"What a great idea!
Thank you so much."
Courteney Cox Arquette
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Anyone who has one knows that life with a baby in anything but predictable. Traveling has become anything but predictable for a variety of reasons. Combine the baby and the travel and you need to think about how to protect yourself in the face of baby illness, flight cancellations and the myriad of other things that could lead to you not being able to take your family vacation as planned.
Travel protection means getting travel insurance.
Do I need travel insurance?
There is no easy answer to the question as to whether you need travel insurance. You only need travel insurance if something bad is going to happen, and unfortunately without a crystal ball none of us can predict whether we will need travel insurance for any particular vacation. The larger your investment in your vacation and the more unpredictable your baby’s health among other factors should be analyzed to determine whether investing in insurance is worthwhile.
What will travel insurance cover?
Travel insurance is intended to cover a variety of different types of expenses and losses that a traveler will incur before a trip and while traveling in the United States or abroad.
The most common risks covered by travel insurance are:
- Cancellation (baby gets an ear infection and can’t fly the day before you leave)
- Curtailment ( baby gets sick while away and has to get home immediately)
- Medical Expenses
- Delayed Departure (can’t sleep on an airport chair like in the old days)
- Delayed baggage (and emergency replacement of essential items)
- Loss, theft or damage to personal possessions and money (including travel documents)
- Personal liability and rental car damage excess
- Legal assistance
- Emergency evacuation/repatriation
There are other risks that can be covered look carefully at any policy you are considering to find out what other items might be covered and what additional costs might be involved.
The most common exclusions are:
- Pre-existing medical conditions
- War or terrorism - but some plans may cover this risk
- Pregnancy related expenses
- Injury or illness caused by alcohol or drug use
Travel insurance can also provide helpful services, often 24 hours a day, 7 days a week that can include concierge services and emergency travel assistance.
When do I get travel insurance?
You can usually arrange for travel insurance at the time you book your trip. Travel insurance can cover the exact duration of that trip or you can purchase more extensive, continuous insurance coverage from travel insurance companies, travel agents or directly from travel suppliers like tour operators or cruise lines. As a general rule, travel insurance purchased from travel suppliers is less inclusive than insurance offered by insurance companies.
Can anyone get travel insurance?
Generally, anyone can get travel insurance. There are a variety of different coverage’s that a travel insurance company might offer. In addition to a standard policy they will offer student travel, adventure travel, cruise travel, business travel, leisure travel and international travel as insurable options.
Also, separate insurance policies can be purchased for specific cost that might not otherwise be covered like:
- High risk sports
- Travel to high risk countries
- Pre-existing medical conditions
How much does travel insurance cost?
Typically travel insurance for the duration of a journey costs approximately 5-7% of the cost of the trip. Or course prices vary depending upon the duration of the coverage and the specific type of coverage you require.
Where can I get travel insurance?
There are many travel insurance companies and travel service providers. We are providing this list to help you start with your research. Our listing SHOULD NOT BE CONIDERED AN ENDORSEMENT of any company.
Travel insurance companies and travel service providers:
- Access America
www.accessamerica.com
Coverage: Emergency medical, medevac, and trip cancellation and interruption. (Supplier default coverage is limited to a few selected airlines and tour operators, mainly the largest and most expensive, and excludes all companies that aren't specifically listed as covered.)
- AirMed International
www.airmed.com
Services: Emergency medical transportation. (Like MEDJET, AirMed offers prepaid medical evacuation services for a flat annual fee, with a higher rate for stays of more than 90 days outside your home country. Their are two major differences: AirMed owns and operates its own planes, with its own staff -- which may or may not give better service than a local contractor, but may take longer to arrive from their base in the USA. AirMed only provides medevac services if, in their judgment, it is medically necessary.)
- CSA Travel Protection
www.csatravelprotection.com
Coverage: Emergency medical, medevac, and trip cancellation and interruption. (No supplier default coverage.)
- Highway To Health
www.highwaytohealth.com
Coverage: Emergency medical, medevac, and trip cancellation and interruption. (No supplier default coverage.)
- International Medical Group (IMG)
www.imglobal.com
Coverage: Comprehensive travel medical insurance. (Expensive but genuinely comprehensive coverage. IMG is the primary provider of medical insurance for Peace Corps volunteers, and a leading insurer of missionaries and other expatriates from the USA living and travelling in the Third and Fourth Worlds.)
- MEDJET Assistance
www.medjetassistance.com
Services: Emergency medical transportation. (For a fixed annual fee, MEDJET Assistance will provide air ambulance transportation to the hospital of your choice, worldwide, if you are hospitalized. That's much more generous than typical travel insurance, which only covers transportation to the nearest hospital they deem suitable -- not necessarily the one nearest your home -- and only if their doctors decide it's essential. A subscription to MEDJET Assistance will get you home if you're hospitalized. Period. If you have insurance, but it doesn't provide for medical evacuation, this may be the way to go. Note, however, that the standard MEDJET Assistance plan doesn't cover you if you are out of your home country for more than 90 days at a time. You have to pay a higher "expatriate" rate for coverage for longer stays abroad. MEDJET doesn't own or operate planes, but contracts with local air ambulance operators.)
- Safeware
www.safeware.com
Coverage: The leading specialists in the USA in personal computer insurance, including laptops, peripherals, and accessories. (Standard annual package covers theft, accidental damage, water damage, and damage in transport. Coverage offered to USA residents only, but covers damage while at home or travelling worldwide, and can be renewed while continuing to travel outside the USA, as long as you remain a USA resident.)
- Seven Corners, Inc.
www.sevencorners.com
Formerly "Specialty Risk International, Inc. (SRI)".
Coverage: Emergency medical, medevac, trip cancellation and interruption, liability. (No supplier default coverage.) Liability coverage is an unusual optional add-on. Bundled with medevac coverage it provides a package tailored for people who already have general-purpose health insurance.
- Travelex
www.travelex-insurance.com
Coverage: Emergency medical, medevac, trip cancellation and interruption, supplier default. (In addition to travel insurance, Travelex operates currency exchange and travel service offices in each major world region. So if you want a company with regional staff to help you if things go wrong, or if you want coverage for the default of any airline or travel supplier, you should consider the offerings from Travelex.)
- Travel Guard International
www.travelguard.com
Coverage: Emergency medical, medevac, trip cancellation and interruption, and supplier default. (Supplier default coverage excludes certain airlines and tour companies, but includes all those not specifically listed. Travel Guard voluntarily covered those travellers who had purchased their insurance, and whose travel plans were disrupted after 11 September 2001, even though their insurance didn't cover war and terrorism and they could legally have refused to pay. But they might not do so again)
- WorldNomads.com
www.worldnomads.com
Coverage: Bundled package including medical evacuation, emergency medical, and trip cancellation and interruption. (No supplier default coverage. Optional add-on coverage for cameras and personal electronic devices typically excluded from coverage by other policies. Based in Australia, but covers citizens of any country travelling anywhere outside their country of citizenship. Designed for long-term international travelers without other health insurance.)
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There are also independent travel insurance brokers that will offer a selection of travel insurance policies from multiple insurers:
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