FAQs Archive

Does the Europe Travel Alert affect travel insurance coverage?

The travel alert in Europe doesn’t affect travel insurance coverage. A travel alert is not considered to be a covered reason to cancel a trip. If there is an attack that is deemed terrorism by the U.S. State Department, those with travel insurance can then be covered to cancel their trip.

Is terrorism coverage included in a policy or is it something travelers need to add?

Travel insurance is sold as a group of benefits so travelers can’t add terrorism to a policy. Most policies have terrorism coverage built into them under the standard trip cancellation coverage. Make sure to look at the policy detail to be sure that terrorism coverage is included.

How much does it cost to get Cancel For Any Reason coverage?

Cancel For Any Reason coverage can increase the policy premium by up to 40-50%, depending on the policy.

How much does it cost to add terrorism coverage?

Terrorism is not an additional cost. Travel insurance is sold as a package of benefits so travelers can’t add terrorism coverage but most policies do include it within standard Trip Cancellation. Look for a policy that has that terrorism coverage already built into the policy.

Is travel insurance still available after an event has occurred?

Once an event has happened at a destination, a policy can’t be bought to cover anything related to the event. Travel insurance covers ‘unforeseen’ situations so once an event happens, impacts from it are considered ‘foreseen’ and can’t be covered.

When should travelers purchase travel insurance?

Travel insurance can be purchased up to the day before a traveler leaves for their trip but there are time sensitive benefits like Cancel For Any Reason coverage or Pre-Existing Condition coverage that need to be purchased within 14-30 days of the initial booking date, depending on the policy.

Are there any exclusions that travelers should know about?

Pre-existing conditions are important to consider. If a traveler has a pre-existing condition that has changed during the policy’s look-back period, find out Pre-Existing Condition coverage eligibility. It’s available within the first 14-30 days of the first trip booking, depending on the policy.

Is travel insurance changing because of current events?

There is increased interest in travel insurance because of events like the Zika virus and recent terror attacks. Travelers want to make sure they have a way to protect themselves if they need to cancel a trip because of these unfortunate events.

Can travelers cancel their trip if there is a Zika virus outbreak or CDC alert for their destination?

A CDC alert or fear of the Zika virus are not considered to be covered reasons to cancel a trip under a standard travel insurance policy. We recommend that, when possible, travelers purchase a ‘Cancel For Any Reason’ policy. This time sensitive benefit requires travelers insure 100% of their prepaid and non-refundable trip costs and […]

Can travelers still buy travel insurance for a country that has a CDC alert for Zika?

Travelers can still buy travel insurance for a country that has a CDC alert because of Zika but to be able to cancel a trip, they would need to buy a Cancel For Any Reason policy. A standard cancellation policy does not cover canceling a trip because of a CDC alert or the Zika virus.