Get Better Travel Insurance

Do I Need Travel Insurance?

Travel is unpredictable, even at the best of times. Travel insurance helps to protect you against the unexpected. If your trip is canceled unexpectedly or ends early, would you be able to easily accept the financial loss? Or, if someone in your party required evacuation due to a medical issue, could you cover that expense? Travel insurance can help with these concerns and many more. Read more about why you need travel insurance.

Why is comparing travel insurance important?

Travel insurance is unique and varies depending on the details of your trip. The best policy covers only what you need at a price that fits your budget. You can compare dozens of providers on our site using our comparison engine, filtering for only the specific coverage options you want. If you need help, our licensed travel insurance agents can assist you in comparing plans and reading the fine print for you to help explain the exclusions.

What coverage do I need?

That depends entirely on you. Are there pre-paid, non-refundable trip costs you are unwilling to lose? What unpredictable expenses would you not be able to cover? Reasons that might cause an unexpected cancellation? Different plans and options are available for various concerns and coverages that you may need.

Types of Travel Insurance

• Medical Only
• Evacuation Only
• Schengen Visa
• Accidental Death
• Vacation Rental
• Comprehensive – broadest of all coverages, which can include many of the following coverages above

Medical Travel Insurance

Travel medical insurance plans offer specific, defined coverage needed by some while traveling abroad. These plans are only available to travelers who are leaving their home country and require medical insurance that will fill the gaps in their primary health insurance coverage while traveling internationally. Because of this, we highly recommend contacting your insurance agent or your health insurance company to determine the level of medical coverage you will receive while traveling abroad.

If you are primarily concerned about emergency medical care when you are outside of your home country, a travel medical insurance plan could be the best answer for you. These plans are not built for travelers who are interested in travel-related coverage.

Travel Major Medical Plans

Travel major medical plans are a special type of coverage designed specifically for people who are planning long-term travel. Or rather, they are designed for people who will be traveling outside of their home country for six months or more.

These plans usually offer more than emergency medical benefits. The plan details more closely resemble a traditional health insurance plan in that they frequently allow for routine and preventive medical visits, prescription drug benefits and other non-emergency medical benefits. This allows you to stay healthy while are traveling without worrying about expensive medical bills.

Evacuation Plans

Emergency medical evacuation plans provide transport assistance in the event that you become seriously ill or injured while traveling. Generally, these plans provide emergency medical evacuation to the nearest appropriate care facility if the assistance company and the physician feel you’d be better suited at a different facility.

With some emergency medical evacuation plans, you may be able to stipulate the hospital to which you would like to be transported. This is known as a “hospital of choice” benefit and the availability ranges by plan. Some plans include this benefit, others allow it to be added and some do not have it available at all. Most plans also include coverage for repatriation of mortal remains.

With an emergency medical evacuation plan, you won’t have to worry about the details while you are trying to heal or support someone who is. The assistance company arranges the transport, and you won’t need to pay for a potentially costly transport.

Schengen Visa

Schengen Visa travel insurance plans are built for travelers who require a Schengen Visa when traveling to one of the 26 European Countries in the Schengen Area. Schengen Visa requirements are based on citizenship, not residency. If you are a citizen of one of the countries on this list, you will need a travel insurance plan that meets the requirements of a Schengen Visa.

Although there are several plans that may (with certain options selected) fulfill embassy visa requirements, there is one plan that has been specially built to meet the needs of this specific traveler. Coverage limits are set to those required by the embassy and after purchase of this plan, an email will be sent to the buyer that includes the embassy approved letter needed to obtain the visa. You must have a travel insurance plan prior to obtaining a visa. We never advocate waiting until the last minute to purchase a plan, but this is a great option for those who do.

This plan has coverage designed to meet the needs of travelers who are going to a Schengen country. The WorldTrips Visa plan includes coverage for medical, medical evacuation, accidental death with limited baggage, and trip interruption. Be safe, compliant, and covered when traveling internationally.

Accidental Death Plans

Coverage for Accidental Death & Dismemberment (AD&D) is often a very hard topic to broach when discussing travel protection, but it may be quite important for certain travelers. Accidental Death & Dismemberment plans are similar to a life insurance policy, in that you would name a beneficiary upon purchasing your travel insurance. That person would receive the benefit in the event of your death or dismembering injury while traveling.

Any benefits paid by your travel insurance AD&D plan would be in addition to benefits that were paid by a life insurance policy you may have already had in place. This plan acts as extra protection for you or a loved one who is traveling.

AD&D plans provide continuous 24/7 coverage or coverage specifically for flights. This variety of coverage makes them a good fit for several travelers of all ages and travel experiences.

Vacation Rental Plans

Vacation rental plans offer property damage coverage for U.S. residents that will be renting a vacation home during their trip, including condos, cabins, villas, apartments, and more. The coverage is intended to help cover expenses related to accidental damage that may occur to the rental property, which may include broken items like lamps, windows, doors, and electronics. The vacation rental damage plans may also cover staining of bedding and linens. Lost keys and re-keying costs may also be covered under these plans.

Vacation rental plans are ideal for vacationers who found a rental property on sites like Airbnb, HomeAway, or Hotels.com. One plan includes several different levels of coverage available so vacation home renters can choose the amount of property damage coverage that best suits their specific rental property whether they are renting an apartment in the city or a beachfront villa on the coast. Other plans may include benefits like trip cancellation, trip interruption, baggage loss, and more.

Comprehensive Plans

Comprehensive travel insurance plans offer the most benefits of all plan types. These plans provide the best protection for the investment you have made in your trip. They can be used for both leisure and business travel, which make them ideal for nearly every traveler.

In addition to trip cancellation, most comprehensive plans offer coverage such as trip interruption, baggage, medical, dental, emergency evacuation, 24-hour traveler assistance and accidental death benefits. These benefits are very common for comprehensive travel insurance plans, but they can vary per plan.

Some comprehensive plans offer additional coverage, such as rental car damage or financial default. Many plans have optional benefits you can add-on for additional premium like Cancel for Any Reason or a pre-existing condition waiver – but these can be time-sensitive to the date of your first trip payment. Cruise insurance is a specialized type of comprehensive plans that caters to those planning to take a cruise.

Coverage limits range greatly depending on the comprehensive plan that is purchased. By comparing the plans, you can find the best plan for your budget and your specific travel needs.

At Beacon Point Insurance Group, we strive to make the process as simple as possible for you. Contact our office today to get a quote for travel insurance, discover what plans we have available and learn how those plans can work for you.