always.  LOL

Sorry, yes, I know you purchase it now. However, regardless of age, I still believe that travelling without insurance is foolhardy, unless you are insanely rich.

[wwcruisers]

1 hour ago, mayleeman said:

 

The post you are referring to says the "expenses" were denied. Sometimes people only cover the cost of the cruise. Maybe extra things like airfare, hotels, etc were what the insurance company denied. Trip Insurance Store reminds me to notify them of any new expenses we might be incurring before boarding.

 

Good point! Steve and his crew at TIS are great, aren't they? 😎

[Toofarfromthesea]

6 hours ago, wowzz said:

So you do have insurance cover.  The vast majority of us Brits do not have any form of medical insurance, as the NHS (National Health Service) provides free health care. That is why we buy travel insurance for foreign travel.

 

Having adequate medical coverage, and air evacuation coverage is essential, because an uninsured incident can bankrupt most people - very few can self-insure those risks.

 

But the OP seemed to be more focused on the trip cancellation aspect of insurance.  That is an area where a lot of people decide to self-insure - sometimes with partial insurance through a credit card.a

 

Just because you can buy insurance that covers all three risks doesn't mean that is the only choice.  You can buy insurance that only covers medical, you can buy insurance that only covers trip cancellation or interruption, and you can but insurance that only covers air evac.  One of the sources of confusion is that these three different risk, and insurance, are often conflated and just called trip insurance.

[Toofarfromthesea]

20 hours ago, donaldsc said:

 

Doesn't "cancel for any reason" mean "any reason".  The fact that they were not covered seems strange.  Are you sure that it was cancel for any reason>

DON

 

It means any reason that the terms and conditions say it covers.  Don't try to read specificity into a very general and not terrible accurate description such as Cancel For Any Reason.

[Toofarfromthesea]

3 hours ago, wowzz said:

Sorry, yes, I know you purchase it now. However, regardless of age, I still believe that travelling without insurance is foolhardy, unless you are insanely rich.

 

Agree, even for the young and healthy, for whom medical travel ins. is pretty cheap, pricisely because they are young and healthy

[klfrodo]

1 hour ago, Toofarfromthesea said:

 

It means any reason that the terms and conditions say it covers.  Don't try to read specificity into a very general and not terrible accurate description such as Cancel For Any Reason.

https://tripinsurancestore.com/cancel-for-any-reason-travel-insurance-plans/

 

CFAR means EXACTLY that,,, ANY reason.

I stubbed my toe and don't feel like getting out of bed,,, I can call and cancel my trip and receive whatever benefits are laid out under the CFAR terms and conditions.

 

If one has travel insurance (that includes CFAR) and they have to cancel but the insurance determines the cancellation is not a covered reason, then the policy holder can still get some sort of relief under the CFAR.

 

Granted, CFAR is usually paid out at anywhere from 50% - 90% CREDIT (not cash) of covered trip. (Depending on policy)

Edited December 15, 2019 by klfrodo

[wowzz]

It's interesting  - cancellation for any reason is unheard  of in the UK. I suppose it could be offered,  but the policy would cost almost as much as the cruise. 

And, just to repeat my previous posts - being young and healthy doesn't mean you don't need insurance.  

We spent 4 weeks in Sarasota this February  - my wife and I aren't young , but we are healthy.  However,  if we had a minor shunt in our hire car,  requiring a visit to a hospital,  I hate to think what it would have cost,  especially if  MRI scans,  blood tests etc were involved. I'm not going to gamble an enormous medical bill for the sake of $200 insurance.

[ilikeanswers]

It is interesting that people who don't take out insurance say it helped them afford more cruises🤔. It would take about a decade of not paying insurance to partially cover the cost of one my trips. It is usually the cheapest expense of my trips next to maybe a bargain hotel deal. It makes me curious what is the average cost of travel insurance where you live? 

