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Travel Insurance 101

Domestic travel insurance

Most U.S. citizens traveling within the states assume that travel insurance is not necessary. While your current health insurance may still be active while you travel domestically, there are a multitude of non-medical catastrophes which the proper coverage can alleviate immensely. 

Any time you travel, you’re taking on some sort of risk. However, even when traveling domestically things don’t always go according to plan. You might experience a delayed flight, rental car damage, or lost baggage –all events that are less than ideal. This is where travel insurance comes in.

A comprehensive plan is the best option to financially protect yourself against the most common unexpected circumstances when traveling domestically. Most notably, those emergency medical expenses not covered by your typical health insurance would fall under the umbrella of most comprehensive plans.

Other widely-utilized travel coverage under comprehensive plans include Baggage/Personal Effects loss, Trip Cancellation and Interruption coverage, and Trip Delay coverage. None of these are provided by your health insurance carrier and even though your credit card may offer some of these benefits, there are usually restrictions and limits to what’s actually covered.

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We wouldn’t recommend pursuing travel medical or evacuation plans for domestic trips, as they are focused on international travel needs and generally don’t apply or provide the type of coverage domestic travelers would benefit from.

Unfortunately, there are misconceptions out there about travel insurance, preventing travelers from protecting their trip investment and even their health while traveling. Travel insurance may be another expense to add to your travel budget, but if you were to encounter some sort of emergency while on your trip, a travel insurance policy pretty much pays for itself. We’ve debunked the top travel insurance myths in a blog post we think is worth reading.