Trip insurance recommendations - risk of death of a relative
May 24, 2012, 7:33 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Mar 2011
Posts: 28
Trip insurance recommendations - risk of death of a relative
I have a major trip a little over two weeks away. The problem is that there's a risk that one of my travel partner's close relatives could die soon.
Is there trip insurance that could cover this? The trip was purchased on American more than a month ago and is now a little over 2 weeks away. It was purchased with a combination of AA vouchers and a credit card. The total value is almost $4000 for the two of us.
Is there trip insurance that could cover this? The trip was purchased on American more than a month ago and is now a little over 2 weeks away. It was purchased with a combination of AA vouchers and a credit card. The total value is almost $4000 for the two of us.
May 24, 2012, 8:52 pm
#3
Join Date: Jul 2011
Posts: 633
You might look into cancel any reason insurance (travel guard offers it, others may too). It is more expensive and won't cover 100% of your cost, but if you can buy it you won't have to worry about the illness being considered a pre-existing condition. You might also just try calling travel guard and asking them.
May 24, 2012, 11:33 pm
#5
Join Date: Nov 2010
Posts: 639
I'd be surprised if there are exclusions for pre existing conditions of someone who isn't travelling. The vast majority of insurances will cover this, assuming the person who is ill is sufficiently close to one of the travelers - it's not clear the OP or other travelers relationship in the post.
For #1, a random policy from travel guard - their "silver" policy:
This particular policy seems to cover the traveling companion's family members even if the companion isn't insured. But I'd be safe and lump the whole trip of everyone involved into one policy.
For #1, a random policy from travel guard - their "silver" policy:
“Family Member” means the Insured’s or Traveling
Companion’s spouse, Domestic Partner, child, daughter-inlaw,
son-in-law, brother, sister, mother, father, grandparents,
grandchild, step-child, step-brother, step-sister, stepparents,
parents-in-law, brother-in-law, sister-in-law, aunt,
uncle, niece, nephew, legal guardian, Caregiver, foster child,
ward, or legal ward, or spouse or Domestic Partner of any
of the above.
Companion’s spouse, Domestic Partner, child, daughter-inlaw,
son-in-law, brother, sister, mother, father, grandparents,
grandchild, step-child, step-brother, step-sister, stepparents,
parents-in-law, brother-in-law, sister-in-law, aunt,
uncle, niece, nephew, legal guardian, Caregiver, foster child,
ward, or legal ward, or spouse or Domestic Partner of any
of the above.
May 25, 2012, 7:45 am
#6
Join Date: May 2012
Posts: 1
Standard travel insurance would not work in this case due to pre-existing conditions. Travel insurance covers cancellations due to the death of an immediate family member (of an insured), but in this case is sounds like there might be a pre-existing conditions. For examples, you say there is a risk that someone could die soon, which implies that you already know about their medical condition.
This leaves you with Cancel for Any Reason, which lets you cancel a trip for any reason and receive up to 100% reimbursement if you meet certain conditions. One of those conditions is that you purchase your plan within a certain number of days of your initial trip deposit, but since you purchased the trip more than a month ago this would not work.
In short, it is too late to purchase any insurance that would cover this. You would have needed to purchase a plan with Cancel for Any Reason coverage soon after your initial trip deposit date (usually 10-15 days)
This leaves you with Cancel for Any Reason, which lets you cancel a trip for any reason and receive up to 100% reimbursement if you meet certain conditions. One of those conditions is that you purchase your plan within a certain number of days of your initial trip deposit, but since you purchased the trip more than a month ago this would not work.
In short, it is too late to purchase any insurance that would cover this. You would have needed to purchase a plan with Cancel for Any Reason coverage soon after your initial trip deposit date (usually 10-15 days)
May 25, 2012, 10:46 am
#7
Join Date: Nov 2010
Posts: 639
Sorry, I skipped the pre-existing condition section of the policy I looked up. It has this pre-existing condition statement:
This doesn't seem to explicitly exclude death due to a pre-existing condition. (Unless "death" is an "other condition", but elsewhere they refer to death specifically.) But it is subject to interpretation, and I'm not a lawyer.
(s) PRE-EXISTING MEDICAL CONDITION EXCLUSION:
The Insurer will not pay for any loss or expense incurred
as the result of an Injury, Sickness or other condition of an
Insured, Traveling Companion, Business Partner, or
Family Member which, within the 180 day period
immediately preceding and including the Insured’s
coverage effective date: (a) first manifested itself,
worsened or became acute or had symptoms which would
have prompted a reasonable person to seek diagnosis,
care or treatment; (b) for which care or treatment was
given or recommended by a Physician; (c) required taking
prescription drugs or medicines, unless the condition for
which the drugs or medicines are taken remains controlled
without any change in the required prescription drugs or
medicines.
The Insurer will not pay for any loss or expense incurred
as the result of an Injury, Sickness or other condition of an
Insured, Traveling Companion, Business Partner, or
Family Member which, within the 180 day period
immediately preceding and including the Insured’s
coverage effective date: (a) first manifested itself,
worsened or became acute or had symptoms which would
have prompted a reasonable person to seek diagnosis,
care or treatment; (b) for which care or treatment was
given or recommended by a Physician; (c) required taking
prescription drugs or medicines, unless the condition for
which the drugs or medicines are taken remains controlled
without any change in the required prescription drugs or
medicines.