Why travel insurance should be mandatory

We always have travel insurance but we are very fortunate to have health insurance that will cover things like this, and also cover the flight back to the states.
 



I suspect if you had shown them a similar story before their trip they still would have declined trip insurance. Insurance is a bet. 99% of the time nothing happens and the insurance company wins or we win if we decided not to purchase trip insurance. Why make it mandatory when you most likely will not need it?

They did not have insurance and they chose to ride ATV's in another country on unfamiliar terrain. They lost the bet they would need insurance or their choice of excursion would end safely. They are now suffering the consequences of their choices. The outcome only affected them so why make trip insurance mandatory?

I have bought travel insurance from several different companies all based on price and coverage. By mandating travel insurance, the companies are guaranteed a revenue stream with no incentive to compete with each other on price or coverage.
 
I don't think of the story as a reason for travel insurance to become "mandatory" but as a cautionary tale for those who would choose not to use insurance. I don't think it should be made mandatory.
 
I've always considered insurance to be a legalized form of gambling. I bet that I'll have an accident on the trip - the insurance company bets I won't. If I win, they pay - if they win, I paid.

If you think about it, all insurance is the same. Life insurance is betting you'll die earlier than they think. Medical insurance is betting you'll get sick. Car insurance is betting you'll have an accident. And the price always depends on their research into how likely it is that you're right and they'll have to pay out when you win.

Just my way of looking at it. :lmao:

(I always bet, though...lol)
 


and it WAS worth the price we paid for the insurance.

In fact, we will NEVER sail w/o insurance.

JUST NOT worth the RISK!:eek:
 
I agree it shouldn't be mandatory. Car insurance is mandatory a lot of places because you need it if you cause damage or injury to *someone else*. That I agree with!

Travel insurance is for if something happens or is done to *you* (or your family). I agree with the PPs who say it's a gamble. Will you actually need the insurance or not? Can you tolerate the risk or not? Personally, I'm not willing to accept that risk, so I buy travel insurance. 3 times I've been very glad I did, since I "won" the bet. I've never felt it wasn't worth it the other times I didn't need it. The peace of mind was worth every penny.

Sayhello
 
By mandating travel insurance, the companies are guaranteed a revenue stream with no incentive to compete with each other on price or coverage.
I disagree. You are mandated to buy liability auto insurance and the rates are highly competitive.
 
This happened on the 10th and the woman was back in the states on the 14th.
Four days is a long time when you are in this condition!
In the comments of the first article the MIL of the woman said she went without medical treatment for 6 hours and they had already paid $15,000 OOP.
Thank goodness the insurance company helped get the medial airlift but I'm sure that is a hefty cost to the couple.

I have never used a TA, do they always talk about insurance? I know whenever I book a flight, hotel, car online there is a box about adding insurance.
 
I just consider trip insurance part of the cost of my cruise.

The main reason I buy trip insurance is not because I expect something bad to happen, but because I want to get my money back in the even that something unforeseen happens in the long time between when I sign up for a cruise and when I actually go. I like the idea of "cancel for any reason" insurance.

Heck, when you're paying $5,000+ for a vacation that's a year and a half away, what's an extra few hundred dollars to ensure that, if something comes up and you can't go after all, you'll get almost all of that money back? :confused3
 
I disagree. You are mandated to buy liability auto insurance and the rates are highly competitive.

only to a degree. for the states that have many auto insurance providers, yes they will be competitive. however, in place that have very few then the rates are way less competitive (there are other reasons for that too... generally the reason why there are few providers is cuz the risk to the business is too great and that would drive prices up a bit too).

insurance is a business and not a 'right' as some people like to believe. i think that all insurance should be optional... however, I will entertain debate about auto insurance. the factors involved with auto insurance are different than any other insurance i can think of so i see the argument for it. but i still think the premiums would be a bit less if it were optional. but i'm way digressing here.

no - travel insurance should not be mandatory. travel insurance only benefits the individuals buying it (unlike auto insurance) and so it is an individuals choice whether to use it or not. we're adults and should know the risks.
 
I suspect if you had shown them a similar story before their trip they still would have declined trip insurance. Insurance is a bet. 99% of the time nothing happens and the insurance company wins or we win if we decided not to purchase trip insurance. Why make it mandatory when you most likely will not need it?

They did not have insurance and they chose to ride ATV's in another country on unfamiliar terrain. They lost the bet they would need insurance or their choice of excursion would end safely. They are now suffering the consequences of their choices. The outcome only affected them so why make trip insurance mandatory?

