Become an Educated
World Traveler
Why
Travel Insurance
By
Steve
Griffin
As
Marianne works with a new client on their vacation or travel plans, one of the
items she brings up is the need for travel insurance. Immediately, the client will ask, “Do I
really need to get insurance? We’re only
gone for a week on the cruise.” Marianne
patiently explains the positives and negatives of travel insurance. At the end of that conversation, the majority
will agree and add it to the price of the vacation. Since many people have
never heard of travel insurance, allow me to explain some positive and personal
experience with travel insurance.
Like car insurance companies, there
are many different travel companies offering a variety of coverages. Travel insurance can cover anything from lost
luggage, cancelled flights, emergency medical procedures, and more.
For example,
in 2008, Marianne and I escorted a group of forty parents and scouts on a
cruise and land tour of Spain, France and Italy. When we arrived in Spain we
discovered that one of the scout’s luggage had disappeared. Marianne immediately notified the airline and
a chase for the lost luggage had begun. When we had settled into our hotel, we
were notified that the luggage had missed the flight from London and was being
sent to us. Unfortunately, it never
caught up to us and we boarded our ship without his luggage.
The
boy’s father was with us, so he had to take time out of the trip to buy his son
a week’s worth of clothing and toiletries. Additionally, they were forced to
buy a suitcase, and everything else that was needed for the trip. The cost to the father’s credit card was
slightly over $1,200. Ouch! Marianne had insisted that everyone get travel
insurance; so upon returning and submitting the receipts to the travel
insurance company, the father received a check for all his expenses.
On
the same trip, another parent slipped on the stairs getting off the tour bus
and split his chin open. Since he was at
the ship entrance, the crew rushed him aboard the ship and the ship’s doctor
used medical superglue to close and seal the injury. The cruise line charged $500.00 for the
procedure, and again the travel insurance reimbursed the traveler. Now, some might think your own health
insurance will cover everything, but in fact most health insurance providers do
not cover international health emergencies.
In
2013, we were again escorting a group of twenty-five on a cruise. Two of the ship’s passengers needed to be
airlifted from the ship (not our clients, thankfully). One was a young man who had fallen in the
ship and broken his femur; while the other was a woman who had uncontrollable
high blood pressure. The entire ship
watched in awe as the U.S. Coast Guard helicopter hovered over the moving ship
and collected the two patients. One can only hope the poor souls had travel
insurance because the cost of a medivac airlift is around $50,000 and is not
covered by medical insurance. Although, luckily
for them we were in U.S. territorial waters and the cost of their hospital
bills should have been covered by their health care provider. I blanche at the thought of how much their
out of pocket expense would have been if they were off the coast of Mexico or
Jamaica.
I’m
also aware of an international traveler who was struck and severely injured by
a car while in China. The travel insurance
company was able to connect the U.S. doctors with the Chinese doctors and it
was decided that the patient should be returned to the U.S. by air ambulance
for his surgery. The travel agency actually flew his spouse to China to be with
him on the flight back. The entire cost
was covered by the travel insurance company.
On
another occasion, we planned a trip for a couple and their daughter to go on an
extended trip to China. The entire cost
of the trip was completely paid for and they were awaiting their visa from the
Chinese government. Three weeks before
they were scheduled to leave, the wife went in for emergency surgery. The surgery didn’t go as planned and the wife
was fighting for her life. When Marianne
found out, she immediately notified the travel insurance company and began the paperwork
to get their money refunded ($18,000, minus the cost of the insurance).
Additionally,
there is insurance that covers a variety of different needs as well. One example is insurance that allows the
traveler to “cancel for any reason”.
This insurance is costlier, but for people in certain types of jobs this
insurance is a must. I’m a retired
police officer and there have been many times when I was notified that I had a
trial to attend and my testimony was mandatory.
As a Washington, D.C. police officer, one never knew when there was
going to be a demonstration or crisis.
In these situations, the Chief of Police would cancel all leave. The same situations are exceedingly common
for people in other professions, i.e. doctors, nurses, firefighters, military,
etc.
Travel
insurance for senior citizens just like other types of insurance when a person
gets past a certain age, insurance companies start putting restrictions on the
coverage. 70 seems to be the set age
where seniors are affected the most. This can be through thinner or more expensive
coverage. While I think it’s unfair to
charge senior citizens with higher costs because of their age; it is a statistical
fact that seniors have more medical needs than those people who are younger.
In a later blog, I will concentrate on those
with special medical needs and how they can enjoy international and domestic
travel.
Griffin
World Wide Travel, LLC. Is an experienced travel company located in Prince
William County, Virginia. With over
fourteen years of experience, we are here to help you with the many possible
pitfalls of travel.
Visit us on Facebook at Griffin Worldwide Travel!
Or on our website at www.griffinwwtravel.com
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