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Travel Insurance

TRAVEL INSURANCE INFORMATION

Following are the various types of travel insurance companies with links to additional information.

CRUISE LINES' PROTECTION PLANS

CARNIVAL

CELEBRITY

PRINCESS

ROYAL CARIBBEAN

Frequently Asked Questions on Travel Insurance as noted by Itravel Insured

How do you determine if an accident is "an unexpected or an unforeseeable event"? Just about any action could foresee ably result in an accident even if it is unlikely to. I don't mean to be picky but want to be sure the policy will meet our needs.

The principal is very simply illustrated by the following example. If a fire destroyed your home, you could not buy fire insurance to cover the destroyed home after the occurrence of the fire. Insurance does not cover an event that has already occurred. The event is no longer unexpected, or unforeseeable. This same principal applies to travel insurance. For example, if you were to learn that a family member is sick, and this event causes you to cancel your trip, you cannot purchase travel insurance to cover your non-refundable cancellation penalties if you purchase the insurance after learning of the illness to your family member. If you had purchased travel insurance before the illness occurred, you would be covered.

Does travel insurance cover pre-existing conditions?

The policy covers pre-existing conditions as long as (i) the pre-existing condition has been under control in the 60 day period prior to the purchase of travel insurance, and (ii) you have not obtained or should have obtained treatment from a doctor, and (iii) there has been no change in your medication or the dosage of your current medication within the 60 days prior to the purchase of the insurance. If your condition was stable during this period you will be covered.

Can a pre-existing condition be waived?  

  1. The pre-existing condition exclusion is eliminated if you purchase your insurance prior to the start of any travel supplier cancellation penalties, and
  2. You are under the age of 70 at the time you purchased the insurance or pay additional premium, and
  3. You are determined to be fit to travel by your physician at the time you purchase insurance.

What does Trip Cancellation Insurance Cover?  

•  Illness, Injury or Death to the Insured Person, an Insured's Family Member, a Travel Companion or a Travel Companion's Family Member. Injury or Illness must be so disabling as to reasonably cause a Covered Trip to be delayed, cancelled or interrupted upon the advice of a Physician.

•  Bankruptcy or Financial Default of a Travel Supplier (other than the Travel Supplier from whom the Insured purchased this coverage) which stops service more than 30 days following the Insured's Effective Date. Bankruptcy or Financial Default of a Travel Supplier within 30 days of the Insured's Effective Date is excluded from coverage. For the Bankruptcy or Financial Default coverage to apply, the coverage must be purchased within 14 days from the date of the initial deposit for the Covered Trip.

•  A Terrorist Incident after the Effective Date, if the Insured is scheduled to arrive at their Destination within 10 days following the Terrorist Incident and, for Trip Interruption, the Travel Supplier is not offering a substitute itinerary. Coverage for travel to the Insured's Destination for which travel warnings have been issued by the U.S. State Department at the time this coverage is purchased is excluded. Coverage for travel to the Insured's Destination in which such a Terrorist Incident has occurred in the 12 months prior to the purchase of the coverage is excluded.

•  Organized Labor Strike, natural disasters or bad weather resulting in the complete cessation of services by a Travel Supplier for at least 24 consecutive hours.

•  Insured Person or Travel Companion being hijacked, medically quarantined by order of a governmental health authority.

•  Jury Duty when a jury summons is issued after the Insured's Effective Date or the Insured Person is served with a court order issued after the Insured's Effective Date requiring the Insured Person to appear during the time period for the Covered Trip.

•  Insured's or Travel Companion's home made uninhabitable by fire, windstorm, vandalism or flood.  

•  A traffic Accident directly involving either the Insured Person or Travel Companion, substantiated by a police report, while en route to a scheduled departure point.  

•  The Insured Person or Travel Companion, who is on active military duty in the United States Armed Forces: (1) having his or her personal leave revoked within 10 days prior to his or her Departure Date (as long as such revocation is in writing by a superior officer and is not due to war-related situations, Terrorist Incident, invocation of the War Powers Act, base or unit mobilization, unit reassignment for any reason, or disciplinary action); or (2) personal reassignment within 10 days prior to his or her Departure Date, whether temporary or permanent.  

•  Employee termination or layoff if the Insured Person has been employed by the same employer for at least 1 year prior to the Insured's Effective Date.  

What is a Travel Companion?

