Travel Insurance Question

[Bobo912]

On my past two ABD trips, I purchased the ABD insurance without giving it much thought. This week I booked a DCL cruise and the price of the insurance was so high in proportion to the price of the trip that I decided to decline. I was willing to accept the slight risk of losing the price of the trip. Then I started thinking about emergency medical evacuation and freaked myself out, so I priced some insurance on my own. And what I discovered was that most companies don't charge for children. So if I had booked the insurance for the cruise through Disney I would have paid twice as much as necessary, since they charged for DS, as well as myself. Any of the policies that I researched would apply just as well to any trip, so now I'm thinking I shouldn't have purchased the ABD insurance because I paid for my son, when he should have been free. Another thing I discovered was that Access America (which Disney uses) has a lower rating than several other travel insurance companies (but maybe they handle Disney customers differently, since I'm sure that is a large source of business for them). Am I missing something here? Is there some reason why I should continue to purchase insurance through ABD, if I travel with them again, rather than purchasing it on my own? Also, does anybody have any experience filing a claim with the insurance they purchased through ABD? Or any experience filing a claim with another company?

 

[Tozzie]

On my past two ABD trips, I purchased the ABD insurance without giving it much thought. This week I booked a DCL cruise and the price of the insurance was so high in proportion to the price of the trip that I decided to decline. I was willing to accept the slight risk of losing the price of the trip. Then I started thinking about emergency medical evacuation and freaked myself out, so I priced some insurance on my own. And what I discovered was that most companies don't charge for children. So if I had booked the insurance for the cruise through Disney I would have paid twice as much as necessary, since they charged for DS, as well as myself. Any of the policies that I researched would apply just as well to any trip, so now I'm thinking I shouldn't have purchased the ABD insurance because I paid for my son, when he should have been free. Another thing I discovered was that Access America (which Disney uses) has a lower rating than several other travel insurance companies (but maybe they handle Disney customers differently, since I'm sure that is a large source of business for them). Am I missing something here? Is there some reason why I should continue to purchase insurance through ABD, if I travel with them again, rather than purchasing it on my own? Also, does anybody have any experience filing a claim with the insurance they purchased through ABD? Or any experience filing a claim with another company?

To be quite honest I took the insurance for my ABD trip next year as it is out of the country, I didn't for my trip in the US as I felt my Medical Insurance was adequate. The ABD insurance was also cheaper than the plans I would have been able to get on my own.

2girlsmama had to make a claim due to her being quarrantined in China I don't think she posted on any results but she did say ABD was bending over backwards to help her file the claim. Hopefully she will post the outcome.

 

[msmayor]

Look carefully at the policy, and be sure it provides exactly what you want/need.

I have heard from others that DCL's insurance isn't actually purchased by Disney until final payment, and that means that pre-existing conditions are NOT covered. I don't know if this is true with the insurance offered by ABD.

This could be a nasty surprise if problems arise due to such a condition and you try to make a claim.

 

[Tozzie]

Look carefully at the policy, and be sure it provides exactly what you want/need.

I have heard from others that DCL's insurance isn't actually purchased by Disney until final payment, and that means that pre-existing conditions are NOT covered. I don't know if this is true with the insurance offered by ABD.

This could be a nasty surprise if problems arise due to such a condition and you try to make a claim.

With ABD you have to pay for the insurance in total when you accept it, you can put a deposit on the trip but the insurance charge is seprate and payable in full.

 

[Bobo912]

Both of our previous ABD trips I purchased the insurance through them. Luckily, I didn't need to file a claim, so I don't know how good it is. I didn't buy the DCL insurance for our Dec cruise. I don't have a problem with Disney's rate per person. It is in line with other insurers. The quote for the DCL insurance was $59 per person, so they added $118 for me and my 9-year-old to the price of the trip. The problem is that if I go directly to Access America and price the same policy the rate is still $59 per person, but they don't charge for my son. So the total for the whole trip is $59 instead of $118. Same thing if I enter the price of our trip to Alaska. It was half of what I paid to ABD if I went directly to Access America to price the insurance. So Disney charges for children, but the insurance company doesn't. Doesn't make any difference if all the travelers in your party are adults, but for an adult and a child, the price is doubled. I found for Access America, Travel Guard, Travel Insured and Travelex that they all insure children under 18 for free with a paying adult. Disney uses Access America and the other three are highly rated travel insurance companies.

