We'll see if our DVC Travelex Medical Claim is easily reimbursed!

[ScubaCat]

Naughty ScubaCat - see post #14.

Wow how'd I miss that?? I must be slipping in my old age.

I'm glad it all worked out in any case!!

 

[ScubaCat]

For those who fly regularly to Disney, the Travelex becomes more desirable. Airfares for a family can add up fast and the penalties for canceling on most airlines are steep. If you fly to DVC multiple times in a year, the Travelex coverage can be pretty cost effective.

Or fly southwest where you can cancel, rebook, and check luggage for free

 

[Anal Annie]

Soooo just confirming - this is the insurance available thru DVC?!

While we have purchased trip insurance for various trips we don't always. Was considering buying this one tho before our next January trip (ie flying in winter perils). Last time I purchased insurance for a winter trip there was a big East coast snow storm hitting when it was time to fly home & we had a xfer in ATL. We were afraid we'd leave MCO ok but then get stuck in ATL so we decided to add on 1 more night & just wait out the storm. Voided the insurance so it was a waste of money. Not sure if I should try again?!

 

[bobbiwoz]

So glad it worked out, jerseygal!

 

[ScubaCat]

Soooo just confirming - this is the insurance available thru DVC?!

While we have purchased trip insurance for various trips we don't always. Was considering buying this one tho before our next January trip (ie flying in winter perils). Last time I purchased insurance for a winter trip there was a big East coast snow storm hitting when it was time to fly home & we had a xfer in ATL. We were afraid we'd leave MCO ok but then get stuck in ATL so we decided to add on 1 more night & just wait out the storm. Voided the insurance so it was a waste of money. Not sure if I should try again?!

Yes.

https://disneyvacationclub.disney.go.com/faq/pre-arrival-checklist/travel-insurance/

That's kind of how I think, too. There are other ways to "insure" yourself without throwing money away on a plan. Suppose our flight home was cancelled and we had to spend an extra night. Travel insurance would probably cover a lot of that (although I believe it has to be >24 hours so not necessarily!), but how much does a hotel night really cost in the Orlando area? You can always fine a decent room somewhere. Granted, I have a few million Hilton points so I have a slight advantage there, but even without that, you're talking about $149'ish for a room plus dinner for 3. That's a small premium to pay vs. throwing $89 at it over and over just in case. And, we'd just hang out in a park so it's not like the time would be wasted.

For a cruise, I'd just fly in a day or two early and hang out on Cocoa Beach.

 

[ParrotBill]

I will suggest a better reason for us DVCers to consider travel insurance. It's not just for points - it's for air delays, all too common, and for medical costs not covered by your insurance. My medical has become difficult about any out-of-network providers. I can end up with several hundred dollars of out of pocket costs just for an urgent care visit - forget an ambulance ride and a hospital visit!

 

[Lakegirl]

Thanks for letting us know how it worked out!!!

 

[Anal Annie]

Yes.

https://disneyvacationclub.disney.go.com/faq/pre-arrival-checklist/travel-insurance/

That's kind of how I think, too. There are other ways to "insure" yourself without throwing money away on a plan. Suppose our flight home was cancelled and we had to spend an extra night. Travel insurance would probably cover a lot of that (although I believe it has to be >24 hours so not necessarily!), but how much does a hotel night really cost in the Orlando area? You can always fine a decent room somewhere. Granted, I have a few million Hilton points so I have a slight advantage there, but even without that, you're talking about $149'ish for a room plus dinner for 3. That's a small premium to pay vs. throwing $89 at it over and over just in case. And, we'd just hang out in a park so it's not like the time would be wasted.

For a cruise, I'd just fly in a day or two early and hang out on Cocoa Beach.

We were able to just add one more night at AKV - we at Jambo in a std. view studio. We were there over MLK weekend and DS had not only Monday but also Tues. off from school for a "professional day". We knew the storm was hitting the DC area hard (home) and that there was a 99% chance that school would also be canceled on Wed. due to weather delays - we had AP's and the resort wasn't full so we were able to just add on the extra night for like 10 or 11 points. And we were right - school was canceled so staying wasn't a criminal offense!! But because we used points and made the decision to stay BEFORE any flights were canceled we voided the insurance covering any additional meals etc. We weren't on SW but the flights were OK to postpone because we waited on our decision until the airlines started waiving change fees due to the storm.

BUT still considering getting it for our next January trip....it's the OCD / anal retentive part in me....can't seem to override it!! LOL

 

[Dean]

Once can throw extended warranties, specialty insurances (cancer, mortgage), travel insurance all in to one basket. They are a great deal for companies to make money on. I saw something recently that suggested that the paid out portion was well under 20% and that profit and marketing accounted for the rest. And something else a couple of years ago that suggested Best Buy was still in business many due to the profits on extended warranties. My suggestion for any of these type of products is to look at one's specifics but don't do a knee jerk purchase. If one is getting a lot more value than the average or is in a much higher risk situation they can make sense but on average they do not. One can throw Title Insurance for DVC into that group as well but maybe to a lessor degree. But be careful of the specifics to make sure one is getting the coverage they need, the devil's in the details.

 

[ScubaCat]

But because we used points and made the decision to stay BEFORE any flights were canceled we voided the insurance covering any additional meals etc.

I know how you could have gotten $89 of that dinner covered. Even with the insurance, you made your own arrangements! Isn't it ironic? Insurance is just a cash cow for these companies.

I saw something recently that suggested that the paid out portion was well under 20% and that profit and marketing accounted for the rest. And something else a couple of years ago that suggested Best Buy was still in business many due to the profits on extended warranties.

