My husband and I are signed up for our first RS Tour. RS recommends travel insurance. We’ve never used it before, but I’m wondering what would happen if I got
sick and could not go on then tour. Would RS give me the option of going at a different time? I’d like your thoughts on why travel insurance might make sense or not and if so, recommendations of travel insurance companies. One we looked into charges $700 for our 10 day trip! Thank you.
Posted by
Massachusetts
846 posts
These previous discussions should answer your questons.
Posted by
Phoenix🌵
2743 posts
It isn't just about getting sick or injured. What if you need to be medical evacuated? It can cost you well over $100,000. Can you afford that? It all boils down to managing your risk and loss tolerance.
There almost as many threads about med evac as about travel insurance. Awkward as it is, use the search feature on the forum. Most travel insurance will include some but with possible restrictions. Look at your travel insurance options closely and read the fine print. One company for med evac is Medjet https://medjetassist.com/
As for what RS would do, the tour disclaimers and guidelines spell out the what-ifs for cancellations, credits and refunds..
Which tour are you going on? Enjoy! Three tours later and planning for my fourth, I can say they are all good. And I bought trip insurance for all from various companies. Currently using both Allianz and Medjet. Fortunately I have not had to file a claim with them.
Posted by
Mid-Atlantic area
6563 posts
We buy through Allianz. It offers three policy types that have different benefits. You can select the policy that best suits your needs. The older you are and the more the overall cost of the trip, the more a policy will cost.
For my wife and I, since we don’t take tours and our hotels and rental car are free cancellation, the trip cost is just the airfare.
Posted by
Utah via SF Bay Area
314 posts
Check with your credit card. There maybe some type of benefit for travel.
Posted by
Denver, CO USA
413 posts
https://tripinsurancestore.com/ Is recommended by Bogleheads
We buy just medical for $100 USD.
Posted by
Citizen of the World
1435 posts
The most expensive hit you could take on a trip is a sudden medical emergency and what could happen if you don’t have coverage for emergency treatment and medical evacuation, known as “med-evac.”
A post in recent months mentioned that an American’s father-in-law, while taking a simple and easy hike in Switzerland, collapsed. First responders were called for help. The medics determined the man had a heart attack and that he needed to be rushed to the hospital. They also determined that an ambulance might not be able to get him to the hospital quickly enough, so they called in a helicopter 🚁 to fly the man to the hospital.
The bills from this medical emergency totaled more than US $200,000 which would have been devastating financially had he not bought Travel Insurance that had medical evacuation coverage in addition to coverage for medical treatment.
A really common situation happens after a traveler has to go to a European hospital, their condition is stabilized but they are not healthy enough for the trip to continue and so they need to return to the U.S. The fare for the flight back to the U.S. will likely be extremely expensive, not only because the ticket is being bought at the last minute, but also because the airline may require that the passenger’s needs are such that travel in first-class is required.
If the traveler is on the trip with a partner, that person’s trip will also be affected, as they are likely to have to discontinue the trip to be with their hospitalized partner. That person’s plans will also be in limbo until the prognosis of their travel partner is known. So, the medical emergency will financially affect—not just the hospitalized traveler— but also those they are traveling with.
There also is the financial fallout from losing thousands of dollars more on the pre-paid portions of the trip that cannot be used and are nonrefundable.
Having a heart attack is something you might think will not happen to you while traveling in Europe.
But consider what could happen to you if you simply trip while walking and sprain or break your ankle. With the exception of the helicopter evacuation— the scenario at the hospital and the end of the trip will repeat itself— along with all the expenses that come with it.
The website www.InsureMyTrip.com has information comparing dozens of companies’ travel insurance policies.
Allianz and Generali are two companies among the highly-rated and reputable companies offering travel insurance.