 

[Tozzie]

Both of our previous ABD trips I purchased the insurance through them. Luckily, I didn't need to file a claim, so I don't know how good it is. I didn't buy the DCL insurance for our Dec cruise. I don't have a problem with Disney's rate per person. It is in line with other insurers. The quote for the DCL insurance was $59 per person, so they added $118 for me and my 9-year-old to the price of the trip. The problem is that if I go directly to Access America and price the same policy the rate is still $59 per person, but they don't charge for my son. So the total for the whole trip is $59 instead of $118. Same thing if I enter the price of our trip to Alaska. It was half of what I paid to ABD if I went directly to Access America to price the insurance. So Disney charges for children, but the insurance company doesn't. Doesn't make any difference if all the travelers in your party are adults, but for an adult and a child, the price is doubled. I found for Access America, Travel Guard, Travel Insured and Travelex that they all insure children under 18 for free with a paying adult. Disney uses Access America and the other three are highly rated travel insurance companies.

I just went to the site and quoted it for just me and then for me and a ficticious 9 year old just to see, with the 9 year old the insurance is actually $100 less than for just me. I don't know what formula the companies use but for me it is actually cheaper to use ABD.

 

[Bobo912]

I just went to the site and quoted it for just me and then for me and a ficticious 9 year old just to see, with the 9 year old the insurance is actually $100 less than for just me. I don't know what formula the companies use but for me it is actually cheaper to use ABD.

Actually Tozzie, that's pretty much what I saw too with a single adult vs. an adult and a child. At insuremytrip.com I got a quote of $59 for Access America for me and a 9-year-old. On the Access America website I got $59 for just me. When I added my son, the quote for the both of us was $42, so it was actually less to add a child. Maybe they think and adult with a child is more repsonsible or less likely to engage in risky behavior than a lone adult. That's very strange though.

 

[2GirlsMama]

Hi Everyone!
We were very happy with the Access America trip insurance for our trip to China. We are the family that was quarantined because of the H1N1 policy in China. We remained completely healthy so I don't know about medical benefits. However, we received a very fair settlement for our trip.

I am not sure if ABD had any impact on our final pay-out, but I know that they were in constant contact with us throughout the time we were attempting to recover our money.

I have read a number of comments about the cost of ABD and the changes they have implemented for the 2010 travel season. You won't read one negative comment from our family concerning ABD. We have been very impressed with every aspect of the way they handled our situation. What happened to us had nothing to do with ABD, but they offered complete support. We will certainly travel with them again. We are planning on returning to China for another try next summer. If there is any chance of being quarantined, we will chose a different destination. Either way, we will be going with ABD.

The level of service and the high quality of employees make us believers that they remain dedicated to providing an exceptional travel experience.

 

[Bobo912]

Hi Everyone!
We were very happy with the Access America trip insurance for our trip to China. We are the family that was quarantined because of the H1N1 policy in China. We remained completely healthy so I don't know about medical benefits. However, we received a very fair settlement for our trip.

I am not sure if ABD had any impact on our final pay-out, but I know that they were in constant contact with us throughout the time we were attempting to recover our money.

I have read a number of comments about the cost of ABD and the changes they have implemented for the 2010 travel season. You won't read one negative comment from our family concerning ABD. We have been very impressed with every aspect of the way they handled our situation. What happened to us had nothing to do with ABD, but they offered complete support. We will certainly travel with them again. We are planning on returning to China for another try next summer. If there is any chance of being quarantined, we will chose a different destination. Either way, we will be going with ABD.

The level of service and the high quality of employees make us believers that they remain dedicated to providing an exceptional travel experience.

I'm sorry your trip didn't turn out as planned, but I'm glad you had a good experience with Access America. I wonder if their level of service is the same when you don't have Disney being your advocate. That's definitely something to consider when deciding whether to insure through ABD or directly with the insurance company. I'm not going to buy insurance our cruise through DCL though because $118 for a $910 cruise just seems too high.

 

[wdwsos]

Even for those of us in the travel business, insurance is terribly confusing. Each company offers different coverage and computes the cost in different ways. One that we always recommend is Travelex, but even they give six or more plans to choose from.