With stores like Best Buy it's much, much worse than you think. Best buy actually pockets about 70% of that warranty cost, then takes the remaining 30% and buys a plan from AIG on your behalf. They don't even cover you, themselves, and you could have spent far less on the same plan buying it on your own. (It was AIG when I learned of this 5 years ago; that may be different but the principle remains.) Then, in the rare chance you really need it, good luck trying to argue with them when they dig through the 500 exclusions in fine print to deny your claim.

Even for travel insurance, there are other companies (some listed on mousesavers.com) that likely offer a better deal than the one that DVD promotes (and don't think they don't get a cut of that $89, either....)

 

[jekjones1558]

Yes, every DVCer needs to examine individual circumstances. For us the DVC insurance is a good deal. We are old and DH has many health issues. The DVC insurance has a waiver for pre-existing conditions if you buy it when maintenance fees are due. That is a big deal for us. We make 3 or 4 trips per year and fly first class on Delta (which has cancellation fees). That is a lot of airfare. The fact that the DVC insurance is only $89/year and we are insuring 1150 points worth of travel for that one fee is a bargain for us. YMMV.
P.S. We already had to make a claim and our airfare was refunded with no problem.

 

[pmaurer74]

I have 13 people in my party in December in two separate rooms. I was told they were covered as well. I will verify this with them again when I add 2017 u/y insurance. I think it is a great deal since it covers multiple trips and reservations. I did have points transferred from another member for a GCV trip next year. Are those points covered as well? I did have to buy insurance for 2015, 2016 and 2017 u/ys but it does cover 3 trips and 15 people so it was worth it to me.

 

[kristenrice]

OK, you guys have piqued my interest...

Here's our situation...

We are traveling in October with reservation(s) booked entirely on DVC points which include banked and current points from two contracts, transferred and 2 OTU points. We have 10 people in our travel party and 3 separate reservations. If we opted to go with the Travelex insurance, how much would we be paying? I assume $89 for each of the banked and current points, but what about the transferred and OTU points? Are those lumped in with my points or are they considered separate? Does the insurance cover all 10 of us, even though we are all on separate reservations? Also, how do they deal with "pre-existing conditions"? My mother is traveling with us and she is very susceptible to respiratory infections and she is resistant to most antibiotic treatments. This is a result of lung damage she sustained over 15 years ago when she underwent chemotherapy for her lymphoma. She has been in remission for the past decade, but the respiratory infections can really knock her for a loop, especially since most oral antibiotics no longer work, or she is allergic to them. My concern would be that she catches a bug while we are on vacation and ends up in the ED getting IV antibiotics. Obviously, I am aware that there is a risk of illness or inury to any of us. As a paramedic, I know that accidents and illness are unpredictable and expensive, but I've never considered travel insurance.

Is it too late to purchase the insurance for this trip?

Another odd question...we used 15 current (2016) points from our HHI contract and banked the rest. We have a reservation for April 2017 at HHI that uses the remaining banked points in addition to all of our 2017 and 2018 HHI points. Will we have to purchase the insurance for next year's trip then too since part of it will be included in the points that were already covered (the 2016 UY points)? Or will those points then be considered "banked" and therefore 2017 points?

 

[jekjones1558]

OK, you guys have piqued my interest...

Here's our situation...

We are traveling in October with reservation(s) booked entirely on DVC points which include banked and current points from two contracts, transferred and 2 OTU points. We have 10 people in our travel party and 3 separate reservations. If we opted to go with the Travelex insurance, how much would we be paying? I assume $89 for each of the banked and current points, but what about the transferred and OTU points? Are those lumped in with my points or are they considered separate? Does the insurance cover all 10 of us, even though we are all on separate reservations? Also, how do they deal with "pre-existing conditions"? My mother is traveling with us and she is very susceptible to respiratory infections and she is resistant to most antibiotic treatments. This is a result of lung damage she sustained over 15 years ago when she underwent chemotherapy for her lymphoma. She has been in remission for the past decade, but the respiratory infections can really knock her for a loop, especially since most oral antibiotics no longer work, or she is allergic to them. My concern would be that she catches a bug while we are on vacation and ends up in the ED getting IV antibiotics. Obviously, I am aware that there is a risk of illness or inury to any of us. As a paramedic, I know that accidents and illness are unpredictable and expensive, but I've never considered travel insurance.

Is it too late to purchase the insurance for this trip?

Another odd question...we used 15 current (2016) points from our HHI contract and banked the rest. We have a reservation for April 2017 at HHI that uses the remaining banked points in addition to all of our 2017 and 2018 HHI points. Will we have to purchase the insurance for next year's trip then too since part of it will be included in the points that were already covered (the 2016 UY points)? Or will those points then be considered "banked" and therefore 2017 points?

Your questions are so complex that I think you should contact Travelex to get answers. 1-877-886-4664

 

[ScubaCat]

The fact that the DVC insurance is only $89/year and we are insuring 1150 points worth of travel for that one fee is a bargain for us. YMMV.
P.S. We already had to make a claim and our airfare was refunded with no problem.

From that standpoint, it sounds like a great deal. The only suggestion I would have is to review the terms and conditions when you renew each year just to make sure it continues to suit your needs. They could slip in something like a first class airfare exclusion clause (they do stuff like that all the time) and you'd definitely want to know something like that up front so you could shop for an alternative plan.

 

[Dean Marino]

Personal opinion - I've learned a LOT in this thread. We always get Travelex, every year, for our two trips per year. I had no idea that points could be covered under dire circumstances. We forfeited a day's points at the WL last April, due to a really BAD cat sitter... it was go home early, or go home to dead cats . It never occurred to me to make a claim for this. And I must confess - I have little idea as to how to document it . I'm probably out of luck on this one.... but if it crops up again? How would YOU handle it?