Most of travelers coming from or heading to Europe last week probably didn’t think, “Does my travel insurance cover volcano eruptions?” when they headed to the airport last week.

However, the answer to this question has become a matter of the utmost importance to the millions of travelers stranded by the eruption of Iceland’s Eyjafjöll volcano.

With volcanic ash clouds shutting down airports across northern Europe, knowing thy insurance has become one of the only protections against a long camping trip in Heathrow airport.

Already insurers are feeling the pressure from the influx of insurance claims as a result of Wednesday’s eruption and the subsequent airspace shutdowns.

American travel insurer, Travel Guard, has reported that its assistance centers have been flooded with more than triple the call volume typically experienced on a Thursday to Monday time frame.

“We’re being swamped with calls from both U.S. travelers trying to get to Europe and those stranded in Europe,” said Travel Guard spokesperson Charles Mardiks.

Travel insurance covers the great unforeseen “what ifs” of travel. However, only about 30 percent of Americans purchase it, and most coverage is created for the mundane annoyances of travel: trips cancellations or interruptions, missed connections, bad weather and lost bags.

Insurers don’t usually foresee smoldering Icelandic volcanoes in their policymaking. So though most insurers have been generous in their response to the crisis, policyholders face a lot of uncertainty, especially as the shutdown enters its fifth day.

“The bottom line,” advises President John W. Cook of Connecticut-based travel insurance seller QuoteWright, “is you need to read your plan carefully, and don’t assume that there will or will not be coverage.”

Here are some answers the most critical insurance questions about the Icelandic volcano eruption and its effect on travelers.

Help, I’m stranded in Europe! Will my travel insurance cover me?

The answer to this question depends on whether or not your insurance provider classifies the volcano as a “natural disaster” or an “adverse weather” event.

Most insurance policies cover adverse weather events that cause your airline to cease operations for a specific time period, usually 24 hours. Bad weather is a common occurrence and makes economic sense to include in a travel insurance policy.

Natural disasters, on the other hand, are not as common, so some insurance providers choose not to include them in their insurance packages in order to keep premiums competitive.

There’s a good chance that though your insurance provider will cover adverse weather problems, they will not cover natural disasters.

That means the way insurers are classifying the volcanic ash cloud is having a big effect on coverage for trip cancellation and interruption coverage.

If your policy does not cover natural disasters, it’s possible that you may be denied coverage. Even when the policy does cover natural disasters, you might not be covered if your location is still habitable.

Some travel insurances provide coverage only if your destination is “made uninhabitable by a natural disaster,” which might work if you were traveling to earthquake-damaged China, but not if you are stuck in London.

Luckily, most insurers have decided that the wind carrying the ash should be considered as adverse weather, so unless your insurance has a heart of Grinch-like proportions, you should be covered by your insurance.

However, many companies have determined that policies purchased on or after April 13, 2010—when the effects of the volcanic ash became a “foreseen event”—are not are eligible for trip cancellation, trip interruption or travel delay benefits. Some others, such as CSA Travel Protection and Access America, have a later cut-off date of April 15, 2010.

I have travel insurance. What does it cover?

Those lucky enough have travel insurance are going to benefit the most right now from three types of standard coverage: trip cancellation, trip interruption and trip delay coverage.

Under these three types of coverage, volcano-stranded travelers can see their flight, hotel and food expenses reimbursed. And since most travel insurers are labeling the ash cloud as adverse weather, policyholders should see a full or partial payout for most of their losses.

Many insurers are paying100 percent of non-refundable flight or vacation deposits under trip cancellation and trip interruption policies.

As for trip delay coverage, this type of insurance is going to reimburse the day-to-day expenses incurred by the shutdown. Things like food, hotel and local transportation are covered.

It’s important to know, however, that trip delay payouts are effected by the total cost of your trip, the cost of your policy, and your purchase date. So your options are limited by the amount of money you put into your policy.

An average policy will usually pay out around $150 per person, per day for delays. Depending on the policy, you might also be limited by a maximum payout that ranges from about $750 to $1,500. Depending on the policy, coverage kicks in if you are delayed from three to 12 hours for a reason specified by your insurance.