Most travel insurance companies take the total cost of the trip, divide it by the number of guests, and remove the cost for the kids. So, for example and with numbers I'm just pulling out of my...ahh...hat... let's say your trip was $1000.00 for yourself (with a single supplement) and the insurance was $100.00. Now you've added a 9-year-old and the price goes up to $1400.00. If the per person insurance cost was still 10%, or $70 each, your insurance would then drop from $100.00 to $70.00. The child would be at no cost.

Some insurance companies ask for the actual rate the child paid, but most just take the total and divide by the number of guests.

For DCL, I always, without exception, recommend getting some kind of travel protection. I had a client airlifted in Mexico with appendicitis, and her evacuation would have cost her over $25k without the insurance. Also, unless it's changed, if you purchase the DCL insurance, you can cancel for ANY reason and have the cost that you paid for your cruise applied to a future cruise. I'd double check before adding it, but I've helped two clients put through claims and this was true at the time. I think that's very important!

For the AbD insurance, one big change for next year is that it will also cover the deposit if a trip must be canceled before final payment. For my four trips, I've always used AbD insurance even though I get a discount on Travelex. It just gave me peace of mind. However, out of the 120+ guests I've booked on AbD trips, there wasn't one who had to use it, so I can't vouch for how good it is!

Most insurances now will cover cancellation due to job loss -- something also very important in this economy. I'd look into that when choosing a supplier.

I was never big on insurance until I started working in this business. When you see a family with four little kids stuck overnight in the airport in Orlando in a tropical storm, with no change of clothes, diapers or formula, you realize how valuable the insurance really is!

Dotti

 

[MMitchell29]

Just curious but what does "ABD" stands for???

 

[Bobo912]

Even for those of us in the travel business, insurance is terribly confusing. Each company offers different coverage and computes the cost in different ways. One that we always recommend is Travelex, but even they give six or more plans to choose from.

Most travel insurance companies take the total cost of the trip, divide it by the number of guests, and remove the cost for the kids. So, for example and with numbers I'm just pulling out of my...ahh...hat... let's say your trip was $1000.00 for yourself (with a single supplement) and the insurance was $100.00. Now you've added a 9-year-old and the price goes up to $1400.00. If the per person insurance cost was still 10%, or $70 each, your insurance would then drop from $100.00 to $70.00. The child would be at no cost.

Some insurance companies ask for the actual rate the child paid, but most just take the total and divide by the number of guests.

For DCL, I always, without exception, recommend getting some kind of travel protection. I had a client airlifted in Mexico with appendicitis, and her evacuation would have cost her over $25k without the insurance. Also, unless it's changed, if you purchase the DCL insurance, you can cancel for ANY reason and have the cost that you paid for your cruise applied to a future cruise. I'd double check before adding it, but I've helped two clients put through claims and this was true at the time. I think that's very important!

For the AbD insurance, one big change for next year is that it will also cover the deposit if a trip must be canceled before final payment. For my four trips, I've always used AbD insurance even though I get a discount on Travelex. It just gave me peace of mind. However, out of the 120+ guests I've booked on AbD trips, there wasn't one who had to use it, so I can't vouch for how good it is!

Most insurances now will cover cancellation due to job loss -- something also very important in this economy. I'd look into that when choosing a supplier.

I was never big on insurance until I started working in this business. When you see a family with four little kids stuck overnight in the airport in Orlando in a tropical storm, with no change of clothes, diapers or formula, you realize how valuable the insurance really is!

Dotti

Thanks for the explanation, Dotti! I am going to purchase insurance for our cruise. This is a fairly inexpensive vacation, so I'm not so concerned about recouping the cost of the cruise if something goes wrong, but I will feel much more relaxed if I know that I'm covered for an emergency such as the one your client experienced. I'm not going to purchase the insurance through DCL though because it just seems ridiculously pricey. The quoted price is 13% of the total price of the cruise and ground transportation. In comparions the insurance I purchased through ABD for our Alaska trip was only 4% of the cost of the land package and airfare. I'm just confused about why the cruise insurance is so expensive. Maybe it is the "cancel for any reason" clause.

 

[Bobo912]

Just curious but what does "ABD" stands for???

Adventures by Disney.

