With The Summer 2018 Hurricane Season Approaching You Should Consider Travel Insurance

InsureMyTrip reports an increased demand for travel insurance for travel this summer. As the 2018 hurricane season begins, licensed travel insurance agents at InsureMyTrip expect a 20 percent jump in call volume from travelers seeking insurance protection. Agents say the top concern of summer travelers is bad weather affecting travel plans. Hurricane season officially runs June 1 through November 30.

 

Summary

• Travel insurance agents expect a jump in call volume due to hurricane fears
• Some plans enable travelers to cancel a trip when NOAA issues a hurricane warning*
• Once a storm starts forming, it's considered a foreseeable event and insurance coverage will no longer be available to cover losses related to that storm

According to InsureMyTrip, 75 percent of customers will choose a comprehensive travel insurance policy for summer travel. This policy provides a variety of benefits including medical coverage, emergency travel services, baggage protection, trip cancellation and trip interruption coverage.

 

Here are some examples how insurance enables travelers to cancel a trip due to severe weather-related concerns under the trip cancellation benefit:

 

Cancel trip due to weather: when common carriers such as airlines and cruise lines cease service due to weather.

Cancel due to a hurricane warning: when a destination is under a NOAA-issued Hurricane warning.*

Cancel because of storm damage at destination: when a hotel, resort, or vacation rental is devastated and made uninhabitable by a storm.

Cancel because home is destroyed by storm: when the home of a traveler sustains destructive storm damage.

Cancel trip for any reason: this is an optional time-sensitive benefit that allows travelers to cancel a trip for any reason. This benefit includes specific eligibility requirements.

 

"Travelers clearly have concerns about bad weather hampering their travel plans. Choosing to buy insurance early --- before a storm is named --- is a smart way to protect their trip investment," says InsureMyTrip CEO Jim Grace.

 

Tip: Travelers concerned about hurricanes should purchase travel insurance early. Once a storm starts forming, it's considered a foreseeable event and insurance coverage will no longer be available to cover losses related to that storm. Only a few plans offer coverage for a NOAA-issued hurricane warning.

 

Travelers interested in learning more about protection plans for travel during hurricane season can visit www.InsureMyTrip.com or call (800) 487-4722 to speak with a licensed travel insurance agent.

5 Things You Probably Didn’t Know About Travel Insurance By Travelinsurance.Com

It can cover road trips. Often when we think of travel insurance, we think of long flights to exotic places, however insurance can be valuable in many situation, including the summer rite of passage: the road trip. If any part of your road trip has prepaid, non-refundable components, you should consider travel insurance. In addition, if your health insurance doesn’t cover you or your family while out of network, travel insurance with medical emergency coverage may be a good option. And if you are still confused by the Loss Damage Waiver (LDW) option with a car rental, many travel insurance plans offer optional car rental coverage which in many cases is more cost effective than what the car rental companies charge.

It can cover you in the event of pilot strikes. In most cases, airlines will not reimburse you for a flight that is cancelled or severely delayed due to an airline strike. Most travel insurance plans, however, include an unforeseen or unexpected labor strike within their trip cancellation or trip delay benefits. It's important to remember, however, that if you purchase a flight after a potential strike is announced, in most cases travel insurance will no longer cover that strike. 

It can cover you if you have to cancel your trip because of work. While most plans will cover you in the event you or your travel companion are laid off, many will also cover for reasons that go beyond this drastic life event. This could include being relocated, an important work requirement (notarized by your employer), if your organization is involved in a merger or acquisition (that you are directly involved in), or if your office is damaged by a natural disaster.

You can give it as a gift. Worried about your aging parents taking off for a seven-day cruise to the Caribbean? Or your sister planning her off-the-grid honeymoon? Travel Insurance can be a great way to take care of those you love, and ensure they can travel worry-free.

It can be an EASY process... Finding the right travel insurance plan doesn’t have to mean sifting through hundreds of offers. TravelInsurance.com chooses only the best providers, and makes it easy to not only compare plans, but to provide the details you want and need to make the best decisions for you and your travel companions.

