Cruise Insurance: "Access America" Annual Policy vs "Travel Guard" Trip Policy

The info in this post impacts more those who are FREQUENT traveller
to foreign countries or frequent cruisers.

I am a VERY frequent traveller, 100K+ miles of air travel and 7-8
cruises each of the past several years, except for the air miles
last year.

I never purchased any Trip Cancellation Policy for reasons of
technical analysis on risks and insurance, until last year, when
I purchased a Trip Cancelation insurance on a cruise which
sails not long after wife's illness and treatment. We have been
travelling without Trip cancellation insurance ever since.

The substance of this post is based on our upcoming 16 day
cruise on the Princess from Bangkok to Beijing.

We have a Medical Insurance Policy from "Access America"
that covers ALL trips taken with a year, on emergency
medical transportation up to $100,000 -- mostly to cover
what our DAN (for scuba divers) insurance does not cover.
Air evacuation, in foreign countries, can quickly run into
big bucks.


The TA was very eager to sell us the Trip Cancellation Policy
recommended by the Princess Cruise, underwritten by "Travel
Guard". The premium was high (as all such insurance policies
are -- as a fixed percentage of the total cost). For the cruise
in question, it was quoted at $255 per person.

For the first time, I was giving such a Trip Cancellation policy a
consideration, in view of the fact that my wife's illness has a
nonnegligible probability of recurrence.

NOT until I looked at the COMPARISON of actual coverage!


Access Ameria Travel Guide single
Annual Policy Trip Cancelation Policy

$2,000 $1,000 Accident and Sickness
Medical
$100,000 $20,000 Emergency Medical
Transportation
$1,000 $1,000 Baggage and Travel Doc
$200 $200 Baggage delay
$25.000 Accidental death and
dismemberment
$25,000 Emergency Medical and
death
$500 $600 Travel delay
$250 * Change your mind
(7 day coverage)
$25,000 Collision/Loss Damage
insurance
$300,000 Flight insurance
$25,000 Travel Accident coverage

Annual premium for Access America: $254 per person
Travel Guard Single Trip $255 per person

The single trip Trip Cancellation covers about $3500 per person
The Access America coverage covers up to $1000 per person

Except for the "trip cancellation" clause of Travel Guard, the
Annual policy of continuous 12-month coverage of Access America
is far superior to the Travel Guard coverage, and is almost
uniformly better in every category.

Needless to say, we declined the Trip Cancellation policy,

YMMV, but the Access America ANNUAL policy looks better and
better for the number of trip we took and will be taken!

The cruise-sponsored single-trip cancellation is a sucker-bet,
regardless whether you have another policy or not, if you can
afford the loss of a trip from cancellation.

-- Bob.
of a trip is

"Reef Fish" wrote in message
oups.com...
The info in this post impacts more those who are FREQUENT traveller
to foreign countries or frequent cruisers.

I am a VERY frequent traveller, 100K+ miles of air travel and 7-8
cruises each of the past several years, except for the air miles
last year.

I never purchased any Trip Cancellation Policy for reasons of
technical analysis on risks and insurance, until last year, when
I purchased a Trip Cancelation insurance on a cruise which
sails not long after wife's illness and treatment. We have been
travelling without Trip cancellation insurance ever since.

The substance of this post is based on our upcoming 16 day
cruise on the Princess from Bangkok to Beijing.

We have a Medical Insurance Policy from "Access America"
that covers ALL trips taken with a year, on emergency
medical transportation up to $100,000 -- mostly to cover
what our DAN (for scuba divers) insurance does not cover.
Air evacuation, in foreign countries, can quickly run into
big bucks.


The TA was very eager to sell us the Trip Cancellation Policy
recommended by the Princess Cruise, underwritten by "Travel
Guard". The premium was high (as all such insurance policies
are -- as a fixed percentage of the total cost). For the cruise
in question, it was quoted at $255 per person.

For the first time, I was giving such a Trip Cancellation policy a
consideration, in view of the fact that my wife's illness has a
nonnegligible probability of recurrence.