 

[Tozzie]

Even for those of us in the travel business, insurance is terribly confusing. Each company offers different coverage and computes the cost in different ways. One that we always recommend is Travelex, but even they give six or more plans to choose from.

Most travel insurance companies take the total cost of the trip, divide it by the number of guests, and remove the cost for the kids. So, for example and with numbers I'm just pulling out of my...ahh...hat... let's say your trip was $1000.00 for yourself (with a single supplement) and the insurance was $100.00. Now you've added a 9-year-old and the price goes up to $1400.00. If the per person insurance cost was still 10%, or $70 each, your insurance would then drop from $100.00 to $70.00. The child would be at no cost.

Some insurance companies ask for the actual rate the child paid, but most just take the total and divide by the number of guests.

For DCL, I always, without exception, recommend getting some kind of travel protection. I had a client airlifted in Mexico with appendicitis, and her evacuation would have cost her over $25k without the insurance. Also, unless it's changed, if you purchase the DCL insurance, you can cancel for ANY reason and have the cost that you paid for your cruise applied to a future cruise. I'd double check before adding it, but I've helped two clients put through claims and this was true at the time. I think that's very important!

For the AbD insurance, one big change for next year is that it will also cover the deposit if a trip must be canceled before final payment. For my four trips, I've always used AbD insurance even though I get a discount on Travelex. It just gave me peace of mind. However, out of the 120+ guests I've booked on AbD trips, there wasn't one who had to use it, so I can't vouch for how good it is!

Most insurances now will cover cancellation due to job loss -- something also very important in this economy. I'd look into that when choosing a supplier.

I was never big on insurance until I started working in this business. When you see a family with four little kids stuck overnight in the airport in Orlando in a tropical storm, with no change of clothes, diapers or formula, you realize how valuable the insurance really is!

Dotti

Thanks for the explaination and for always being so helpful and willing to answer questions. If I was staying in the US I wouldn't worry about the insurance as my personal insurance is quite good and would reimburse me most of any costs if I were to need it (did that once before) but now that I am going to Europe I was more concerned about the medical part of it rather than any other aspect. Again thanks for the explaination.

 

[wdwsos]

Thanks for the explanation, Dotti! I am going to purchase insurance for our cruise. This is a fairly inexpensive vacation, so I'm not so concerned about recouping the cost of the cruise if something goes wrong, but I will feel much more relaxed if I know that I'm covered for an emergency such as the one your client experienced. I'm not going to purchase the insurance through DCL though because it just seems ridiculously pricey. The quoted price is 13% of the total price of the cruise and ground transportation. In comparions the insurance I purchased through ABD for our Alaska trip was only 4% of the cost of the land package and airfare. I'm just confused about why the cruise insurance is so expensive. Maybe it is the "cancel for any reason" clause.

One thing I forgot to mention, and again this may vary by supplier so check first: If you aren't concerned about recouping the cost of the entire vacation, you can insure for far less than what you spent. Obviously, if you had to cancel, you would only be reimbursed for the amount you insured; however, the medical benefits would still be at full coverage. You can also insure for a zero amount if you didn't want any cancellation coverage at all.

From the Travelex site (used only as an example):

Q. Can I buy travel protection without any trip cancellation coverage?
A. Yes, you can choose a plan that excludes this coverage but still includes a full range of benefits to protect you during your trip, including coverage for: trip delay, emergency medical, medical evacuation/ repatriation, baggage and baggage delay, itinerary change and much more!

Dotti

 

[Bobo912]

One thing I forgot to mention, and again this may vary by supplier so check first: If you aren't concerned about recouping the cost of the entire vacation, you can insure for far less than what you spent. Obviously, if you had to cancel, you would only be reimbursed for the amount you insured; however, the medical benefits would still be at full coverage. You can also insure for a zero amount if you didn't want any cancellation coverage at all.

From the Travelex site (used only as an example):

Q. Can I buy travel protection without any trip cancellation coverage?
A. Yes, you can choose a plan that excludes this coverage but still includes a full range of benefits to protect you during your trip, including coverage for: trip delay, emergency medical, medical evacuation/ repatriation, baggage and baggage delay, itinerary change and much more!

