No Doctor, No Claim: The Rule Too Many Travelers Forget

If you’ve ever purchased a travel insurance policy from us, you’ve received our “Consumer’s Guide to Having a Successful Travel Insurance Claim With These 9 Travel Insurance Claim Tips”.

And, at the very top is the most important rule:
Tip #1: If you get sick or injured prior to or on your trip, it is important you go to a doctor. If you do not go to a doctor, the insurance company will not believe you were sick or injured.

If you don’t, your claim is very likely to be denied.

Most policies say something like:

“For Trip Cancellation benefits, an actual examination by a licensed Physician must take place before the cancellation is made. For Trip Interruption benefits, this examination must take place during Your Trip.”

This isn’t a technicality—it’s the foundation of whether your claim gets paid.

Real Calls I’ve Received

Case #1: “We came home early… but didn’t see a doctor there”

A client called after returning early from Ireland

“My husband hurt his back badly, so we came home early. We saw a doctor once we got back, and he said it was a good decision. What do we need to do for the claim?”

I asked one key question:

“Did he see a doctor while you were still in Ireland?”

The answer was no.

They chose to finish their planned activities first, then fly home early, and only saw a doctor after returning.

I explained:

You absolutely have the right to file a claim, but without a doctor visit during the trip, it’s very unlikely the claim will be paid.

Case #2: “I could’ve gone…”

Another long-time client told me:

“I got sick in Spain before our cruise. I stayed in the hotel, took care of myself, and we flew to meet the ship a few days later. I could’ve gone to the doctor, but I figured a doctor would just tell me to do what I was already doing.”

He was right about one thing—he did know he could’ve gone.

But because he didn’t see a doctor in Spain, his $3,300 claim was at serious risk.

His response:

“I need you to convince the insurance company to pay this.”

Unfortunately, this isn’t something anyone can “convince” a company to overlook.
The requirement is written into the policy.

Case #3: The One I Never Forget

This one goes back to 2009.

A woman called about a Trip Interruption claim after falling on ice in Iceland and breaking her wrist.

I asked if she saw a doctor.

She said:

Yes. Do you think I’m stupid? Of course I saw a doctor!

Then we talked further.

She actually didn’t see a doctor in Iceland.

She waited until she got home to Arizona—five days later.

She told me she nearly passed out from the pain while traveling home.

And unfortunately, that meant her claim was in jeopardy.

Why This Rule Exists

Insurance companies aren’t trying to make things difficult.

They need:

• Verification that something actually happened
• Documentation of when it happened
• Medical opinion supporting your decision to cancel or interrupt

Without that, there’s no way to validate the claim.

The Simple Rule to Remember

If something happens on your trip:

See a doctor before you cancel, interrupt, or change your plans.
Follow their advice.
Keep the documentation.

Even if it feels unnecessary… do it anyway.

The Good News

These situations are actually rare.

Most travelers:

• See a doctor when needed
• Follow instructions
• Keep records

And their claims are paid without issue.

Final Thought

Travel insurance works—but only if you follow the rules.

And the most important one is simple:

No doctor = no claim.

If you ever have a situation during your trip, call us first.
A 2-minute conversation can be the difference between a paid claim and a denied one.

“We don’t have any non-traveling family members. It’s just the two of us taking the trip. Everyone else is staying home and aren’t going on the trip with us. Why does it matter?”

I received this email response as an answer to “In the last 180 days, have any non-traveling family members had any medication changes or had treatment for, had symptoms of or been diagnosed with any medical condition that could worsen and, in turn, cause you to cancel or interrupt your trip?

I wasn’t sure how to respond to that without making them look stupid, so I only answered their question.

Why do my Non-Traveling Family Members matter?

Our trip insurance plans cover you for canceling or interrupting if you or they get ill or injured (i.e. – get hit by a cement truck).

In addition, it’s important to know about your Non-Traveling Family Members’ health because they might have some serious medical condition today that could worsen and cause you to cancel or interrupt your trip.

However, it’s possible (more likely in large families) that one of those Non-Traveling Family Members has a medical condition.

