If you have never purchased travel insurance, you may be wondering what to expect from the buying process. What kinds of questions will you be asked? How much should a travel insurance plan cost? What do you need to know before you buy a plan?
One of the telltale signs of an inferior travel insurance plan is that it may be offered to you as an “add-on” when booking a trip. Buying a plan this way will not require any additional information from you to insure your trip.
A quality, comprehensive travel insurance plan will require you to enter some necessary information about yourself, any traveling companions and your trip before you will be able to receive a travel insurance quote and make a purchase.
However, purchasing travel insurance does not need to be complicated. You should not be asked for personal information, such as your Social Security number, primary health insurance details or driver’s license number. Any travel insurance site that requires these types of personal disclosures from you is likely untrustworthy.
Information you should need to provide when buying travel insurance
- Names and ages (and possibly birth dates) of yourself and your traveling companions. Age is a requirement and helps to determine the price of the plan.
- Country and state of residency are minimum requirements that will determine which plans are legally available to you. Your full home address may be asked for later in the process so that the travel insurance company can contact you as needed.
- The primary destination of your trip – the place to which you’ll be traveling for the greatest length of time, or the place you’re visiting first – will help to quantify the level of risk in your travel plans. It’s not necessary to provide every destination on your list if you are going to multiple places.
- Dates of travel, which helps determine both which plans will provide you with adequate coverage and what the price may be.
- The total pre-paid, non-refundable cost of your trip. Since travel insurance pricing is based, in part, on what the reimbursable value of your trip might be, it’s essential to have this information on hand before you begin the process of purchasing travel insurance. Since some travel insurance plans require you to insure the full amount of your trip cost to receive benefits, it’s important to be as accurate as possible.
With this information, you should be able to get a travel insurance quote and begin the process of purchasing a plan. You may also be asked for information such as a phone number or email address at which the travel insurance company can contact you. Please know the name of any tour company that may be providing some of your travel experiences; and whether or not you, a travel companion, or a non-traveling family member might have any pre-existing medical conditions which might interfere with your travel plans.
You should never be expected to purchase a travel insurance plan without at least being able to see a sampling of the coverage and benefits it would offer. If you are not able to read the plan details in full before purchasing, you should be offered a review period in which you can receive the plan from the company. Read it and, no worries, return it for a full refund if it does not meet your expectations. These safeguards ensure that you will be able to verify that you’re satisfied with the terms of any plan you do purchase.
Disclaimer: The information contained in this article serves as a general overview of benefits and should only be used for informational purposes. Refer to your individual certificate of insurance for specific coverages, exclusions and benefits. When in doubt, please contact one of our licensed agents for additional assistance.
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Question
I purchased an all in inclusive package. How much time do I have before purchasing trip insurance?
By Carol - March 17, 2018
Answer
You can purchase most policies up until the day before departure, however; you may not be eligible for some time sensitive benefits if you do not purchase within 10-21 days of the initial trip deposit/payment. Some time sensitive benefits are, but not limited to: Pre-Existing Condition Waiver, Financial Default, Terrorism, Cancel For Any Reason and Cancel For Work Reasons.
By MattG - March 22, 2018
Question
I am considering buying travel insurance for our family trip. My question has to do with multiple travelers, with residency in different states and not all on the same travel schedule? Can I buy one policy for all four of us even if two family members will be returning home earlier than the other two and one family member is in a different state?
By KristiM - June 4, 2024
Answer
If you live in different states, or if you have different travel dates, you will need to obtain separate policies. You are all still covered just the same as if you were listed on the same policy together though, please keep in mind. If one traveler has to cancel for a covered reason, you are all covered as well even if you are insured on different policies.
By MatthewG - June 6, 2024