Best pick for Travel Insurance
First of all let me tell you I am not an insurance expert. Here’s our experience and a tip at the end to save time and money!
We are comfortable with living with insurance in our budget for auto, home, medical and life insurance. We did our research, got the best coverage for the dollar and it's done. Travel insurance is different, if you travel multiple times a year, a yearly policy would be a good option. Today, I am focusing on a need for 1-2 trips per year. Non-refundable accommodations and flights,with locations not covered by your existing medical policies.
Why do I need travel insurance?
Because stuff happens! Think of last year, all the canceled flights, delays and lost luggage.Your medical insurance may not cover travel out of the country if you get sick or injured.
I asked a friend what she usually used and got a quote and skimmed through the pages and pages of legal jargon and with rolling eyes I purchased the policy. My husband got a cold in the last few days of the trip but we didn’t need to file a claim. He toughed it out.
Last October we traveled again this time on a cruise. Silly me, close to the trip, I discovered I omitted me on the policy.I was willing to take the risk. We had a great trip, until the last few days again. Scott got pneumonia and he had to visit the medical center on the ship. They were fantastic and got him to a place he could travel home in 2 days! We walked out of the ship with a paid bill of $3,800. I thought about my younger years, this would have been impossible to choke up and pay especially after a week on a ship.
Long story short and 4 months later, many phone calls, emails, jumping through hoops, the policy holder told me this was co-insurance and the claim would have to go through our current medical insurance first . Huh? Co-insurance?
Lession learned the hard way. Blue Shield ended up paying but it wasn’t easy. How is the average person supposed to know what is best for the trip they are planning?
So in this case it was a cruise, should I have purchased the trip protection from the cruise line?
There are pros and cons to consider:
Pro- easy and convenient
Con- can cost more than purchased separately
Con- will only cover the cruise portion.
Con- check the policy you are covering, co-insurance is not what I want.
I discovered a cool company that I highly recommend, Faye. I will be using them for all our travel. This is a company that realized their clients aren’t necessarily lawyers or insurance experts. Its simple and easy to understand. It's app based, you can quote and purchase in minutes. You can file claims directly on the app. The coolest thing is that the app watches your flights in real time, if delayed, it could even let you know before the airline lets you know! The amount for the covered delay is reimbursed automatically to your phone’s wallet. This alone could cover the cost of the policy. Have a pet? They got this option too! Faye is the easiest insurance I have ever had. Easy contact to assist me when I need them and if you book travel and Faye with me. You have me as well.
Safe travels and if something happens, Faye has you covered!
