Allianz "Trip Insurance" - Merry Xmas & Screw you

[uncfnp]

Glad to hear the procedure was a success and hope you are back in the water soon.

Stories like this is why I rarely buy trip insurance. And I have been lucky. The one trip I had to cancel, the owner (a private condo rental) just let me change dates. And once I needed to change the time for a flight and I had purchased the basic ticket. The airline let me pay up to the next level then changed the flight for me.

So like Hoag (edit and JohnnyC) suggested think out side the box for alternatives.

 

[choiahoy]

Hope you’re well and back in the water soon.

 

[Bubblesong]

Thank you for the heads up about that insurance Scam, and that low amount really is a scam.
So far, we have just bought DAN Medical insurance, never any other type of insurance hoping the money that we save in trip insurance will add up to cover the rare time a trip has to get cancelled. I have heard that even if I die, for most insurance, my trip is covered but not family’s, (like they would put me on ice for two weeks while they continue their trip, have the funeral after they get back)

 

[Hoag]

Thank you for the heads up about that insurance Scam, and that low amount really is a scam.
So far, we have just bought DAN Medical insurance, never any other type of insurance hoping the money that we save in trip insurance will add up to cover the rare time a trip has to get cancelled. I have heard that even if I die, for most insurance, my trip is covered but not family’s, (like they would put me on ice for two weeks while they continue their trip, have the funeral after they get back)

Not entirely true. Even if you don't have trip cancellation insurance, if you have non-refundable tickets or hotel reservations, most airlines and hotels will give a full refund for a cancellation when the receive a copy of a death certificate or a letter from a doctor advising family members not to leave the local area due to the severity of the illness. I went through this exact situation last June. (Please reread Post #9.)

 

[Bubblesong]

Not entirely true. Even if you don't have trip cancellation insurance, if you have non-refundable tickets or hotel reservations, most airlines and hotels will give a full refund for a cancellation when the receive a copy of a death certificate or a letter from a doctor advising family members not to leave the local area due to the severity of the illness. I went through this exact situation last June. (Please reread Post #9.)

Thank you for suggestion. I do know it took a long time to get death certificate after i lost a sibling, so if you notify them of death before missing flight, then weeks later apply for refund? Did you have to go to airport in person to get a letter of proof that you canceled?

 

[Hoag]

Thank you for suggestion. I do know it took a long time to get death certificate after i lost a sibling, so if you notify them of death before missing flight, then weeks later apply for refund? Did you have to go to airport in person to get a letter of proof that you canceled?

First, realize that things may work differently in Ontario than they do in Massachusetts, so my experience might not directly reflect on what you might experience.

Also, my brother passed away a couple weeks before the scheduled dates of my trip, so ultimately, I was still able to go on it, (It was a great way to clear my head.) but I had done the research in case I did need to cancel the trip.

In my brother's case, the doctor issued a preliminary report that included the time and date of death and the cause of death. Based on this information, the Funeral Director was able to issue a "Certificate of Death". This is not the same as a doctor's Death Certificate, but will suffice to use to get any death benefits, life insurance or to get the will from a lawyer or set things in motion. The Funeral Director's Certificate of Death was available within 24 hours of him taking possession of the remains. This would have worked for Air Canada and for any hotel reservation that needed proof of death. Also, while my brother was in the hospital, but before he passed away, a letter from the doctor advising family members against leaving the local area for the foreseeable future would have also been enough (for Air Canada) to allow a cancellation and full refund.

 

[jgttrey]

Curious about what the premium was.

In my experience, any trip insurance that provides "full" coverage is very expensive - which is why I never have and never will buy it. Conversely, the insurance with a $200 premium or something will cover almost nothing.

Better to self insure in almost all cases unless you have some special reason to think you might need it.

 

[Bubblesong]

@Hoag
That is so different. I’ll spare you details, but i think it has to do with how efficient a particular hospital staff is, rather that government rules.
But For insurance, I’ve only ever read good things about DAN medical coverage.

 

[Kharon]

Better to self insure in almost all cases unless you have some special reason to think you might need it.

I had no idea - I felt the way I always did. No reason to think anything was wrong. I was set to leave on a saturday. I had a echo cardiogram scheduled for the wednesday, and a nuclear stress test scheduled for thursday morning. The echo was fine, the stress test - not so much. By thursday afternoon I was scheduled for a heart cath first thing friday and after they did that I was scheduled for a stent the following tuesday.

@HoagI’ve only ever read god things about DAN medical coverage.

I have medical coverage through my regular health insurance so DAN medical insurance is of no interest to me. But I have seen several horror stories of people getting shafted by DAN over medical emergencies.

Also, this thread isn't about shipping a body or medical coverage. It's about the total scam of calling something TRIP INSURANCE when it doesn't cover anything but one flight. If your trip has to be cancelled because of a medical emergency you don't just lose the flight, you lose the entire trip - lodging, flights, vehicle rental, etc.

Not entirely true. Even if you don't have trip cancellation insurance, if you have non-refundable tickets or hotel reservations, most airlines and hotels will give a full refund for a cancellation when the receive a copy of a death certificate or a letter from a doctor advising family members not to leave the local area due to the severity of the illness. I went through this exact situation last June. (Please reread Post #9.)

Somehow, after being screwed by Allianz I have little faith in the kindness, good heartedness, and fairness of the travel industry. Opps, you had a medical emergency that required cardiac surgery. So sad, but too bad - you're screwed.

 

[BRT]

Their rational was a semi-hidden upper limit on trip cancellation that was the amount of the initial flight - burried in the fine print. They put all the $100,000, $10,000 etc., items that they say are covered right in your face and bury the smallest limits (the ones that they actually pay on) somewhere you are unlikely to see it unless you get out a magnifying glass and read the entire document.

The trip cancellation limit was $476.90. The insurance fee was more than 10% of that figure. What a scam. Your trip gets cancelled due to emergency heart surgery and the trip expenses are not covered. Only the initial flight.

From now on I will pay a bit more for refundable or reusable tickets and will now look for places to rent that have a reasonable cancellation policy. Trip insurance that doesn't cover the TRIP expenses is a scam.

But yeah, I'm feeling much better than I have in years, so I've got that. After the surgery I asked the surgeon what the recovery period was. He looked at me kind of funny and said" Uh, you're fixed. Take it easy on the wrist for a week - don't soak it, showers are fine, but your heart is fixed." I start cardiac rehab this morning for 12 weeks, mostly so I won't weasel out of going to the gym. lol.

I've rescheduled my trip - March 2 - 9 diving Bonaire, then fly to Aruba (wife not able to meet me there this time) so staying there only March 9 - 12 for snorkeling, maybe a dive or two, and exploring for a future trip with my wife. Then April 17 - 27 Placencia to (hopefully) dive with whale sharks and see some Mayan ruins. I may tell myself that "I deserve a break today" (and not at McD's) and run down to Key Largo for some boat diving in January or February, though I kind of doubt that.

I don't ever buy insurance for a loss I can afford to take. If I don't take a trip that I have paid for all the lodging and tickets and diving I will spend less money than I would have by taking that trip. In over 20 years of diving in Q. Roo I lost on pair of non-refundable tickets when I got sick. I am way ahead.