BEST Vacation Insurance??

[weHEARTmickey]

We will be paying our trip off in the next couple of days. We haven't opted for trip insurance yet. Should we go through Disney or AAA? Anyone have any advice on this??

Here are some details:
--We are DRIVING 16 hours there & 16 hours back.
--We will be gone for 2 weeks (only 11 of those days are WDW.)
--DH father & grandparents are in very poor health & we worry about something happening while we're gone.
--Our trip is booked during prime hurricane season!

I did a search for insurance info, but I'm never good at searching. I truly appreciate any advice you guys may have. Thanks!

EDIT: We also have TX Farm Bureau....not sure if they offer something similar???

 

[HLAuburn]

Check out www.insuremytrip.com. You can enter in your trip info and they will give you quotes on several different companies.

When we went during hurricane season, we used Travelex. Fortunately we never had to make a claim, but the customer service we did use was good.

I think you can get more coverage for less going through an outside company rather than booking through Disney.

 

[marcielm]

The agency I work for recommend's Disney's travel insurance for WDW trips (but not cruises). They say it is very good in comparison to other insurances. We recommend Travelex for other vacations. I do know that our owner has had to use his Dinsey insurance before and said it was worth every penny spent, and he won't travel without.

 

[ShellyLynn3630]

Go through insuremytrip.com, better coverage, better rates. Trust me.

 

[NancyIL]

The fact that you have family members in poor health and you're buying the insurance long after you've made your first trip payment means that most policies won't cover the pre-existing conditions of your relatives. That means that if one were to become very ill or die while you were on your trip and you went home early, the insurance wouldn't reimburse you due to their pre-existing conditions.

However, if you go to www.tripinsurancestore.com - there are two CSA policies that do cover pre-existing conditions as long as it is puchased within 24 hours of making your final trip payment. Also - although you are beyond the time to get the waiver of pre-existing conditions with other policies, Travel Safe doesn't consider the medical conditions of non-traveling family members, so they could be in hospice - the owner of Trip Insurance Store told me!

 

[weHEARTmickey]

Thanks everyone! So NANCYIL...you're saying that the insurance won't cover DH, myself, DD8, & DS6 if our relatives become ill? (It's our relatives here at home who are in poor health. They won't be going on the trip with us.)

If this is the case, I wonder why my AAA didn't mention this right from the start???? I told her our entire situation & that we'd wait until "last minute" to add the insurance. I would've definitely added insurance months ago had I known all this!!

 

[NancyIL]

Thanks everyone! So NANCYIL...you're saying that the insurance won't cover DH, myself, DD8, & DS6 if our relatives become ill? (It's our relatives here at home who are in poor health. They won't be going on the trip with us.)

If this is the case, I wonder why my AAA didn't mention this right from the start???? I told her our entire situation & that we'd wait until "last minute" to add the insurance. I would've definitely added insurance months ago had I known all this!!

If the reason you would have to cancel or interrupt your trip is because of a pre-existing medical condition of a non-traveling family member, MOST policies would not reimburse you - unless you bought the insurance within the 10-21 day window (after making your first trip payment) to qualify for the waiver of pre-existing conditions.

You have to read the fine print, but most companies look at the pre-existing conditions of not just the travelers but also their non-traveling family members. Travel Safe is one of the few that doesn't mention non-traveling relatives, so I purchased that for a cruise where I was well beyond the date to qualify for a waiver of pre-existing conditions. HTH Worldwide and some (but not all) CSA policies cover pre-existing conditions as long as the insurance is purchased within 24 hours of making the final payment.

This is what Travelex TraveLite's policy says:

Pre-Existing Conditions Waiver

PRE-EXISTING CONDITIONS EXCLUSION This exclusion applies to Trip Cancellation/Interruption and Emergency Medical Benefits. The program does not cover losses or expenses if they result from:

1) Any injury to You or Your Traveling Companion, Your Business Partner or Your Family Member occurring prior to and including the Effective Date;

2) Any sickness of You or Your Traveling Companion, Your Business Partner or Your Family Member occurring during the 90 days prior to and including the Effective Date for which treatment by a Legally Qualified Physician has been sought or advised or for which symptoms exist which would cause a prudent person to seek diagnosis, care or treatment.

