4 replies to this topic

[scubaski]

Swine Flu pandemic only going to get worse. Prompted me to buy travel insurance today for Bonaire.

[damselfish]

Well I was going to buy trip insurance for the drug cartell thing for Cozumel Halloween. Now a double wammie with this going on. Think Mexico City people will be near Cozumel or on the same airplane?
Maybe I'l just bring a O2 tank on the plane and a pony to carry around Cozumel and my regs and JUST BREATHE MY OWN AIR! ~ D

[ASDmike]

Well I was going to buy trip insurance for the drug cartell thing for Cozumel Halloween. Now a double wammie with this going on. Think Mexico City people will be near Cozumel or on the same airplane?

Probably a good thing to have the travel insurance up to date for even quick Coz trips. They are linking that NYC high school outbreak to a spring break trip to Cancun.

[scubaski]

My main concern was to buy insurance from the company prior to a exclusion of sickness by swine flu as a covered loss, ie: buying insurance before a hurricanne is named.

[ASDmike]

True, you have to purchase insurance early or not be sick in the 60 days before departure under the pre-existing conditions clause. Note that one of the coverages is when travel is interrupted by quarantine (which will be handy if you have a fever and are connecting through the heat sensors being used in Japan ).

Actually I guess if this outbreak becomes pandemic we could be hit by the "Any government regulation or prohibition" exclusion. One might read this that you are not covered if travel to your dive destination becomes banned (or if any government denies travel from your home to the dive destination including passage through their airport for connections). But in the case of a pandemic this sounds similar to travel following 9/11 when all my non-refundables were quickly and fully refunded.


Here is a copy of the TripAssure terms:


“Diving Vacation” means: A vacation spent outside Your city of residence, in a diving resort or diving facility and/or specifically includes diving.

Part B - TRAVEL PROTECTION

The Insurer will reimburse You for the unused non-refundable portion of travel and accommodation expenses paid or contracted to be paid up to the maximum shown on the Schedule less the deductible amount of $100, subject to the terms and conditions of the master policy as a result of a Diving Vacation being unavoidably cancelled or interrupted due to any of the following unforeseen reasons:

• Sickness, Injury, or death of You.
• Sickness, Injury, or death of your Immediate Family Member, Traveling Companion. Injury or Sickness must be so disabling as to reasonably cause a Trip to be delayed, canceled or interrupted;
• Weather conditions or Natural disaster causing delay or cancellation of travel; Natural disaster at the site of Your destination accommodations which renders Your destination accommodations uninhabitable.
• Your principal residence being made uninhabitable by fire, flood, vandalism, burglary or Natural Disaster;
• Your being subpoenaed, required to serve on jury duty, hijacked or quarantined; or
• Your being involved in or delayed due to a traffic accident en route to departure.

Trip Cancellation Benefits
The Insurer will pay this benefit up to the maximum Limit shown on the Schedule of Benefits for Trips that are delayed or canceled before the scheduled Trip Departure Date. The Insurer will pay forfeited, non-refundable, unused prepaid payments or deposits if your Trip is canceled due to the reasons shown at the beginning of this section. The Insurer will pay your additional cost as a result of a change in the per person occupancy rate for prepaid travel arrangements if a Traveling Companion's Trip is canceled due to reasons shown at the beginning of this section, and your Trip is not canceled.

Trip Interruption Benefits
The Insurer will pay this benefit up to the Maximum Limit shown on the Schedule of Benefits for Trips that have been interrupted or delayed, due to the reasons shown at the beginning of this section. The Insurer will pay for the following:

• Forfeited, non-refundable prepaid deposits or payments made prior to your Trip Departure Date, or unused prepaid payments or deposits for your Trip if your Trip is interrupted; or
• Additional transportation expenses incurred by you either
  
  • To the Return Destination; or
  • to from the place that you left the Trip to the place that You may rejoin the Trip;
  • Additional transportation expenses incurred by You to reach the original Trip destination if You are delayed and leave after the Trip Departure date. However, the benefit payable will not exceed the cost of economy airfare (or business/first class if your original tickets were business/first class) by the most direct route, less any refunds paid or payable;
• Extra Accommodation Expenses – The Insurer will indemnify You and Your Traveling Companion for (a) reasonable additional lodging accommodation expenses incurred in order to remain in the place where You receive medical treatment following an Injury on the written instructions of the treating Physician up to a maximum of $125 per day. In no case shall the maximum amount payable under this Coverage B.2 exceed the maximum benefit stated in the Schedule. (b)Your additional cost as a result of a change in the per person occupancy rate for prepaid travel arrangements if a Traveling Companion's Trip is interrupted and your Trip is continued.
• Travel Delay – The Insurer will reimburse up to $200 a day to a maximum of $1000 if your Trip is delayed for more than 6 hours for Reasonable Additional Expenses until travel becomes possible. Incurred expenses must be accompanied by receipts. This benefit is payable for only one delay per insured, per Trip. Travel Delay must be caused by
  
