Best Travel Insurance: World Nomads vs AIG Travel Guard vs Allianz vs Generali vs AXA vs TravelSafe & More

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Best For…
Overall
Generali Global Assistance Review logo
Trip Cancellation
TravelSafe Insurance logo
Emergency Medical
TripAssure logo (with tagline: a Trip Mate brand)
Travel With Kids
AIG Travel Guard logo
Lost Luggage
AXA Assistance USA logo (with tagline: redefining / service)
Compare All Providers

You’ve been saving money for years to take that once-in-a-lifetime, dream vacation; you’re all booked and can’t wait for your big trip. It’s going to be a perfect escape — a week in a tropical paradise, Paris, or Peru. But what if reality rears its unfortunate head? Stuff happens when you least expect it, and you’re not immune just because you’re traveling.

Whether you have to cancel your trip altogether or disaster strikes while you’re on vacation, travel insurance can help save you from an utter financial loss — or an even larger financial burden. Our travel insurance reviews will help you sort through all of your options to see which providers are right for you.

Article Overview

Coronavirus (COVID-19) Coverage

Some insurance policies now offer coronavirus-related coverage to give you an added layer of protection. These policies can include trip cancellation or trip delay coverage if you or your traveling companion contracts COVID-19 before your departure.

Some may also provide coverage if you have to delay your trip due to a change in COVID-related guidelines where you’re traveling. And some policies also include medical coverage if you or a covered companion becomes ill while traveling abroad — this could cover health care and/or medical evacuation expenses.

Be sure to read any policy’s fine print before purchasing travel insurance. Every policy is different, and certain exclusions may apply, so it’s important to know exactly what’s covered.

Best COVID-19 Policies

Get A Quote Now From SquareMouth

  • April International Pandemic Plus Plan
  • AXA Assistance USA Platinum Plan
  • HTH Worldwide TripProtector Preferred Plan
  • Trawick International Safe Travel Voyagers Plan

Which Travel Insurance Is Best?

We’ve chosen our travel insurance winners based on 6 factors:

  1. Company reputation
  2. Coverage payouts
  3. Variety of plans available
  4. Ease of claims process
  5. Customer service
  6. Policy pricing

A few things you need to know about pricing: policy pricing depends upon the age of travelers; many policies discount rates for kids; travelers over 65 should expect to pay more. And be aware: not all providers and policies are available in every state.

Travel insurance can be confusing even if you read the fine print (which you should always do). Therefore, we’ve included a terminology section below to help you understand the details of some benefits and what you need to keep in mind. This section can help you if you don’t understand some of the features we cover in our reviews.

We broke up our top picks into several categories to help you choose the policy that best meets your needs. Here are our winners in the following categories:

Best Overall: Generali Global Assistance Review (Formally CSA Travel Protection)

Generali Global Assistance Review logo

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Generali Global Assistance (formerly CSA Travel Protection) wins our top nod for the best overall travel insurance for its very high payout rates for nearly everything they cover (and they cover a lot). They also offer some perks many other companies don’t — ID theft resolution services, lost or stolen prescription coverage, and up to $1,000 emergency medical coverage without having to file a claim (although you must visit one of their network’s healthcare providers to qualify).

This California-based company has been in business for 25+ years and has built a great reputation for itself. They only offer three package plans; however, they recently added the ability to file claims online.

Pros

Cons

  • Full trip cancellation and interruption coverage
  • Excellent medical expenses coverage at $250,000 per person for highest plan
  • Excellent Accidental Death & Dismemberment (AD&D) 24-hour and flight-only coverage included in policies
  • Excellent pre-existing medical condition coverage available for conditions within 180 days before trip
  • Missed connection and re-instate mileage rewards included
  • Largely positive reviews for their customer service and claims process
  • BBB rating: A+ (accredited)
  • Policy pricing is higher than average
  • Hefty cost for cancel for any reason coverage add-on (must be purchased within 24 hours of initial trip deposit)

Best For Trip Cancellation: TravelSafe Review

TravelSafe Insurance logo

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TravelSafe provides some of the best trip cancellation and cancel for any reason coverage in the industry — at extremely competitive pricing. TravelSafe offers two comprehensive plans, and their policy pricing is a good value for overall coverage and fantastic customer support.