If You have purchased a program where pre-existing conditions are waived, the Company covers these pre-existing conditions provided:

1) The protection plan was purchased within twenty-one (21) calendar days of the initial Covered Trip payment;

2) On the date of purchase of the protection plan, You were Medically Fit;

3) You had not filed a claim for Trip Cancellation/Interruption due to sickness or injury within 90 days prior to the purchase of the protection plan;

4) You do not have a sickness excluded by General Exclusions "m)" and "n)";

5) The pre-existing condition exclusion applies to all amounts over the Maximum Waiver Amount shown on the Confirmation of Coverage except for Medical Evacuation/Repatriation benefits which are not subject to the Maximum Waiver Amount.


If You do not meet the above criteria, You will still be covered for Trip Cancellation/Interruption and Emergency Medical Benefits caused by reasons other than those related to the pre-existing condition.

(emphasis added)

 

[weHEARTmickey]

Here is the TravelSafe Insurance quote & info.....$118 total for all 4 of us. Now I'm going to do a little researching to see how this compares to the other plans (that we DON'T qualify for!) She did say that the pre-existing family members (at home) don't affect the plan. The only thing is: we can't interrupt/cancel our trip unless their condition dramatically changes/worsens. (I'm a Disney fanatic---something would have to dramatically change/worsen to bring me home from mine & my DD birthday trip to WDW!!!)


Plan Benefits----------------Maximum Benefit Amount

Pre-Departure Trip Cancellation----------------Trip Cost


Post-Departure Trip Interruption----------------150% of Trip Cost

Travel Delay (8 Hours or More)----------------$150 Per Day/$750 Total


Medical Expense/Emergency Assistance

Accident & Sickness Medical Expenses----------------$100,000

Emergency Medical Evacuation &----------------$1,000,000
Repatriation of Remains

Non-Medical Emergency Evacuation---------------- $25,000

One Call 24-Hour Assistance Service----------------Included

Baggage and Personal Effects---------------- $2,500

Baggage Delay (12 Hours or More)---------------- $250


Accidental Death and Dismemberment

Air Flight Benefits----------------$25,000

24 Hour Other Than Flight----------------$25,000

 

[NancyIL]

Here is the TravelSafe Insurance quote & info.....$118 total for all 4 of us. Now I'm going to do a little researching to see how this compares to the other plans (that we DON'T qualify for!) She did say that the pre-existing family members (at home) don't affect the plan. The only thing is: we can't interrupt/cancel our trip unless their condition dramatically changes/worsens. (I'm a Disney fanatic---something would have to dramatically change/worsen to bring me home from mine & my DD birthday trip to WDW!!!)


Plan Benefits----------------Maximum Benefit Amount

Pre-Departure Trip Cancellation----------------Trip Cost


Post-Departure Trip Interruption----------------150% of Trip Cost

Travel Delay (8 Hours or More)----------------$150 Per Day/$750 Total


Medical Expense/Emergency Assistance

Accident & Sickness Medical Expenses----------------$100,000

Emergency Medical Evacuation &----------------$1,000,000
Repatriation of Remains

Non-Medical Emergency Evacuation---------------- $25,000

One Call 24-Hour Assistance Service----------------Included

Baggage and Personal Effects---------------- $2,500

Baggage Delay (12 Hours or More)---------------- $250


Accidental Death and Dismemberment

Air Flight Benefits----------------$25,000

24 Hour Other Than Flight----------------$25,000

Did you talk to someone at the Trip Insurance Store? I called them to ask a question about a different company, and that's when Steve Dasseos told me that the health of non-traveling family members doesn't matter with Travel Safe. It was less expensive and had more coverage than the CSA/HTH policies I was considering, so I went with that.

