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Calli50
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Who does everybody recommend for travel insurance? I have used the trip insurance store in the past. One in our group going in February has some health issues and wants a good policy. Anybody that has actually had to use it? Positive experience with it?

Thanks in advance!

 

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I book insurance through the cruise line. I haven't had to use it through Royal.

 

Last year my husband and I were excavated from Hatteras Island the morning after we arrived because of Hurricane Maria. I had bought insurance through the rental company, which was through Berkshire Hathaway. While I did not file a medical claim, they were very good to work with on my reimbursement for our rental. They also refunded me for our additional fuel, food and hotel expenses while we drove home. It took a few weeks to get our refund. I was happy with their customer service and was surprised that we got things like gas and food reimbursed.

 

It sometimes is a little cheaper to buy it through outside companies other then what the cruise line is offering through their preferred third parties. But for me, it is just easier to book along with the cruise/house rental. I did buy it myself for our Carnival cruise since the insurance was more then I wanted to pay with, but honestly cannot remember the name of the company I used.

 

I can't say what is great for medical. But if your friend is not buying though the cruise line, I'd suggest them talk to Berkshire Hathaway. Also, their homeowners or car insurance company may have travel insurance plans.

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Who does everybody recommend for travel insurance? I have used the trip insurance store in the past. One in our group going in February has some health issues and wants a good policy. Anybody that has actually had to use it? Positive experience with it?

Thanks in advance!

I've used Squaremouth several times with good results.

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We always use RoamRight. They have a 500,000 air evacuation policy which is adequate enough if that is needed. Fortunately, we haven't had to use that part, but we did need their services when my husband and I had to leave a ship so he could go to the hospital when he had congestive heart failure. The insurance company was very easy to work with and covered all expenses. We just needed to submit receipts. They didn't question anything and even accepted my husband's regular doctor's signature on the paperwork since getting the ship doctor's signature and the doctor signature in St. Thomas would have been quite difficult.

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Trip Insurance Store is good, as well as Insure My Trip.

 

I know that Trip Insurance Store shows you a number of policies, with prices and limits and such. So you can pick the one that suits YOU best.

 

What is good for someone, may not fit YOU.

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For medical I bought GeoBlue since they have preferred providers all over the world that you don't have to pay up front for services if you use one of them. You can use a non-preferred, but then you might have to pay something up front. We had three international trips planned so I bought the annual coverage, which I felt was very reasonable. I didn't get the top level coverage, but second level that seemed to be plenty. Plus it covers you in the US if a certain distance from your home.

 

As for travel expense coverage I have bought several all recommended by my TA (that's why I use her). I have had to make claims twice. The first was due to a death in the family, which was settled promptly and for full amount. The second was a "cancel for any reason" and while at first I wasn't happy with the settlement; after reading the coverage they did exactly what was in the contract. Shame on me for not reading it closer.

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If your friend has existing health issues, they need to check whether any policy they take out has a pre-existing condition exclusion. Some policies will waive it if you take out the insurance within a certain timeframe related to either the payment of the deposit or final payment.

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I input my data into www.insuremytrip.com and sort the policies by price. Then I find a policy that meets my criteria which is at least an A rating for the company, robust medevac coverage and pre-existing condition waiver if purchased within 2 weeks of purchasing the insurance. I will often compare several policies side by side with is easy to do on the site.

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Trip Insurance Store is good, as well as Insure My Trip.

 

I know that Trip Insurance Store shows you a number of policies, with prices and limits and such. So you can pick the one that suits YOU best.

 

What is good for someone, may not fit YOU.

 

Insure My Trip works the same way. Shows you a bunch of policies that you can then compare to find the best policy for your particular needs. I have used them for many years for our trip insurance needs and their customer service is very responsive and knowledgeable when I've had questions. I have used several different insurance companies through them. It was easy to find a policy that fit my requirements at a reasonable price. I've had to use it a few times and I've been reimbursed in a reasonable amount of time.

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I had been using the vacation protection plan through RCCL until I tried to use it for a trip to the ship’s medical unit when my wife got bronchitis. When I went to file a claim, I found out that I had to file with my other insurance first and they would only pay the difference. I tried to file with Medicare and never received a response. Thus, this insurance won’t pay anything making it useless. I also noticed that their evac limit is only $25k which is totally inadequate. I now go to insure my trip and get a much better policy for around the same price.

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Buying insurance is easy. The real test is when you need to actually use it :)

 

 

I've filled a claim with Berkshire Hathaway, I found them through a bundle/referral with my car insurance company so I believe I got a discounted rate. Anyways, the claim was for trip cancellation due to work requirement. My wife's work schedule changed and they wouldn't give her the time off. From the day I submitted all the paperwork to the day I was repaid was under a week. It was all automated and there were no questions.

