For international, what do you add on besides flights? Do you add on prepaid tours that can be cancelled only up to 72 hours? We are spending quite a bit on those. But that might not be worth the risk, maybe just the first few ones in case of trip cancellation before we get there?
I think I might buy medevac, never done that before. With 4 of us, it can add up, so want to be more thoughtful about what to spend the money on.
I am in the midst of planning a trip now. In addition to airfare, I also purchased the trip insurance option offered by the train company (we are traveling between cities). It probably would have been cheaper to purchase some sort of umbrella policy instead of a la cart insurance on individual items. Live and learn.
Some credit cards offer trip insurance if you book using them. You should check to make sure you don’t already have some degree of coverage.
For out of country travel I always purchase a policy that includes the the cost of getting home in the event of accident/illness while away - and make sure to include repatriation in case of death. My sister was on a trip when her friend/traveling companion passed away suddenly. The trip insurance made all the necessary arrangements (post-mortem, contact with US funeral home, etc.).
Talk to your current health insurance provider. They may have a low cost supplement you can buy for the trip.
Thanks all.
For my last big trip, I bought an umbrella policy worth the total cost of the entire trip (hotels, flights, tours, etc.)
The only time when we purchased travel insurance is when we go to third world/developing countries and or medical emergency only (including being lifted by helicopter to high quality medical facility).
Check your policy if it covers those as well, and not just for cancellations.
I called my CC and they don’t cover much. Travelguard does include airlifting back home, so that’s good. They said they take you by helicopter, which is kind of scary over the Atlantic, don’t you think?
They also said they do include hotels that haven’t been paid for yet.
Medjetassist takes you by plane, including private jet. It lets the patient choose whether they want to be transported and to which hospital, hospital to hospital.
I have only used the insurance on my CCard, which isn’t much. When my MD wrote a letter explaining why I had to cancel travel due to an infection worsening my chronic health condition, all companies gave me a full refund even of non refundable reservations.
We have never needed to be returned to my home for medical reasons or burial. Some mortuaries sell repatriation coverage as well.
^^ Regarding helicopter, they won’t take you over the Atlantic 
(assuming you are far away). They typically take you to the near buy high grade/US standard hospital (you might not want to wait for many hours anyway) - like japan, thai land, etc… Once you are well you can get on the regular plane to go home. It all depends on where you are, obviously.
I think you can do a little investigating in to how many medical airlfits actually ever happen. The insurance is offered, but very few people get on the medivac plane or helicopter.
Am I the only one who doesn’t buy trip insurance?
I agreed, but for us it’s the opposite, we never buy travel insurance for cancellations and stuff. We would never buy it for countries like Japan, Korea, anywhere in Europe and NA, Australia, etc… But we go on mission trips all the time and typically in very poor countries.
We almost had to use it a few years ago. So it’s really good knowing we had the option.
My neighbor was in a car accident last year in Banff. It was a tragic and devastating accident that left him in a coma for several days and required him to be Medivaced back to the states. BTW He is doing great now.
Yes it’s rare but without some sort of comprehensive insurance, it would have been devastating both financially and medically. The hospital in BC would not release him except to a rehabilitation hospital in the states and required him to be medivaced.
I have had 2 neighbors injured in Canada of all places that were really happy they had good travel insurance
@conmama they don’t fly helicopters over the Atlantic Ocean.
I recommend being very clear on what type of medical evacuation is covered, to where and who decides where you go. I’m under the impression that under most travel insurance policies they just evacuate you to what they deem to be the nearest adequate facility – which may be far from home and not what you deem an adequate facility – until you are stabilized and cleared for commercial air travel home. I’m no expert but I would think that a helicopter evacuation is for a short distance, not transatlantic. DH and I go on a lot of cruises and usually buy the cruise line insurance. But now that we are getting older, we are looking to add an annual membership in a medical evacuation plan (like Medjet Assist) in addition to our usual travel insurance and/or credit card coverage.
I don’t buy it for most trips. My D’s on several occasions have gone on trips that involve risky activities and they have purchased evacuation insurance. They used a site that allowed them to put in what they were looking for and it gave them options of different companies and policies. I can’t recall the name but found the info here on CC.
I have a Chase Sapphire card and it gives me travel insurance up to a dollar amount. I put all travel purchases on that card.
@katliamom - historically I haven’t, although it partly depends how much the trip costs and how much I would lose if I canceled. I did take out trip insurance once years ago when we took our kids to Disney World during hurricane season. There wasn’t a hurricane, but our flight was canceled due to weather en route and we were rebooked for the next day. Insurance paid our transportation to and from the airport and reimbursed us for the night we lost — we definitely came out ahead on that one!
ETA — if my parents were in ill health, that would definitely make me want to get trip insurance!
We have never had to use our travel insurance, but we know people who did. So yes, for big expensive trips we get it.
Read the various plans’ details for medevac. There are different price ranges & services offered.
Lots of the plans will only cover hotel/tour/etc. costs paid for within a certain timeframe, so pay attention to that too.