I’m 68 and my parents are 92 and 94. It’s a blessing that they are still around, but my Dad has pre-leukemia MDS (myelodysplastic syndrome). Because of this, when I buy Trip Cancellation insurance, I always get a plan that covers Pre-Existing Medical Conditions should my Dad’s health take a turn for the worse.

How is a Family Member Defined?

A Family Member usually means your spouse or domestic partner, child, spouse’s child, daughter-in-law, son-in-law, brother, sister, mother, father, grandparents, grandchild, step-brother, step-sister, step-parents, parents-in-law, brother-in-law, sister-in-law, aunt, uncle, niece, nephew, guardian, ward.

Now that you know about this, you also need to know that the vast majority of Trip Cancellation insurance plans require you to buy the plan within a short amount of time after your earliest payment of any kind toward any travel arrangements on your trip to have the “Waiver of the Pre-Existing Medical Condition Exclusion“.

That date is called the “Initial Trip Deposit Date” and any payment including taxes on frequent flier tickets or giving a credit card to guarantee a reservation counts as this date.

If your Initial Trip Deposit Date was more than 21 days ago, we have a few plans that always cover stable medical conditions of your non-traveling family member.
…

When a Trip Cancellation plan’s wording includes “You are medically able and not disabled from travel at the time Your premium is paid based on assessment of a Physician”, do I literally have to get a note from my doctor right now that says I am medically able and not disabled from travel before I buy the policy?

These are good and very timely questions. All Travel Insurance plans require you to be able to travel on the date you buy it.

Erroneously, most people think that the ability to travel only matters if you want the pre-existing medical condition coverage. However, the truth is that in order to be eligible to buy any travel insurance plan, you have to be able to travel on the date you buy it.

Nearly everyone is able to travel, but there are situations where that’s not the case. If any of these are true today, you aren’t able to travel:

• You are in the hospital now.
• If you recently got out of the hospital, you likely aren’t able to travel.
• You have specifically been told by your doctor you can’t travel.

So, how do you document if you are able to travel? If you’re not sure, ask your doctor. If you have a Patient Portal, it’s best to send them a message so you have a document trail.

Here are screenshots from someone asking their doctor if Dave can travel today. The message was sent through the Patient Portal, so RN Jessie is who responded.

And, here’s Doctor Greenberg’s response via Jessie:

If Dave were to have any claim, they now have documentation he was able to travel.

Another reason to ask is if your doctor dies. I’ve seen this happen where someone’s being treated for a medical condition and after they received documentation that they were able to travel, before their trip, their doctor passed away. One of these people ended up with a large claim that was only paid because they had the documentation. Their new doctor wouldn’t certify his ability to travel because it was before knew each other.

Which Credit Card should you take for trips outside the USA?

This is a nice set up for me to promote specific Credit Cards (and earn commissions), but I won’t do that. Instead I’ll give you practical and actionable advice that helps you today.

Do Not take the Credit Card you use every day

You likely use one Credit Card for most of your transactions. While it’s a good idea to track of all your spending in one place, it’s a bad idea to take that same Credit Card with you when you travel outside the USA.

And, if your primary card’s compromised and cancelled, you’ll be left without access to funds and will potentially disrupt your ongoing payments and subscriptions.

Instead, take two Credit Cards that are issued by a bank that you do not have any other ties to and only use them when you travel outside the USA. Use one for your transactions and have the other as a backup.

Why? Identity Theft, including Medical Identity Theft, is real. You don’t want to unwittingly help online scammers build a detailed online profile about you as a potential victim.

If your main Credit Card’s stolen, the criminals can access your Transactional History which gives them valuable financial insights that help them steal money, commit fraud or tailor specific scams just for you to deceive you more effectively.

Why Would Scammers Want Your Transactional History?

