We discussed this on a group forum pretty extensively before a trip once, then when the group broke up to escape Cozumel before a Cat-5 hurricane could hit - many paid heavily to get on any plane. After that, the crying and whining about the extra expenses as well as all of the exclusions we ran into in getting refunds on trip losses. I reminded them of the money they saved on insurance premiums.
We are in our low 30's and do not have any health conditions, so the likelyhood of us having to cancel to our health is slim, but there are always other issues that come up.
Yeah, I've known a few people in your age range who felt the same right before a heart attack, stroke, or other big medical issue, really. Big surprise. Because of your age, you pay much less for the protection; I pay much more but never leave the US without it. I used to, and was lucky, but I shudder to think what could have happened...
I looked at Dan's and their price seems reasonable, although there are some that are less expensive.
DAN has one good insurance product, two levels (not the bottom level) in my opinion - for whatever that may be worth, but here's why...
Their other coverages aside from their signature dive insurance were afterthoughts. I suppose they were pressured to add the other plans, did their best in bidding them out, but did lousy. There is more to that story, but not now. Their trip insurance sucketh.
Their dive insurance is essential unless you get something else very similar and very good. I have also seen 6 divers leave boats in ambulances in my 9 years/less than 400 dives - two of whom would not have lived without DAN to get them back to the US. However, of the 3 levels, the cheapest one is a dog; the middle one is only $10/yr more and much better, and of course there is their top level. But back to trip insurance...
Although one issue I want to be sure is covered, is if my scuba gear/camera/luggage is lost/stolen, that it is covered, and I would think going through DAN, it would be easier to file my claim considering they deal with Dive issues all the time, vs a general trip insurance company.
Nah...
Thanks awap, I have always taken that philosphy - If I can afford the trip, I can afford to loose the money, (although I would be pissed, but in the long term financially I am further ahead). My only concern is replacing lost/stolen gear and any medical costs- but DAN covers the medical side if something happens once on the trip.
A common misunderstanding. Those 30 something friends who had heart attacks, strokes, etc? They were lucky that they were home when they happened. If you have one out of country, would you like to have your expenses covered? While some DAN dive accident plans cover accidents out of country, they
do not cover illness, other than some help on the evacuation on membership & Travelers Assist. When you're 30 something, the risks are less so you get lower remiums but don't fall of the
"it'll never happen to me" fairy tale. BTW, the plan I use also pays generously to return my dead body if I don't make; not that I care, but you know how families are about that.
Doing quick math, between my wife and I, and camera gear/computers, I probably have close to 5K invested that would really screw things up if it went missing. Is there any trip insurance that one could buy just to cover gear?
No, that's gear insurance. Let me find some posts I made today about trip insurance exclusions...
someone else: They have very expensive, and I mean very expensive camera and camcorder equipment.
Me: Insure, insure. I have cheaper camers but insure them specifically with no deductible, no exclusions. A homeowners policy may exclude power surges for example, but my State Farm Personal Articles Policy paid in full on my zapped laptop, and I also do trip insurance when I travel like that, mostly for medical coverages but they are double covered that way.
Me, to another post: Uh, actually there are often a lot of exclusions, limits, and deductibles on lost property on Trip Insurance. It's a good backup along with the other coverages, especially with airline limits of loss liability being so much lower on international trips - but check your exclusions closely, like for electronics and cameras, and consider the one I keep suggesting which I consider a good idea on things that often leave the house, trip or not.
Here is how mine reads, with my emphasis...
Baggage and Personal Effects: Coverage will be provided to You: (a) against all risks of permanent loss, theft or damage to Your Baggage and Personal Effects; (b) subject to all Exclusions and Limitations in the policy; (c) up to the Maximum Benefit Amount ($2500); and (d) occurring while this coverage is in force.
The lesser of the following amounts will be paid: 1) the actual cash value (cost less proper deduction for depreciation) at the time of loss, theft or damage; 2) the cost to repair or replace the article with material of a like kind and quality; or 3) $300 per article.
