Originally Posted by
cslovacek
Yes, I've paid for various parts of the trip as they've come up: So far, I've paid (using miles) for flights to/from Cape Town (Separate tickets) and 2 nights at the Reserve. I have a hotel booked for the rest of the trip, but it won't be paid for until we stay there/check out.
I'm less concerned about the travel protection from the stand point of reimbursing for flights and baggage, etc than I am about actual medical (hospital stay/ER Visit/Medivac out of the Reserve, etc). I can handle hotel and flight changes, but trying to avoid the large, unexpected expenses that could potentially come from an injury or illness while there that requires treatment.
Sincerely,
Right. Thanks.
The reason I asked was that for two types of coverage, it's best if the insurance is started within 10-20 days of the *first* payment (refundable or not). The range depends upon insurance vendor and state.
But there is at least one insurer who can still provide the same range of coverages if the insurance is purchased by "within 24 hours of final payment" - but "final payment" is defined very narrowly (e.g., it wouldn't count paying for a single night's hotel stay immediately before leaving, etc.). Your situation could be a little tricky given the pre-booking of the flights with awards. We do the same thing, so we are well familiar with that!
One of the key coverages of interest/import is for "pre-existing medical conditions", which can be defined differently by different insurers. This is something we cannot be flexible about, no surprise, as we've gotten older.
The other type of coverage is less critical for most: Cancellation/Interruption For Any Reason (CFAR). There are some reasons one might want this other than "just changing your mind". However, for this, it's the cost of the trip (or cost of remainder of trip) that is at risk, and not potentially catastrophic medical expenses.
We also get an annual policy for MedJetAssist. This is specialized, and only kicks in if one is already admitted to a hospital as an inpatient (not ER, not Observation). At that point, if one is stable enough to be medevac'd in a full air ambulance with medical staff, then YOU get to make that decision. No beancounters "vote", and the local medical staff is not put in the possibly awkward position of acknowledging they aren't fully prepared to care for you, etc.
And... YOU get to decide which hospital (in the USA, for USA-based insureds) you want to go to: your "home hospital" or a specialized hospital elsewhere.
This coverage is whenever one is at least 150 miles from home, so we get the annual policy which then includes travel on business trips or to family/friends, etc.
We actually came close to calling MJA, when I was in hospital overseas. However, just as we were thinking, "yup, we should call them", I turned the corner, and with another week of rest, we were able to enjoy the final week of our trip, although I took it very easy.
TIS sells this coverage also, and there is a small discount for (I'm forgetting if it's AARP or AAA), so make sure to ask about that.
Given what you've said, you might only want the "per trip" coverage.
Enjoy your planning and then the trip!
GC