 

[weHEARTmickey]

Did you talk to someone at the Trip Insurance Store? I called them to ask a question about a different company, and that's when Steve Dasseos told me that the health of non-traveling family members doesn't matter with Travel Safe. It was less expensive and had more coverage than the CSA/HTH policies I was considering, so I went with that.

No, I haven't called them yet. After looking on several of these websites, it seems we won't have much coverage b/c we made our initial trip deposit MONTHS ago. The only thing we don't qualify for w/ TravelSafe is there "cancel for any reason" policy (or however they word it.)

I just wish I'd opted for Disney insurance right from the start! I can't even remember why I didn't...I think I was going to research to find something cheaper. Then I didn't do that. I guess you live & learn! I really appreciate everyone's input on here. Hopefully I won't "need" the insurance, but I'd like to have some peace of mind for our trip. Have a great day!

 

[NancyIL]

No, I haven't called them yet. After looking on several of these websites, it seems we won't have much coverage b/c we made our initial trip deposit MONTHS ago. The only thing we don't qualify for w/ TravelSafe is there "cancel for any reason" policy (or however they word it.)

I just wish I'd opted for Disney insurance right from the start! I can't even remember why I didn't...I think I was going to research to find something cheaper. Then I didn't do that. I guess you live & learn! I really appreciate everyone's input on here. Hopefully I won't "need" the insurance, but I'd like to have some peace of mind for our trip. Have a great day!

As an FYI - Disney's insurance doesn't cover pre-existing conditions no matter when you purchase it.

I don't know what you mean about not having much coverage. Travel Safe will cover you as long as you don't cancel for any pre-existing conditions you (the travelers) were treated for during the 60-day period before you purchase the insurance. CSA and HTH will cover pre-existing conditions if you buy the insurance within 24 hours of making your final trip payment. Whatever policy you buy, the insurance will cover you for reasons other than something happening to your family members back home, like injury or illness while on your trip, lost baggage, etc.

 

[weHEARTmickey]

As an FYI - Disney's insurance doesn't cover pre-existing conditions no matter when you purchase it. I didn't know that...thanks for the info! That makes me feel better about not purchasing through them!

I don't know what you mean about not having much coverage. Travel Safe will cover you as long as you don't cancel for any pre-existing conditions you (the travelers) were treated for during the 60-day period before you purchase the insurance. CSA and HTH will cover pre-existing conditions if you buy the insurance within 24 hours of making your final trip payment. Whatever policy you buy, the insurance will cover you for reasons other than something happening to your family members back home, like injury or illness while on your trip, lost baggage, etc.

I may have misread some of the sites. I thought they said I couldn't purchase certain policies after "24 hours of initial down payment" or something like that. But, I see you mentioned CSA & HTH will as long as it's within 24 of FINAL payment. I have ADD & get a bit bored with reading a huge long disclaimer, so I probably missed several key factors! Thank you so much for pointing me in the right direction. Like I mentioned before, hopefully we won't have to use any portion of the policy!

 

[NancyIL]

I may have misread some of the sites. I thought they said I couldn't purchase certain policies after "24 hours of initial down payment" or something like that. But, I see you mentioned CSA & HTH will as long as it's within 24 of FINAL payment. I have ADD & get a bit bored with reading a huge long disclaimer, so I probably missed several key factors! Thank you so much for pointing me in the right direction. Like I mentioned before, hopefully we won't have to use any portion of the policy!

The time period to get the waiver of pre-existing conditions varies from one company to another, if they even offer it (and DCL's insurance does not), but it's usually 10-21 days after making the first trip payment. You can purchase insurance after that date, but the insurance company will not cover a claim for cancellation/trip interruption if you cancel due to your or your family member's pre-existing medical condition. As mentioned, Travel Safe is one of the few companies that doesn't take into account your non-traveling family members' health.