Tag: travel insurance

Travel insurance is an important purchase and should be considered carefully. Knowing specifics of vacation cancellation and medical coverage is beneficial when planning your next getaway. I found this out on a trip to Luxembourg when my husband, Miguel, had an episode of Transient Global Amnesia (TGA) in our hotel room one morning. TGA is a temporary episode of memory loss affecting the ability to form new memories and recall recent events. He was alert, knew who he and I were, but continued to ask the same questions repeatedly because he couldn't retain any new information — "where are we?", "how did we get here?",  "what time is it?", "where are we?", "how did we get here?", etc. I thought he was having a stroke! I rushed to the front desk and asked them to call an ambulance. The receptionist said a cab was faster and within two minutes one appeared at the hotel lobby.  The emergency room doctor saw Miguel right away. It didn't take long to rule out a stroke and determine it was TGA. But, to make sure, they admitted him into the hospital to run numerous test. All Miguel's tests, medical care, hospital stay  —  everything — was reimbursed by our travel insurance. When choosing a policy, distinguish if you’re purchasing travel protection or travel insurance. The biggest difference is that travel protection may be a package of non-insurance services or benefits, while travel insurance is typically underwritten by insurance companies and regulated by state agencies.  Protection may cover a portion of the trip, and not fully reimburse a cancellation. Instead, they'll issue a credit for future travel. Trip protection is usually offered by tour operators and cruise lines, and can be full of exclusions. Select vacation booking sites, such as Orbitz and Travelocity, offer inexpensive