 (Source) www.travelinsurance.com),

Trip Cancellation Insurance: No Coverage For Pre-Existing Medical Condition

We examine the case of Dombrovskiy v. Travel Guard, 2016 WL 5335258 (N.J.A.D. 2016) in which the plaintiff “paid $3,176.10 for a weeklong trip to St. Lucia for himself and his family. On March 19, 2014, two days before his scheduled departure date (plaintiff) made an on-line purchase of travel insurance from Travel Guard. The policy offered trip cancellation coverage. On May 20, 2014, which was the policy’s effective date and just one before his departure (plaintiff) felt a ‘very strong continuous pain on the left side of [his] mouth’ and sought treatment that same day. His dentist diagnosed him on May 20, 2014, with acute pericoronitis. Following his dentist’s advice not to travel, (plaintiff) cancelled the trip to St. Lucia and, when he was not successful in obtaining a refund for the trip, filed a claim under the travel insurance policy for reimbursement of his expenses. Travel Guard denied the claim under the policy’s pre-existing medical condition exclusion. “Under the policy, a pre-existing medical condition was defined as a medical condition that manifested itself 180 days immediately preceding the policy’s effective date, and included the effective date of the policy. Because (plaintiff’s) illness occurred on May 20, 2014, the policy’s effective date, it constituted a ‘pre-existing medical condition’ as defined by the policy, and was thus excluded from coverage”.

Travelers Inquire About Travel Insurance Coverage In Response To The Failed Coup In Turkey And Terror Attacks.

The leading travel insurance comparison site InsureMyTrip has an

 increase in calls of travelers concerned about future travel plans

 and inquiring about their travel insurance coverage. The

 inquiries come only days after a failed coup occurred in Turkey

 and a subsequent

 FAA ban on United States air travel directly to and from the nation.

"The situation in Turkey highlights the variations between travel

 insurance plans. Every plan is different, making it challenging to

 produce a blanket response to the situation in Turkey," said

 InsureMyTrip CEO Jim Grace. "It's important that travelers

 review their travel insurance coverage and call us to best

 understand their plan and how they operate in these circumstances."

The political unrest in Turkey, as well as terrorist events across Europe in recent weeks, will affect

 travelers differently depending on the time being spent in the nation as well as the type of travel

 insurance coverage they have.

Coverage is available for insured travelers already overseas.

Every travel insurance plan offers different benefits and coverages. InsureMyTrip compares hundreds

 of plans from 28 top providers in the industry, but all offer varying level of coverage for political

 unrest and terrorism.

For travelers overseas already, they should be particularly interested in any coverage that would

 allow them to return home before their anticipated return date or coverage for flight change fees,

 if affected by the FAA air travel ban.

Travelers with questions can contact InsureMyTrip through the international customer care line,

 at 00 1-401-773-9330.

Coverage may be available for future travelers who already have a travel insurance plan.

Travelers who have a pending departure date should be most interested in travel delay coverage,

 trip cancellation coverage and travel medical coverage while abroad.

The licensed travel insurance representatives at InsureMyTrip report an increase of travelers calling

 to inquire about their travel insurance plan in regards to a future trip to Turkey.  Many are interested

 in whether their plan covers trip cancellation.

Travel insurance coverage is not the same for every plan or provider. Any future traveler who has

 questions on their travel insurance plan,whether they purchased their plan from InsureMyTrip or not,

 should call InsureMyTrip licensed representatives to answer any and all questions. The toll-free

 number is 800-487-4722.

Coverage very limited for travelers who do not yet have a travel insurance plan.

Purchasing a travel insurance plan now for a trip to Turkey, or any location with a recent terrorism

 event, will yield very limited coverage. Most travel insurance plans will only cover terrorism and

 political unrest in cases of unforeseen events.

Purchasing a plan now can be beneficial for travelers' needing trip cancellation, travel delay or trip

 interruption coverage due to for any covered reason unrelated to the previous event.  It would

 still allow travelers benefits due to covered reasons of baggage loss, delay or damage; emergency

 medical care; and emergency medical evacuation.