NOT until I looked at the COMPARISON of actual coverage!


Access Ameria Travel Guide single
Annual Policy Trip Cancelation Policy

$2,000 $1,000 Accident and Sickness
Medical
$100,000 $20,000 Emergency Medical
Transportation
$1,000 $1,000 Baggage and Travel Doc
$200 $200 Baggage delay
$25.000 Accidental death and
dismemberment
$25,000 Emergency Medical and
death
$500 $600 Travel delay
$250 * Change your mind
(7 day coverage)
$25,000 Collision/Loss Damage
insurance
$300,000 Flight insurance
$25,000 Travel Accident coverage

Annual premium for Access America: $254 per person
Travel Guard Single Trip $255 per person

The single trip Trip Cancellation covers about $3500 per person
The Access America coverage covers up to $1000 per person

Except for the "trip cancellation" clause of Travel Guard, the
Annual policy of continuous 12-month coverage of Access America
is far superior to the Travel Guard coverage, and is almost
uniformly better in every category.

Needless to say, we declined the Trip Cancellation policy,

YMMV, but the Access America ANNUAL policy looks better and
better for the number of trip we took and will be taken!

The cruise-sponsored single-trip cancellation is a sucker-bet,
regardless whether you have another policy or not, if you can
afford the loss of a trip from cancellation.

-- Bob.
of a trip is

While I absolutely agree that the policy offered by TA's and cruise lines
are often expensive and not very good, still,

You need to look at a couple of things:

1) Is the (medical) insurance PRIMARY or SECONDARY. If it isn't primary,
your own health insurance company has to pay first.

2) Is there a pre existing conditions waiver for trip cancellation? Any
policy without this waiver is virtually worthless.

3) What other relatives are covered by the trip cancellation medical
provisions (children, parents)?

4) Can you buy additional medical coverage above the starting level? If
so, for how much?

5) Does your credit card provide medical evacuation?

"Reef Fish" wrote in message
oups.com...


I would be interested to know WHAT credit card(s) provide
(automatic?) medical evacuation coverage, in what circumstances,
and to what limit. I have several of the major credit cards such
as Visa and AMX, but don't recall seeing any of their spiel about
such coverage.

-- Bob.


I believe that Amex Platinum does.

Note, however, that medical evacuation DOES NOT mean that they fly you
home..

They take you to the NEAREST hospital that can treat whatever you have.
Depending on how you find yourself when the problem occurs, that could be
anything from an ambulance ride to a medevac airplane to the capital city or
that of a nearby country. Sometimes, it also means that they will fly a
relative to your side and provide a hotel room for that relative. Read the
fine print.

"its_my_dime" (hold the .spam) wrote in message
...

"Reef Fish" wrote in message
oups.com...


Further to this discussion:

People on Medicare have a specific problem. Medicare does NOT pay anything
that happends out of the US. If you have the right Medicare supplement
policy, it will pay 80% up to a lifetime limit (about $50,000). If at all
possible, you don't want to waste that limit which is why a PRIMARY medical
travel policy is important.

Under any circumstances, anybody whose sole medical insurance is Medicare
should get supplemental travel medical insurance for any trip out of the US
in my opinion.

In article ,
"its_my_dime" (hold the .spam) wrote:

"its_my_dime" (hold the .spam) wrote in message
...

"Reef Fish" wrote in message
oups.com...


Further to this discussion:

People on Medicare have a specific problem. Medicare does NOT pay anything
that happends out of the US. If you have the right Medicare supplement
policy, it will pay 80% up to a lifetime limit (about $50,000). If at all
possible, you don't want to waste that limit which is why a PRIMARY medical
travel policy is important.

Under any circumstances, anybody whose sole medical insurance is Medicare
should get supplemental travel medical insurance for any trip out of the US
in my opinion.

Some "regular" policies also do not cover outside of the US (more
likely outside of MX, CND and US.) so ALL should make sure that (and for
what) they are covered.

Kurt Ullman wrote:
In article ,
"its_my_dime" (hold the .spam) wrote:

"its_my_dime" (hold the .spam) wrote in message
...