I have bought travel insurance from several different companies all based on price and coverage. By mandating travel insurance, the companies are guaranteed a revenue stream with no incentive to compete with each other on price or coverage.

I don't think of the story as a reason for travel insurance to become "mandatory" but as a cautionary tale for those who would choose not to use insurance. I don't think it should be made mandatory.

only to a degree. for the states that have many auto insurance providers, yes they will be competitive. however, in place that have very few then the rates are way less competitive (there are other reasons for that too... generally the reason why there are few providers is cuz the risk to the business is too great and that would drive prices up a bit too).

insurance is a business and not a 'right' as some people like to believe. i think that all insurance should be optional... however, I will entertain debate about auto insurance. the factors involved with auto insurance are different than any other insurance i can think of so i see the argument for it. but i still think the premiums would be a bit less if it were optional. but i'm way digressing here.

no - travel insurance should not be mandatory. travel insurance only benefits the individuals buying it (unlike auto insurance) and so it is an individuals choice whether to use it or not. we're adults and should know the risks.

:thumbsup2

I advise people to get trip insurance, but I am totally against it being mandatory. Have known at least 2 families that were very glad they had it.
 
I have had so many crazy things happen to me in my life that I know better than to rely on luck. Yes, insurance is a gamble, but it is a "risk/reward" gamble.

If you can tolerate the risk, and are wealthy enough to self-insure, good for you. However, as this couple in Costa Rica illustrates, be wrong once, and you may pay for your mistake for a very, very long time.

What I think is, rather than teeny-tiny little print, there ought to be a requirement for any out-of-country trip originating in the US to say, on the front:

"Most United States health coverage does not cover you outside of the US. We strongly recommend that you purchase health insurance, and, if you or any family member has an illness which has been treated within the past 90 days, you should get a policy with pre-existing conditions coverage, as otherwise these may not be covered".
 
Another thing to consider even with insurance....there are policies with clauses that specifically say they will not cover if you were participating in certain activities.....read your policies and make sure your insurance covers what excursion activities you plan.

This is listed under exclusions in one policy:

13) Participation as a professional in athletics (applies to Part A
only);
14) Participating in bodily contact sports; skydiving; hanggliding;
parachuting; mountaineering; any race; bungee cord
jumping; and speed contests (applies to Part A only).
The following exclusions apply to Baggage/Personal Effects Loss


MJ
 
Another thing to consider even with insurance....there are policies with clauses that specifically say they will not cover if you were participating in certain activities.....read your policies and make sure your insurance covers what excursion activities you plan.

This is listed under exclusions in one policy:

13) Participation as a professional in athletics (applies to Part A
only);
14) Participating in bodily contact sports; skydiving; hanggliding;
parachuting; mountaineering; any race; bungee cord
jumping; and speed contests (applies to Part A only).
The following exclusions apply to Baggage/Personal Effects Loss


MJ

Very true
 
We don't travel without insurance, and it costs and arm and a leg to get cover to go the USA (mainly because of the medical system in the US being very different to here in NZ). Three weeks in the US has cost us nearly $400 compared to 10 days in Thailand for $100.

I used to work for our government in another country and have seen what happens to people in distress that need to get home (sometimes in a casket) - it costs a huge amount of government time to help liaise with insurers and families to get someone home when they need it most. Often times you can't travel without medical assistance and that person needs a hotel in the destination country for a day or two and then to be flown back to the point of orgin, it all adds up.

Without insurance you could end up in a government funded hospital that is nowhere near as good as a private establishment, believe me - I've seen the the difference and it's disturbing.

Certainly as a poster above points out, a lot of pursuits / sports aren't covered by travel insurance anyway unless you've taken out specific cover.

It's not just the medical side of things, the number of people we'd see that had no passport or money due to theft or general loss was very high - your insurance should cover you for that too.

Simply, for us, travel without insurance isn't going to happen.
 
I have sailed on 12 Disney cruises and have never had to use the trip insurance I purchased. However, this last January I collapsed during the safety drill and had to be taken to the medical center. I was glad that I wasn't out of pocket for those costs. Anything can happen at any time, so I believe it's best to be prepared!
 

GET A DISNEY VACATION QUOTE

Dreams Unlimited Travel is committed to providing you with the very best vacation planning experience possible. Our Vacation Planners are experts and will share their honest advice to help you have a magical vacation.

Let us help you with your next Disney Vacation!







Top