Safety while traveling is a concern.

Every traveler should be vigilant while traveling abroad, no matter the destination. The

 U.S. State Department lists tips for all travelers:

• Avoid travel to southeastern Turkey, particularly near the Syrian border.  
• Stay away from large crowds, including at popular tourist destinations. 
• Exercise heightened vigilance and caution when visiting public access areas
• , especially those heavily frequented by tourists.  
• Stay away from political gatherings and rallies.
• Follow the instructions of local authorities in an emergency. 
• Stay at hotels with identifiable security measures in place.
• Monitor local media.

These uncertain times heighten the need for adding Cancel for Any Reason coverage to a travel 

insurance plan. This coverage will typically cost the traveler an added premium, but provides a

 level of comfort that a trip can be canceled whether or not a terrorist event or political unrest is

 listed as a covered reason on the plan. 

Cancel for Any Reason is a time-sensitive benefit, not available with every plan, and must be

 purchased within a certain window of purchasing travel.

About InsureMyTrip 

InsureMyTrip compares travel insurance products from the most trusted providers in the industry.

InsureMyTrip's powerful unbiased comparison engine enables travelers to quote and buy the right

 travel insurance plan. The site offers the most travel insurance reviews on the planet. Supported

 by award winning customer service and travel insurance agents licensed in all 50 states.

Featured by Consumer Reports, and listed as a helpful website by the US Federal Consumer

 Information Center.

InsureMyTrip travel insurance experts are featured in national publications including Los Angeles

 Times, New York Times, Washington Post, and Travel + Leisure. 

How To Make Travel Insurance Better

  By George Hobica, www.airfarewatchdog.com


Over the years, I've received both praise for, and complaints about, the travel insurance industry: trips rescued and finances saved along with claims denied for various reasons. Travel is like any insurance. It's great when it comes through, but there are loopholes and exclusions, and the contracts are so dense with parties of the first part (some run over 7,000-words long) that they're indecipherable. So I asked Stan Sandberg, co-founder of TravelInsurance.com, a travel insurance shopping comparison website, what steps he would take to improve the industry. My questions and his answers follow.


 Q. What are the most important steps you would suggest to make travel insurance better?
A. Make policies easy to understand. Simplifying the basics would be a great start. Throw out the “legal jargon.” The travel insurance providers should write their plans’ detailed terms and conditions, usually referred to as the Description of Coverage, in “plain English” to make them easy to understand.

Next, highlight the common scenarios that are not covered in addition to highlighting what a plan does cover. This will help frustration when a customer thinks they have coverage when in fact they don’t. Then, create more transparent pricing. Most policies, and in particular those with trip cancellation, are largely based on the age of the traveler and the total trip cost. The industry can do a better job of explaining why a policy costs what it does.

Finally, take out the friction in making a claim. Some companies are using social media (Twitter, text messaging) to allow customers to initiate and make claims. This is a great trend. We are encouraging our partners to move in this direction. Insurance companies will always require the necessary documentation and will be on the lookout for fraud, but improvements in submitting claims digitally and minimizing the paperwork, can improve and speed up the process for customers.

Q. What can the travel insurance industry learn from other consumer-facing industries?

A. The most important lesson for this industry to learn is to put the customer above all else. Other insurance categories have figured out how to relate to the customer: think Geico and Progressive. The travel insurance industry needs to do the same. The industry could also benefit by taking a page out of the Zappos’ playbook—prioritizing the customer at every part of the process.

Q. If you could design the ideal travel insurance product, what would it look like?

I’d like to see more travel insurance products designed, tailored to and marketed for specific types of travel. For example, a plan designed specifically for skiers, or a plan designed for river cruising or plans for Safaris. For each type of trip, I’d offer the optimal benefits and coverages. For example, if you're taking a river cruise and the water is too high or low so it can't operate, can you get all your money back or only a part of it if the operator substitutes an "equivalent" trip? Each type of trip has its own hazards and challenges.