The term means a companion (may not be more than one person, couple or family traveling with You following the same travel itinerary) on the same trip with You. In the case of cancellation or interruption of a trip by a Traveling Companion, due to “unforeseen” illness, injury or death of a traveling companion's family member, the term “Family Member” means a travel companion's spouse, children, and parents or grandparents.

What does Trip Interruption Insurance Cover?

The coverage is exactly the same as trip cancellation except that it applies to events that occur while you are on your trip. The trip interruption benefit reimburses the insured person for non-refundable, pre-paid expenses that the insured person loses because they could not finish the trip.

What does Travel Delay cover?

This benefit reimburses up to $100 per 24-hour period for reasonable additional accommodations and travel expenses incurred because of a travel delay. This would cover delays that result from a common carrier's mechanical difficulty, bad weather, lost passport or visa, lost or stolen money, a natural disaster, a quarantine or an injury or sickness to the insured or a travel companion. Travel Delay also pays reasonable additional transportation costs to help you catch up to a covered cruise in the event bad weather causes you to miss your cruise departure.

What is not covered under the Baggage benefit?

Animals, business property, motor vehicles or any other conveyance, artificial limbs, false teeth, eyeglasses, contacts, hearing aids, money, stamps, stocks or bonds, postal or money orders, credit cards, or property shipped as freight are not covered.

What is covered by Emergency Accident/Sickness benefit?

If you become ill, injured or hospitalized during your trip, and it is not a pre-existing condition (or your pre-existing condition was eliminated because you purchased insurance within 7 days of your trip deposit or down payment) this benefit reimburses any covered, eligible medical expense not covered by any other health, credit card or other travel insurance that you have purchased. There is no deductible under this benefit.

There are a few rules which must be followed:

  1. The first expense must be incurred with 48 hours of an accident and the accident must occur while you are on your trip.
  2. A sickness, illness or serious illness must occur and require treatment during your trip. Expense for medical treatment or medical services must be from a licensed doctor or performed in a licensed hospital.
  3. Emergency dental treatment is only covered for natural teeth.
  4. Eyeglasses, dentures, dental appliances, false limbs, hearing aids, contact lenses or corneal lenses are not covered.

What does Emergency Medical Transportation cover?

This benefit covers authorized medical evacuations to the nearest, appropriate hospital from where you became ill or injured providing there is no qualified facility or doctor available at the place you became ill or injured. Once you have been evacuated and are declared medically stable by your attending doctor, and your attending doctor and the doctor from Worldwide Assistance agree that you would be medically better off by transferring to another facility this benefit also covers the medical repatriation. Should you perish on your trip, this benefit also pays for the airfreight arrangements to bring the remains home.

There are a few things to remember about this benefit:

  1. The Administrator must authorize any expense before the expense is incurred.
  2. This benefit includes payment for a doctor, nurse or a travel companion to return with you if required by your doctor and agreed by the Administrator.
  3. Repatriation is only authorized for travel between one hospital to another admitting hospital, medical facility or long-term care facility.
  4. The benefit does not automatically give you access to an air ambulance. Your evacuation or repatriation is determined by your medical condition and your medical needs. Your transportation may be arranged with a licensed commercial passenger aircraft, a licensed ground ambulance or any other appropriate means as agreed to by your attending doctor and the medical doctor of the Administrator.

Remember, all expenses and arrangements must be approved by the Administrator. Please call the toll free or collect call phone number whenever you believe this service is necessary.

What is considered an accident?  

“Accidental or Accident” means an unexpected and unforeseen event.

Does my travel insurance policy have any other exclusions or conditions?

Yes, the policy contains a section titled “ Services Not Provided.” Please read this section carefully for a full explanation.

Some of the exclusions listed are:

•  Injury, illness or death as a result of a war or an act of war.
•  Riding or flying in any flying device other than a licensed commercial common carrier aircraft.
•  Intentionally self inflicted injuries, suicide or attempts or actual violations of the law.
•  Injuries or illness that result from intoxication or under the influence of any drugs or narcotics unless administered or prescribed by a licensed doctor.
•  Emotional, mental or nervous disorders
•  Parachuting, scuba diving below 135 feet or any type of scuba diving without the proper diving training and certification from a professional organization such as PADI or SSI, rock or mountain climbing, hot air ballooning, or hunting;
•  Injuries from taking part in a riot or civil disturbance.
•  Expenses for dental treatment due to normal maintenance or wear and tear.
•  Injury or illness from participation in any scheduled athletic event.
•  Injury or illness while serving in the armed forces.