• To Identify Your Spending Patterns: They’ll see where you spend money, learn about your day to day life and what’s important to you.
• To Steal Your Credit Card Details: If they get access to your credit card statements, they can attempt unauthorized transactions or sell the information.
• Commit Identity Theft: Transactional history contains personal details that can be used to impersonate you or open new accounts in your name.
• To Bypass Security Checks: Banks sometimes ask for recent transactions as a security question. If a scammer knows your history, they can pass verification steps.
• To Create Targeted Phishing Scams: They might send you fake emails or messages that match your real transactions, tricking you into clicking malicious links.

And, there are two more important things to do:

• Call the Credit Card company’s International Security department before you leave and be sure to make a call log of who you speak with. Get the International 24/7 Security reporting contact phone number that’s answered by a live human being along with their website. Tell them which countries you’ll be visiting and the dates you’ll be outside the USA. Also, give them your contact information.
• You need to have the RFID shielded sleeves for your credit cards, passports and hotel room key card. Here’s an Amazon link that I don’t benefit from:
  https://www.amazon.com/s?k=RFID+shielded+sleeves

I know this was a lot of information, but I hope everyone reading this takes it to heart and follows through on my advice.

Hi Steve, My girlfriend lives in New Mexico. I live in Washington. We’re planning a two-week self-directed trip to Spain. We haven’t paid any deposits, but expect to do so soon. I’m told we have to have two insurance policies. That would double the premium. Our total trip costs are about $18,000. I’m 68, she’s 66. Do you have any suggestions? Thank you! I like your website and I hope to do business with you. Thanks, Stephen

> I’m told we have to have two insurance policies.

This is correct because you have different mailing addresses. However, you are still Traveling Companions because you are taking the same trip. Here’s more information about this: https://tripinsurancestore.com/your-family-member-or-traveling-companion/

> That would double the premium.

No, the premium wouldn’t double because it’s likely your trip costs will be split between the two of you. You might have some differences in airfare, but I expect most of the other trip costs are the same for each of you.

Look at this page to learn what are your insurable prepaid trip costs: https://tripinsurancestore.com/what-is-your-trip-cost/

And, here are two items to be aware of as you plan your trip:

1. If any of your trip costs are being paid with Future Travel Credits including airline E-Credits that you received instead of a cash refund on a trip that was cancelled or interrupted, this will change your Initial Trip Deposit Date and potentially affect both the Pre-Existing Medical Condition and Cancel For Any Reason coverages.
2. The Pre-Existing Medical Condition Coverage includes anything that your non-traveling family members have that could worsen and, in turn, cause you to cancel or interrupt your trip.

What Does “Proof of Payment” Mean on My Claim Form?

Hi Steve, Thanks for the help you are giving with Max’s claim, very much appreciated. It’s been very difficult to say the least. Their strategy seems to be to make it as difficult as possible to avoid paying a claim. We put together very specific and detailed information for Max’s medical claim and it’s like they are finding other things they need to see just to delay it longer. Things like not accepting a payment confirmation receipt from a provider as proof of payment but making us go back and find the corresponding credit card charge on the statement, or asking the hospital to provide a “current” bill which hasn’t changed since they issued the original bill when Max was discharged back in April. All they should have to do is loop in the Hospital biller for confirmation that the balance is still outstanding and to confirm the amount. Scott

Hi Scott, Thanks for send me this regarding Max’s claim.

I’m not the Insurance Company and I cannot predetermine claims. However, hopefully, I’ll be able to help you understand why they are asking for these items.

Insurance companies are regulated by the States they do business in. Part of the many rules that they have to follow is how they process claims. When a company is asking for specific information, one reason they are doing this to meet their reporting requirements.

Before God gave me the idea to start TripInsuranceStore.com, I was a Certified Financial Planner with a lot more Securities and Insurance licenses.

One day I was touring an insurance company I worked with and there were stacks of files everywhere in their admin area. They told me they were getting their multi-day annual audit of Disability and Health Insurance claims from their State’s Insurance Dept. The auditors picked out 350 claim files and for each claim they examine every document for this information:

• Were all the procedures followed?
• Were the correct State-approved forms completed and signed by the Insured?
• Did the Insured submit all the supporting documentation?
• Was the claim underpaid, overpaid or correctly paid?