But the reimbursements are not the only thing that stranded travelers are receiving. Insurers like Travel Guard have their representatives find hotels, alternative flights and prescription replacements for their customers, says Travel Guard spokeswoman, Carol Mueller.

What can I do if my travel insurance policy expires while I’m abroad?

If for reasons covered in your policy and beyond your control, you are stranded and in that time your policy expires, you can get an extension of benefits.

Travelers stranded by the airspace shutdowns meet this criteria. However, the length of this extension depends on your insurance.

Several insurance companies have an ‘open-ended’ extension where the insurance policy’s coverage is extended beyond its expiration date and continued until the traveler has reached their return destination,” says Vikki Corliss, director of public relations at Insuremytrip.

Some companies, however, provide coverage up to but not exceeding seven days beyond the traveler’s original return date. With the crisis extending to its fifth day, time might be running out for some people.

But just because coverage ceases, doesn’t mean benefits stop. “Trip cancellation and trip interruption coverage will usually continue after the end of the extension,” says Cook of QuoteWright.

What might not be covered are medical emergencies. In many cases, if a traveler experiences a medical emergency after the end of the policy extension, they will no longer be covered.

However, Cook suspects that very few people fall under that category. He also believes that policy providers would stand up and continue coverage after the seven-day extension.

Other insurance companies says that they plan to look at extensions on a case-by-case basis.

What if the airspace shutdown continues? Will my insurance pay for an alternate way back to the States?

Hopefully, we won’t see the return of transatlantic sea travel as the primary mode of transportation, but if we do, travel insurance will cover any type of return transportation.

What confines a traveler’s options are the monetary limits set by the cost of his or her trip. So a person who insures an expensive trip has many more travel options than a person who insures an $2,000 trip and essentially gets $3,000 in insurance back.

Travel Guard, however, says that most travelers are not at the point to consider alternate transportation yet. Most travels are looking for alternative flights out of Europe.

Regardless of the uncertainties facing travelers, having insurance is proving to be a life-saver for many stranded in Europe

For more information, visit PeterGreenberg.

Tags: Coverage, Iceland, Insurance, Limits, Travel, Volcano

In this era of spiraling medical costs, the traveler can hardly be blamed for hesitating to embark on a trip outside his or her own country that expenses will be covered in the event of accident or illness. A sensible precaution would be, and this is what most American voyagers nowadays get into, is obtaining protection with the right kind of insurance policy which are accessible through their own employment benefit packages, along with other comprehensive private health insurance packages that provide reimbursement wherever they may be in the world and they encounter medical costs for treatment.

But let us consider what happens now to people who do not have privately funded insurance coverage such as the retirees who only get medicare benefits, and other people without any private insurance security like foreigners coming to America but get frustrated upon learning that they will not be covered their by their local insurance provider. Both groups should rejoice as there are now American travel insurance policies that would be good for them. Look at this Miami based travel agency as an example, with its insurance plan that can give up to $10,000 in medical benefits if ever something unfortunate happens to a foreign person within America, as well as to US citizens vacationing outside the country.

For the first week of US travel, a premium of $29.50 has to be made, followed by an additional 20 dollars the week after. In the $50 deductible clause, it is explained that the first $50 in medical fees would not be reimbursed, but bills exceeding $50 will be, as long as it is within the limit of $10,000. But there is a rule that there will be no payments if the ailment arose from a condition that was already there 90 days before the policy was approved. It is good to know that among the benefits of this policy, you can rely on payments for instances such as lost or delayed baggage, death or dismemberment, trip cancellation and theft.

A well known American insurance provider can give a policy holder an up to five thousand dollars outright, for any medical attention done either within or outside a hospital following an injury from an accident, and this is one of the highlights of a policy which can pay up to fifty thousand dollars and gives coverage even for accidental death and dismemberment. In New York, their Arm Coverage can give up to a thousand dollars in medical expenses payment if it happened due to either an illness or an accident, and it would not matter whether or not hospitalization is a requisite.

