Because even the best-planned trips need a backup plan

Medical-only travel insurance covers you while overseas — including treatment, hospitalization, and in most cases medical evacuation. There are specific clauses for pre-existing conditions that you should read carefully at time of purchase.

We recommend consulting your healthcare provider to understand what coverage your existing plan provides in your destinations. Our medical-only policies also include Trip Delay and Baggage Delay coverage.

Policy premiums are based on each traveler's age, starting at about $45 per person. We consider that exceptional value. See also Annual Policies below.

This is the coverage most people are looking for. It includes trip cancellation, trip interruption, baggage delay, and medical coverage. Standard travel insurance includes medical travel insurance as described above.

Travel insurance covers many situations that may happen individually before or during your trip — including medical issues affecting you or a family member (even some non-traveling family members), supplier financial default (airline, cruise line, hotel), destination made uninhabitable by certain weather conditions, jury duty, and work recalls.

Standard travel insurance is not designed to cover every possible situation. Examples of things typically not covered:

• A volcanic eruption that grounds all flights between two regions for an extended period (as in 2010)
• Fear of catching an illness or disease (such as Covid-19)
• A performer cancels a show you traveled specifically to see
• Being held at a border checkpoint, or long lines that prevent you from checking in to your flight
• Border closures or government travel restrictions

Illness and hospitalization while traveling are generally treated as covered medical events, depending on the policy. Fear of catching something contagious is not a covered reason on its own, and government-imposed restrictions or border closures typically aren't covered without a Cancel For Any Reason rider. If something comes up, contact your insurer right away — they can tell you exactly what's needed to file a claim.

The above are examples only. Coverage may vary based on policy and state of residence. If it is not listed in your policy, it is not covered. Read the policy.

You can insure as much or as little of your trip as you wish, but we recommend covering all prepaid costs and all non-refundable costs.

A Cancel For Any Reason rider allows you to cancel your trip for a reason that would not otherwise be covered by the standard policy. There are still some restrictions, so ask questions before you purchase — and ask for this upfront. It must be purchased within a few days of initial deposit and we may be limited as to which suppliers can be used.

Almost every CFAR rider requires: it must be purchased within a short time of your first trip deposit, and you must insure all prepaid and non-refundable costs. You typically receive 100% coverage for any named peril covered by the standard policy, and 50–80% coverage for any other reason -- the specific percentages depend on the policy. Depending on the policy, that reimbursement may be issued as a cash refund or as a travel voucher, so it's worth asking which applies.

Occasionally we find CFAR at 100% — but there is frequently a catch, such as requiring more expensive airfare. Prior to Covid-19, fewer than 5% of all policies we arranged for clients included a CFAR rider.

If you travel multiple times per year, you may be interested in an Annual Insurance Policy. These policies typically cover all of your trips for approximately 365 days from your chosen start date. They are focused on people who take a large number of smaller trips.

Make sure to ask how much the cancellation and interruption portion covers, and whether the medical insurance is primary or secondary coverage.

Medical insurance and medical evacuation are not necessarily the same thing. A travel insurance policy may cover medical treatment while traveling but have limitations on evacuation or where you are transported. For remote destinations, expedition travel, Africa, Antarctica, the Arctic, or other hard-to-reach locations, ask specifically about evacuation coverage and transportation to a facility appropriate for your condition.

Medical evacuation in most policies is subject to both cost and logistical limitations. Under most standard policies, the insurer is required to transport you to the "nearest suitable facility" — which addresses immediate care but may not be where you want to be for serious or long-term treatment.

There are situations where the closest hospital might not be the one you want for longer rehabilitation, or where you want specialists you know to be involved in your treatment. We have both short-term (single trip) and annual evacuation policies available. Just ask.

Many policies include additional benefits beyond standard coverage. If something unexpected happens while traveling — a lost passport, prescription drug replacement, a legal referral in a foreign country — most comprehensive policies include access to a 24-hour assistance call center. These services are often overlooked but genuinely valuable when something goes wrong far from home.