Book a trip through any travel agent, and you'll probably be offered
some kind of travel or trip insurance. After all, travel agents make a
market on the product. Truth be told, these days they probably make
more on insurance commissions than on some trip commissions.
Don't' get me wrong, insurance isn't necessarily a bad thing; but we
could all make better buying decisions on travel insurance products.
Think about it -- we shop around and compare rates for car insurance,
so why don't we do the same for travel-related insurance?
Well, I did. And I'm very pleased with the results.
Granted, there are many types of travel insurance; however there's
one type that I just can't live without -- emergency evacuation
insurance.
Why? Well, although I'm content to roll the dice in the off-chance
that I'll have to cancel my trip because of a health issue or a death
in the family (I've had both and still managed to make the trips); an
emergency medical evacuation could set me back in upwards of $50k. And
that's just not a risk I'm willing to take.
But I'm also not willing to pay "per-trip" for an overpriced policy that gives me minimal coverage.
So, like I said, I shopped around. And in the end, I found a very
affordable source for emergency evacuation insurance -- the Travel
Medical Protection Plan from American Express.
This yearly plan covers me whenever I travel more than 150 miles
from my permanent residence, and it includes a whopping $100k coverage
for emergency medical evacuation. It also includes another $100k for
emergency medical or dental treatment (secondary to my own health
insurance, which doesn't cover anything overseas). Additionally, in the
unlikely event that I'm hospitalized for more than five days while I'm
on the road, the policy foots the bill for travel expenses for one
visitor to travel to my bedside.
Prices vary depending on your age, but both my husband and I (we are
between 50-60) are covered for a whole year for a very affordable $149.
Best of all, there are no health restrictions or exclusions for pre-existing conditions.
Of course, everyone's need is different, so I advise you check it
out and ask a lot of questions based on your own situation. Still, it
seems a very affordable policy, especially if you travel a lot.
And if this policy doesn't work for you, see you own insurance agent
about an annual travel insurance policy. You'll usually get a better
deal on an annual policy, than on the per-trip policies that most
travel agents offer. Additionally, since your insurance agent is an
expert in all insurance matters, her or she is the best person to
consult for all your insurance needs.
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