For this policy priced at $25.50 and valid for 7 to 10 days, you already get coverage on accidental death and dismemberment, double indemnity in certain cases and not to forget, protection even for your luggage. In addition to the risks already mentioned, there are policies that offer reimbursement in case a trip is canceled or interrupted because of adverse weather conditions, a strike or the bankruptcy of a charter company or tour operator, such coverage is called trip contingency, and policies that offer emergency evacuation or transfer to a competent medical facility or even to one’s hometown, if local doctors deem it necessary.

When it comes to dealing with foreigners touring America, for instance, this guy from Europe comes in, and while he may be thoroughly secured with his government health program back in his own country, such will no longer be the case when he is faced with a medical emergency situation as soon as he is no longer within his country. He or she, unfortunately, cannot avail of a private policy even if a lot of firms offer coverage, since these policies are mostly just available within America.  In the aim of assisting such foreign visitors, a study was conducted and gave way to this survey. It was just a couple of months ago on different instances that two readers were questioned if anyone sold temporary health insurance to visitors coming to America.

One of the two readers retold what her aunt from Prague felt, whenever she would ask the old lady to tour America, that an ailment or injury could make her shell out so much cash. On the other side, the second respondent added that even as he wanted nothing more but for his relative to come to America, the relative who used to be an engineer, now in his 80′s and is his only relative from Russia who is alive, he had to think twice as during the time this man got a heart attack, they had to spend tons of dollars for him.

Tags: Country, Insurance, Must, Outside, Travel, Trip

When planning a trip out of the country one of the major considerations, after the booking of plane tickets and hotel rooms are arranged, must be travel insurance. As an American traveling to Europe or in any country other than the United States, an injury or illness while away could bankrupt you. That means there really is little choice but to make sure that you have a good comprehensive travel insurance policy to protect your health should something unforeseen occur when you are on holiday.

No one plans to eat bad shellfish and wind up with food poisoning in Canada any more than they do slipping on ice and breaking an ankle on a skiing trip in Switzerland. So you must make sure you are fully covered for your potential medical expenses. There is no point in having your hospital stay covered and then having to pay for the ambulance ride.

Many good travel insurance plans cover much more than just your health care expenses. These will frequently also cover the loss or theft of personal property including luggage and currency or costs of sending one back to ones country due to medical issues or death, as well as paying the costs of missed or delayed flights. Travel insurance nowadays is not merely a health plan for vacationers. Therefore if you have decided that you want to purchase travel insurance before you leave there are a few things you should know.

First, buying a policy online is way cheaper than going through a health insurance or travel company. That is because even the travel agent who was so helpful in booking your holiday may not be able to offer you a better price than an online service.

It has to do with the overheads or actually the lack of overheads that online companies deal with. They dont require the big offices or fancy rooms with cushy chairs to offer to their clients because they never see their clients. Everything is done online. You fill in forms detailing what you want in a travel insurance policy. After sending this to them you wait a short time for an email to come back to you with a price. If you agree the next step is to make payment by credit care or perhaps using paypal.

If you dont like it then you keep looking at the many other online websites that offer these kinds of policies. You will find what you want fairly easily. Once you have made your payment the company will send you by regular mail all that you need to make sure you are covered for your upcoming holiday. Having the right travel insurance will make your holiday worry free.

Tags: Consider, Insurance, Reasons, Travel

There is one item that in my opinion must be a travel accessory and this is usually ignored by most people but for the fact that immigration or other traveling institutions make it a provision.

This often neglected “accessory’ is insurance coverage. More often than not we limit accessories to physical needs, whereas insurance ought to be our companion while we travel. This intangible accessory is more important that the clothing and food we will always want to get along with. There are so many hazards that can be associated with traveling and we ought to be forewarned of these in order to be forearmed.

The first thing to do before traveling is to cover you against all unforeseen events. This will normally be costly. It will be advisable to verify from your insurer whether your present scheme provides you with coverage while you travel especially if you intend going out of the country. If the answer is in the affirmative, take note that not all your intended destinations will cost the same. For example the cost of insurance to England will be cheaper than that to Indonesia, Iraq of the Democratic Republic of Congo, where war or natural disaster can be a hazard to your wellbeing. The next worry should be the extent and conditions of your coverage. For example you may not be covered in case of injury while in a bus, but you might only be covered in case of death while on flight. Also check out the type of valuables that will be covered by your insurers. Make sure your worries are clarified before you embark on your journey.