Dotti

Thanks again, Dotti! We're so lucky to have a travel professional on the board to help us when we're confused. It looks like I can get a good policy that covers the cost of the trip, lost luggage, medical evacuation, etc. in the $30-$40 range with Travelex or any of the other companies that I listed in my previous post. That seems much more reasonable for a 3-day Bahamas cruise than DCL's $118.

 

[sayhello]

I'm going to chime in here! I always get trip insurance, if I am going somewhere far away, or for a long time, or where I don't know anyone, or that is really expensive & I'd be out a lot of money if I had to cancel.

I've used the insurance 3 times, and each time was REALLY glad I had it.

First time, I scratched my cornea on the way DOWN to a Southern Caribbean tour. $300 just to see the ship's doctor, and NOT covered by my personal insurance. That was Access America. They paid for the doctor's visit, no problem.

Second time, I was diagnosed with a torn rotator cuff 2 weeks prior to leaving on an organized hiking tour of Yosemite. Travelex reimbursed me for the entire cost of the canceled tour. I was also traveling a second week to visit family in the area; Travelex paid the amount I was charged to change my plane ticket to leave a week later & still do that part of the tour. VERY easy, very worth it.

I've just had my third experience, again with Travelex. As I was leaving the B&B in Anchorage to go to the airport, I tripped & hit my head. Trip to the ER (billed directly to Travelex), rebooked my plane ticket, since I missed my flight (with Travelex rep on the phone; they will reimburse) and booked another hotel room for the extra night (again, OK'd by Travelex, they will reimburse). I have NO IDEA how much the ER visit will be, but I consider the trip insurance to have been well worth it, both financially, and for the peace of mind to know everything would be taken care of, and I just needed to do what needed to be done to get fixed up and get myself home.

insuremytrip.com is a GREAT way to buy trip insurance if you don't get it through Disney. I'm always concerned about the pre-existing condition coverage, so I usually buy it myself to make sure I get exactly the coverage I need. I can highly recommend Travelex.

Sayhello

 

[2GirlsMama]

Sayhello,
Wow! I hope you heal quickly. That was certainly a difficult end to your vacation.

I agree with you about the trip insurance, it is certainly a valuable aspect for peace of mind.

I hope you aren't in pain. (and if you are in pain, I hope you have some good meds!!)

 

[Bobo912]

I'm going to chime in here! I always get trip insurance, if I am going somewhere far away, or for a long time, or where I don't know anyone, or that is really expensive & I'd be out a lot of money if I had to cancel.

I've used the insurance 3 times, and each time was REALLY glad I had it.

First time, I scratched my cornea on the way DOWN to a Southern Caribbean tour. $300 just to see the ship's doctor, and NOT covered by my personal insurance. That was Access America. They paid for the doctor's visit, no problem.

Second time, I was diagnosed with a torn rotator cuff 2 weeks prior to leaving on an organized hiking tour of Yosemite. Travelex reimbursed me for the entire cost of the canceled tour. I was also traveling a second week to visit family in the area; Travelex paid the amount I was charged to change my plane ticket to leave a week later & still do that part of the tour. VERY easy, very worth it.

I've just had my third experience, again with Travelex. As I was leaving the B&B in Anchorage to go to the airport, I tripped & hit my head. Trip to the ER (billed directly to Travelex), rebooked my plane ticket, since I missed my flight (with Travelex rep on the phone; they will reimburse) and booked another hotel room for the extra night (again, OK'd by Travelex, they will reimburse). I have NO IDEA how much the ER visit will be, but I consider the trip insurance to have been well worth it, both financially, and for the peace of mind to know everything would be taken care of, and I just needed to do what needed to be done to get fixed up and get myself home.

insuremytrip.com is a GREAT way to buy trip insurance if you don't get it through Disney. I'm always concerned about the pre-existing condition coverage, so I usually buy it myself to make sure I get exactly the coverage I need. I can highly recommend Travelex.

Sayhello

Thanks, Sayhello. I purchased insurance from Travelex for the cruise after Dotti mentioned that she recommended it to her clients. I paid $49 to insure the two of us, instead of $118 buying the insurance through DCL, and our Travelex coverage is better. I'm glad you've had such positive experiences with your travel insurance companies, but I'm am so sorry that you have needed to use it so often. I wish you better luck in the future.