They also offer excellent missed connection coverage and high payouts for lost or delayed luggage. You also can file and check on your claim status all through their website. Travel Safe has been in business since 1971 and has a solid reputation for continued customer satisfaction.

Personal Experience

Personally, whenever I travel, I always purchase TravelSafe cancel for any reason coverage. In March 2019, I had to cancel a trip due to a reason that’s normally not covered by travel insurance. Cancel for any reason helped me recoup 75% of the cost. I also found the claims process to be straightforward and hassle-free. – Neil G.

Pros

Cons

  • Full trip cancellation and interruption coverage
  • Good flexibility with a variety of add-ons
  • Good medical expenses coverage at $100,000 per person for highest plan
  • Pre-existing medical condition coverage available for conditions within 60 days before trip
  • Can file and check claim through website
  • Missed connection coverage
  • BB rating: A+ (accredited)
  • AD&D flight-only coverage is an added fee, but you get $25,000 per person 24-hour AD&D coverage
  • No itinerary change coverage
  • Some complaints about poor customer service

Read Our In-Depth TravelSafe Review

Best For Emergency Medical Coverage: TripAssure Review

TripAssure logo (with tagline: a Trip Mate brand)

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MH Ross Travel Insurance Services, Inc offers travel insurance under the name TripAssure. They hav been providing travel insurance since 1961 and have a solid reputation in the travel industry. The company joined the Trip Mate brand in 2009 and changed its name to TripAssure.

They offer three policy tiers and several add-on items at reasonably competitive pricing for the level of payouts they provide. You also get access to their vast range of travel-related services, including language translation assistance and full concierge perks.

TripAssure stands out for its emergency medical coverage — depending on the plan, you get $50,000, $100,000, or $250,000 maximum payouts per person. And all three of its plans provide an additional $750 per person for emergency dental coverage. Another benefit you don’t see often is 200% coverage for trip interruption with their highest plan.

Pros

Cons

  • Full trip cancellation and interruption coverage
  • Among the highest medical expenses coverage we reviewed at $250,000 per person for highest plan
  • Pre-existing medical condition coverage available for conditions within 60 days before trip
  • Cancel for any reason coverage is included in highest policy
  • Can file and check claim via their website
  • Missed connection and re-instate mileage rewards coverage
  • Many positive user reviews for Trip Mate’s customer service and claims process
  • BBB rating: NR (No Rating) (not accredited)
  • Pricing is higher than average for top plan
  • AD&D flight-only coverage is an added fee, but you get $25,000 per person 24-hour AD&D coverage
  • Medical evacuation coverage is lower than most at $500K

Best For Travel With Kids: AIG Travel Guard Review

AIG Travel Guard logo

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In business for more than 20 years, AIG Travel Guard is the largest global travel insurance provider, serving more than six million travelers each year. Travel Guard offers three popular comprehensive plans to fit almost any budget. Its Gold and Silver comprehensive plans even insure kids for free (one child per paying adult).

Travel Guard’s highest comprehensive plan is among the most expensive we’ve reviewed once you tack on all the add-ons, but, hey, if you’re traveling with kids, we feel it’s well worth it. They give you the option of purchasing the cancel for any reason add-on to cover either 50% or 75% (the 50% option is much cheaper).

