Travel Insurance

Traveling presents more options than ever, but also more unknown and unexpected scenarios worldwide. Properly insuring against risk when you are traveling is non-negotiable in today's world. Fortunately, there are also more options in coverage available at all price ranges. Be sure to have your travel advisor investigate the insurance options best for your trip before you pay a deposit, as timing is crucial when purchasing travel insurance policies.

Some frequently asked coverage options include:

Most carriers offer some type of coverage for various COVID-related claims, but this may not be automatic in every level of policy. Options to consider and inquire about include trip cancellations, trip interruptions, travel delays, emergency medical care and emergency transportation and how they relate to COVID and other illnesses arising while traveling.

Most comprehensive travel insurance policies have an exclusion for cancellation of a trip prior to departure due to civil unrest. However, this coverage may be available and can be purchased, provided the policy is issued prior to the date of the known peril. Be sure to investigate the current situation in the destination of travel prior to booking your trip and certainly prior to purchasing insurance coverage.

Don't assume that pre-existing medical conditions are automatically excluded from coverage. Often, coverage will extend to these conditions if you purchase the coverage within a designated period from the date of your first payment or deposit on the trip. If you have any medical conditions that could impact your ability to complete the trip, be sure to inquire about any pre-existing condition requirements from carriers quoting coverage.

If you travel more than twice per year, it could be worth considering an annual travel insurance plan. Most carriers offer this option and various coverage levels in either semi-annual or annual lengths. Just be sure to check that these plans will indeed cover if any one trip within the plan period exceeds 60 consecutive days.

Often there can be reasons for cancelling a planned trip that just don't fit standard covered reasons under insurance. But don't let this be an excuse not to insure. Most carriers do offer cancel for any reason options. This coverage sounds as straightforward as it is, but you generally must cancel the trip at least two days prior to its start date. Check your carrier's timeframe for cancellation to see if this coverage fits you best.