You stated: “Things like not accepting a payment confirmation receipt from a provider as proof of payment but making us go back and find the corresponding credit card charge on the statement”.

The reason they want to see the charge on your credit card statement is because a payment confirmation receipt does not show who paid the money and in what form the money was paid. For example, if you had a $500 courtesy credit from your travel supplier that was applied to your payment, that $500 credit isn’t insurable. Without seeing your credit card statement, the insurance company has no idea how much you actually paid out of pocket.

As for “asking the hospital to provide a current bill”, many times costs are added on later as the providers submit their invoices. The insurance company wants to be sure that you aren’t being underpaid.

As you know, we help our customers with their claims. Its common for previously unknown important information to show up weeks or months after a claim was started because of various delays.

Hi Steve, I’m glad I called you. I wasn’t expecting any advice beyond learning how Trip Cancellation Travel Insurance could help me. Your tip saved me more than $1,310 which almost paid for the insurance I got from you and it will continue to save me money in the future. Thanks for mentioning this to me. Tom F. in Delaware

Even though TripInsuranceStore.com sells Trip Cancellation Travel Insurance, Deanna, Kim and I also know how to save you money and grief when you’re planning a trip.

Here’s why Tom’s happy:
Tom achieved a high Marriott Elite status (I don’t know which one). They know him, so whenever he needs to book a stay, he calls and they give him their best refundable rate.

So I asked him “What’s the non-refundable rate? He said he already knew he was getting their best rate, but I pushed back with “every time someone books a non-refundable hotel, the money they save versus the refundable rate pays all or a substantial part of their travel insurance premium”.

I could tell he wasn’t thrilled about contacting Marriott, but I convinced him to do it. Not long after, I received this email:

“Hi Steve, I switched my Marriott Amsterdam booking from the refundable to the non-refundable rate. Before the change it was 2,743.23 Euros. After getting the non-refundable pre-pay rate it went down to 1,551.64 Euros. I saved 1,191.59 Euros which is more than $1,310 !!!! Thanks for mentioning this to me. Tom”

I hope this tip helps you, too.

Everyone who buys travel insurance from us gets a copy of “The Consumer’s Guide to Having a Successful Travel Insurance Claim With These 9 Travel Insurance Claim Tips” about a month before you leave. Tip #9 is about Baggage coverage.

Have you ever had your baggage lost or stolen? If so, it’s nearly impossible to remember what you packed. Especially when you are under stress.

Tip #9 says: “Before you close your suitcases, take photos of the contents so you have an accurate list for a claim.”

Do this for both checked and carry-on baggage.

I’ve travelled a lot and always checked a bag. However, in November 2023, we took a 12 day repositioning cruise on the Azamara Onward from Lisbon, Portugal to Fort Lauderdale and as an experiment we only took carry-ons.

It worked so well, we did the same thing for a trip to Florida earlier in the summer. From now on, I’ll only do carry-ons. I encourage you to try it.

If you can’t make the leap to carry-ons right away, do this that I did for years: Pack your clothes and get rid of one-third of them before leaving home.

By the way, if you are going to Lisbon, here’s a very nice restaurant that we found called “39 Degrees”. Their website is in Portuguese: https://39degraus.pt/, but if you go to their online Menu (https://39degraus.pt/menu/) you can see pictures of the food. Plus, all their staff speak English. Here’s their Facebook, too: https://www.facebook.com/39Degraus.pt/.

And, if you like Egg Custard, you’ll like these: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pastel_de_nata.

Hi Steve, My husband and I booked a Celebrity cruise for about $8,000. How much is a good Trip Cancellation plan?

This sounds like a simple request, right? It isn’t, but not for obvious reasons. In fact, because of the apparent simplicity, had they not called us, they probably would have lost $2,405 on a covered trip cancellation claim.

