The importance of travel insurance
The phrase “Life Comes at You Fast” became popular in 2004 when Nationwide Insurance launched their ad campaign of the same name. The humorous ads demonstrated how quickly things can go wrong in life and why having their insurance was a smart choice.
Proverbs 16:9 tells us that “In their hearts humans plan their course, but the Lord establishes their steps,” meaning that things don’t always go the way we plan.
We see this all the time all around us.
Accidents, illnesses, bad weather, actions of others, death, and mechanical breakdowns are common problems in everyday life, so why wouldn’t they be when traveling too?
And the causes are too numerous to mention. When life comes at us hard when we are near home we can often manage with the help of family, friends, churches, insurance, government, and other entities but when things happen while on vacation, away from home---especially overseas most, if not all, of those entities are not available.
So, where do you turn? How can you wisely prepare for the unpredictable? That’s where Travel Insurance comes in.
Did you know (according to the U.S. State Department) that:
“In general, health care you get while traveling outside the United States is not covered by Medicare”.
“Although some health insurance companies pay “customary and reasonable” hospital costs abroad, very few pay for your medical evacuation back to the U.S.” (The average medical evacuation costs over $80,000.)
Travel Insurance is a plan that you purchase that protects you from certain financial risks and losses that can occur while travelling. These losses can be minor, like a delayed suitcase, or devastating like a medical emergency overseas. In addition to financial protection some insurance policies also have the huge benefit of access to assistance services wherever you are in the world. Lose that passport or forget that medicine?
For most of us, travel is expensive, and we cannot afford to lose the money we’ve spent if we are forced to cancel the trip at the last minute. Emergencies overseas can be super expensive, and your health insurance plan may not cover you.
Travel insurance probably costs less than you think. It is based on the age of the traveler(s) and cost of the trip. For the third year running, Allianz Global Assistance has won “Best Insurance Provider” in Travel Weekly’s Reader’s Choice Awards. Their most popular plan, Worldwide Travel Protection, costs 5.3 percent if you are 0-34 years old, 6.3 percent if 35-59, and 8.55 percent if 60-70 years old.
This policy would provide emergency transportation up to $1,00,000, emergency medical and dental up to $50,000 and 100% of the cost of the trip if cancelled for covered reasons. It also provides coverage for trip interruptions, travel delays, travel accidents, baggage loss/damage/ delay, etc.
Since one of the most popular travel destinations for many Americans is the Caribbean, I want to make few special points regarding hurricanes:
Since travel insurance is designed to offer protection for sudden and unforeseen situations, when a hurricane or other severe weather becomes a named storm it is no longer “unforeseen” and insurance purchased after this will not cover the stormrelated claims.
If your cruise is cancelled, the cost of your cruise will be covered. If your itinerary changes, you will not be reimbursed.
If you have planned a weeklong stay in St. Lucia for your honeymoon and you purchased insurance before the storm was named and St. Lucia gets hit before you leave and makes it uninhabitable (a reasonable person would find the accommodation unfit for use) then you are covered.
While you cannot predict the unpredictable, you can prepare for it by purchasing Travel Insurance.
If you would like help planning and preparing your next vacation, contact Mike Hunter at 678-901-0993.