Tuesday, July 21, 2009

The Benefits Travel Insurance!

I bet you were reluctant to even read this blog today weren't you? I would have been too a year ago but boy have I changed my opinion. I think in general we hear the word insurance, or as they like to refer to it travel protection, and we all turn our noses up and think it's just a way for someone to get more money out of me. Guess what? You are exactly right...bet you didn't expect to hear that did you? I love, love, love to sell travel insurance because percentage wise it pays almost triple in commission versus the actual trip! Am I here today to tell you "travel protection" is a rip off? Nope, I am here to tell you that I believe in it so much that I purchased it for myself on our last trip(at full price). Also sold it to my parents, and if you happen to know my dad he is the tightest man in America. He squeaks when he walks he is so tight!
All right here is why you should always purchase the insurance. Price, it is cheap when you look at the benefits. I use a company named Access America and for their standard policy it runs from 5-5.5% of the total cost of your trip. What you get for this premium is far to extensive for me to sit here and go through so I will hit the highlights. The first thing it does is protect you if something comes up once final payment has been made and you must cancel the trip. There are stipulations on the standard policy so it has to be a valid reason such as sickness, death in the family, etc. They do offer a cancel for any reason policy for a little more that is self explanatory. Once your vacation actually starts is when the benefits really kick in. If you get delayed in any way on your way and miss your flight or ship, Access America will pay what ever the difference is to catch you back up with the vacation. Once on the vacation the most important feature and the part that really sold me is the medical coverage. The majority of our insurance companies here in the U.S. either do not cover you in a foreign country or if the do only a percentage. I have heard horror stories about people having to be put into the hospital in a foreign country only to be handed a huge bill before they leave and demand payment before their release. Access America will cover you in this situation. They have a 24hr hot line so you can call as soon as there is a problem and they will tell you the steps to take to get the claim paid. Also a huge benefit for all of those with family back home is that if there is an emergency back home while you are gone, i.e. death in the family, they will pay for your flight back home early. I can't imagine being in Mexico and getting a call from home with bad news and no way to get back. Now for my very favorite one! If something major was to happen to you medically and you had to be hospitalized outside the U.S. and you are not comfortable with the services you are receiving be it a language barrier, poor facilities, or anything else uncomfortable, they will pay to have you flown back to the U.S. via medi-vac! That is pending you are in stable enough condition to make the trip. That alone sold me. No one ever thinks it will happen to then but the simple truth is things do happen and it is worth every penny for me to know if something did happen that I would not have to be in a hospital, in a third world country for weeks, with a bill I couldn't pay, miserable.
I have to lay down a disclaimer now. There are coverage limits and restrictions, so before purchasing I will be more than happy to send all the details to you personally. Have a great day!

Jeremy

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