What Is Secondary Travel Insurance Coverage?
Primary insurance is the insurance you presently have through your employment or a private policy. Medicare and Medicaid are also types of primary insurance.
Secondary travel insurance is simply insurance coverage that pays during your travels after your primary insurance company has evaluated your claim and paid its share.
Accidental Death Travel Insurance
Accidental death flight insurance is coverage that provides benefits for an accidental death or dismemberment that results from an accident that happens while traveling as a passenger on a commercial common carrier. Common carriers include buses, trains, subways, airlines, cruise ships and ferries.
Coverage is available in increments of up to $1,000,000. Many car rental agencies also offer secondary coverage for accidents that result in death while driving their vehicle. The majority of accidental death travel insurance policies provide protection for minors under the age of 18, at no additional cost, when traveling with an insured parent or guardian.
Flight Cancellation & Trip Disruption
Secondary travel insurance can provide coverage for delayed flights, canceled flights or weather events that disrupt your travel plans. Travel insurance can also cover problems that arise with cruise line, train, bus or ferry connections. This coverage is secondary to insurance that may be provided by charging your tickets to your credit card.
Lost Luggage
If you are transporting business or sports equipment, consider adding secondary insurance that specifically covers lost or stolen items in an amount that will replace the contents of your baggage.
Coverage offered by common carriers places limits that may not adequately compensate for the cost of expensive sports equipment such as skis, golf bags, scuba or hunting gear. Determine if electronic equipment or cameras are covered. If not, add additional secondary insurance to cover replacement.
Medical Insurance
Medial treatment is a foreign country may be very expensive or unavailable. Secondary medical travel insurance covers an unexpected illness, injury or dental emergency. Most private insurance provides limited or no coverage when traveling outside the United States.
Medicare and Medicaid does not apply outside of the 50 states, District of Columbia or U.S. territories. When choosing secondary medical travel insurance, determine if the coverage covers preexisting conditions or has restrictions on age. Make sure that the policy provides for medical evacuation and repatriation to your point of departure.
International Secondary Insurance for High-Risk Travelers
If you are traveling on a business trip or humanitarian mission that takes you to locations that are experiencing violent political unrest or have a high incidence of infectious disease, secondary high-risk insurance is a prudent purchase.
Coverage is available for injury or accidental death that occurs as the result of infection, acts of war, terrorism, political conflict, kidnapping or extortion. Additional secondary coverage is also available to provide long-term disability coverage.
Extreme Sports Insurance
The majority of basic medical and accidental death insurance policies place restrictions on high-risk activities. If your travel plans include participation in extreme sports such as rock climbing, scuba diving, whitewater rafting or skiing, secondary sports travel insurance offers protection.
Purchasing Secondary Travel Insurance
You may be able to purchase a rider or secondary travel insurance as an add-on to your present health or life insurance policy. Travel agents, tour operators and commercial carriers also offer insurance for travelers.
Travel insurance may be available for purchase at some airport locations. Research the Internet to compare coverage and cost. Always read the fine print carefully to determine if the policies have exclusions or regulations that restrict coverage.
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