What type of travel insurance should I buy?

Travelers often ask us, “What type of travel insurance should I get for my trip?” and our answer is to ask them a little about their trip, themselves, and who’s going along. After all, it’s important to understand the details about the travelers and their planned trip before we can make a recommendation.

Some travelers need a full featured plan with lots of coverage for cancellation, baggage, etc.; others only need a travel medical plan, and still others need a med-evac plan because everything else is already covered by other insurance. The key is to get the travel insurance coverage you need but avoid paying for a lot of extras or paying for duplicate coverage.

The following is a brief explanation that should help you decide:

1. You need a travel medical plan when your travel is domestic, relatively cheap, and your destination is outside your health insurance network. Cheaper travel plans don’t have the same requirements for trip cancellation coverage … after all, there’s little invested!
2. You need a package plan when your travel is expensive, it’s a once-in-a-lifetime trip, or you’re on a tight budget and can’t afford to lose your trip investment. Package plans cover a wide range of travel risks, including trip cancellations.
3. You need a specialty plan when you have an insurance gap that needs to be covered. If your medical care abroad is paid for, you may only need a travel accident plan, for example.

See our Tips to Buy the Right Type of Travel Insurance for more details.