 

 

We did need a notarized letter from my wife's employer stating the work requirement, THAT took forever, but the insurance itself was quick. For medical issues you will need paperwork from the doctor. An important tip is to keep receipts for anything and everything.

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I input my data into www.insuremytrip.com and sort the policies by price. Then I find a policy that meets my criteria which is at least an A rating for the company, robust medevac coverage and pre-existing condition waiver if purchased within 2 weeks of purchasing the insurance. I will often compare several policies side by side with is easy to do on the site.

 

Exactly what I do. Would highly recommend this site.

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I had been using the vacation protection plan through RCCL until I tried to use it for a trip to the ship’s medical unit when my wife got bronchitis. When I went to file a claim, I found out that I had to file with my other insurance first and they would only pay the difference. I tried to file with Medicare and never received a response. Thus, this insurance won’t pay anything making it useless. I also noticed that their evac limit is only $25k which is totally inadequate. I now go to insure my trip and get a much better policy for around the same price.

 

Many insurers stipulate that they are secondary to any other coverage that you have, so I'm not sure 3rd party insurance would have changed the outcome. (And I would have asked my congressman to look into Medicare's non-response since the least they could have done was to send a denial letter.)

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I had been using the vacation protection plan through RCCL until I tried to use it for a trip to the ship’s medical unit when my wife got bronchitis. When I went to file a claim, I found out that I had to file with my other insurance first and they would only pay the difference. I tried to file with Medicare and never received a response. Thus, this insurance won’t pay anything making it useless. I also noticed that their evac limit is only $25k which is totally inadequate. I now go to insure my trip and get a much better policy for around the same price.
But, if you followed up with Medicare and got the claim adjudicated, you could file.

 

Yes, if your travel insurance is secondary, you must file first with your other insurance. If you buy primary medical travel insurance, you can file directly with travel insurance.

 

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Had a medical claim and after getting all the paper work together took about 3 weeks to get reimbursed through Allianz

 

This winter my mother fell ill and couldn't travel. We purchased the insurance through the TA which was Leisure Travel. Once all the paperwork was gathered up it took about the same 3 weeks. Airfare was purchased separately from the cruise so had to eat that for one passenger. One piece of advise keep all your original paperwork. My total out of pocket costs when trying to reprint a clean copy from the TA's website for claims changed. Luckily still had the original.

 

This coming cruise went through Square Mouth found a policy that has medical as primary coverage and insures the trips total cost.

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But, if you followed up with Medicare and got the claim adjudicated, you could file.

 

Yes, if your travel insurance is secondary, you must file first with your other insurance. If you buy primary medical travel insurance, you can file directly with travel insurance.

 

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I wasn’t aware the insurance was secondary when I bought it through RCCL. (My own naivety and wrong assumption). Now I make sure I know what I’m getting by comparisons on insuremytrip. Lesson learned.

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I use insuremytrip.com. I have had to use it a couple of times and it has worked for me. I choose an insurance company that is primary in paying as my insurance does not pay for treatments out of the country.

 

I also choose insurance that has a relatively high medical evacuation clause. I buy it within 2 weeks of depositing the cruise.

 

The times I have used the insurance, I have gotten quick reimbursement after the claim was submitted. For my next cruise I am using IMG from insuremytrip. It seems to fit our needs and hopefully I won't have to use it.

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I had been using the vacation protection plan through RCCL until I tried to use it for a trip to the ship’s medical unit when my wife got bronchitis. When I went to file a claim, I found out that I had to file with my other insurance first and they would only pay the difference. I tried to file with Medicare and never received a response. Thus, this insurance won’t pay anything making it useless. I also noticed that their evac limit is only $25k which is totally inadequate. I now go to insure my trip and get a much better policy for around the same price.

 

My Dad's experience was they paid promptly.

 

And I don't see where your no following up withe Medicare for a denial is the insurer's fault?

 

Yes, the $25K evac is low (my Mohter's evac from Halifax to DC was $29K, but the air ambulance accepted the $25K RCI payment), for some people, third party insurers are VERY expensive.

 

My parents were 87 at the time of the cruise, and third party insurance would have been more than their cruise cost.

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I wasn’t aware the insurance was secondary when I bought it through RCCL. (My own naivety and wrong assumption). Now I make sure I know what I’m getting by comparisons on insuremytrip. Lesson learned.

 

Secondary insurance can be fine. And cheaper.

 

You just had to do some work.

 

I insured my SO through Allianz for a trip to the US. I had a couple of back and forths about paying, until I finally got someone who told me what to do. I had to send proof that she resided outside the US, then they paid right away.

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