Travel Insurance recommendations.

I think the issue here is that most people don't need to make a claim, and people who do and are happy with the service don't write reviews.

We made a medical claim last year, and the insurance company paid medical costs (which were minor) and all the costs of our changed travel arrangements such as additional hotel accommodation, cancellation of part of the trip, new flights and meals (which was several thousand dollars). It took about three weeks for full payment, and we only had to supply doctors report, flight bookings and hotel bills. They would have made direct payment to the hospital if required, but we didn't need this. Their claims web site was a little complicated but staff on the phone were very helpful, and assisted us in filing.

The insurer was Zurich. You don't say which country you're from but they are an international company.

I have had the Allianz annual plan for several years (they also sell insurance for individual trips). I have had four relatively small claims (under $1000 each) and they have all been paid quickly with a minimum of fuss. They were not specifically medical claims, although two were because I caught COVID. They reimbursed me for expenses related to trip delays and interruptions, including the cost of the COVID tests.

Keep in mind that people who have negative experiences are much more likely to write online reviews than people who are happy. Also, many complaints stem from people not reading and understanding the insurance policy. Insurance does not cover everything! It’s important to understand what you are actually buying.

Hello,

Renee makes an excellent point. That sometimes folks don't realize that they didn't buy the correct policy for their circumstances. And therefore, they aren't covered.

Allianz has several good 'What If' articles that help answer those type of issues. I've linked one here that answers the question, Is It Too Late to Buy Travel Insurance?

https://www.allianztravelinsurance.com/travel/insurance-101/is-it-too-late-to-buy-travel-insurance.htm?accam=F202942&prof=2678&camp=81100&kct=google&kchid=7346&criteriaid=kwd-10067391&campaignid=207219094&locphy=9213535&adgroupid=11145251734&adpos=&cid=645942181868&networkType=search&kdv=c&kext=&kadtype=&kmc=&kpid=&npclid=EAIaIQobChMIntfkgJrqlgMVIC2tBh3peDO9EAAYAiAAEgJIn_D_BwE&gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=207219094&gbraid=0AAAAADkrlDqxlZEY4-AOHC0sklGMogqRE&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIntfkgJrqlgMVIC2tBh3peDO9EAAYAiAAEgJIn_D_BwE

We have purchased IMG coverage through Insure My Trip for previous trips although we have never filled a claim.

As others have said, it is important that you understand exactly what it and isn't covered in the policy your purchasing.

Understand how pre-existing conditions can affect your coverage. Some policies are primary and some are secondary. Some plans require that you cover all prepaid expenses even if you're only wanting medical coverage.

Our next trip, we only want to be covered for medical because our credit card will cover trip cancellation, delay, interruption.... So we choose a different company that didn't require including the full cost of the trip. This is saving us several hundred dollars in premium. We spoke with Insure My Trip before purchasing the policy to make sure we understood exactly what is and isn't covered.

Thank you, everyone! I will look at the article. I happen to be an Insurance Broker and I did review what's covered, so I have an understanding of that. It just seemed from the reviews that things that were supposed to be covered were not and that the carriers were making people jump through crazy hoops and claims if covered took months, like 6 months to resolve.
I am really only concerned about the medical part. If we are injured on the trip and the potential costs of having to be flown home for medical treatment. I will look at the Allianz policy again. I think that carrier was quite a bit more expensive, so I will have to look at that again.

If the injury you suffer is a broken leg, for example, you could be treated in the country where the accident occurred instead of being airlifted back to the United States. It might be less expensive in the long run. Most Western European countries have good hospitals. Keep in mind that you pay for the medical treatment out of pocket and then submit the hospital costs to the insurance company for reimbursement. Having both hard copies and digital receipts is a good idea. Having said that about Europe one of my friends had a heart problem in Mongolia and was very impressed with the modern care she received during her hospital stay there. The M.D.s there had degrees from medical schools in the United States.

Picking up on what Leslie is saying, the insurance company will only evacuate you if it's deemed medically necessary - ie if local care is inadequate (not likely in Europe) or it's a severe ongoing condition. So for most cases you'll be treated locally (as we were in the case I referred to). You won't necessarily need to pay our of pocket, as the insurance company can issue a guarantee to the treating hospital, rather than you needing to pay.

If you really want to be evacuated, you might want to look at an evacuation membership. On a recent trip to Myanmar (where I couldn't get insurance coverage) I used Global Rescue. Thankfully I didn't need to use it, but with that membership they will evacuate you to your home country.

This is all such great advice. I have heard that medical care in Europe is very good, and I would imagine that if we were to
have an injury, that more than likely, we would be treated at a local hospital. We just will be on several different planes, a few trains and renting a car, so I want to make sure that if we are hurt, we have medical coverage. I am thankful for all of the info and advice shared here. If anyone else has any other info to share, feel free.

Thank you again!!

My husband and I have Allianz annual insurance. The medical claim is secondary. I am waiting to get the claim process by my health insurance before I can submit the medical claim. So I cannot comment on medical claim with them. However, I did file a claim on travel interruption and was very happy with the process. (my husband was in the hospital for a minor stroke; we canceled the rest of the trip and rebooked a flight to get back to the US-- Allianz reimbursed all).

I can update you on our experiences with Allianz after we submit the medical claim

After the experience with my husband, we decided to purchase travel insurance for my children for last family trip in Aug. We were comparing Allianz and Faye. Both are primary coverage for medical claim. We end up decide on Faye-- slightly cheaper; higher medical emergency (but lower medical transportation.). We want a higher medical emergency coverage mainly because my son's health insurance has a very high deductible. My son had a deep cut needed stitches. He submitted a medical claim and was reimbursed in less than 2 weeks. They reimburse physician visit plus supplies (ibuprofen, gauze, bandages) we purchased from local pharmacy.
We are happy with both insurance companies.

Recently we had a successful claim experience with AXA Travel Insurance. Although it was for Trip Interruption, not medical. Our policy included medical coverage but we didn’t use that. It was easy to get a live person on the phone when we called a couple of times with questions. The representatives were helpful and had answers, so even better. There were specific requirements about documentation needed to file the claim, and we were careful about that. Be sure to keep track of all receipts and cancellation notices, etc. It took a little more than a month for our claim to be processed/determined then we received a direct deposit within a day or two (a physical check was also an option). After our experience, I would use them again.

We were om Rhone River Cruise with Grand Circle Travel in November 2023 when I experienced a medical emergency on Day 1 resulting in spending six days in a Paris hospital. We had taken out trip insurance thru Grand Circle. It was with Allianz. After months of resubmitting the claim, it was finally resolved in August, 2026! It was finally resolved after filing a claim with the Commerce Department. The whole experience was a nightmare.