Pros

Cons

  • Excellent variety of plans and add-ons
  • Full trip cancellation and interruption coverage
  • Good pre-existing medical condition coverage available for conditions within 60-180 days before trip (depends on plan)
  • Can file and check claim through their website
  • Missed connection coverage
  • BBB rating: A+ (accredited)
  • Very hefty cost for cancel for any reason 75% coverage add-on
  • AD&D flight-only coverage is an added fee for two lower plans
  • No itinerary change or re-instate mileage rewards coverage available
  • Very mixed customer reviews for their customer service and claims process

Best For Lost Luggage & Missed Connections: AXA Assistance USA Review

AXA Assistance USA logo (with tagline: redefining / service)

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AXA is a global insurance company that’s been in business for more than 50 years. Travel insurance is a branch of their overall insurance offerings. AXA Assistance USA offers reliable travel insurance for domestic and international travel, and they offer three policy levels plus some add-ons.

Overall, their policy prices are extremely competitive, and they offer some sizeable payouts compared to the bigger travel insurance names. What’s more, AXA’s cancel for any reason add-on pricing is far lower than most. Add that on top of an extremely affordable base Platinum Plan, and you’ve got a super deal.

With AXA you get a major global presence and some nice features, including ID theft resolution, concierge, and translation services. At their highest plan, they also cover missed golf and skiing trips, lost sports equipment, and pet boarding fees if you face a delay.

Pros

Cons

  • Competitive policy pricing
  • Full trip cancellation and interruption coverage
  • Among the highest medical expenses coverage we reviewed at $250,000 per person for highest plan
  • Excellent AD&D 24-hour and flight-only coverage included in policies
  • Pre-existing medical condition coverage available for conditions within 60 days before trip
  • Cancel for any reason coverage is priced less than average as an add-on
  • BBB rating: A (not accredited)
  • Can’t file or check claim through website
  • No re-instate mileage rewards or itinerary change coverage available
  • Several customer complaints that the claims process is complicated and long

Best For Adventure Seekers: World Nomads Review

World Nomads logo

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World Nomads’ policy pricing is far below average but lacks a lot of coverage that other travel insurance providers offer. Where World Nomads shines is for adventure seekers. Their medical expenses coverage provides for accidents while taking part in more than 100 different sports and physical activities. Most companies don’t offer this or charge an added fee. They also include rental car damage coverage in their policy.

Most of World Nomads’ payouts are far below their competitors, and they don’t offer cancel for any reason coverage or pre-existing medical conditions. If you’re a healthy risk-taker, World Nomads could be just the ticket for your adventure.

Pros

Cons

  • Policy rates are well below average — cheapest we reviewed
  • Good medical expenses coverage at $100,000 per person for highest plan
  • Can file and check claim via website
  • Generally positive reviews for their customer service and claims process
  • Trip cancellation coverage and interruption capped at $10,000 (less than most policies)
  • AD&D coverage only provides for $10,000 per person (no flight-only optional add-on)
  • No pre-existing medical coverage available
  • No cancel for any reason coverage available
  • No missed connection, itinerary change, or re-instate mileage rewards coverage available
  • BBB rating: F (not accredited)

Side-By-Side Comparison

The following coverage amounts are for each company’s highest plan. All of the companies reviewed have 24/7 emergency hotlines.

