Travel Insurance

Thursday, 24 Oct, 2010 0

Don’t leave home without it
By Karen Loftus

If you’re off on a quick weekender this summer or on a casual local road trip, travel insurance might not be necessary. If it’s your honeymoon or the trip of a lifetime, you might want to check in to it. Insure that trip just as you would any other big investment in your life like your house, health or car.

The recent string of natural disasters across the globe are reason enough to buck up and make the investment as countless travelers racked up several thousand of dollars of unforeseen expenses. Aside from disasters, there are many reasons to invest from inclement weather to spotty health coverage in far-flung locales. It’s well worth the investment in advance as you can’t call mid-earthquake or while the volcanic ash flies by to recoup costs. The key is to plan in advance.

One site to consider is SquareMouth.com, a site where customers are able to do comparative shopping similar to travel websites Travelocity and Expdia. They can compare and buy policies from a wide range of vetted providers and opt for policies that bundle coverage for a trip cancellation, trip interruption, medical coverage and medical evacuation.

Fees are typically 4 to 10 % of the total trip’s cost. Other factors that affect fees are location, country, age and preexisting conditions. Whatever the case, don’t shy away from cheap coverage as some travelers are only interested in cancellations. $25-$30 can save you thousands on a canceled trip.

In medical emergencies, evacuation is key. MedjetAssist is not travel insurance. It’s a member service similar to AAA, but the coverage is for you not your car. If you’re injured or ill more than 150 miles away from home, anywhere in the world, you’ll be transported to the hospital of your choice at no additional charge to the annual membership fee of $250. For those road tripping thrill seekers, the domestic travelers in the states, in an equally far-flung locale, they too can use the service if 150 miles or more from home. Domestic service is even less, a mere $175 for the year. Without this service, a typical domestic evacuation can cost $30K. Save that money for your next trip. www.medjet.com

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Karen

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