Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Some of the most popular travel insurance companies include STA Travel Insurance (statravel.com),
World Nomads (worldnomads .com), MedEx (medexassist.com), MedjetAssist (medjetassist.com), and
IMG (imglobal.com).
Generally, insurance will run you between $600 USD and $1,000 USD per year for a single person. Your
policy will begin the day you specify when you purchase the insurance.
Canadians will find a plethora of companies available to them. Most banks offer their own travel insur-
ance, and there are many province-specific companies. Some good ones are April International, BMO (Bank
of Montreal), GMS (Group Medical Services), International SOS, TIC Travel Insurance, Travel CUTS Bon
Voyage, and World Escapade. Check out the insurance comparison site Kanetix before you buy.
In the UK, some of the best companies include 1 Stop Travel Insurance, Cheap Travel Insurance, Colum-
bus Direct, Direct Line, and World First.
Making a Claim
If you make a claim, remember that any travel insurance company, no matter how good, is there to make
money and will try to avoid paying out as much as they can. In order to ensure that you do get paid for your
claim, make sure you have all your receipts and necessary forms. Be sure to keep a receipt for all the money
you paid, so you can have proper documentation. Receipts, police reports, and official letters—all of this
will help make your claim go by a lot quicker.
When thinking about her claims process, Dawn recommends this: “Keep a running journal of the dates/
times, who you talked to, outcomes of all phone calls, emails sent, and legwork you do on the ground. I
found writing everything down was the biggest lifesaver in keeping track of what happened during this time.
When you are making a claim, something bad is happening, and your memory will be skewed. Keep track
as it is happening.”
Remember that travel insurance is not meant to be a health insurance plan. It's not meant to cover you
for regular doctor visits, checkups, or replace a normal insurance policy. It's simply meant to help travelers
out during emergencies.
I don't think there is one perfect travel insurance company. My personal favorite is World Nomads
(worldnomads.com). Based out of Australia, they are a global insurance brand and cover people from around
the world. While their insurance policy is similar to those of many of the other companies listed in this
section, I enjoy World Nomads for the following reasons: I can purchase and renew my insurance policy
online in a matter of minutes; they have a very friendly and responsive staff who answer questions and help
solve problems via social media; and they have very positive customer feedback. Moreover, Lonely Planet
guidebooks and
National Geographic
also recommend them. I've been using them since I first went away
in 2006.
They tend to be more expensive than the other companies (most policies cost around $1,000 USD), but
dealing with insurance companies is a hassle. At the end of the day, if all the policies are equal in every way
except cost, I am going to choose the company with the best customer service and the one most likely to
reimburse me. In my opinion, that's World Nomads.
Picking your travel insurance is going to take some time, and in the end, you should go with the company
you feel most comfortable with and the one that gives you the coverage that meets the needs of your specific
situation.
