Traveling to Italy and am wondering if I should get the AAA TripAssist Family Care Comprehensive. The cost I was quoted online was $194 for 3 people. I checked with our current insurance, found out we would have to pay out of pocket and then get reimbursed at 80% because it would be "out of network", after a $200 deductible. Sounds like a big hassle IF anything happened. We are all healthy, but you never know. The Access America (through AAA website) covers emergency medical and dental up to $25000 and emergency transport to $500000. Anyone ever used them?
Posted by
Boston
215 posts
Yes, I used them to insure our trip. I did a lot of the planning so I took out a policy that covered up to a certain $$ amount. ( that I would lose if I had to cancel~ deposits and some train travel that I had to pre book) We traveled for 12 weeks and thankfully nothing happened, so I don't know how they would be in an emergency. however, I made a lot of calls to them when the swine flu first broke out this spring with questions I had and they were really nice to talk to on phone. I went into the local office to purchase it. I was happy I used them.
Posted by
Bloomington, IL, USA
9363 posts
I haven't used the AAA insurance. You might want to compare policies at www.insuremytrip.com to see if that is a good price for the coverage or not. You should also check to see if the AAA insurance (or any travel insurance) would be the primary insurer if something happened. You don't want to pay for travel insurance that will only pay as the second payer, since you would still be facing the need to pay the bill and be reimbursed by your regular insurance before the travel insurance kicked in.
Posted by
OP
Vestavia
31 posts
Nancy, you make a very good point about it being a "secondary" insurance. I hadn't even though about that. Thank you!
Posted by
Vacaville, CA, US
16 posts
We took a granddaughter to Europe in2007 and used Access America and were happy with it. Someone ran into our car while it was parked at a hotel one night and Access picked up the damage tab which was, in my opinion, highly inflated, especially by Am. costs for similar damage. But it was a smooth, no hassle thing. Thankfully, we didn't have any medical costs.
Ann
Vacaville Ca
Posted by
Weeki Wachee, FL, USA
75 posts
Remember that AAA will only insure you if you book through them.
Posted by
Dallas, TX, USA
1170 posts
Also check into Travel Guard insurance.
Posted by
Washington, DC
180 posts
I bought insurance through AAA last year (and no you don't have to book your trip through them to us eit).
It was the cheapest I could find and had good coverage (I never had to use it).
I thought it was a good deal for the coverage
Posted by
Philadelphia, PA, USA
3320 posts
It helps to be specific; MEDICAL travel insurance and "trip insurance" differ; the latter covers both medical AND pre-paid package-holiday price & is a lot more expensive! Insuremytrip.com is EXCELLENT, have used it on 8 trips; it offers plans from dozens of companies. To compare just the medical-type, in the online form put "0" as cost of trip, and check "compare." You will get a list of policies at varying costs, click on each for full details. ALso, if the form confuses, there's a phone # and a nice person walks you through it.
As a retiree I get v.g. med coverage for just about $50 for 3-4 weeks (including proviso for someone to fly to Greece & bring me back in case a wacko hits me with a scooter & I'm in a full-body cast!). NOTE; you have choice of them sending plan details online or by mail, choose the latter. Its 20 pp online vs a small little 4 pp booklet u can photocopy & leave with family. Most plans also have "traveler aid" which I used once when I could not get a phone call thru -- the "traveler aid" did it for me.