tl;dr – Whether it’s peace of mind or should rough times hit, you’ll be glad you did this.
Plain and simple, if you travel regularly, you should have an annual travel insurance policy. Purchasing a policy is rather inexpensive, and coverage is robust. Whether you’re an individual traveler or you move about with your family, I highly recommend you look into one.
Your typical policy will cover multiple trips within a year (they are usually written for 364 days) and is designed for people taking several short trips, protecting against unexpected events like illness, accidents, lost luggage, or disruptions on any eligible journey.
Here’s a rundown of some of the core coverages and key features you can expect with an annual travel insurance policy:
Core Coverages
- Emergency Medical & Dental: Pays for covered injuries or illnesses while traveling.
- Emergency Evacuation: Covers costs to transport you to a proper medical facility or back home if medically necessary, including political evacuation.
- Baggage Loss/Damage: Reimburses for lost, stolen, or damaged luggage.
- Baggage Delay: Covers essentials if your bags are delayed by a certain time (e.g., 12 hours).
- Travel Delay: Reimburses for meals, hotels, etc., due to covered delays.
- Trip Interruption: Covers costs to return home early if your trip is cut short.
- Trip Cancellation: Reimburses prepaid, non-refundable costs if you must cancel before departure for covered reasons.
Key Features for Annual Plans:
- Multi-Trip Protection: One policy for all trips within the year, great for frequent short getaways.
- Aggregate Limits: Benefits are drawn from a yearly pool, unlike single-trip plans.
- Optional Upgrades: Add-ons like pre-existing condition waivers or coverage for adventure sports are often available.
As far as providers, there are many. For the last few years, I’ve purchased a policy from Travel Insured (I don’t get a kickback, and as you’ll notice, I didn’t link the website to double down on that), which has been easy and straightforward. I’ve made one claim, and it was resolved quickly and efficiently – the customer service is solid.
