Travel Insurance: Choose the Right Coverage for You

Booked a trip or traveled lately? Then you know that everything from flights to food is more expensive than ever. And with uncertainty around weather, flight delays, and even vendor availability due to staffing issues, it makes sense to protect your vacation dollars with the right travel insurance. But how do you know what the right protection is?

Here are a few things to consider:

• The length and cost of your trip. Vacations to international destinations include many variables, so make sure you have enough coverage to protect your trip investment.
• The cost of local health care, especially if you have a more serious medical condition. Some international providers may not accept your health insurance plan and/or may require cash payment before beginning treatment. You should also confirm if your health insurance will work abroad – most Medicare plans won’t pay for health care outside of the U.S. without a supplement like Medigap.
• Is it required? Some destinations or types of trips require you to have travel insurance.
• The coverage options included. Travel insurance plans come in all shapes and sizes, so review the services carefully to ensure it includes the options most important to you such as interruption, cancel for any reason, or trip delay. Also review the coverage limits to ensure they are sufficient for your needs.
• Is it non-refundable? If your original booking isn’t flexible, you may want to evaluate if you can afford to lose the cost of that booking if your trip encounters an issue.

When booking a flight, cruise or vacation package, you may be offered trip protection during the checkout process. Likewise, your credit card may offer some expense protection when renting a car, and/or your hotel may have a flexible cancellation policy. Always read the fine print to determine what’s covered, then decide if you need a more comprehensive travel insurance policy that provides more coverage.

Note: While travel insurance provides coverage for individual travel arrangements (flight, hotel, cruise, excursions, etc.), EA+ steps in to assist if you have a medical emergency during a trip, such as a serious injury or illness.  EA+ is a membership program, it is not insurance.