Tell me about your experience with Trip Insurance

[Shea&Van]

RePost from Family board - Tell me about your experience with Trip Insurance

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Hi everyone,

I'm trying to secure trip insurance (I'm late to the party on this thing, I know). And, I've read the threads on here about insuremytrip. Has anyone had any experiences with filing a claim if you had any issues come up? I'm looking for good/bad experiences with specific companies...

Of course, I'm hoping all will go according to plan and I won't need it, but I'd like to stay clear of any companies that may have a bad rap.

And, what to include, so far I've computed the costs for:
house rental
hotel stay
park tickets
flights
rental car

Am I missing anything?

Thanks for any insight you may be able to provide.

Have a happy day!

 

[leahjade]

I'm curious as well. As we get older and health issues occur, I may want to buy insurance. Though I've heard they won't pay for pre-existing conditions any way so it depends how hard they try to deny a claim!

 

[My3Princez]

We have had to make claims twice when using Travelguard. Once for a death in the family and once for a detatched retina the day before a Disney trip. Both times we provided the requested documentation, and they paid. No undo hassle.
There are policies that cover pre-existing conditions, you just have to select that policy and it costs more.

 

[tvguy]

My travel agent no longer sells travel insurance or endorses any company. They hand out a sheet explaining that insurance is a personal decision.
They never had an issue with the insurnace company paying, what happened is an insurance company went to court to recover what they paid out from the person responsible for the payout being needed. I believe they call that "subjugating" a claim.
Someone booked a cruise, and bought travel insurance. Their employer a few days before the cruise canceled their vacation time. Insurance company paid the claim right away, but sued the employer for reimbursement of what they paid out. Court ruled in the insurance company's favor. That had to be a very uncomfortable work situation, an employer knowing you booked a cruise and then cancel your time off, then being ordered to pay for that decision.

 

[Pakey]

The costs you are insuring must have been paid within a time frame of when you bought the insurance. If you bought airfare 3 months before purchasing insurance, they aren't going to reimburse you for that airfare cost.

You need to check with the insurance company on the time frame. I usually purchase my airfare first so I buy my insurance, estimating trip costs, as soon as I buy the airfare.

I always use TravelGuard and have an annual policy since I travel frequently. I have requested reimbursement twice; once for medical costs in Tibet and once for airfare delays for mechanical problems in South America. Both times the process was easy. I submitted receipts and got reimbursement.

 

[eliza61]

I don't go on foreign trips without it.

I had a trip to France planned May of 07. two days before the trip my dad died.

I called my TA and she began the claims process. Very easy. I submitted the documentation including a death certificate and letter from funeral home. Received my credit minus the cost of the insurance.

when my sister was job hunting she took out a "cancel for any reason" policy before a trip to Italy and yep you got it 7 days before the trip she was offered a dream job. she did not want to start off on the wrong foot with the employer by saying "Oh by the way I'll need 10 days off to go play in Italy". LOL. She too got all her money back.

I'm planning on a Yellowstone/grand teton trip next summer. I'll probably take out trip insurance for that.

Like Pakey, I use travel guard.

 

[eliza61]

The costs you are insuring must have been paid within a time frame of when you bought the insurance. If you bought airfare 3 months before purchasing insurance, they aren't going to reimburse you for that airfare cost.

You need to check with the insurance company on the time frame. I usually purchase my airfare first so I buy my insurance, estimating trip costs, as soon as I buy the airfare.

I always use TravelGuard and have an annual policy since I travel frequently. I have requested reimbursement twice; once for medical costs in Tibet and once for airfare delays for mechanical problems in South America. Both times the process was easy. I submitted receipts and got reimbursement.

Pakey, I've said it once and I'll say it again. When I grow up, I want to be just like you! You travel to some fabulous places.

 

[Brer Shay]

Another positive claim experience with TravelGuard. It was only purchased for the airfare, but since that was $4500, that was enough. Also a family death that caused cancellation, and it was a straightforward claim process. Insurance does need to be purchased within a particular timeframe of the travel purchase.