"Reef Fish" wrote in message
oups.com...


Further to this discussion:

People on Medicare have a specific problem. Medicare does NOT pay anything
that happends out of the US. If you have the right Medicare supplement
policy, it will pay 80% up to a lifetime limit (about $50,000). If at all
possible, you don't want to waste that limit which is why a PRIMARY medical
travel policy is important.

Under any circumstances, anybody whose sole medical insurance is Medicare
should get supplemental travel medical insurance for any trip out of the US
in my opinion.

Some "regular" policies also do not cover outside of the US (more
likely outside of MX, CND and US.) so ALL should make sure that (and for
what) they are covered.

Correct! The regular medical insurance of Blue Cross & Blue Shield
have many exclusions for foreign medical coverage and medical
evacuations.

That's where Access America and DAN fill the gap for my other
medical insurances.

-- Bob.

If you have the right Medicare supplement
policy, it will pay 80% up to a lifetime limit (about $50,000). If at
all
possible, you don't want to waste that limit which is why a PRIMARY
medical
travel policy is important.

Having a primary travel insurer will not protect you from using up your
lifetime coverage limit on your regular insurance. This is from some
sales material from Travelex (a primary insurer):

"Travelex term: Primary Coverage

Definition: the company will pay first, but reserves the right to
recover from any other insurance carrier with which you may have
coverage.

Plain Language: If and when a claim needs to be filed, file first with
Travelex Insurance Services, without paying a deductible. Travelex will
then go to the insurer's other insurance providers to recover any costs
that may be covered by them."

I can just about guarantee that if you have a $20,000 heart attack
while abroad Travelex, and any other primary insurer, will be
collecting from your regular insurer and thus reducing your lifetime
benefit by that amount.

Using a primary insurer makes things easier for the insured because in
the event of a claim he/she doesn't have to file twice -- just once
with the travel insurer who will in turn file against any other
policies. Just don't think there's some benefit that really isn't there.

wrote:

Having a primary travel insurer will not protect you from using up your
lifetime coverage limit on your regular insurance. This is from some
sales material from Travelex (a primary insurer):

Hi everyone,

I have a press release from

"Travelex term: Primary Coverage

but I have decided not to spam this group with it as my excuse
to spam my DOGHOUSE TRAVEL.

I now support

BOYCOTT BUSINESSES and CRETINS who SPAM NEWSGROUPS


I can just about guarantee that if you have a $20,000 heart attack
while abroad Travelex, and any other primary insurer, will be
collecting from your regular insurer and thus reducing your lifetime
benefit by that amount.

Using a primary insurer makes things easier for the insured because in
the event of a claim he/she doesn't have to file twice -- just once
with the travel insurer who will in turn file against any other
policies. Just don't think there's some benefit that really isn't there.

Good advice.

Ray Goldieberg Spammer Extraordinaire NOT

"Ray Goldieberg Spammer Extraordinaire" :

Dear sir, you are scum. Trying to use the name of someone you don't like to
try and make him look bad.

You have turned an mildly anti-Ray person, into a full Ray support person.

You are far worse than Ray, atleast he does not hid behind a fake name to
hurt others.

I also noticed that you have posted more of this worthless replies in the
last day than Ray has posted his so-called spam in the last week. It seems
to be you spamming the newsgroup.

Earl Colby Pottinger

--
Cruising, building a Catamaran, Rebuilding Cabin, New Peroxide Still Design,
Writting SF, Programming FOSS - What happened to the time?

Earl Colby Pottinger wrote:
"Ray Goldieberg Spammer Extraordinaire" :

Dear sir, you are scum.

You are RUDE and you are CRUDE, and you spammed with the
same message following Goldieberg posts, which are all different,
in response to various posts.

You are far worse than Ray,

Then you realize that Ray (Goldenberg) is BAD if you way I am
far worse. You are also DUMB.

Earl Colby Pottinger

BOYCOTT BUSNESSES THAT RUDELY SPAMS NEWSGROUPS.


Ray GoldenAD NOT.