  • Carrier delay; or
  • lost or stolen passport, travel documents, or money; or
  • quarantine; or
  • Natural Disaster; or
  • Injury or Sickness of You or your Traveling Companion. The Insured must: Contact AIGAssist® as soon as the Insured knows his/her Trip is going to be delayed more than six hours. Failure to do so may affect coverage.
• Missed connections - The Insurer will reimburse this benefit up to the Maximum Limit shown on the Schedule of Benefits if Inclement Weather or Carrier causes cancellation or a delay of all regularly scheduled airline flights for three to less than twelve hours to your point of departure. You can collect up to $500 for additional transportation costs to join the Trip (must be same class of original tickets purchased). Reasonable accommodations and meals (up to $100 per day), and/or the non-refundable, unused portion of the prepaid expenses as long as the expense is supported by a proof of purchase and is not reimbursable by another

Additional Conditions and Exclusions – Part B
In addition to the general exclusions:

• This policy does not cover loss caused by:
  
  • Carrier-caused delays including an announced, organized, sanctioned labor union Strike that affects public transportation, unless your coverage effective date is prior to when the Strike is foreseeable. A Strike is foreseeable on the date labor union members vote to approve a Strike;
  • Travel arrangements canceled or changed by an airline, cruise line, or tour operator, unless the cancellation is the result of bad weather;
  • Changes in plans by You, an Immediate Family Member or Traveling Companion, for any reason;
  • Financial circumstances of You, an Immediate Family Member or Traveling Companion;
  • Any business or contractual obligations of You, an Immediate Family Member or Traveling Companion;
  • Default by the person, agency, or tour operator from whom You purchased our travel arrangements;
  • Any government regulation or prohibition;
  • An event or circumstances which occur prior to your coverage effective date.[/indent]
• The Insurer will not be liable for claims, under this Coverage Part B, directly or indirectly arising from any hazardous pursuit or occupation or flying except whilst flying as a passenger in a fully-licensed multi-engine passenger-carrying aircraft.
• In the event of cancellation/interruption of the Diving vacation: (1) with regard to Sickness or Injury of You, an Immediate Family Member or Traveling Companion, a Physician has recommended in writing, that due to the severity of the condition of You, your Immediate Family Member or Traveling Companion it is Medically Necessary that the You/they cancel your/his or her travel plans. The Insured must be under the direct care and attendance of a Physician; and (2) with regard to death of You, an Immediate Family Member or Traveling Companion, such death has been certified by a Physician or other person legally qualified to certify a person's death.
• You must notify the Company as soon as reasonably possible in the event of a Travel Cancellation or Travel Interruption claim. The Company will not be liable for any additional penalty charges incurred that would not have been imposed had notice been provided as soon as reasonably possible.
• In no event shall the amount reimbursed exceed the lesser of; the amount You pre-paid for Your Trip, or the maximum benefit shown on the Schedule of Coverages.
• Deductible: The Insurer shall not pay the first $100 of each and every claim in respect of cancellation and interruption.

TRAVEL INSURANCE AND TROPICAL STORMS
For Cancellation and Interruption losses to be covered, both membership and trip must be purchased before a tropical storm is forecasted or predicted for the destination of the trip. Once a storm is named, losses resulting from a storm that has been forecasted or predicted on or before the effective date of coverage are excluded. All claims will be evaluated on their own merits at the time of adjudication.

PRE-EXISTING CONDITIONS
Pre-Existing Conditions means the Insurer will not pay under any coverage in Parts A and B for any claims arising from an injury, sickness, or other condition of Yourself, a Traveling Companion or an Immediate Family Member if within the 60 day period before the departure date for the covered activity, medical advice, or treatment by a physician was received by You for the same Sickness or condition.

PRE-EXISTING MEDICAL CONDITION EXCLUSION WAVER
If you enroll as a DiveAssure member within 72 hours of initial trip payment or prior to initial trip payment, the Pre-Existing Medical Condition Exclusion will be waved. This is applicable to all coverages contained in the policy. You must be medically able to travel and dive when you enroll. In the event a claim is filed, the Injury or illness must be substantiated to our Claims Department.