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Allianz Insurance Question


lele100
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I am thinking of purchasing Insurance for my upcoming cruise through Allianz.  They do have a Epidemic coverage endorsement that supposedly covers Covid, however they state this red text below,  The way I read this is if a government agency advises against cruising it will not be covered,  which the cdc is advising against  cruising.  Am I reading this correctly?

 

Trip Interruption Coverage Covered reasons 1 and 2 under Trip Interruption Coverage are removed in their entirety and replaced with the following:

 

1. You or a traveling companion becomes ill or injured, or develops a medical condition (including being diagnosed with an epidemic or pandemic disease such as COVID-19). The following conditions apply:

a. The illness, injury, or medical condition must be disabling enough to make a reasonable person interrupt their trip;

 

b. A doctor must either examine or consult with you or the traveling companion within 72 hours of the trip interruption to confirm the decision to interrupt the trip; and

 

c. You or a traveling companion must not have traveled against the orders or advice of any government or other public authority at any location to, from, or through which you are traveling on your trip.

 

2. A family member who is not traveling with you becomes ill or injured, or develops a medical condition (including being diagnosed with an epidemic or pandemic disease such as COVID-19). The following condition applies: a. The illness, injury, or medical condition must be considered life threatening by a doctor or require hospitalization.

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I really dislike that kind of language (what is highlighted from the policy) since it is not very specific and leaves some things open to interpretation.  But for Americans, our State Department categorizes countries by 4 Levels (1-4) and this list in updated quite frequently.  So you can book a trip where all the countries are Level 1 or 2 and by the time you take your trip you might be going to Level 3 or Level 4 countries.   That language in that policy would likely not cover a Level 4 country and when it comes to Level 3 who knows?   Using a decent professional cruise insurance broker should get you good advice but you should be sure that your broker truly knows about what they speak.

 

The current State Department levels defy understanding.  For example, New Zealand is categorized as Level 3 (Reconsider Travel).  But consider that NZ does not even allow Americans to enter their country so why the Level 3?  And also consider that NZ has very few COVID cases so the Level 3 makes even less sense.  Then you can look at an island like Aruba which is now listed as a Level 4 (Do Not Travel) but Aruba has a COVID level below many of the US States.  So for many Americans, going to Aruba would actually lower their COVID risk (statistically).  Go figure.  But since the State Department recommends not to travel to Aruba we assume that Allianz would not cover a trip to that island.  On the other hand since their language does not specifically cite a Level 3 or Level 4 warning one would have to interpret their language.  Unless Allianz were to say otherwise (in writing) I would assume they would not cover any trip that includes a Level 3 or Level 4 country which would rule out a good number of countries throughout the world.  Here is a link to the State Department's current list

Travel Advisories (state.gov)

 

Traveling these days is truly like moving through a minefield.  A decent cruise broker might have better information which makes my post garbage.  But if I were considering an Allianz policy with the language posted I would first ask Allianz to specifically list the State Department Levels they would not cover.

 

Hank

 

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  • This is in Allianz Covid 19 FAQ:

  •  Am I covered if I cancel or interrupt my trip because the government has issued a travel advisory or warning for my destination due to COVID-19?

  • Our plans do not generally cover losses directly or indirectly resulting from government-issued travel advisories or warnings related to COVID-19, including those issued by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and U.S. Department of State.

    However, as a temporary accommodation, please note that the accommodations and other coverage for which you are otherwise eligible under your plan continue to apply regardless of any U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and U.S. Department of State travel alerts regarding COVID-19 that exist on the effective date of our COVID-19 Coverage Alert. For the latest information and updates, please see our COVID-19 Coverage Alert.

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  • 3 weeks later...

Husband and I just returned from a cruise on the Oasis out of NJ. Wonderful experience and we felt safe. We are scheduled for 8 cruises next year. All of them pushed forward from these covid years, either our choice or cancelled by the cruise line.

Putting that aside, we, too, are considering purchasing annual travel insurance. We reside in NY and we aren't permitted to purchase trip insurance from the cruise lines themselves, which has been our norm. Has anyone used Allianz or attempted to be compensated for medical/evacuation/baggage loss? Are they reliable? The price seems to be much more affordable than purchasing individual insurance which we always do. Also, does it include air flight cancellations or changes? This has become a very genuine problem for many, many people - scrambling for a replacement, etc.

We would appreciate any response along these lines.

 

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Allianz is primarily a medical policy. The Executive and Premier plans do provide up to $15,000 for cancellation, but that is an annual limit so one claim could exhaust the benefits, leaving your other trips for the year without coverage.

 

Air fare could be included in the total amount  of your claim, but you may not be reimbursed because airlines issue vouchers for tickets you cancel. Insurance companies consider that compensation. No loss, no claim. That is true for many policies.

 

The plans do offer some trip delay/interruption coverage. Many people supplement the travel coverage with insurance provided by their credit cards. You need one of the higher level of cards such as Chase Sapphire Reserve to maximize benefits.

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2 hours ago, Marianna49 said:

Husband and I just returned from a cruise on the Oasis out of NJ. Wonderful experience and we felt safe. We are scheduled for 8 cruises next year. All of them pushed forward from these covid years, either our choice or cancelled by the cruise line.

Putting that aside, we, too, are considering purchasing annual travel insurance. We reside in NY and we aren't permitted to purchase trip insurance from the cruise lines themselves, which has been our norm. Has anyone used Allianz or attempted to be compensated for medical/evacuation/baggage loss? Are they reliable? The price seems to be much more affordable than purchasing individual insurance which we always do. Also, does it include air flight cancellations or changes? This has become a very genuine problem for many, many people - scrambling for a replacement, etc.

We would appreciate any response along these lines.

 

NY can be a problem because your Insurance Commission has made it difficult for some companies to sell product in your State.    Like you, we do a lot of cruising (and other travel) and do buy an annual trip medical policy (not sold in NY).   In your situation I strongly recommend seeking out a true trip insurance professional broker (Steve of tripinsurancestore is often mentioned here).  Brokers (as opposed to many agents) handle multiple insurance companies and can give you the pros and cons of the various products.

 

Hank

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7 hours ago, Hlitner said:

NY can be a problem because your Insurance Commission has made it difficult for some companies to sell product in your State.    Like you, we do a lot of cruising (and other travel) and do buy an annual trip medical policy (not sold in NY).   In your situation I strongly recommend seeking out a true trip insurance professional broker (Steve of tripinsurancestore is often mentioned here).  Brokers (as opposed to many agents) handle multiple insurance companies and can give you the pros and cons of the various products.

 

Hank

I wholeheartedly thank you for your input. I will follow up on your recommendation.

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  • 3 months later...

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