What to look for in travel insurance
You’ve put a lot of thought into planning an exciting trip. But when it comes to travel, careful planning only takes you so far. Travel insurance can help fill the gaps, helping you recover costs or get specialized support when the unexpected strikes.
There are a lot of travel insurance options to choose from. Where to start? Here, we provide a checklist of key benefits to look for in a travel insurance policy to help ensure you get the best value.
- Comprehensive Coverage: Did you know that many travel insurance plans cover travelers on a trip-by-trip basis? If you travel more than 100 miles from your residence multiple times throughout the year, you can elect to purchase a single trip policy for each trip or elect to purchase one annual travel insurance plan. By electing an annual plan, it may provide you a more cost-effective and simple solution. We offer plans that provide year-round coverage, helping you travel with confidence throughout the year.
- Accident & Medical Expense Coverage: Depending on your major medical coverage, your medical insurance may not provide coverage for expenses incurred while traveling internationally. Even in cases in which your major medical coverage applies, providers in many countries may require Advanced Medical Expense payment prior to rendering treatment. That’s why accident and medical expense benefits are a key component of any travel insurance plan. And, when necessary, our plans provide a guarantee of payment directly to a medical provider to ensure that you receive immediate care when needed.
- Trip Interruption or Cancelation Benefits: An unexpected injury or illness for you or a family member? Severe weather? You never know what might happen that could require you to cancel or interrupt your travel arrangements. So, it’s important to ensure your trip expenses are protected. Certain travel insurance plans — including Chubb’s plans — provide reimbursement for forfeited, pre-paid non-refundable trip costs and additional covered transportation expenses for trips that are canceled or interrupted due to covered, unforeseen events such as sickness, injury or death, inclement weather, and more.
- Baggage & Personal Effects Coverage: If your bags are delayed or lost, your travel insurance policy can help get your trip back on track. Baggage delay benefits can reimburse you for the reasonable additional purchase of essential items during your trip if your baggage is delayed or misdirected by a common carrier for 12 hours or more. Baggage loss or damage benefits may reimburse you for the actual price, actual value, or the repair or replacement of your items — whichever is less — based on the limits in your policy.
- Accessible Support: Travel offers exciting opportunities to explore new destinations and learn new cultures. With these opportunities for new experiences comes a unique set of risks. And when the unexpected happens, you need quick and easy access to experts who can help you navigate the situation. A travel insurance plan that includes access to a 24/7 travel and medical assistance team can provide extra peace of mind. It’s also important to review the technology and tools your travel insurance provider offers to help you connect with them when needed. At Chubb, we offer a Leisure Travel mobile app that offers click-to-call access to our Travel Assistance and Customer Service teams. Our app also features direct access to our Claims Portal, where travelers can submit a claim when needed.
- Flexibility: A “dream vacation” is going to look very different for each traveler. We all have unique preferences in terms of destinations and experiences. Similarly, there’s no one-size-fits-all approach to travel insurance. Look for a travel insurance provider that offers flexibility in terms of their plan designs and benefits. At Chubb, we offer three different plan design options — Basics, Essentials, and Choice — so that you can scale your coverage based on your unique needs.
For additional guidance on finding the right travel insurance, please contact your travel advisor or insurance broker.
This document is advisory in nature and is offered as a resource to be used together with your professional insurance advisors in maintaining a loss prevention program. It is an overview only, and is not intended as a substitute for consultation with your insurance broker or travel advisor, or for legal, engineering or other professional advice.
Chubb is the marketing name used to refer to subsidiaries of Chubb Limited providing insurance and related services. For a list of these subsidiaries, please visit our website at www.chubb.com. Insurance underwritten and provided by ACE Property & Casualty Insurance Company or ACE American Insurance Company and its U.S. based Chubb underwriting company affiliates or network partners. All products may not be available in all states. This communication contains product summaries only. Coverage is subject to the language of the policies as actually issued. Surplus lines insurance sold only through licensed surplus lines producers. Chubb, 202 Hall’s Mill Road, Whitehouse Station, NJ 08889-1600.