Starr Insurance Companies issues travel insurance advisory

With news of tourists getting sick and dying in the Dominican Republic making the rounds once again, Starr Insurance Companies has issued an advisory for travelers looking to secure insurance for their trip.

“Check-the-box” travel insurance is typically offered whenever a traveler has booked a trip, but there is more to the coverage than that convenience. Michael Grossman, director of leisure travel sales & distribution at Starr Companies, has advised that travelers should be mindful of what sort of coverage they are purchasing, and what the travel policy covers.

Grossman lists several questions that travelers must ask before purchasing any sort of travel insurance:

• What is at risk? The answer varies depending on whether the traveler is going on a domestic or international trip. The average domestic trip costs about $2,500 per person, while it costs $4,500 for international travel. “That’s what you stand to lose, should you have to cancel a trip, say, for a medical reason – the most common cause of a trip cancellation,” Grossman remarked.
• For medical expenses, what’s covered? Does the policy cover a traveler’s entire claim up to a policy limit, or just the deductible on their regular health insurance?  It should be noted that most US medical insurance does not cover emergency medical care outside of the country.
• Does your travel insurer provide 24/7 access to assistance? It would be best to know if the insurer can help the traveler in both medical and non-medical emergencies. “Bad things do happen that can ruin a trip – and they happen more often than you’d think,” Grossman noted.

Starr Companies offered a reminder in its advisory that while some emergencies can be life-threatening and costly, insurance can at least take the financial sting out of the experience. The insurer concluded by saying that the main question for travelers is not whether