 

[michellejed]

You need to figure out what you want covered,
Do you think you might cancel for any reason
Do you want extra medical coverage
Do you want delayed flights lost baggage
Go to insuremytripdotcom and you can study many companies and plans at one time.

Many cover pre-existing conditions and many will cover if you need to cancel for any reason.

If you need to cancel then figure what things you can do so without a cost and do not add that to your trip total such as rental car or hotel.

Many companies pay secondary and it will show on the comparison.
Just take a few minutes to read all the fine print.

 

[Tinkarella]

The costs you are insuring must have been paid within a time frame of when you bought the insurance. If you bought airfare 3 months before purchasing insurance, they aren't going to reimburse you for that airfare cost.

You need to check with the insurance company on the time frame. I usually purchase my airfare first so I buy my insurance, estimating trip costs, as soon as I buy the airfare.

I always use TravelGuard and have an annual policy since I travel frequently. I have requested reimbursement twice; once for medical costs in Tibet and once for airfare delays for mechanical problems in South America. Both times the process was easy. I submitted receipts and got reimbursement.

This is not true with Travel Guard, you can purchase insurance up until 24 hours prior to departure. They look back 60 days from date of insurance purchase for preexisting conditions.

I know of several people who have had to file a claim with Travel Guard and it has always been a seamless and painless process.

 

[Shea&Van]

It is most apprecaited. I visited insure my trip and I had an excellent chat with a representative there. I think I understand the way this works (emphasis on "think") -

Anywho, I've totaled up all my expenses and now I'm wondering if I should include the costs for our ADRs (the ones that I've already reserved with my credit card) and the BBB/PL/Harmony Barber Shop. I can't remember off hand what has already been charged, but are these expenses I should add?

Your insight is spot-on as usual.

Happy planning DisPals!

 

[madelyn]

Thinking of buying Travelguard insurance for a New Year's Eve Disney cruise for a family of 5. Seems that all I have read about them (mostly on the Disboards) has been positive. I believe they insure kids traveling w/ an adult for free.

 

[Tinkarella]

Thinking of buying Travelguard insurance for a New Year's Eve Disney cruise for a family of 5. Seems that all I have read about them (mostly on the Disboards) has been positive. I believe they insure kids traveling w/ an adult for free.

Yes they do!

 

[maggiew]

I usually use Travel Ex and buy the Travel Select version. I have only purchased this for cruises and never for Disney since we usually do room only for Disney and those have a 5 day cancellation policy.

Anyway, I like Travel Select because the medical insurance is primary coverage and not secondary. They also have other nice features for cruises, like medical evacuation, etc. - which a lot of other policies have too.

Last year I lost my waterproof camera on the cruise. I was honest with them and said I think I left it on the ship in our room OR it could have been stolen. They immediately sent me a check for the cost of the camera (once I provided the receipt - I just sent them a copy of the invoice from amazon that I got of the website).

Maggie

 

[wnissen]

Travel Insurance is always tricky. Travel Guard has a pretty good reputation, and I have used them a few times, including a sucessful claim for trip interruption. However, even they don't cover all the things you would think they cover, like rioting or terrorism that isn't sufficient to physically prevent you from traveling.

Try to think of a couple likely scenarios that you would neeeed your insurance for, and then read through your policy to see if they are covered. Sometimes if your scenarios aren't covered it makes sense to the get a "cancel for any reason" policy, which typically pays 75% of the nonrefundable portion of the trip.

 

[michellejed]

Only include cost that you can't get back if you cancel. So if you can call and cancel the ADR's or the BBB then don't add them to the cost.

The price of the insurance is based partly on the initial cost of the trip. Children are usually free, age is a factor for the medical part.

I always take out insurance for any trip and have never had to use it but I would not want to be without it.

 

[4HOLIDAYS]

I just purchased Travelex -they have primary instead of secondary for any health ins claims-travelguard does not do that for FL residents and that was a main concern.

One thing we ck'd was different companies have dif policies about if a non traveling family member would have a serious injury or death-not all consider this as valid for covered canceling. I think travelguard does include that but not travelex.

We have not had any claims so far...knock on wood...but we only do this with cruises.