Best Overall: Generali Trip Cancellation: TravelSafe Emergency Medical: Trip Assure Travel With Kids: AIG Travel Guard Lost Luggage: AXA Assistance Adventure Seekers: World Nomads Allianz Travel Assistance Seven Corners Travel Insured International USI Affinity
Best Overall: Generali Trip Cancellation: TravelSafe Emergency Medical: Trip Assure Travel With Kids: AIG Travel Guard Lost Luggage: AXA Assistance Adventure Seekers: World Nomads Allianz Travel Assistance Seven Corners Travel Insured International USI Affinity
Trip Cancellation 100% 100% 100% 100% 100% Up to $10,000 100% 100% 100% 100%
Trip Interruption 175% 150% 200% 150% 150% Up to $10,000 150% 150% 150% 150%
Cancel For Any Reason Add-on w/ highest plan (covers up to 75%) Included (covers up to 75%) Included in highest policy (covers up to 75%) Add-on for 2 higher plans (covers 50% or 75%) Add-on w/ highest plan (covers up to 75%) Unavailable Unavailable Add-on w/ highest plan (covers up to 75%) Included in highest policy (covers up to 75%) Add-on w/ highest plan (covers up to 75%)
Short-Term Delay Coverage Per Person $1,000 ($300/day) $750 ($150/day) $1,000 ($200/day) $1,000 ($200/day) $1,250 ($300/day) $1,500 ($250/day) $1,600 ($400/day) $1,500 $1,000 ($200/day) $1,500 ($250/day)
Missed Connection Per Person $1,000 $2,500 $1,500 $1,000 $1,500 Unavailable $1,600 $1,500 $500 $1,500
Lost Luggage/Person $2,000 $2,500 ($300/article) $2,000 $2,500 $3,000 $3,000 ($1,500/article) $2,000 $2,500 $1,000 ($250/article) $2,500 ($500/article)
Luggage Delay Per Person $500 $250 $400 ($200/day) $500 $600 $750 ($150/day) $600 ($100/day) $600 $300 $500
Must Purchase Cancel For Any Reason Within # Of Days Of Deposit 1 21 15 15 14 N/A 14 20 21 21
Emergency Medical Per Person $250,000 $100,000 $250,000 $100,000 $250,000 $100,000 $50,000 $250,000 $100,000 $150,000
Emergency Dental Per Person Included in Medical $750 $750 $500 Included in Medical $750 Included in Medical $750 Included in Medical $1,000
Primary or Secondary Primary Primary Primary Primary Primary Secondary Primary Secondary Secondary Primary
Medical Evacuation Per Person $1 million $1 million $500,000 $1 million $1 million $500,000 $1 million $1 million $1 million $1 million
Preexisting Medical Condition Lookback 180 days 60 days 60 days 60-180 days 60 days Unavailable 120 days 60 days 60 days 60 days
Must Purchase Policy Within # Of Days For Pre-Existing Waiver 1 21 15 15 14 N/A 14 20 21 21
Accidental Death & Dismemberment (24-Hour) Per Person $50,000 $25,000 $25,000 $30,000 $50,000 $10,000 Unavailable $25,000 $10,000 $50,000
Accidental Death & Dismemberment (Flight only) Per Person $100,000 Add-on Add-on $100,000 $100,000 Unavailable Unavailable $25,000 (Add-ons available) Add-on Unavailable
Policy Cancellation 10 days 14 days 10 days 15 days 10 days 10 days 10 days 10 days 14 days 15 days
Offers Rental Car Damage Coverage $25,000 included Add-on ($7/day) Add-on ($7/day) Add-on ($15/day) Add-on ($6/day) $35,000 included Add-on ($9/day) Add-on ($7/day) $50,000 included $35,000 included
File Claim Online Checkmark Checkmark Checkmark Checkmark Checkmark Checkmark Checkmark Checkmark

What Are My Other Options?

Below you’ll find an alphabetical listing of other travel insurance companies we’ve reviewed.

Allianz Travel Assistance | Seven Corners | Travel Insured International | USI Affinity

Allianz Travel Review

Allianz Travel logo

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Virginia-based Allianz Travel (previously Allianz Global Assistance) is a big player in the travel insurance industry, with 35 million customers. Allianz offers various plans for domestic and international travel, so you have some choices about how much coverage you want. Most of their payouts, however, are less than what you’ll find elsewhere.

A huge perk with Allianz’s higher-level plans is that kids 17 and under are covered for free when traveling with parents or grandparents. Allianz also offers an option of annual travel insurance coverage for people who frequently travel during the year. The policy pricing is lower than their one-trip plans, but the payouts per trip are also much lower.

Pros

Cons

  • Competitive policy pricing
  • Good variety of plans to choose from
  • Great pre-existing medical condition coverage available for conditions within 120 days before trip
  • Can file and check claim via website
  • Missed connection and itinerary change coverage
  • Largely positive reviews for their customer service and claims process
  • BBB rating: A+ (accredited)
  • Trip cancellation and interruption coverage is far less than other providers
  • Among the lowest medical expenses coverage at $50,000 per person for highest plan
  • AD&D coverage is unavailable
  • No cancel for any reason coverage available

Seven Corners Review

Seven Corners logo

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In business since 1993, Seven Corners is a well-established insurance provider and offers a wide variety of travel insurance plans. You can choose from three comprehensive travel insurance plans that include coverage similar to what other companies offer at competitive prices.