A combined maximum of $600 will be paid for jewelry, watches, articles consisting in whole or in part of silver, gold or platinum, articles trimmed with fur, cameras and their accessories and related equipment.
A maximum of $50 will be paid for the cost of replacing a passport or visa. A maximum of $50 will be paid for the cost associated with the unauthorized use of lost or stolen credit cards, subject to verification that You have complied with all conditions of the credit card company.
Baggage and Personal Effects does not include:
1) animals; 2) automobiles and automobile equipment; 3) boats or other vehicles or conveyances; 4) trailers; 5) motors; 6) aircraft; 7) bicycles, except when checked as baggage with a Common Carrier; 8) household effects and furnishings; 9) antiques and collectors items; 10) sunglasses, contact lenses, artificial teeth, dental bridges or hearing aids; 11) prosthetic limbs; 12) prescribed medications; 13) keys, money, credit cards (except as coverage is otherwise specifically provided herein); 14) securities, stamps, tickets and documents (except as coverage is otherwise specifically provided herein); 15) professional or occupational equipment or property, whether or not electronic business equipment; or 16) telephones, computer hardware or software.
Review your policy declaration and/or speak to your agent for confirmation, but personal property is protected against loss via theft (even while on vacation) by most renters and homeowners insurance policies. So your gear, computer, etc. is covered. However, I would recommend that you be sure to include photo or video records of your dive gear along with all your other personal belongings. You should also have a written list with the model number and serial number (if applicable) of those high ticket items you imagine might get stolen, or that you might want replaced if it does happen. (You DO have your video/picture record and your serial/model list, right? Of course you do.) You don't necessarily need receipts (but that's always a good idea), but you should be able to prove that yes, you DID own it.
A worthy consideration. Don't just take your agent's opinion tho. Go over the coverage, limits, and exclusions on paper closely - with or without your agent.
We signed up with DAN and went with the Preferred Plan of Diving Accident Insurance Plan after checking with what our personal health coverage would handle for an overseas issue (which was something like NOTHING).
And you still have little with regard to illness. I know, you like the
"won't happen to me" fairy tale. If you're younger, you get cheaper premiums; do you want your heart attack, stroke, whatever covered in Belize or want to experiment with their charity plans?
Having those bases covered, we do NOT purchase trip insurance. The reasons have already been stated. Looking back at how many trips I've taken in my life, and how many I've had to cancel due to emergency proves to me that it wouldn't pan out to be fiscally beneficial. The coverage is often around 10% of the cost of the trip. Have you had 1/10 trips cancelled in the past for some reason? I might reconsider if we were taking a once in a lifetime trip that was very, very expensive.
Safe and happy travels!
10%? Maybe you need help shopping? There are some real dogs on the market. I use TravelSafe.com, excellent company & coverage and for a 35 yo to insure a $2,000 trip against a long list of real risks (home damaged right before trip, father ill, etc, etc) is $82 - not $200. Except you really only need to insure what you would really lose, so depending on the way you build your trip and what you really would lose, you might only insure $1,000 of that trip for like $50. Either way, you are still covered for medical needs, luggage loses, delays, interruptions, etc. See
Our most popular product! | Travel Safe Insurance
After saying all that, if you still want to forgo trip insurance and self-insure, that's a personal call. I try to be nice when I remind the occasional whiner about how they saved $50 on premiums, but it is difficult for me.
This site was mentioned earlier, but here is the link:
InsureMyTrip.com | Quote | Help Lonnnng list of companies, plans, choices, basic coverages (not full details) and a calculator. I used the calculator on my next trip to see what other companies would charge for the coverage level I like and remained with TravelSafe.com - but there are other good choices, as well as bad ones.
You wanta forgo collision insurance on a 3 year old car? Sounds great. You wanta forgo medical coverage on your trip to Central America because you're 30 something and not likely to have a medical problem? Dream on. And if you lose a major part of a trip expense because you had to cancel, or pay out the ass because you had to leave in a hurry, I'll be glad to remind you how much you saved on premiums.