Me: What’s the per person cost for each of you?
Them: it’s $4,000 per person.
Me: Since it’s a Celebrity cruise, does Guest #2 have a 75% discount?
Them: I don’t know. My travel agent told me that’s our per person trip cost.
Me: Since November 2023, almost every Celebrity invoice we’ve seen shows Guest #2 with a 75% discount. In order to be sure, you’ll need to see your Celebrity invoice.
Them: I don’t know if it’s worth the hassle.
Me: I think it is, because you don’t want to discover at claim time that you’re not getting all your money back.
Them: What do you mean?
Me: If Guest #1 paid the full price and Guest #2 got 75% off, then insuring $4,000 per person means that a trip cancellation for a covered reason could result in Guest #1 losing at least $2,000 on their claim, while Guest #2 ends up being overinsured.

I told them this story:

In November 2023, a couple called me about insuring a $1,000 per person April 2024 Celebrity cruise. I asked if they were sure they had the same cost, because I’d seen Celebrity invoices where Guest #1 has a higher trip cost than Guest #2. They called their travel agent to clarify and called me back and saying their travel agent confirmed the trip cost was split equally at $1,000 per person which they insured.

In April they cancelled their cruise for a covered reason. We helped with their claim. They called in May unhappy with its outcome: Guest #1 received only $1,000 and Guest #2 received $520. I reminded them (I have a good memory) that in November their travel agent said their trip cost was $1,000 each. Unfortunately, Celebrity’s cancellation invoice showed Guest #1’s trip cost as $1,480 and Guest #2’s trip cost as $520. The total was still $2,000, but the split wasn’t equal because Guest #2 had a 75% discount on their trip cost. Sadly, their travel agent wouldn’t take responsibility for misleading them so they are out $480.

Those people called me back a few hours later after they got a copy of their invoice. Look at what it showed:

As you can see, Guest #1’s total charge is $6,496.98 and Guest #2’s total charge is $1,767.98. They were very happy they got the invoice and didn’t take their travel agent’s advice. They also told me that the other websites they visited advised them to do exactly what their travel agent said.

This is why I said “they probably would have lost at least $2,000 on a trip cancellation claim” if they insured a $4,000 per person trip cost.

PS – They said they have been insuring their cruises incorrectly for years, but they won’t be making this mistake again.

I am grateful and fortunate to have a wonderful community of kind-hearted customers, each of whom excels in their respective fields. What they have in common is their selfless desire to help others.

As you’re aware, I seldom endorse businesses, and the few I do, do not compensate me in any way. The only individual I’ve previously acknowledged on TripInsuranceStore.com is my programmer and friend Amrit Hallan. Today, I’m introducing my customer (since 2008) and friend, Mark Hendelson.

During the pandemic I needed to start collecting my Social Security (SSA) retirement benefits sooner than later. It’s a monthly check that replaces part of your income when you reduce your hours or stop working altogether.

Mark worked for the Social Security Administation and kindly took his personal time to educate us. My situation wasn’t simple, so, without Mark’s help, I definitely wouldn’t have gotten all the benefits I was legally owed when I started collecting SSA benefits 7 years early.

I asked Mark to put something together for my Blog because you yourselves or your family members will have to wade through this and I want you to be prepared.

Mark will take it from here:

When you’re years away from retirement, Social Security seems straightforward: Leave your job, file for benefits and receive a monthly check for the rest of your life – easy, right? But in truth, getting the most from Social Security is far from simple. As retirement draws closer, the choices you make can seriously affect your income, and some of them are set in stone. You’ve got to tread carefully to maximize this income stream.

My aim is to assist you in understanding your Social Security benefits and steering clear of costly mistakes. SSA administers complex programs that require careful planning.  This has been my career expertise for 38 years working for the SSA. I’ll guide you in carefully assessing all your options. You’ll learn how best to maximize your benefits, navigate the system, and make the right choices.

