Travel Insurance

There are two major coverage aspects in travel insurance. One is health insurance for unexpected medical care and the other is trip protection for non-medical problems that may arise.

Individual Health

Click on the boxes above. Each box is for a different insurance company that offers individual travel health insurance. Get quotes and plan details on many, many plans, compare, and apply online.

Since they specialize in travel situations, their insurance may be more user friendly than any out-of-country coverage that may be included in ordinary health insurance.

Travel health insurance is designed to protect you against an unexpected sickness or accidental injury while travelling. It is not priced to provide unlimited coverage for ongoing pre-existing conditions, i.e., what you already have a history of, and typically only covers such conditions for acute, unexpected incidents up to a limit like $1,000 or $2,500 or so.

However, MNU and SRI will cover any acute life-threatening onset of pre-existing conditions up to the policy maximum.

SRI covers medical evacuation up to $300,000 irrespective of the policy maximum purchased.

Trip Protection

Unlike travel health insurance, trip protection is typically designed to protect your investment cost for the trip and to protect against other things that can go wrong.

HTH trip protection has the longest trip period; trips for up to one year can be covered.

The following limits do not apply to medical insurance coverage. SRI trip protection is limited to up to 90 day trips. IMG trip protection is for up to 30 day trips.

Most trips don't have major problems but there are hazards. Travel providers can default financially, cancelling trips, delaying trips, or going out of business without warning. Trips can suffer unanticipated interruptions. Baggage can be lost, damaged, or delayed in arrival. Passports and tickets can be lost or stolen. Rental cars can be damaged.

Tour, cruise, and travel package customers can lose some or all of their pre-paid vacation payments because of adverse weather or natural disaster, sickness, injury or death of an immediate family member, personal sickness or injury, jury duty, an act of terrorism, or financial default by the travel supplier.

In addition to medical emergencies covered by travel health insurance, medical evacuation by specially equipped aircraft back to the U.S. may be necessary if local facilities are not adequate to provide proper care.

Identity theft is another hazard of travelling if personal documents are misplaced or stolen.

A 24 hour emergency hotline can be of great assistance for such things as help with cash advances, legal referrals, lost ticket and passport assistance, nurse helpline, and emergency prescription refills. Concierge services through your insurance provider can make the vacation more enjoyable.

As well as planning your trip carefully, it can pay to plan your insurance protection carefully also.

Group Health

MNU and IMG both have coverage designed specifically for groups.

HRH wil cover up to 10 people on each of its Trip Protector plans.

SRI does not have a "standard" coverage for groups, but will customize group travel plans for larger groups that do regular travel.

NOTE: The information on this page was current when written but may have changed. Click on the links to the insurance company sites for current information. Coverage is not determined by any statement on this website but by the insurance policy alone.