rncheryl

We are in the planning stages of a Danube River cruise next spring. Some recent health concerns have me considering travel insurance with no prerequisites for cancellation. The cruise line offers very limited protection.

Any suggestions? I know it will be $$$

KTtravel

I have purchased travel insurance through insuremytrip.com. I find the website confusing as there were so many options so usually call and speak directly with one of their agents explaining exactly what my concerns are and what I need and don't need. They have been very helpful. For some reason, It is usually much cheaper to book insurance shortly after you make your first payment on your trip. I think there is a similar site that others here have also mentioned but can't remember its name at the moment.

Im my case, my main concern is elderly, frail in-laws but I think insurance is a good idea when you have to pay so much upfront for a trip.

MaineGG

The most common reason for buying trip cancellation/interruption coverage immediately after making the first payment for a trip is that most policies have an exclusion for pre-existing conditions and will waive that exclusion if the insurance is purchased within a short amount of time after the first payment. If not waived, the exclusion would apply in the case of having to cancel because of the death or incapacity of a family member, for example, who had been in treatment prior to the insurance coverage. Do read the terms and conditions carefully. "Cancel for any reason" coverage is usually not 100% and is usually more costly.

dreamer320

I just insured a two-week trip with pre-existing conditions covered. I had priced the cancel-for-any-reason policies, but they were way more expensive. In reading the proposed policies, I decided the one I wound up choosing would be adequate, since it covered the main reasons I could think of that we would cancel. To get coverage for pre-existing conditions, we just had to buy the policy within a certain time of making the first payment of anything toward the trip - I think it was 14 days. For us, that was airfare, and I got the policy the day after reserving the tickets.

Not all the policies we compared covered all the possible reasons one might need to cancel, so it pays to carefully read them. In our situation, our main concerns were some ongoing health issues for me becoming a problem, and something happening to our jobs or house.. We only have one parent/in-law living, and we're not a primary caregiver.

wtm003

I usually use Travel Guard for their pre-existing conditions waiver. To qualify for the waiver the policy needs to purchased within 15 days after making any prepaid, non-refundable trip payments or deposits. You and your travel partners also need to be healthy enough to travel on the day the policy is purchased. They do have a cancel for any reason policy, but I think it only covers about 50%.

sf7307

schmerl

If you are concerned about your own medical conditions it pays to get medical coverage and medical evacuation coverage.

HappyTrvlr

Christina

I just use insuremytrip.com and compare prices. I've used many different companies, just getting the cheapest one with the best coverage, all the main brfand names they show generally have about the same good ratings. I've never needed to use any, though. You can check the options to only show you ones wiht a pre-existing condition exclusion, which narrows it down. I don't really have any dire preexisting conditions, just figure why not get that if you can, doesn't cost any more, you just have to b e sure to buy it soon after your first payment. I mainly get it for the medical, to be honest, as my health insurance doesn't cover me outside the US, the rest of the stuff is just gravy.

I don't find it confusing, it's just policies vary so you have to read the terms of each and decide which is your best deal. I just narrow it down to about 3 by price and compare the terms. Some of the terms may be confusing, and maybe they could explain that (such as cancel for any reason terms may include that you need to ahve insured all your costs).

Some preexisting conditions are up to 21 days (buying the policy wihtin first payment date). And they do exclude things that got worse or you've seen a doctor for within a certain period, so you may be out of luck with just that provision, and I guess that's why you are looking for cancel for any reason. There is a limit on those, your trip cpost can't be more than a certain amount usually and then they don't pay you 100 pct. I like Travelex Select and they pay 75%. The cost will prob ably be about 10 pct of the cost you put in to cover, which isn't bad for cancel for any reason. YOu also have to buy that type wiithin a certain time frame of your first purchase, hope you haven't waited too long unless you haven't paid for the cruise yet. Also, you don't get a benefit if you cancel within a short time of departure, either (like 2 days for Travelex, you can't cancel at the last minute).

bvlenci

I've learned that some policies have very limited coverage for older travelers, and pre-existing conditions are usually not covered at all. I once purchased a policy only to discover that we wouldn't be covered for anything for which we were taking medication or any other regular treatment. There are all kinds of things for which people take medication, even though they're perfectly healthy for travel.

Read the fine print!

Macross

I am 65 now and saw an increase but we just worry about medical and evac. We use insuremytrip and don't go extremely high. We said 2000 for next trip and when you compare three policies Nationwide has been the best. I know that barely covers our tickets but we really just want the evac insurance. I have a Sept trip and bought a small policy due to hurricane season. Husband booked everything else with Chase Sapphire Reward so we have that also for ticket problems and trip interruption.

amyb

Ask whatever cruise line or tour operator you're working with if they have an arrangement with a particular insurance company. On my last two safaris, the safari planner had relationships with Allianz or TravelGuard, and I ended up getting the most expensive policies through them for the a little bit more of a premium that the basic would have cost me on my own.

Definitely insure within the first 10-14 days, whatever the time period is, for the pre-existing condition waiver.

StuDudley

Last year we had a trip planned to Charleston, SC for their annual Home & Garden tour. We live near San Francisco. About 6 hours before departure, I was in the emergency room. I was 71 then & I rarely have health problems. We had to cancel the trip at the last minute. Once I was patched up (but there was no-way I could travel) I immediately cancelled our Delta tickets and checked the box that was titled "refund request". Delta refunded 100% of our non-refundable tickets. They only needed a letter from the doctor. The very expensive B&B we were planning to stay in, applied the deposit that we already paid - to a trip this year (which we took).

We were scheduled to depart this coming Thursday for our annual month-long fall trip to France. On July 10, my 99 year old FIL suffered 2 strokes. My wife is his only relative. We had to cancel the trip. United refunded 100% of our non-refundable tickets. Both gite owners refunded our deposits. We were staying in 3 hotels and had no problems cancelling 2 of them with no cost to us. A third would not refund our large pre-paid room reservation.

Stu Dudley

kja

Whether to get cancel-for-any-reason insurance is, of course, a personal decision about likely events (which could include one's own health, the health of a family member or pet, etc.) As already noted, you can compare policies and options on both insuremytrip.com (which I find straightforward) or squaremouth.com. As others have mentioned, you must purchase any such insurance within a narrow window -- usually 2 weeks -- if you have any pre-existing conditions.

And also as already mentioned, consider hospital-of-your-own-choosing evacuation insurance and repatriation coverage.