Here are 10 essential details you need to know:

1. What is my Social Security Full Retirement Age and why is that important to know?
2. How many quarters of covered FICA earnings do I need to be eligible for Social Security retirement benefits?
3. How are my Social Security benefits computed?
4. What is the impact of the annual Cost of Living Adjustment and future work on my monthly benefits?
5. Will my monthly Social Security benefit increase the longer I wait to claim?
6. Is there a potential Social Security benefit payable to my spouse?
7. How might other pensions impact my Social Security benefit?
8. Are Social Security Survivor benefits payable to Spouses and Children?
9. Can I claim Social Security benefits earned by my ex-spouse?
10. Can I undo a Social Security benefit claiming decision?

Question: I’m struggling to decide at what age I should file for my Social Security benefits. What factors should I consider when making this decision?

Answer: First, let’s start with some basics. You can start getting retirement and spouse’s benefits as early as age 62, but you will permanently receive up to 30% less in each check than if you had waited until your full retirement age, which is age 66 for those born from 1943-1954 and gradually rising to age 67 for those born in 1960 or later. If you delay taking your benefits from your full retirement age to age 70, you will get an 8% increase in your benefits for each year you delay.

If you are single and have never been married, spousal and survivor benefits aren’t a factor. Therefore, your decision about when to file really centers around how long you think you will live. If you can afford to delay taking benefits and are considering waiting until age 70, an important question is do you expect to live past age 80?

Research shows that at about age 80, the total benefits received is about the same whether you started your benefits at age 62,age 70 or anywhere in between. With this in mind, if you believe that you will not live to age 80 don’t delay filing until age 70. If you anticipate living past age 80 it might be prudent to delay the receipt of your benefits until age 70.

There are advantages and disadvantages to taking your benefit before your full retirement age. The advantage is that you collect benefits for a longer period of time. The disadvantage is your benefit will be permanently reduced. Each individual’s situation is different. It is important that you also take into account your health, longevity in your family, your income and expenses, and the impact of taxes.

Steve’s note:
If you want to get in touch with Mark Hendelson, his website is YourSocialSecurityPro.com and his email is Mark@YOURSocialSecurityPro.com

I received this email about a year ago:
“Hi Steve, My husband’s in the American Hospital in Cabo San Lucas because he broke his hip. First, thank you for contacting the insurance company for us since our phones weren’t working correctly. We’re in touch with them now. Next, we also contacted my husband’s doctor as you suggested, but we don’t want to use the hospital his doctor wants. We have hospital of choice so we want him sent somewhere else. Can you help us? Liz”

I helped them, and they were very happy in the end, but I had to push against what they wanted. Hospital of Choice is touted as a big advantage, but, in my opinion, it can cloud your judgement and may result in you not getting the best overall treatment.

I told Liz to contact her husband’s doctor so he could have input for the right hospital her husband would be transported to that was close to home. As it turned out, they didn’t like that hospital and wanted a different one. She asked me for help, so I asked her”: “Are either of you doctors? If not, I’m not either, so if I were you, I’d take the doctor’s advice.”

They took his doctor’s advice and as it turned out, if her husband had gone to the hospital they wanted, he wouldn’t have been happy because that hospital didn’t have the expertise to best treat the kind of hip fracture he had. That’s why the doctor was recommending a different hospital. He is now fully recovered and is back to normal with no complications.

How Exactly Does Travel Insurance Medical Transportation Work?

Like many of the complicated parts of travel insurance, there’s confusion about how the Emergency Medical Transportion works, so I hope this will make sense to you:

Early in the process of determining which is the best travel insurance plan our potential and repeat customers should get, we often hear “If something happens to me on a trip, I don’t want to go to an adequate medical facility, I want to go a better one.”

If you’re on a trip and something bad happens to you medically (ie – getting hit by a cement truck), it’s likely that you will need an Emergency Medical Transport.

What needs to take place before a transport is arranged:

• Get to a medical facility if you are ill or injured. If you’re on a cruise, go to the infirmary. If you are on land, you might be taken by ambulance to a local medical facility.
• Make sure you see a doctor. If the condition is serious, you will likely be seen by other medical professionals, too. If you are traveling with a family member who is a doctor, you will need to see a doctor that you aren’t related to.
• Call the travel insurance company’s 24 hour emergency assistance phone number. You may do a collect call from anywhere in the world. Also, make sure you give them your contact information in case the call drops. Anyone can make the call on the person’s behalf, too.
• If you want your own doctor to be invloved, contact them. They may not be set up to take collect calls, so maybe contacting them via a Patient Portal would be best.
• You may let us know, too, if you want.