Q. Should consumers buy travel insurance from a third party or directly from an airline, cruise company or tour operator?

A. With an airline or other travel supplier, you’ll only get options from one travel insurance provider. Yes, you might get to choose between a basic or premium plan, but for the most part, you’re only going to be given a single “one-size-fits-all” option. By going to a third party travel insurance comparison site you can quickly choose from among all available options and buy the right plan at the right price for that trip.

Q. Although "cancel for any reason" travel insurance policies exist, does one insurer provide a better product than others?

A. Most travel insurance providers offer Cancel for Any Reason as an optional upgrade to their premium plans. Travel Insured International introduced a plan last year called Worldwide Trip Protector Plus, which includes Cancel for Any Reason (CFAR) in the plan. This plan is a great option for a traveler who wants flexibility. But in order to qualify for the CFAR benefit, there are certain conditions the traveler has to meet, so it’s important to check with the travel insurance issuer if you’re eligible.

Zika Virus And Travel Insurance: What You Need To Know

TravelPulse file photo

With news of the Zika virus dominating current news cycles, it’s not surprising that top travel insurance providers are fielding a high volume of calls from policyholders concerned about the virus’ potential to impact their upcoming travel.

“We have seen an astronomical increase in the number of policyholders calling our 24/7 Assistance team asking about their plans’ coverage and how the benefits apply to the Zika virus,” said Jason Schreier, CEO April Travel Protection.

“We’ve received about 300 calls from customers who are concerned about Zika and want to know how travel insurance can help,” added Dan Durazo, director of communications for Allianz Global Assistance.

Generally, travelers who purchased “cancel for any reason” policies prior to the virus’ outbreak may cancel their travel plans over concerns regarding potential infection. But providers say to date there’s been no noteworthy increase in this area. Durazo said Allianz has received about 100 claims related to Zika.

READ MORE: How Travel is Reacting to Zika Virus

Beyond cancel-for-any-reason policies, the Zika virus outbreak is not covered under most “trip cancellation” plans sold by travel insurance providers. “The Zika virus outbreak doesn’t alter policy guidelines for trip cancellation, said Schreier. “Per the Centers for Disease Control, the virus alert is set at level 2, which means policyholders can still travel to the affected destinations and practice enhanced precautions.”

The Zika virus’ risks are most serious for pregnant women, as the birth defect microcephaly, which health officials have linked to Zika, was recently declared a public health emergency by the World Health Organization.  Durazo notes that “Some Allianz travel insurance products do allow customers to cancel their trip if a member of their party becomes pregnant after the insurance is purchased.” 

He added, “Customers who do have cancellation coverage could receive a refund for the pre-paid, non-refundable travel payments that they might otherwise lose.” Durazo advised Allianz policyholders with additional questions to contact the company.

Schreier said pregnancy “is not a covered reason for trip cancellation,” even if a physician statement preventing travel is submitted. However cancellation of travel to a Zika-affected destination due to pregnancy would be covered under an optional “Enhanced Unforeseen Events” upgrade to the April’s “Choice” policy package.

READ MORE: What Travelers Need to Know About Zika Virus

To date, neither official has observed a surge of policy purchases in connection with travel to Zika-impacted regions. Schreier has noticed only a “slight increase in the number of trip cancellation and Choice policies booked through our aggregator partners."

In addition, The Caribbean Tourism Organization issuing a statement Wednesday saying its 28 member destination report “very few cancellations as a result of Zika.”  

Both Allianz Global Assistance and April Travel Protection are advising policyholders to monitor Centers for Disease Control notices and contact their hotlines should they become ill during their travels. “Allianz customers who become ill with the Zika virus may also be covered for emergency medical treatment,” said Durazo. “Customers who are traveling and need help should call our Travel Assistance department.” 

Schreier added, “If a traveler contracts the virus while traveling, April would cover and coordinate all assistance for emergency medical, medical evacuation, and trip interruption.”  

By BRIAN MAJOR