What’s great about Seven Corners is its flexibility — they offer several optional features, like cancel for work reasons and ski or golf coverage for lost equipment and missed sessions. They also have an annual plan for frequent travelers, two student policies, and plans for non-U.S. residents. Seven Corners’ plans have affordable prices, and consumers find them reputable and easy to work with.

Pros

Cons

  • Flexible plans, packages, and add-ons
  • Full trip cancellation and interruption coverage
  • Excellent medical expenses coverage at $250,000 per person for highest plan
  • $25,000 per person 24-hour AD&D coverage with policy
  • Pre-existing medical condition coverage available for conditions within 60 days before trip
  • Missed connection coverage
  • Largely positive reviews for their customer service and claims process
  • BBB rating: A+ (accredited)
  • Included AD&D flight-only coverage payouts are low (but they have an add-on for higher benefits)
  • Can’t check claims through their website
  • No re-instate mileage rewards coverage available

Travel Insured International Review

Travel Insured International logo (with tagline)

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Travel Insured International (TII) is another well-established company, in business for more than 20 years. Their policy pricing is competitive, and overall their payouts are about average compared to the top travel insurance providers. TII is the only provider we reviewed that includes both cancel for any reason and trip interruption for any reason in their highest policy.

Pros

Cons

  • Competitively priced plans
  • Full trip cancellation and interruption coverage
  • Trip cancellation and interruption for any reason included in highest plan
  • Good medical expenses coverage at $100,00 per person for highest plan
  • Pre-existing medical condition coverage available for conditions within 60 days before trip
  • Highest rental car inclusion benefit of our reviews at $50,000
  • Can file and check claim via website
  • Missed connection, itinerary change, re-instate mileage rewards included
  • Generally favorable reviews for their customer service
  • 24-hour AD&D coverage is far below average at $10,000 per person, and flight-only AD&D coverage is only available as an add-on even with highest plan
  • Trip delay and lost luggage benefits are lower than average
  • BBB rating: A+ (accredited)

USI Affinity: Travel Insurance Services Review

USI Affinity: Travel Insurance Services logo

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USI Affinity has an excellent reputation and loyal customer base, with more than 40 years of providing reliable travel insurance under its belt. They offer fairly competitive payouts for most benefits and are one of a few companies that include rental car damage in their plan pricing. They’re also one of few providers we’ve seen that offer an add-on for trip interruption for any reason.

Where USI Affinity falls short compared to companies that provide comparable payouts is higher than average pricing (especially for their two higher plans) and nearly double the trip delay time required before you can make a claim. Still, depending on your needs, USI Affinity may be worth your consideration.

Pros

Cons

  • Full trip cancellation and interruption coverage
  • Higher than average medical coverage at $150,000 per person
  • Good AD&D coverage at $50,000 per person
  • Good pre-existing medical condition coverage available for conditions within 60days before trip
  • Rental car damage coverage included in Plus and Elite plans
  • Missed connection coverage included
  • Trip interruption for any reason add-on available
  • Largely positive reviews for their customer service and claims process
  • BBB rating: A+ (accredited)
  • Expensive mid- and high-level base plans
  • No itinerary change or flight-only AD&D coverage
  • Can’t file or check claim through website

Read Our In-Depth USI Affinity Review

Beyond The Boundaries Of Travel Insurance

Are you a student traveler, or do you travel to potentially life-threatening destinations? If so, the following sites may be of interest to you for coverage you won’t find with traditional travel insurance providers.

Global Rescue

Global Rescue logo

If you’re traveling to a high-risk area of the world, you may want to join Global Rescue, the world’s leading membership organization providing emergency services to individuals, families, enterprises, and governments. Membership gives you access to travel assistance and insurance, medical evacuation and advisory services, field rescue, security advisory, extraction services, and more.