Lots of people tell us “I don’t want to go to an adequate medical facility, I want to go to a better one.”

To that we say “No one wants you to die in the street, so you’ll first get taken somewhere to stabilize you. If you need further treatment in a better facility, and when it’s safe to transport you (as in you not dying in the process), you’ll be taken to the better facility or even back home depending on what the doctors taking care of you say. The insurance company doesn’t make that decision, though they will arrange and pay for the medical transport.”

My cruise is supposed to be going through the Red Sea and the Suez Canal to the Mediterranean in early April. Unless the conflict near Yemen ends quickly, it looks like my cruise line will be changing the itinerary and going the long way around Africa. I will be missing a lot of ports in the Red Sea and the Mediterranean that were the reason I chose this specific cruise. An amended itinerary is not what I signed up for, do I have a covered Trip Interruption if I decide to go home early?

This is a timely question considering how much travel has changed due the war and tensions in the Middle East since the October 7, 2023 Hamas Terrorist attack on Israel.

The short answer is “No, Itinerary Changes are not a covered Trip Interruption” when the travel supplier makes the change. And, it’s the same answer for a Trip Cancellation when the travel supplier cancels a trip or makes Itinerary Changes.

There are some (not many) Trip Cancellation plans that include reimbursement of up to $250 or $500 if a change to Your Trip itinerary either prevents You from participating in a previously scheduled event/activity or eliminates a destination from originally scheduled itinerary.

In a Trip Cancellation insurance plan there are many covered reasons (Perils) which may happen to the Insured Person that will be paid as a claim. My favorite example is “you’re walking across the street and get hit by a cement truck“. I’ve had this Playschool Cement Truck ever since I was a Life Insurance agent and my sales manager Frank hated it.

There are also many excluded reasons that are not covered.

So, if you haven’t read the Terms and Conditions from your travel supplier, now is a good time to read it. You will find out exactly what your Cruise Line, Tour Company or Airline will do for you if they cancel or change your itinerary.

Hi Steve, Uncle Lenny takes off tomorrow and there are high winds expected. If they cancel his flight and can’t put him on a new flight for some reason is he able to buy a new flight even if it’s a higher cost? Will his travel insurance cover him if there’s only a flight available on a different airline? Hopefully, it won’t be an issue, but he wants to make sure. Thanks, Elizabeth

Hi Elizabeth, There’s no need for him to buy a new flight. His airline ticket is a contract and the airline is required to get him to his destination even if there are delays. He’s obligated to take whatever substitute flight the airline offers him. This means he can’t refuse the substitute flight and expect his travel insurance to reimburse him for the extra cost for buying a new airline ticket.

Just to be clear, if you are on a trip and your flight is delayed, changed or cancelled, your airline is required to get you to your destination. Your travel insurance won’t reimburse you for the purchase of a new airline ticket if you refuse that flight. And, if you’re flying Standby you don’t have a confirmed reservation, but the airline will still try to help you. I only know one company that will insure your other travel arrangements if you are flying Standby.

Inclement weather is a common reason flights are delayed or cancelled. Nearly 10 years ago, my customer Jon from Massachusetts was facing a potential trip cancellation when his flight was cancelled. Here’s what Jon sent me on May 9, 2014 (it’s also here at https://tripinsurancestore.com/travel-insurance-claim-paid-jon-massachusetts/):

Hi Steve,

I wanted to follow up with you on your very helpful telephone calls as it relates to the claim that we ended up filing with Travel Insured. As you may recall, my family of nine (wife and 7 children) were supposed to go on a Sunday to Sunday Royal Caribbean cruise from February 16, 2014 to February 23, 2014 out of Galveston, Texas.

