TRAVEL INSURANCE
One of your wisest pre-trip investments could be trip insurance, especially
if you're planning a costly vacation. Depending upon the policy you choose, it could cover any money paid up front or even
the cost of the trip if you get sick and can't go, have to come home early for a valid reason, or if the tour operator goes
bankrupt.
Get Insurance to Cover the Unexpected
Suppose someone in your immediate family is so ill that you must cancel
your trip to be with that person. The right policy would cover the cost of payments you can't get back from the tour operator.
What if you're in the islands and the airline cancels your flight because of a hurricane warning. The hurricane passes by
100 miles away but you've spend an extra night before flying home the next day. The right policy will pay for your extra night's
lodging at that expensive hotel.
Questions to Think About When Choosing a Policy
- If the company you are booking with offers trip
insurance don't purchase it until comparing exactly what's included with other policies.
- The more coverage you want the more it will
cost. If you're on a trip hiking in New England you might not want such extensive medical coverage as you'd purchase if trekking
in Peru.
- Some policies only offer comprehensive secondary
coverage and you must deal with your own healthcare insurance company first. Other policies will pay first, with no deductable
or co-pay.
- Consider the amount of medical evacuation you'll
need if you fall while biking on a road in France
or break a leg while hiking in a wilderness setting.
- If you travel a lot consider getting multi-trip
insurance or an travel insurance policy that will cover several trips.
Compare Policies Carefully
- If you're travel with children, compare the
cost of including them in the policy. Younger children are included without extra cost or with minimal cost in some policies.
- Check exclusions. Many policies have a list
of tour operators, airlines and other companies that in trouble. If you're traveling with a company on this list and the tour
operator or airline goes out of business you won't be reimbursed.
- Carefully compare exclusions in case of a terrorist
event in a city you are going visit and exclusions for trip cancellation or interruption for severe weather.
- Compare the amount of allowance for lost or
delayed baggage.
- Compare coverage for pre-existing medical conditions.
In many cases, you must buy a policy within a limited number of days after making your initial trip deposit to qualify.
Finding Trip Insurance
Several websites compare trip insurance policies among various companies.
You put in the trip dates, your age and the cost of the trip and the website will pull up a list of companies offering possible
policies. Both Insure My Trip and Trip Insurance Store let you compare policies from several companies. Look at Travel Guard because it has proven to be worth the money on some of our trips.
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Should I purchase travel insurance?
We strongly recommend that you be adequately insured against
last minute trip cancellation and other travel related risks. For example, if you must cancel your trip due to a family emergency
and can only recover 50% of your money based on the travel company's cancellation policy, the insurance company will cover
the remainder of the loss up to the level of coverage that you selected, provided you meet the criteria spelled out in the
policy selected.
- We have made arrangements
through Travel Insurance Services (TIS) in Walnut Creek, Calif.
(800-937-1387) to offer travel insurance in connection with the Alumni Tour program. After you register for a trip, you will
receive travel insurance information from the Alumni Association. Please contact TIS if you have questions regarding travel
insurance coverage or costs.
- You are free to
make travel insurance arrangements with another insurance company of your choice.
- You may choose to
forego purchasing travel insurance coverage.
- Some credit cards
companies offer travel insurance coverage when you use the card to purchase your trip
