First time buying travel insurance
 

Hi,

I'd like some advice on how to best go about purchasing travel insurance.

I'm going on a 42-day overland trek in Africa and need to have this insurance. My insurance agent suggested I use insuremytrip.com. I did and pulled up many quotes. The tour operator suggested using a company in Colorado (Columbine) and have been sent quotes. My medical insurance from work and my credit card offer some, but limited coverage. I'm feeling overwhelmed!

Could anyone offer advice/tips? I know every situation is unique, but any feedback will help clear the clutter out of my brain! Thank in advance for any help.

Hi,
I don't have a recommendation but I was about to post an identical query when I found yours. My wife and I need both medical insurance (including emergency evacuation) and trip cancellation/interruption insurance. I found one quote that was $170 for 2 people for their deluxe policy (up to $250,000 for medical). Probably more than anyone needs, but it's only $30 or so more than the less comprehensive policy. I have no experience with any of these insurance companies, however, and so I would love to see comments from travelers that do--especially experience submitting claims!
thanks,
ES

Make sure exactly what medical coverage you have. My US insurance covers me for emergency treatment abroad, even though it's a preferred-provider policy, so I don't take out extra medical. I DO take out medical evacuation, and have had to use it. I use tenweb.com, but have read good reports on the Asia forum here about DAN (Diver's Alert Network). I seldom book expensive tours, so I don't bother with trip interruption. If I needed it I would check insuremytrip.com.

Thank you for replying.

Since the tour operator makes having insurance a non-negotiable, I am looking into all the various components to cherry-pick what I need.

I am finding that my medical insurance will cover me while in Africa, but will not airlift me home. So, the repatriation piece is a must.

They also require trip cancellation and interruption insurance.

Yes, my credit card will also cover some things partially, but only if purchased with the card.

The more I dig, the better I understand what I need and don't need. It's a learning process.

Check your medical coverage for an international phone number, under what circumstances you must phone, and what documentation is needed to process a claim (easier to obtain while traveling than later). When shopping travel insurance, health coverage that is secondary, versus primary, will cost less (you can easily tell by color of block on InsureMyTrip).

Thanks. I did talk to my US insurance carrier. I'm lucky. I've got great coverage overseas in terms of emergencies, hospitalization, and even ambulance. What is missing is the med evac.

There are two streams of responses I am getting:

1. The more cautious folks are saying to spend extra and put all details of the trip in one policy, irregardless of medical and credit card coverage i have. That way, if something happens, there is one person handling everything without multiple insurers sluffing off responsibility to each other.

2. Others are saying to just get what I don't have.

I'll reflect on both. Appreciate everyone's help.

It's highly unlikely that you'll have to use any insurance at all. So don't get double coverage. In the unlikely event that you do have to file some sort of insurance claim, the precedence of insurance coverage is pretty clear, so don't pay twice for the same coverage. So what if there is some back and forth between the two insurers, it will be paid eventually.

And if all you are buying now is evacuation insurance, there would be no reason for the two companies to sluff off responsibility as they aren't insuring the same risks; i.e., one is covering medical care and the other is covering evacuation.