Dottie

Do you buy travel insurance? We usually do not and the one time we did and tried to cancel and get our money back because of world situations, found out we could not get back the money for our "fully paid for" trip. It seems the only way travel insurance pays is if you or your spouse dies before the trip or remains reclamation if you die in a foreign county. What are your thoughts?

Patrick

I have never purchased it and feel that over the years I have now saved myself at least the cost of a trip. I have friends who always purchase, usually taking tours. One year the husband got deathly sick the last day of the trip. They ended up having to stay in that town for an extra week while he was hospitalized and arrange their own flight home afterwards. Despite what seemed like what would be total coverage for their problems, all the insurance did was refund them 1/21 of their tour package price, because they were only missing 1/21 of their 3 week tour. There was no coverage for their new flight, and the package flight could not transfer at all to getting a new flight since it was a "group fare". Because he had good health insurance, there was no coverage from the trip insurance because it only picks up where your other insurance leaves off. And of course no one would pay for the wife's extra week of hotel, transportation, and meal expenses while he was still in the hospital.

pat

Never used to buy it. When my neice`s hauband was killed in a car accident in Phoenix, and we were in Moscow, it really helped getting us home. A friend just went on an around the world cruise and broke her arm on day 2, and had to be flown home for surgery. She paid $10,000 for a freighter trip, and the travel insurance covered it. I cancelled a trip right after 9/11 and got all my money back. I used to think it was a waste of money.

m

We had a visitor from London who got appendicitis the day she was due to fly home..surgery,surgeons,a week in a NY hospital,and another week recuperating before she was allowed to fly-plus the last minute air fare on Virgin -All paid by her travel insurance,right away,because the doctors here let me know how quickly everything was taken care of...Her insurance cost her$34.00!!

Paule

Yes, I buy insurance, but I also read the policy and understand what is and isn't covered. The first year I bought it, my husband developed a serious medical problem that forced us to return home after 9 days into a 3 week trip. It covered the $650.00 that was prepaid for a week's stay; that was the only out of pocket expenses that were needed to be reimbursed.<BR><BR>Most policies have limited, if any, coverage for war and other world situations; you really have to research the policies and not assume that something is covered. After my husband had developed a medical problem, I got copies of all paperwork pertaining to his treatment, both before returning to the US and after. The insurance company issued us the refund quickly after receiving the application.

Sherry

I have only purchased travel insurance twice. The first time was when we were on a cruise to Alaska. Since then I have learned that one never purchases insurance from the cruise company, which is what we did. Some of my clothing was stolen and the only way they would pay for the cost of the items is if we had the original receipts for the clothing. I just recently purchased a minimal amount of coverage because we had a chance to stay in Italy at a very good price if we prepaid. The insurance has a "change of mind" clause and will cover the cost of prepaid accomodations up to $250 per person. It will pay us for our cost even if we just decide not to go. We will see if this plan works out.

jane

I have purchased insurance a few times, but have never had to use it. i was in New Orleans once and my daughter became ill and I had to fly home to be with her. the airline was very nice to reaccomodate us with no charge. also, when sabena declared bankruptcy, i had to rebook thru travelocity and was told I would get my $ back. this was without insurance. personnly, i think it's a waste of $.

Candy

I would feel more secure with insurance traveling alone. I know Rick Steves recommends Travel Guard and I've researched it. For those pro insurance Fodorites, which company do you favor? Thanks. Candy

Greg

We always buy travel insurance. As with most insurance, it is very unlikely that it will be called on but the amounts that can accumulate very quickly if you are hospitalised etc are very large in relation to the premium. I have been insuring my house against fire for 30 years and have never yet had it burn down - I think I'll keep paying the insurance though.

sylvia

Whew, well you certainly need it if you go to the USA. When my daughter recently visited she demanded that her insurance company should cover her for being knocked down by a truck, hosital treatment and insurance against the driver claiming damages for psychological trauma ;-)

Al

My wife broke her wrist while we were on a ship bound for S. America. Medical treatment, therapy, and medication for post-accident complications could have cost us thousands of dollars had it not been for Mutual of Omaha covering every dollar.

Candy

Thanks, Al, for the Mutual of Omaha recommendation. Any others out there-- please. Candy

ja

We look at it this way - we're spending thousands on the trip, what's a couple of hundred or so more to make sure we're covered for (most) contingencies. I have encountered people who were injured in foreign countries and who had insurance, as well as those who suffered for not having any; recently heard of an elderly lady who fractured her hip while in Central America - thanks to her insurance coverage, two nurses were sent via chartered flight from Canada to care for her/bring her back to her home city here. The "traction" applied in the hospital down there= a pillow under the knee of the affected leg!<BR>ja

merrittm

I now purchase travel insurance for all my major trips after having two in a row interrupted by illness in the family. My health insurance doesn't cover overseas travel, either, so I make sure the policy has a &quot;health care&quot; clause. Also, the policies I buy have a &quot;pre-existing condition&quot; clause - if you purchase the policy within 15 days of paying the first payment on your trip (either a tour or self-arranged), the pre-existing conditions of yourself or other family members are covered. If you purchase AFTER the 15 days, the pre-existing conditions are NOT covered. Since I'm of an age where my family now has numerous pre-existing conditions the insurance gives me piece of mind. I would hate to be stuck somewhere trying to get back to Mom or Husband if there were a problem.

merrittm

By the way, I use Travel Guard.

massagediva

I am going to India in the fall with a group that requires it. It's ironic,but for the one month I'm away,I'll have better health-care coverage than I do at home!

Bubba2

I was glad we had it last fall. Returning home from a trip to Europe, we had to divert because of hurricane Frances. Travel insurance paid for an overnight motel room plus the cost of a rental car to drive home. Well worth the money.

Underhill

We always buy trip insurance. It came in very handy recently when I had an accident, broke a shoulder, and had to cancel a trip to the East Coast. TravelGuard paid up fairly quickly, and so we weren't out the cost of the first-class tickets.

my2cents

Because we tend to use FF miles for our airfare and rarely pay for our lodging or other expenses in advance (usually just a reservation or deposit) we don't buy trip interruption insurance; and we have good medical coverage that includes overseas so we don't buy travel medical. This year however we have purchased a medical evacuation plan that will fly us to any hospital we want and even get us home if need be. This we did after talking to some friends of my aunt and uncle who wished they'd had it on a recent trip and had to spend thousands of dollars b/c of an auto accident overseas. I decided the few hundred dollars it's costing our family for a whole year is worth the peace of mind.

FainaAgain

I have a world-wide health insurance coverage, I'd never leave home without it!

Otherwise... of course, I'll lose that cheap flight price, hotels are usually refundable, and the tours I join are at least partially refundable.

My credit card company insured me for free for travel accidents, and at work I have a free life insurance.