Travel Insurance Blog

Ipsos Reid recently released a survey that found out that many Canadian vacationers are not protecting themselves while away from home. In fact, Canadians are lagging behind travelers in other parts of the globe. This may be due to the lack of understanding of the benefits of travel insurance cover or maybe Canadian’s blind faith in the nation’s universal healthcare system. The poll stated that 59.1% of those who travel to the USA always or usually purchase travel insurance. Some people in Canada still believe that their domestic healthcare covers them abroad and this is simply not the case. The government healthcare only covers a small fraction of any emergency medical care if that person is traveling outside their province or country.

One example of some of the highest coverage rates for out of province medical care come from the Maritime provinces and the lowest can be found in British Columbia. In BC, the residents covered under the Medical Services Plan (MSP) rarely receive more than $75 a day for emergency medical costs. That wouldn’t buy you much in the United States where medical costs can reach in the high thousands per day.

Unfortunately, most Canadians are not able to pay out many thousands of dollars in hospital bills should they fall ill or become injured while traveling. It is critical that people get the message that if you travel outside your province, you must get travel medical insurance to cover your unexpected medical costs. The policy should also cover medical evacuation back to Canada if necessary. One should also consider purchasing trip interruption and cancellation insurance to cover the vacation costs. Canadians should not rely on the government medical plan to come to their rescue should they get sick or injured abroad. Continue Reading »

Travel Guard recently changed its name away from AIG Travel Guard. The AIG has been taken out from the name for obvious reasons. With the recent financial troubles of its parent company American International Group, Travel Guard has reshaped their corporate image and brand.

It has been reported that David McGinnity of Travel Guard that while the firm is rebranding, it is still affiliated with AIG Commercial Insurance and that no one can say at this time if the two entities will go their separate ways. He also stated that Travel Guard continues to be a profitable and growing company. In September, the US Federal Reserve gave AIG a $85 billion loan and it has recently been reported that additional money is on the way.

It looks at this time that it is still safe to purchase travel insurance from Travel Guard and the entity continues to be a successful and well run firm with a very large presence in the travel insurance market. Travel Guard notes that their products are underwritten by National Union Fire Insurance Company of Pittsburgh, PA, which has a $12.1 billion surplus. John M. Noel is founder and Chief Executive Officer of Travel Guard. The company sells a variety of travel insurance plans directly to the consumer and also through agent sites such as http://www.globaltravelinsurance.com Continue Reading »

Have you ever got on a plane or arrived at your destination with the uneasy fealing that you have forgotten something? Usually it is your camera or toothbrush.  For many it is travel insurance, which is the most important thing you can take with you on a trip abroad. This is because your finances won’t be ruined because you didn’t bring your tooth brush as you can easily just go to the local store and buy another.

David Tompkins, President of TFG Global Insurance Solutions Ltd. reports that many people call TFG Global Travel Insurance.com after they have already left on a trip abroad and ask if they can purchase travel insurance. Many customers are surprised to learn that they are able to purchase travel insurance even after they have left the country. For Canadians, many Canadian travel insurance companies will not provide coverage, but some may give you cover if you state that you have no intention at that moment of claiming and are in good health. For all nationalites, both Travel Insurance USA and Global Travel Insurance can provide an excellent travel insurance plan from International Medical Group (IMG) called the Patriot Travel Medical Insurance plan that can give you travel insurance cover even though you have already left the country. One should note that the Patriot plan start date will at the earliest be the next day, but this is not usuaully a big concern. If you are on your way to the hospital and you forgot to get travel insurance, don’t expect those expenses to be covered.