We had been planning to fly in Sunday morning on a non-stop flight from Boston but a snowstorm the Saturday night before caused our Sunday morning flight to be cancelled outright. The ship was to spend Monday and Tuesday at sea and arrive Wednesday in Jamaica and then Thursday in Grand Cayman. Because there had been a string of snowstorms in the Northeast, we weren’t able to get any flights on Monday to Jamaica and the only Tuesday flights had overnight stay-overs en-route making catching the ship on Wednesday risky. Candidly, I wasn’t so thrilled about staying in Jamaica with my wife and young children so I wasn’t that upset. Miraculously, we were able to patch together a set of three flights starting Monday morning at 6 am landing at 10:30 pm in Grand Cayman. We were also able to book a hotel in Grand Cayman for the three nights while we waited for the ship.

Thanks to all of the details about the fine print on your web site (and the advice you gave me on the phone the Friday before when the storm was coming in), Travel Insured paid ($16,300 check came today) for EVERYTHING (except a local cab we took to a restaurant and a few cash gratuities we didn’t have receipts for totaling about $100), including reimbursing us for 4 of the 7 lost days on the ship. What could have been a total disaster ended up becoming a very nice trip for my family (other than the crazy travel day getting there after the snowstorm).

I can’t thank you enough for the phenomenal information and advice on your web site and on the phone. Understanding the fine print in advance made all the difference in the world for our claim. We will be lifetime customers and we recommend you to everyone that we know!

Thanks again and best regards!

Jon L. and Family, Massachusetts
May 9, 2014

You Need to See a Doctor if You Get Ill or Injured

First, all our plans cover Covid the same as any illness. And, if you get ill or injured, you need to see a doctor wherever you are in the world. This includes seeing a doctor while still at home before you cancel your trip.

If this sounds redundant, it is. But you’d be surprised by how many people don’t see a doctor. Or, they cancel or interrupt their trip before their doctor tells them they have to that.

Next, if you’ve ever called us for help with a potential or actual claim, you’ll recall that we asked you something like “Have you been to the doctor?” or “What did your doctor tell you to do?” or “Did your doctor tell you that you can’t travel because your medical condition has unexpectedly worsened?”.

Unfortunately, more than a few times a month, we talk to people who don’t seek medical advice before cancelling or interrupting their trips due to an illness or injury.

Here’s an email exchange I recently had with a customer on a trip in Australia.

Customer: I tested positive for Covid in Australia. I called my travel agent because there was an excursion today that I will have to cancel. What do I need to do on this end for insurance?

Steve: Make sure you go to a doctor for the diagnosis and then do what he/she tells you to do. A positive result from a home test kit isn’t sufficient proof.

Customer: Okay. I’m in Australia they said I can walk around as long as I have a mask on. But I have a fever and not feeling well. Do you suggest I go to see a doctor for that?

Steve: Yes, but if you can walk around as long as you have a mask on, why did you have to miss your excursion? And, who diagnosed you with Covid?

Customer: I couldn’t go on the excursion because I have a fever. If I felt okay I would go. I don’t know how to get a doctor in Australia. Do I have to see an actual doctor here?

Steve: Yes. If you see a doctor in Australia who confirms you have Covid or another illness that prevents you from doing your excursion, you need to save the documentation and file a claim if you had a financial loss from missing your excursion.

Customer: I had an evisit with a Kaiser doctor in California, but they wouldn’t see me. I had to get a referral to a respiratory specialist from my GP and then get an appointment. I didn’t have enough time. And, I tried an Urgent Care Clinic here, but they said Australia has run out of funding so only certain specialists see Covid patients. I guess I won’t be able to get reimbursed for the missed excursions. You might want to let any of your customers know about the need to see a doctor.

Steve: As a policyholder you have every right to file a claim. When you ask us if your claim will be covered, we tell you to the best of our knowledge. We cannot predetermine claims. However, the only way you can be sure if your claim will be paid or not is after you file your claim. The insurance company has the final say.

As for letting our customers know, I attached screenshots the places where I prominently display the information with text and links. Here they are: