Babr

@Jersey42 Not a problem. Your responses always contain a complete explanation with valuable details that everyone appreciates, including me.

New York insurance regulations do not allow Cancel for Any Reason. It is not considered insurance because it does not protect against unforeseen risks, merely the choice of the policyholder.

That is the beauty of getting professional advice to help avoid the pitfalls of buying something so complex. It does not cost any more because insurance is regulated by the states. What’s more is that Steve can also answer your questions if you have to file a claim.

I’m glad the combination worked for you. You did not say whether it was a pre-existing condition, and I don’t need to know personal details, but we are discussing a specific point of coverage here. I’m just suggesting caution to anyone who wants to use credit card insurance when pre-existing conditions are a consideration for themselves or anyone in their traveling and/or family circle. In that case, the medical history of anyone connected to the claim must be clear for the 60-day look-back period prior to booking.

Yes, the IMG plans do not require you to insure the full amount in order to cover pre-existing conditions if purchased in a timely manner. The problem is that it covers up to the policy limit for cancellation, leaving the $20,000 covered by credit card insurance exposed to risk.

My greatest concern is that most people do not have a clear understanding of the pre-existing conditions exclusion. There is no waiver so credit card insurance does not work for everyone. For example, something as simple as a prescription change in their medical history during the look-back period - or that of a non-traveling family member - could invalidate a claim. Otherwise, as @pappy1022 says, it fills in the gaps except for cancellation if a pre-existing condition is involved.

Death of a family member is a covered reason. You’d have to check the language in the policy to be sure aunts and uncles are included in the definition of family members. If that is the only reason you want CFAR, you may not need it. That is why I recommend consulting with Steve or one of his associates at The Trip Insurance Store. They can address your concerns and find the appropriate coverage because they are professionals who deal with a limited number of reputable companies, and they are quite familiar with the policies they sell.

Perhaps you meant comprehensive travel insurance. There are no cancellation policies, but a comprehensive policy will cover it along with medical treatment and evacuation. Know that in insurance language, evacuation means transporting you to the nearest appropriate hospital if you need additional treatment beyond what is available at the initial facility. It does not necessarily mean repatriation; however, it will cover that when it is medically necessary. If you want more control over the decision, MedJet Assist is a medical transportation organization that offers membership which will provide repatriation at your request. There are some limitations, but you can check their website for details. Be very careful about relying on credit card coverage. While the dollar amount appears generous, there is an abbreviated list of covered reasons. The pre-existing conditions exclusion extends to family members who are not traveling with you so be sure you understand how that applies to your situation. Cruise line insurance can be an option when age is a consideration because it will be less expensive. Don’t worry about conflict of interest when filing a claim because it is not against Regent rather the independent underwriter and plan administrator. Once Regent sells you the policy with their brand on it, they are no longer involved. The best advice given here is to contact The Trip Insurance store. They can guide you to the best policy for your needs.

Are you referring to Cancel for Any Reason? It has nothing to do with when you cancel rather it covers why. If you cancel for a reason that is not covered under the Cancellation provision, then it will refund 50% of the pre-paid non-refundable expenses regardless of when you cancel. There are other policies that cover 75%, but you have to consider overall coverage vs. cost.

It may make sense not to buy insurance from a tour operator, but Viking insurance is underwritten by Generali and administered by TripMate. If Viking were to go out of business, it would have no impact on a claim because Generali is independent of the cruise line. The problem with Viking is its voucher program, not the insurance itself. You just have to know that it does not cover vouchers that Viking issues. You have to go to a third-party policy to get that coverage.

I should have said Chase rewards so that I did not imply it would cover all points/rewards programs.

Some policies have a scheduled amount that will pay up to the limit to redeposit miles, but no you can’t insure the implied cash value. Chase fee-based credit cards will reimburse travel purchases made with rewards as long as the dollar equivalent is shown on the invoice. Otherwise it is $.01 per reward unit. I don’t think I’ve seen that in third-party policies.

It might be useful to know that your travel insurance likely will not cover luggage that you ship separately - only bags that accompany you. I expect that the luggage handling company offers coverage if you are concerned about loss or delay.

That is the point I was making when I responded to another post back on page 1 that implied annual policies are the solution to everything. While annual policies provide acceptable coverage for some, they do not work for everyone.

I meant that some annual policies like GeoBlue are for medical coverage only with no cancellation benefits. On the other hand, Allianz offers several options from $2,000 to $15,000. Those are fairly low caps for cancellation/interruption.

Thanks. The question remains why the insurance was cancelled.

I wonder if the problem was that the fourth person was not a family member. It would be a problem with third-party insurance. Does Royal allow you to insure someone else’s child as a member of your traveling party?

I just meant to clarify for others who may not know how annual insurance works, especially since cancellation was the issue here. Allianz offers several options with a maximum of $15,000 per policy / year. Some may not find that to be enough since one claim could deplete the entire amount.

Depending on which policy one chooses, annual insurance offers little to no cancellation coverage. It does not work for everyone.

I have been reading this board long enough to remember that during the pandemic people groused about the cost of travel insurance and bristled at the idea of having to pay for it in order to protect themselves and their investment. They looked to Celebrity to do it. And Celebrity did - medical care on board, private jets home, limos to the door, reimbursement for quarantine, reimbursement for hotels and meals, penalty-free cancellation. . . They did it for months for thousands of people at a time when bookings were slim. Why is anybody surprised now that things have not gone back to just the way they were?

If he is allowed to board, check to see if this is covered by the Trip Interruption provision of the insurance because his departure was delayed beyond the scheduled date for a covered reason. You can use the documentation from the clinic that tested and advised 72 hour quarantine.

Trip Interruption is tied to trip cost because it reimburses the unused portion of the trip if it is cut short for a covered reason. If there is no cost, there is no coverage. Other benefits such as delay, baggage, or medical/evacuation still apply with the caveat of pre-existing conditions and whether the policy was purchased in time to get the waiver.

I don’t think so. It is treated as any other acute illness that requires treatment and bed rest or restricted activity. If a doctor recommends that the patient not travel as the result of any diagnosis including COVID, it is covered. Period.

Travel insurance is not the same as private health insurance. Travel insurance never had to cover it, and most policies did not until vaccines and treatments became available. Nowadays it is covered as any other illness. No doubt the claims process will require proof, but getting a doctor’s statement for COVID should not be any more difficult than getting a statement for any other illness if the patient is unable to travel. Perhaps a consultation is in order before canceling.

Insurance covers COVID the same way it covers any other acute illness. You’ll have to provide proof of a positive test and possibly a doctor’s statement.