To avoid any worries it is best to purchase your travel insurance before you go on your trip and relax. Continue Reading »

The 2010 Winter Olympics will be taking place in Vancouver and Whistler, BC, Canada from March 12th to 28th, 2010. For those who live outside of Canada who intend on booking hotels, tickets and airline travel, it is vital that they think about obtaining trip insurance just in case they are not able to attend because of an injury or sickness. You can expect to pay top dollar for your travel to Whistler and Vancouver in 2010. Some homes and cabins in Vancouver and Whistler will are renting for $20,000 to $60,000 for the two week event. People will be coming to the Olympic games from around the world to cheer on their countrymen and women.

If you are traveling to the Olympics from outside of Canada, you should also make sure that you purchase Visitors to Canada medical and evacuation insurance that will cover your emergency medical expenses should you or your family member fall sick or become injured in Canada. Just because Canada has a socialized medical system doesn’t mean that your medical bills will be paid for. On the contrary, your medical expenses can easily run into the tens and hundreds of thousands as Government medical system will not pay the medical bills for visitors to Canada. TFG Global Insurance Solutions Ltd. offers an excellent Visitors to Canada plan which offers emergency medical coverage for short and medium term stays in Canada via:  http://www.tfgglobal.com/visitortocanada.htm

You can even purchase a holiday trip cancellation plan for your stay in Canada as well via the above site. Travel Insurance USA.com offers a wide range of travel insurance policies to cover emergency travel medical insurance as well from several different travel insurance companies. The web site offers both travel medical and evacuation along with trip cancellation and interruption insurance.

If you are planning on visiting Canada to attend the 2010 Winter Olympic Games, make sure you purchase adequate travel insurance to cover your trip costs and potential medical expenses. If you plan to ski at one of the many ski and snowboard mountains, make sure that the policy you obtain will cover these activities – usually under a separate liesure sports rider.  A travel insurance policy can provide you the peace of mind that will help you enjoy the Winter Olympics in 2010. Continue Reading »

With the world economy going down the toilet, what better time could there be than now to travel. This may sound strange, but if you have vacation time and a stable job and income, the recession may be just what you need to make that dream vacation a reality. The recession is starting to force vacation spots around the world to slash their prices as fewer people travel both domestically and internationally.

Hotels and tour operators are being forced to cut their rates to attract customers. Some hotels are offering a third of fifth night free. You may want to call the hotel directly to haggle for a better rate as online bookings can’t be negotiated. If the reservations center won’t play ball, he or she may offer a free breakfast or spa service.

Some hotels and vacation spots are offering Kids Stay Free deals. It seems that some airlines are not offering recession pricing yet. This may be because some carriers have reduced capacity.

If you are traveling during this recession, make sure that you purchase travel insurance to cover your emergency medical expenses if you fall sick or are injured. You may want to get vacation insurance to cover trip cancellation and interruption if your tour operator or airline goes bust or if you fall sick or are injured before or during your trip. Some may be tempted to not take out travel insurance to save some money. It should be remembered that an injury or sickness may not only ruin your trip, but your finances as well.   Continue Reading »

The Australian government has issued an updated warning for its citizens who wish to travel to Bali in Indonesia. This has followed the executions of the Bali bomers found gilty of a horendous terrorist attack. There were two bombings of Bali nightclubs in October 2002 killed 202 people, many of them foreign tourists including 88 Australians.

It is feared that terrorists in Indonesia may launch reprisal attacks on tourist sites in Bali or elsewhere in the country. The Australian government continues to receive credible information that Bali remains an attractive target for terrorists.

It is recommended that anyone traveling to Indonesia and especially Bali purchase a travel medical insurance policy which provides cover for terrorist incidents. One such travel insurance supplier is TFG Global Travel Insurance.com, which offers the IHI travel insurance policy which provides excellent passive terrorism coverage via:

http://www.globaltravelinsurance.com/ihitravel.htm Continue Reading »

Citizens of the UK should remember to purchase travel insurance when they travel overseas because the European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) may not protect them from the cost of private medical care or lost luggage and delays. The EHIC will also not cover trip cancellation and interruption if they become sick or injred  before or during their trip.

Over 3 million British citizens will travel without travel insurance this year and will only rely on their EHIC card, which will not cover that private medical care or repatriate you back to the UK. You are putting your financial security at risk by not making a small travel insurance purchase before you take that trip.

If a UK citizen is traveling outside of Europe, then travel insurance is even more important and it is feared that some will wrongly think that their EHIC card will cover them. Travel insurance offered by Global Travel Insurance can provide the needed peace of mind for travelers around the world, including those located in the UK. Continue Reading »

It has been reported by TFG Global Insurance Solutions Ltd. that the current global recession should lead to more people looking for work overseas and more companies sending employees abroad. This should lead to increased international health insurance sales for TFG’s web site Expat Financial. With the current job market worsening, people will look more favorably towards an overseas assignment. Also, many companies will have to look abroad to search out new markets and shift production to countries where labor rates are lower. Multinational companies will still have to send employees overseas to oversea the offshore offices.

Expat Financial can provide individual and group international health insurance plans for this growing global market. A group international insurance plan may include health, dental, AD&D, evacuation, life and disability insurance. More companies will be sending employees abroad for short assignments that will mean that travel insurance will be required to cover short single trips. If an employer is sending an employee for several trips, an annual multi-trip travel insurance plan is a much more convenient plan that can also offer savings.

 Despite the worsening recession, expatriate insurance and travel medical plans continue to be a vital part of the global economy. This is definitely something that will benefit international insurance suppliers such as TFG and Expat Financial. Continue Reading »

If you are traveling abroad this year, make sure that you purchase adequate travel insurance protection for your nanny if she is vacationing with your family abroad. Taking your nanny on your trip is no longer something that only the rich do. Many partent are taking their nanny on trips to help take care of small children and help make the trip a bit more enjoyable. Nannys often help with mealtime, watching the kids and allow the mom and dad some extra time alone.

However, when you take your nanny on your holiday you are responsible as employer to take care of visas, travel arrangements, tickets and most importantly travel medical insurance. If your nanny gets sick or injured while abroad it could cost you thousands to get him or her emergency medical treatment and even more for medical evacuation. You also have to think about lost luggage insurance and trip cancellation insurance as well. You can purchase travel insurance for your nanny via sites such as TFG Global Travel Insurance and Travel Insurance USA.com

Obtaining travel insurance coverage for the nanny’s emergency medical expenses should be considered a necessity if you decide to bring them along for that expensive vacation. Make sure you cover both your family’s and your nanny’s risks and enjoy the vacation. Continue Reading »

Many travel insurance customers were worried with the recent financial troubles associated with American International Group (AIG) could mean that their travel insurance purchase from AIG Travel Guard could become worthless if AIG collapsed. The recent announcement that the Federal Reserve Bank of New York has agreed to provide a loan of up to $85 billion to AIG to address their current liquidity needs is a positive development for AIG Travel Guard.

The CEO of AIG Travel Guard, Joel Noel, stated that “Travel Guard is strong and the AIG insurance companies that underwrite our policies are strong, with ample resources to pay claims to policyholders and commissions to our travel partners. The recent restructuring of our AIG parent will have no impact on our day to day operations. Just as we have for the past 23 years, Travel Guard will continue to handle all aspects of our travel insurance business. It’s business as usual and you can rest assured that Travel Guard will be there to protect our customers and provide the astonishing service upon which we’ve built our reputation.”

Travel Guard was aquired by AIG several years ago and remains a profitable and growing company for AIG. Their travel insurance plans are sold by travel agents and travel insurance suppliers such as TFG Global Travel Insurance.com

AIG Travel Guard is a leading supplier of an assortment of travel insurance plans primarily in the United States and Canada. It is hoped that AIG’s financial troubles will be worked out soon. Travel insurance continues to be a vital part of any person’s travel plans and the recent financial uncertenties of AIG. It is always important to purchase travel insurance from a reputable and secure source. Continue Reading »