Travel Insurance

[kelemvor]

Has anyone looked at the travel insurance that Al recommended in his email? Have you used travel insurance before, and if so - is this reasonable coverage for the price?

They also offer an "any reason" upgrade which gets you 75% of your trip cancellation costs for $109 extra. The quote they gave me was for 2 people aged 36 and 41 from Florida.

I was thinking baggage coverage might be nice. I usually check a bag with my fins, bcd and a few other dive items. Even if it's just a delay, this might cover the cost of rental gear.

 

[Altamira]

Recommend you download the actual policy and read every word. A couple of trips ago, I found out that DAN's travel insurance did not cover travel losses incurred while diving without a DM. Who would have thought that kind of exclusion would be in a DAN product and told them how assinine that was?

 

[KeithG]

Always read the fine print. In general every insurance policy is competively priced. For the features it provides. Market forces ensure this.

If you find a "cheaper" policy it is because they cover less.

A common cost reduction is to only include the affected / injured party in the coverage. She is hurt, you are healthy - you are not covered.

Read the fine print, phone the provider and feel free to ask explicit questions.

 

[mattia_v]

I don't know the US market, but check continuous travel insurance - my Dutch insurance carrier covers both of us year round for the equivalent of 17 or 18 dollars/month, including scuba diving coverage, emergency medical transport, luggage, cancellation, repatriation, theft, loss. Covers all my travel, from a single overnight stay to an extended 2 month vacation. Even emergency evacuation from Antarctica would have been covered had it been needed. Worth it to us.

My camera gear is insured separately at replacement cost because that coverage was too low (and I frequently have >5000 dollars of camera gear with me that is now insured at replacement value)

 

[Hawkwood]

Recommend you download the actual policy and read every word. A couple of trips ago, I found out that DAN's travel insurance did not cover travel losses incurred while diving without a DM. Who would have thought that kind of exclusion would be in a DAN product and told them how assinine that was?

Bolding is mine.

COVERED DIVE or COVERED DIVING ACTIVITY means a recreational dive or diving while a scuba instructor, divemaster, underwater photographer, or while performing research under the auspices and following the diving safety guidelines of the Canadian Academy of Underwater Scientists (CAUS) or a group whose written diving research protocol meets or exceeds those of the CAUS. A dive begins upon entry into the water and ends upon exit from the water. A Covered Dive must begin while insurance is in force.

You may wish to check your handbook again. Look for the "or".

 

[kelemvor]

Bolding is mine.

COVERED DIVE or COVERED DIVING ACTIVITY means a recreational dive or diving while a scuba instructor, divemaster, underwater photographer, or while performing research under the auspices and following the diving safety guidelines of the Canadian Academy of Underwater Scientists (CAUS) or a group whose written diving research protocol meets or exceeds those of the CAUS. A dive begins upon entry into the water and ends upon exit from the water. A Covered Dive must begin while insurance is in force.

You may wish to check your handbook again. Look for the "or".

Interesting. I remember a thread on this subject and didn't notice that "or". It was a big head scratching moment. However, that does seem to be a policy from the Canadian DAN, which might be different from USA right?

All,
Thanks for the tip on finding the details.. I didn't see any obvious mention of it on the page I looked at so it didn't even occur to me.

 

[kelemvor]

For what it's worth, DAN's trip protection policies are indeed about the same price, but instead of covering the whole trip ($2380) it only covers a max of 1190 for cancellation for example. The limits are lower on almost every line item than the policy recommended by bay adventures. Some things, like emergency evac, are covered the same.

I'm going to check the policy, but I'm still hoping someone can comment on their experience having used this one. It's "CSA Travel Protection" Underwritten by Generali U.S. Branch.

 

[kelemvor]

A common cost reduction is to only include the affected / injured party in the coverage. She is hurt, you are healthy - you are not covered.

Still reading, but this is in the policy:

Traveling Companion Assistance
If a Traveling Companion loses previously-made travel
arrangements due to your medical emergency, the
assistance provider will arrange for your Traveling
Companion’s return home

 

[kelemvor]

Yikes. Same as the objectionable bit found by other US residents in the DAN policy:
From the exclusions section:

scuba
diving below 120 feet (40 meters) or without a
dive master

@cardzard or @ROXANNE are we planning to have DM's with each group on this trip?

 

[KeithG]

Still reading, but this is in the policy:

you should verify the wording with the provider, but i interpret that to mean if you are held over and miss your flight home they are covered. what if YOU have to go home early?

you also need to check the wording of the trip cancelllation portion.