Edited December 16, 2019 by ilikeanswers

[wowzz]

5 hours ago, ilikeanswers said:

It is interesting that people who don't take out insurance say it helped them afford more cruises🤔. It would take about a decade of not paying insurance to partially cover the cost of one my trips. It is usually the cheapest expense of my trips next to maybe a bargain hotel deal. It makes me curious what is the average cost of travel insurance where you live? 

As a Brit the cost of our annual multi-trip insurance [we are both over 65], is £280 [say around $370 US]. Worldwide cover would cost £390 [$520 US] 

[Jersey42]

8 hours ago, ilikeanswers said:

It is interesting that people who don't take out insurance say it helped them afford more cruises🤔. It would take about a decade of not paying insurance to partially cover the cost of one my trips. It is usually the cheapest expense of my trips next to maybe a bargain hotel deal. It makes me curious what is the average cost of travel insurance where you live? 

In the USA, the cost is highly dependent on the traveler's age.  For someone in their early 60s, figure about 7 to 10% of the trip cost on average for comprehensive trip insurance.  It is more if you want Cancel For Any Reason.  If you decide to self insure Trip Cancellation/Interruption expenses, you can get medical and medical evacuation for a lot less. 

[babs135]

4 hours ago, wowzz said:

As a Brit the cost of our annual multi-trip insurance [we are both over 65], is £280 [say around $370 US]. Worldwide cover would cost £390 [$520 US] 

Wish ours was as cheap.  As senior citizens with a number of health issues we have been quoted as high as £900 for an annual worldwide policy.  Apparently the States, Caribbean(?!) and cruise cover including medivac pushes up the price.  We did find a cheaper quote and they were brilliant when we had to claim, but it is still in the region of £600.

However, what price peace of mind?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[wowzz]

2 hours ago, Jersey42 said:

In the USA, the cost is highly dependent on the traveler's age.  For someone in their early 60s, figure about 7 to 10% of the trip cost on average for comprehensive trip insurance.  It is more if you want Cancel For Any Reason.  If you decide to self insure Trip Cancellation/Interruption expenses, you can get medical and medical evacuation for a lot less. 

That seems really expensive - insurance of $1,000 for a $10,000 holiday? Surely you could get annual cover for less than that? 

[wowzz]

49 minutes ago, babs135 said:

Wish ours was as cheap.  As senior citizens with a number of health issues we have been quoted as high as £900 for an annual worldwide policy.  Apparently the States, Caribbean(?!) and cruise cover including medivac pushes up the price.  We did find a cheaper quote and they were brilliant when we had to claim, but it is still in the region of £600.

However, what price peace of mind?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It obviously does help that we have no serious medical conditions to worry about, which obviously keeps the cost down.

[mammajamma2013]

On 12/15/2019 at 10:23 AM, mayleeman said:

 

The post you are referring to says the "expenses" were denied. Sometimes people only cover the cost of the cruise. Maybe extra things like airfare, hotels, etc were what the insurance company denied. Trip Insurance Store reminds me to notify them of any new expenses we might be incurring before boarding.

The cost of the cruise was denied. Hotel reservation was cancel-with-24-hour-notice-no-charge. Airfare was through SW Airlines, so able to cancel within the two weeks notice I provided (able to use the fare on future travel). 

 

On 12/15/2019 at 3:16 PM, klfrodo said:

If one has travel insurance (that includes CFAR) and they have to cancel but the insurance determines the cancellation is not a covered reason, then the policy holder can still get some sort of relief under the CFAR.

Unfortunately, by the time my son and daughter-in-law were physically and mentally able to deal with insurance, it may have been too late; I don't know how all of this works since I've never had to file a claim. He dealt with all of it, I'm not sure about the details of what he tried and when he tried it. I just know they were never reimbursed.

[mayleeman]

@mammajamma2013 I was hoping that it had turned out more favorably for at least part of the claim. I am sorry for the misunderstanding. Horrible for everyone, I am sure.

Edited December 17, 2019 by mayleeman