3 On Your Side: Insuring Your Trip
By Jim Donovan
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- It's probably happened to you one time or another, you plan a great vacation only to be faced with something going wrong.
Travel insurance can reimburse you for lost luggage, canceled flights, and even help when you're sick, injured or have to come home early unexpectedly.
But how far does the coverage go? 3 On Your Side consumer reporter Jim Donovan explains.
Dale Cody's photos remind him of rock climbing in Thailand. But there's one portion of that trip he'll never forget.
"I was in serious trouble. I had a huge fever, chills, freezing cold, then broiling hot in a tropical climate. All my bones and joints just ached like crazy," said Cody.
Dale came down with an infection, and went to a small private medical clinic.
"One of their main concerns was, are we going to get paid," said Cody.
Luckily Cody had purchased travel insurance.
"Behind the scenes, the insurance company worked to arrange a stay at Bangkok Hospital at Phuket, which is a world class hospital," said Cody.
Having a health advocate to deal with foreign medical care is one of many benefits of travel insurance because regular health insurance may not cover services out of the United States.
Other coverage options include reimbursement for being stuck on the tarmac, missed connections and interrupting, delaying or even canceling an entire trip because of illness or injury.
Some policies even cover medical evacuation back to the United States.
"If you have to be medically evacuated, it can cost up to $100,000 or more," said Linda Kundell with the U.S. Travel Insurance Association.
While certain credit cards offer free travel insurance, the policies may not be comprehensive.
Industry experts caution against buying travel insurance from an airline, cruise company or tour operator, because you're not covered if they go bankrupt.
"For a very inexpensive trip, let's say a $1000 trip somewhere, you might not want to get travel insurance. Travel insurance is really better for those trips that you cannot afford to lose the value of, for example, a $10,000 cruise," said George Hobica with AirfareWatchdog.com.
Cody's travel insurance coverage cost him $360 but it certainly paid off in the end.
Travel experts recommend shopping around before buying any policy. Pricing is generally based on the cost of the trip.
LINKS:
Travel Insurance Comparison Websites
www.LonelyPlanet.com/Travel-Insurance
