Trip Insurance??

**PAcouple32/25** · 04-06-2010, 07:34 PM

Do we really need trip insurance? We're booking our trip right now and there's an option to get insurance for $170. Is it worth it or can we skip it? What does it cover?

**Calliope** · 04-06-2010, 08:03 PM

Read your terms and conditions

It really does vary...

**BigC** · 04-06-2010, 08:07 PM

We get it every year because it covers if you get sick and you need to be flown out or ambulance service and more....

**T and J** · 04-07-2010, 12:16 AM

Hi

Some insurances offered are for very different things.

1- is trip cancellation/delay/rebook insurance so if someone gets sick before travelling or miss flight or just rebook a different time and date. This is offered when you book.

2- is out of country medical insurance, this is something you can decide on make sure if you have it through your work etc that it covers all costs of hospitalization/medicines etc. If you use credit card to book your trip check with the card carrier they sometimes have better insurance for same money.

3- we always take the first one as with a family it may not just be you that may get sick it could be someone in the family/ as they say shit happens and it would really suck to lose your $ on the trip if something went wrong.

4- we have great coverage though our work for out of country and we would never travel without it even if we didnt have it though work. We went to DR in January with the family and one of our little ones got really sick, just incase your wondering how much it cost for a visit to the ER and 1 Med for her----$ 1150 USD and they wouldnt even take her to the hospital until we produce the insurance card or a credit card that would pre authorize $ 2000.

So check it out remember it is a 3rd world country, even though our trip to JA was awesome and they are alot more advanced than DR it can get very expensive. When we were at the hospital in DR another fellow canadian was there and her husband had an emergency surgery and she said the insurance company was on the hook for 9 or 10 grand. If you didnt have insurance your would have to pay that or no treatment.

Lastly, one of my co workers wife was in Cuba late 09 and had an appendix burst and unfortunately she did die from complications while down there and after all was said and done he told me if he didnt have insurance it would have been 50k between the surgery/hospital/drugs/autopsy/travel back home for the body.

I am not trying to scare you as we all think we are safe and it will never happen to me, well spend the extra $ on the insurance as you may end up losing your home over something like getting sick, something we sometimes take for granted at home but travelling abroad can happen to anyone.

Good luck I hope this helps and enjoy your trip to Hedo, we cant wait to go back with insurance

**hare2party** · 04-07-2010, 05:23 AM

Just read the terms carefully. Many of the trip cancellation policies have so many loopholes, that they are very limited.

Then look at your current medical coverage to see if you are covered already.

We never buy either type. Our medical coverage is adequate and consider trip cancellation / rebook insurance to be kind of like extended warranties - if you never pay for one, then you will eventually save enough to more than cover the unexpected.

I also happen to be very frugal and very risk tolerant ... that means I only buy insurance where the risk outweighs the cost at a ratio that may be different than your comfort level.

It really comes down to your own personal comfort level.

**Just plain Chad** · 04-07-2010, 09:58 AM

We've never gotten trip insurance but it seems like one of those things that can't hurt, could help.

If it's within your budget...

Chad

**mac_r_a** · 04-07-2010, 10:06 AM

Definately look into your medical coverage. I would never travel outside of Canada without medical coverage. If something were to happen you would curse yourself for not getting that coverage for a couple of hundred dollars when it could cost your thousands. That's my 2 cents!!

**PAcouple32/25** · 04-07-2010, 04:51 PM

We decided to go with the insurance that was offered when we booked through Castaways. I checked into our medical insurance and it does cover out of country.

**chazo4** · 04-26-2010, 09:36 AM

My advice is to never buy trip insurance from a travel agent. It's a big profit item for them. They mark it way up and you don't get much choice. Go to insuremytrip.com and you can compare lots of trip insurance options. We've been buying TravelGuard for our trips for a long time. It's a big company I feel I can trust and it usually costs us about 5-6% of the trip cost. I've heard horror stories where people have gotten sick or hurt and found it costing them $50-60,000 to get home. One incident like that could bankrupt you. Also, I think those stuck in Europe who bought trip insurance probably appreciated its value.

Frankly, I hope I keep buying it and never need it, but it's fairly inexpensive protection. I would not leave the country without it.

**RXD** · 05-28-2010, 02:38 AM

Many people feel trip insurance is unnecessary and a waste of money. Travel insurance gives you extra "peace of mind" for a trip. If you have a medical emergency, you are covered. You must buy your insurance within at least seven days of purchasing the travel.

**CandG** · 05-28-2010, 03:16 AM

Originally Posted by hare2party

Just read the terms carefully. Many of the trip cancellation policies have so many loopholes, that they are very limited.

Then look at your current medical coverage to see if you are covered already.

We never buy either type. Our medical coverage is adequate and consider trip cancellation / rebook insurance to be kind of like extended warranties - if you never pay for one, then you will eventually save enough to more than cover the unexpected.

I also happen to be very frugal and very risk tolerant ... that means I only buy insurance where the risk outweighs the cost at a ratio that may be different than your comfort level.

It really comes down to your own personal comfort level.

I think you also have to figure in things like past medical history, current medical conditions and age. An older person with a history of heart problems would be crazy not to buy the trip insurance, for example (at least in my opinion).

**hare2party** · 05-28-2010, 04:33 AM

Originally Posted by CandG

I think you also have to figure in things like past medical history, current medical conditions and age. An older person with a history of heart problems would be crazy not to buy the trip insurance, for example (at least in my opinion).

Very good point - I completely agree.

**mac_r_a** · 05-28-2010, 05:37 AM

When we were there in April a woman passed out at the nude grill from heat and she needed 3 stitches. They were going to charge her $600 at the Hedo nurses station and she had no insurance. She decided to go to the hospital and it was $60, but took a whole lot of time out of their vacation when if they had insurance they couldhave gotten it done at the resort. Another guy on the trip broke his hand, but he got it looked at when he got home since it was his last day there and he was having too much fun, lol. When you mix drinks and heat, anything can happen, including injuries, lol. It is always better safe then sorry.

**John & Rae** · 05-28-2010, 08:03 AM

Originally Posted by mac_r_a

When you mix drinks and heat, anything can happen, including injuries, lol. It is always better safe then sorry.

I agree. When you compare it to other insurance and the potential for it to help you in so many ways we feel it is well worth it!

**bibabe** · 05-28-2010, 10:34 AM

Originally Posted by mac_r_a

When we were there in April a woman passed out at the nude grill from heat and she needed 3 stitches. They were going to charge her $600 at the Hedo nurses station and she had no insurance. She decided to go to the hospital and it was $60, but took a whole lot of time out of their vacation when if they had insurance they couldhave gotten it done at the resort. Another guy on the trip broke his hand, but he got it looked at when he got home since it was his last day there and he was having too much fun, lol. When you mix drinks and heat, anything can happen, including injuries, lol. It is always better safe then sorry.

Poor Amber

...They had no money and the hospital would only take cash. Lee took them to the hospital payed for the cab, hospital stitches and the medication she needed. She is going to have a scar from that fall.