Is Travel Insurance Worth It?

Severe weather, medical problems, mechanical problems with transportation — these events affect travelers more than you might think. In a survey, the US Travel Insurance Association found that 1 in 6 Americans said their travel plans were impacted by such incidents leading to trip cancellations, interruptions, or major delays.

On average, travel insurance will only cost you 6% of your total travel costs, but it may not be worth it in some cases. In general, if you’re traveling domestically and you’ve gotten excellent deals on a flight and hotel stay, it’s probably not worth it to invest in travel insurance — especially if your vacation isn’t too long or too far from home. Otherwise, here are four factors you should consider, especially if you are traveling internationally.

  1. What does your credit card cover? Many credit cards offer some type of travel insurance, but a vast majority don’t cover trip cancellation for non-refundable costs. Overall, the coverage they offer doesn’t even come close to what you get by purchasing travel insurance.
  2. What if you have to cancel? If you’ve spent thousands of dollars on non-refundable plane tickets, hotel rooms, tours, etc., you could suffer a significant financial loss if you have to cancel. Finding the best vacation insurance could help mitigate that loss.
  3. What if you have an accident or get seriously ill? Travel insurance is worth it if you’re not covered by your healthcare insurance for emergencies when traveling abroad. Many U.S. health insurance policies don’t cover you when you’re out of the country. Further, you may not have access to advanced medical care in the local region (due to lack of it or lack of access for non-residents) without travel insurance.
  4. What if you require evacuation? The highest cost you are subject to incur while traveling is for emergency medical care or evacuation. The average price for emergency medical evacuation is a whopping $26,000 ($200,000+ in Alaska). If your health is in trouble, you want to make sure this cost is covered, and your evacuation happens quickly (without claims process).

Is Travel Insurance A Replacement For Existing Insurance?

First, travel “insurance” can be a misleading term, particularly regarding the emergency medical aspect. A more apt term is travel protection. The medical benefit arm of comprehensive travel protection isn’t really medical insurance per se, and it doesn’t cover you as your health insurance policy does. See our terminology section to learn more.

When To Say Yes Or No To Travel Insurance

Check out this helpful video by CNBC that goes into greater detail about whether you should get travel insurance or not.

Travel Insurance Terminology

  1. Trip Cancellation
  2. Trip Cancellation For Any Reason
  3. Trip Interruption
  4. Primary vs Secondary Emergency Medical
  5. Pre-Existing Medical Conditions

1. Trip Cancellation

Travel insurance policies vary based on the reasons for approved trip cancellation coverage, so you need to read the fine print of your policy to see when you’re covered and when you’re not.

The most common covered reasons for trip cancellation include:

  • The unanticipated illness or injury of you (or a fellow traveler) that renders you unable to travel (with a licensed physician’s approval)
  • The unforeseen death or hospitalization of an immediate family member
  • Unexpected natural disasters at home or your destination
  • Jury duty or other legal obligation
  • A common carrier’s mechanical failure or worker strike

To be approved for trip cancellation benefits, the circumstances must be the direct cause of you not being able to make your destination, or you must experience unreasonable delays. You’ll need to provide documentation for your claim approval.

2. Trip Cancellation For Any Reason (CFAR)

Trip cancellation for any reason is a different ball-game, and that’s why it typically hikes up your premium so much. This optional benefit truly covers you if you have to cancel your trip, no matter the reason. Unlike basic trip cancellation coverage, however, you have to meet a few requirements to get reimbursed. You MUST:

  • Purchase CFAR coverage within a set time period after you make your initial trip deposit (usually 10-21 days)
  • Insure 100% of your pre-paid, non-refundable trip cost
  • Cancel with your travel supplier 48 or 72 hours before departure date, depending on the plan

3. Trip Interruption

Trip interruption coverage is similar to trip cancellation in that travel insurance companies vary in the circumstances they cover. Policies also differ with the timing of your trip interruption.

