Travel Insurance

by Wayne Wirtanen

Following are some ITN readers’ letters and inquiries that I have received recently regarding travel insurance. The first came from Judie Kesson of Coronado, California:

As my wife, Jeanell, and I were planning a trip to England and Italy in October ’06 connecting with a cruise, we felt we should have medical insurance. I had read in ITN (April ’06, pg. 54 & Aug. ’06, pg. 57) about Travelex Insurance Services (Box 641070, Omaha, NE 68164-7070; 800/228-9792, www.travelex-insurance.com), so I went online and contacted the agent Alan (alan@travelinsurance center.com).

I had to fly urgently to the U.K. on family business and so made arrangements over the Internet to rent a car from Dollar Rent A Car at London’s Heathrow Airport, Feb. 10-20, 2007. The total price I was quoted on Expedia was about £110 (near $219).

Dear Steve, my husband and I were to sail on a 30-day South Pacific cruise with (a major ship line) on January 22nd. We arrived at the port on time and healthy.

by Wayne Wirtanen, Contributing Editor

Riddle time! Why are there no travel insurance companies, and when is travel insurance not travel insurance?

In case a traveler is injured abroad, medical care will be necessary and all initial care will be local. The quality of care can and will vary greatly, and if the trauma is severe, hospitalization and surgery may follow. Not every case demands evacuation; high-class medical care can be obtained in many developing nations. The difficulty lies in finding or making one’s way to such care when sick or injured.

Consider the odds when deciding whether or not to purchase travel insurance

Not much help from the travel insurance people

My wife, Shirley, and I would like to report a happy experience with the insurance company Trip Mate (Kansas City, MO; 800/888-7292 or www.tripmate.com).

STA Travel (7890 S. Hardy St., Ste. 110, Tempe, AZ 85284; phone 800/777-0112, fax 480/753-5847, or visit www.statravel.com) is primarily a student travel agency, but their modestly priced and comprehensive travel insurance policies are available to anyone.