The solution to travel insurance is not only that you are insured, but to get what you are actually paying for. For example how does an insurance scheme benefit you if you are provided coverage only in cases of injury while on board and aircraft? You of course know that it may be easier to be injured while you are on the ground. If you rent a car in the course of your trip, also make sure that the insurance covering the car has provision for third parties and for loss to objects found in the car. You may also want to provide insurance for your personal belongings such as jewelleries, laptop computers and even to your pets, if you intend traveling with one. But you must first make certain that these things are in the best of shape for travel. You veterinary doctor should be able to evaluate the pet’s health, whether special medications and care will be needed.

Talking about pets, there are certain accessories that you must bring along with you. The pet’s cage should not be left out. Also include enough food, water, drugs, towel to soak up your pet if it gets wet. Remember to bring along a strong bridle to strap up your pet from getting loose. An item worth remembering is a tag attached to your pet or a photo of your pet for easy identification and eventual communication to you in case the pet goes astray.

Tags: Asset, Insurance, Travel

Once upon a time, a very wise person was heard to say. If you can’€™t afford travel insurance, you can’t afford to travel. Its clichs, but then, clichs are often true. If you are going overseas, get travel cover an“ even the cheapest travel insurance deals are really quite reasonable when compared to the price of airline tickets let alone the price you might have to pay if you break your leg or get all your bags stolen.

Medical Cover; Just Get It

Expensive but Crucial

No matter what cover you decide to purchase, even if it’€™s the budget version, it should have some sort of medical cover. However, you may want to beef this up, depending on where you’€™re travelling. Most basic options will not cover sports such as skiing, as the risk of injury and expensive treatment is just too high. The first important thing you need to worry about is what the treatment will cost you. A case often given is the traveller taking a trip through the United States, land of opportunity and appalling health systems. Many Americans live on a day to day basis with no health insurance a fallback system is just not in place. This means that if a foreign national gets injured, they’€™re in the same position, and liable for some astronomical costs. You may think you won’t get ill  but broken bones do happen one of these could cost you thousands and thousands of dollars. There are horror stories of people only stopping in the US for transit purposes for a few days, and having accidents which take years to pay off. Medical evacuations from the states can cost hundreds of thousands of dollars. Look for policies that deal with this.

A Little Squeamish?

At the other end of the scale, if you are travelling to a developing county, you probably won’t want to subject your delicate first-world body to the particular country’s public medical facilities. Even when planning a short trip to Bali, you might want to make sure your policy covers private health care. With lower standards of medical care (not least due to the fact the rules of global economics mean the highest qualified doctors often leave to pursue careers in wealthier countries), you are at higher risk of infection or other mishaps. On top of this, you probably don’t want to be subjected to the same waiting lists that the locals have to put up with. In countries with high rates of communicable diseases, such as AIDS in Southern Africa, paying the extra for private health care is a wise decision.

Don’t Even Think About It!

Well, you can certainly go wherever you like, but don’t expect to be covered by travel insurance companies if the country or region you are thinking of heading to has a specific travel warning from the Foreign Office. Hotspots such as Iraq or Sudan marked ‘Do Not Travel€™ will most probably be snubbed by your insurer. You can generally check for a full list online with various sites offering up to date warnings. There may also be warnings ‘advising against travel’ (the next level down) to a whole host more destinations, including Indonesia (and therefore Bali), so it’€™s best to check with individual companies if in doubt. Unfortunately for you, the issue may have been politicised, and might even seem bizarre – Australia was recently listed as a risk destination for some time by countries including the UK following the Cronulla riots – but the company probably won’t want to hear your opinion on whether it’s safe. Finally, even if you travel to a country with no prior history of violence, your company may still get out of paying you  many policies will not cover any act of war or terrorism whatsoever.

Tags: Don’t, Insurance, Though, Travel