Some require you to be less than halfway through your trip to approve coverage, while others cover you for additional time during your trip. Again, it’s crucial to read the fine print of your policy.

4. Primary vs Secondary Emergency Medical Coverage

It’s important to note that travel insurance offers emergency medical benefits coverage rather than general health insurance coverage. To receive medical-related travel benefits, you’re typically required to need immediate medical attention — anything from a serious ankle injury to hospitalization.

What Is Primary Coverage?

A travel insurance plan with primary emergency medical means the travel insurance company is the first payer or reimburser of those benefits. After paying your claim, then the travel insurance provider may contact your health insurance company for reimbursement.

What Is Secondary Coverage?

Secondary emergency medical coverage means that you’re first required to file a claim with your health insurance company. Then, if denied, you file a claim with the travel insurance company, which will reimburse you up to its stated limits.

The major benefit of primary over secondary is that you don’t have to deal with both your health insurance company and travel insurance companies. The travel insurance company handles your claim all on its own.

A few companies offer primary with all of their plans, but most only include it with their higher-priced plans. If this feature is important to you, make sure you read the policy to see which type of coverage each plan offers to meet your needs best.

5. Pre-Existing Medical Conditions

This coverage is one of the most confusing aspects of travel protection. Travel insurance plans automatically exclude coverage for pre-existing medical conditions. However, in many cases, you can qualify for an exclusion waiver, which protects both your trip cancellation and emergency medical benefits.

What Is A Pre-Existing Medical Condition?

A pre-existing condition is any disease, illness, injury, or other medical condition that occurs before the travel plan’s effective date — and for which you sought a diagnosis, treatment, new prescription medications, or a change in a current prescription.

What Is A Pre-Existing Medical Waiver?

The waiver essentially removes the exclusion of pre-existing conditions from your travel plan (as we stated earlier, all travel insurance plans automatically exclude pre-existing conditions).

In most cases, you MUST purchase your plan within a specified time frame (usually 10-21 days) after making your initial trip deposit to qualify for the waiver. Some plans also require you to meet other eligibility requirements.

Some plans, particularly basic, lower-priced plans, don’t include the waiver. Make sure the policy you purchase does indeed have the pre-existing condition waiver if this coverage is important to you or fellow travelers.

Are Non-Travelers Included?

Yes, in most cases. Non-travelers can include immediate family members or a business partner (whose illness would require you to work). Most plans don’t apply to cousins, uncles, nieces, etc.

What Is A Look Back Period?

The travel insurance company has the right to “look back” at the medical records of the traveler or non-traveler to whom the claim is made. The period of time for this review of medical records varies by company and by plan (typically 60-180 days back).

Any medical condition that existed during the look-back period is considered pre-existing if you received treatment or a change in your prescription medications. The condition is not deemed pre-existing if you’ve been stable within the look-back period. “Stable” means that the condition has not changed or worsened.

What If You’re Planning An Extended Stay Abroad?

If your “travel” plans involve living abroad for more than a year, traditional trip insurance and your U.S. health insurance carrier likely won’t cover you for medical needs. That’s when you need to consider purchasing expatriate health insurance. Check out our reviews of the best expat health insurance policies to learn more details and see our top picks.

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Disclaimer: Information regarding insurance company offerings, pricing, availability, and other contract details are subject to change by the insurance company at any time and are not under the control of this website. Information published on this website is intended for reference use only. Please review your policy carefully before signing up for a new insurance contract or any other contract as your unique circumstances will differ from those of others who may be used for example purposes in this article.

The information provided through this website should not be used to diagnose or treat a health problem or disease; it is not intended to offer any legal opinion or advice or a substitute for professional safety advice or professional care. Please consult your health care provider, attorney, or product manual for professional advice. Products and services reviewed are provided by third parties; we are not responsible in any way for them, nor do we guarantee their functionality, utility, safety, or reliability. Our content is for educational purposes only.

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