Benefits like “Cancel for Any Reason” and “Pre-Existing Condition Waiver” are time sensitive, so insurance must be purchased within a specific window of time (generally 10-21 days¹) following the date of this letter or these benefits become unavailable.

• Cancel for Any Reason: This benefit can provide 75% of your non-refundable expenses if you cancel for a non-covered reason, such as changing your mind about a trip.  A covered reason will continue to provide full benefits.  This feature is expensive, but can provide much flexibility, and must be purchased within a specific window of time.¹All non-refundable costs must be insured to qualify for Cancel for Any Reason.
• Pre-Existing Condition Waiver: Cancellations and other losses caused by pre-existing conditions are often not covered by travel insurance. However, such exclusions can be waived if travel insurance is purchased within a specific window.¹ A pre-existing condition is generally an injury, sickness, or condition that occurs, or was treated, during the 60 days prior to the purchase of insurance. (See the certificate of insurance for precise definitions.)  You cannot be disabled from travel at the time of purchase.

¹Time sensitive benefits are generally available if insurance is purchased within the 10-21 day window following the date of this letter.  For details, call 866-679-7836.

Travel insurance is generally non-refundable.  There is usually a short “free-look period” to allow travelers time to review the certificate of insurance carefully and during which a refund is available. Even if the tour operator cancels and refunds your trip costs, the insurance premium is not refundable. However, as an accommodation during the pandemic and the resulting uncertainty around travel, when plans have changed like this our insurance partners have allowed customers to shift coverage to new travel dates with certain time restrictions.

Some trips require a relatively small deposit with a reservation, but don’t require additional payments until closer to the departure date.  Given the refund policy explained above, it may be tempting to postpone the purchase of travel insurance until making additional larger payments, but doing so sacrifices the aforementioned time-sensitive benefits. 

An alternative is to insure trip costs as you pay for them.  For example, when you make a deposit, you can purchase insurance to cover just the deposit.  This preserves your eligibility for time-sensitive benefits and minimizes the cost of insurance.  As additional trip payments are made, it is critical to increase the insurance amount along the way.  By the time you travel, all non-refundable trip costs must be insured.

Travelers are increasingly concerned about being quarantined before or during a trip. Travel insurance policies have very specific definitions surrounding quarantines and under what circumstances a quarantine is a covered reason for trip cancellation, interruption, or delay.

The definition varies by insurer, but generally a quarantine is a strict medical isolation imposed by a recognized government authority, a medical examiner, or a physician to prevent the spread of a disease and requiring twenty-four hours per day, seven days a week confinement throughout its duration. A recommendation is not a quarantine. Deciding to “self-quarantine” upon the advice of or comments made by a public health official or a doctor in the media, does not meet the definition.