Why Purchase Travel Insurance?

Why Purchase Travel Insurance?

Although travel insurance is not required for travel, it is highly recommended! Accidents and unexpected events can and will happen… and usually when you least expect them to! Insurance can help you be prepared for these events. A few extra dollars spent on a travel insurance policy could potentially save you a small fortune in the long run!

Below are our top 8 reasons WHY we always suggest purchasing travel insurance for any trip, whether big or small.

  1. Personal or family illness before or during travel
  2. Sudden death in the family before or during travel
  3. Emergency medical assistance while traveling
  4. Emergency evacuation assistance while traveling
  5. Coverage of preexisting medical conditions
  6. Your tour operator goes bankrupt
  7. Flight delays and/or cancellations
  8. Lost, stolen and/or delayed luggage

Keep in mind, for most residents of the United States, your regular health insurance coverage will not cover you when you are traveling in foreign countries, nor will they cover evacuation expenses.

TYPES OF INSURANCE:

There are various types of travel insurance policies for you to choose from. Whether you are looking for a policy which covers the cost of your trip due to cancellation, medical coverage while traveling or you are looking for an annual medical or evacuation policy, there is something out there for everyone. Below are overviews of our top suggested insurance policies. For more information on these policies, get a quote, or discuss which policy is right for you, please give us a call at: (312) 641 6633.

Travel Guard’s Essential, Preferred and Deluxe Insurance Plans:

Travel Guard’s Essential, Preferred and Deluxe policies will cover your trip cancellation penalties for mostly medical cancellation reasons (these policies do not allow you to cancel for any reason or if you don’t feel like traveling anymore or have a bad hair day). These three policies cover you for cancellation penalties in addition to medical expenses and evacuation costs while traveling. If something happens to you or an immediate family member prior to your departure causing you not to travel or during travel causing you to come home early, than you can cancel and get a refund for the non-refundable trip cost. The cost of the coverage is based on the trip cost, your date of birth, state you live in and length of your trip.

If these policies are purchased within 14 days of your initial trip payment, the policies will also cover pre-existing medical conditions of you or your non-traveling family members. When you purchase the policy within 14 days of your initial trip payment, you are also covered for supplier default (bankruptcy).

Each of the policies offered by Travel Guard will be priced according to the benefits you may receive under each policy. Travel Guard’s Essential Plan offers the lowest amount of coverage, their Preferred Plan is their medium amount of coverage and the Deluxe Plan has the maximum amount of coverage.

Additional Travel Guard Enhancements/Add-Ons:

In addition to Travel Guard’s Essential, Preferred and Deluxe Plans, they offer a wide variety of enhancements you can add on to your policies at additional cost. Note, some enhancements are only offered under certain policies (and some require your plan be purchased within 14 days of your initial deposit). An overview of these special enhancements are below:

  • Cancel for any reason – covers between 50% to 75% of trip costs allowing you to cancel your trip for any reason up until 48 hours prior to travel and receive reimbursement up to 50% - 75% of the trip cost.
  • Name your family bundle i.e. a non-related individual who you can add to your policy who would be treated as an immediate family member.
  • Pet bundle – medical coverage for your pet if the pet is traveling with you or coverage should your animal pass away (only has coverage for cats and dogs)
  • Adventures sports bundle – i.e. for trips including bungee jumping, motor sports, hot air ballooning, scuba diving, etc.
  • Rental vehicle damage coverage
  • Security bundle – covers for civil disorder and riots
  • Wedding bundle – trip cancellation due to a wedding cancellation (not available for bride and groom though)

Travel Guard’s Pack n’ Go Insurance Plan:

The primary purpose of this policy is to cover any medical costs and trip evacuation expenses while you are traveling. These policies are very inexpensive, and allow you to have piece of mind that you will have expert medical guidance and assistance should something happen to you while you are traveling. If you are in a country where you don’t speak the language or become incapacitated, it’s good to have someone to assist you with all the logistics to get you local care and help you get home. If you only want insurance for medical coverage and evacuation costs while traveling, this is the perfect plan for you!

Keep in mind this policy will not help you with trip cancellation costs or penalties.

Travel Guard’s Annual Insurance Plan:
If you find yourself traveling all the time, then Travel Guard’s Annual Plan is meant for you. With the annual plan, any time you are traveling more than 100 miles from your home, you are covered for medical expenses and evacuation coverage! This annual plan provides you with multi-trip coverage throughout a 365 day period. It’s like having the Pack n’ Go plan year round. Keep in mind there are some limits to the length of each trip, but as long as you are not gone more than 90 days at a time, you will have coverage for the full year.

Note that this policy does NOT cover trip cancellation costs or penalties!

Medjet Assist:

Medjet is the premier provider for air medical evacuation assistance. Medjet is a membership program. As a Medjet Assist member, you are provided with air medical evacuation transport to your hospital of choice, as long as you are hospitalized more than 150 miles or more from home. Unlike normal travel insurance policies which will take you to the nearest acceptable hospital, Medjet brings you all the way back to the hospital of your choice. Please note, Medjet Assist does not cover trip cancellation or medical expense costs. It only covers you for the medical evacuation costs.

While you can purchase a short term policy for just one trip, we recommend you purchase an annual plan that will cover you for a full year. Our experience has been many clients end up using the policy on short domestic trips that they would have never even thought to insure! Memberships can be purchased on an individual basis, for a couple or for a family with children.

In addition to the transport, MedJet will also assist with monitoring your medical condition, 24/7 medical consultation, emergency message relay, translation assistance and transfer of remains.

Medjet Horizon:

Medjet Horizon provides all of the same air medical benefits above as Medjet Assist, PLUS added travel security and crisis response services benefits powered by corporate security experts FocusPoint International. Members have access to FocusPoint International’s global Crisis Response Center for advice and assistance in response to a wide range of safety concerns and threats while traveling, such as: terrorism, political threat, natural disaster, wrongful detention, pandemic and other concerns. Unlike other global transport and travel security membership programs, Medjet Horizon does not depend on hard triggers, like government-issued evacuation mandates, to act on behalf of their members.

Please note, Medjet Horizon does not cover trip cancellation or medical expenses. It can only be purchased as an add on to a standard Medjet Assist membership.

Insurance can be complicated. If you would like our expert advice, please give us a call at (312) 641 6633 and we can help you chose the insurance policy that is right for you.

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