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(HealthNewsDigest.com) – ST PETE BEACH, FL November 3rd 2010 – Having the wrong travel insurance for a cruise could mean significant financial loss at sea. Travelers should not assume one policy is as good as the next, especially when it comes to cruises, warns Squaremouth.com, America’s fastest growing travel insurance comparison website.
“Medical evacuation coverage could be more important for cruises than any other type of vacation,” said Squaremouth Chief Executive Chris Harvey. “A medical evacuation is the one thing that can bankrupt you if you don’t have proper insurance.”
A single incident might require an airlift from the ship, transportation to multiple medical facilities and even a flight home. If a policy does not provide enough coverage, the balance of such an expensive ordeal becomes the responsibility of the traveler.
So how much coverage is enough? Squaremouth recommends between $100,000 and $500,000 of medical evacuation coverage.
“Some policies offer several million dollars of evacuation coverage, however, it is rare for an evacuation to cost more than $100,000,” advised Harvey. “Don’t spend more for a policy thinking multi-million dollar coverage is necessary.”
Travelers frequently ask if they can choose where they will be evacuated. Most policies will evacuate to the nearest adequate medical facility, while some offer medical evacuation to a ‘hospital of choice.’ Squaremouth advises travelers that this distinction might not be as important as sounds. Since the Squaremouth Zero Complaint Guarantee was instituted in 2001, there has never been a complaint about a traveler being stranded in a foreign hospital or a traveler who was refused appropriate evacuation service. Still, a traveler may choose ‘hospital of choice’ coverage if they want the option to decide where they will receive treatment.
Pay attention when booking the trip because cruise lines sometimes include their travel protection plan in the total cost unless the traveler opts out. Some of these plans will only provide credit toward a future cruise if the trip is cancelled, instead of cash reimbursement. However, if all coverage is equal, Squaremouth recommends finding the policy with the best benefits for the price.
“Travel insurance premiums are typically 5%-10% of the total trip cost, whether a cruise company’s policy or an independent policy, “ according to Harvey. “Compare the costs and benefits closely to find which cruise insurance is the best value.”
About Squaremouth
Squaremouth is America’s fastest growing travel insurance comparison site, helping customers instantly quote, compare and buy policies from every major carrier. Squaremouth has web sites in the US and UK, and an extensive network of partner sites worldwide. The company is headquartered in St Pete Beach, FL., with offices in Fort Wayne, IN. Visit Squaremouth.com or Squaremouth.co.uk.
About our Zero Complaint Guarantee
The cornerstone of our commitment to customers is Squaremouth’s guarantee to remove any company from our website if there is a customer complaint that cannot be resolved to our satisfaction. Squaremouth offers the broadest selection of insurance with an emphasis on quality and follow-up care in companies featured. We also factor in independent evaluation from the insurance industry watchdog AM Best.
Squaremouth offers products from the following travel insurance carriers:
Air Ambulance Card, CSA, Global Alert Admin, Global Rescue, Global Underwriters, HCC, HTH Worldwide, IMG, ITravelInsured, Medex, Medjet Assist, MH Ross, On Call International, Seven Corners, Travel Guard, Travel Insurance Services, Travel Insured, Travelers Liberty, Travelex, TravelSafe and USA Assist.
U.S. travel insurance – http://www.squaremouth.com
U.K. travel insurance – http://www.squaremouth.co.uk
International Medical Insurance – http://www.squaremouth.com/international-medical-insurance
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