Trip cancellation
Reimburses prepaid, non-refundable costs if you have to cancel before you leave for a covered reason, such as illness, injury or a death in the family.
Travel insurance
The part of the trip we hope you never use, and are always glad you have.
Why it matters on a big trip
The trips we plan are worth protecting. Most are booked months ahead, and much of what you pay up front, from cruise fares to safari camps and villa deposits, becomes non-refundable as departure gets closer.
Life doesn’t always follow the itinerary. A fall the week before you leave, a parent who needs you at home, a storm that cancels the flight to your ship. The right plan can help you get back what you’ve prepaid, cover medical care far from home and get you to a good hospital if you need one.
It matters even more once you’re on Medicare. According to Medicare.gov, Medicare usually doesn’t cover health care while you’re traveling outside the U.S., apart from a few limited exceptions, and Medicare drug plans don’t cover prescriptions bought abroad. Some Medicare supplement (Medigap) policies may cover emergency care overseas. It’s worth a call to your own plan before any international trip.
U.S. embassies can help you find a doctor abroad, but they don’t pay medical bills. That’s where travel medical coverage comes in.
The main types of coverage
Most comprehensive plans bundle several of these together. Limits, exclusions and covered reasons vary, so it’s the details that count.
Trip interruption
Helps if you have to cut a trip short for a covered reason, covering unused prepaid arrangements and the extra cost of getting home.
Travel medical
Pays for doctor visits, hospital stays and emergency care while you’re away. Check whether it pays first or only after your own insurance.
Emergency medical evacuation
Covers transport to the nearest suitable hospital, and sometimes home, when it’s medically necessary. Evacuation from a remote area can be very costly without it.
Baggage and delays
Helps with lost or damaged luggage, essentials while you wait for a delayed bag, and meals and hotels if a covered delay strands you overnight.
24-hour assistance
A phone line that can help find a doctor, arrange payment with a hospital or coordinate an evacuation. Save the number in your phone before you go.
Timing matters
The best time to buy is soon after your first deposit. Some of the most valuable benefits are only offered in that early window.
Cancel for any reason
An optional upgrade that lets you cancel for reasons a standard plan won’t cover and get back part of your prepaid, non-refundable costs, typically 50 to 75 percent. It’s usually only available if you buy within a set number of days of your first deposit, insure the full trip cost and cancel at least a couple of days before you leave.
Pre-existing conditions
Many plans will waive the pre-existing condition exclusion if you buy early, often within a set number of days of your first deposit, insure the full trip cost and are medically able to travel when you buy. If you or someone you’re traveling with has an ongoing health condition, mention it when you book.
Adding to your trip later
Booked a pre-cruise hotel or a private tour after the fact? Many plans require you to insure your full trip cost, so let us know and we’ll update your coverage to match.
Cruises and safaris
The most remote trips are often the most memorable, and the ones where good coverage matters most.
At sea
Ships have a medical center onboard, but care is billed separately, and a serious problem can mean being taken ashore to a hospital in a foreign port. Medicare.gov notes that Medicare may only help on a cruise ship when it’s in a U.S. port or no more than six hours from one.
Expedition voyages
In Antarctica, the Arctic or the Galápagos, help can be days away. Many expedition cruise lines require proof of emergency evacuation coverage before you sail, so we check each line’s requirements for you.
On safari
Camps are wonderfully remote, often reached by small bush plane. Look for strong medical evacuation coverage that includes air evacuation to a well-equipped hospital, and keep the assistance number with you on game drives.
We’ll help you choose
When you book with Global Escapes, your advisor can arrange a travel insurance plan that fits your trip, your health and your budget.
We’ll talk through what you’ve prepaid, where you’re going, who’s traveling and any coverage you already have, then walk you through the options and the deadlines that matter. If something happens before or during your trip, call us. We’ll help you reach your plan’s assistance team and keep the rest of your trip on track.
Please read your policy. This page is a general overview, not insurance or legal advice. Coverage, limits, exclusions and deadlines vary by plan and by state, and the policy wording is what governs any claim.
Before you buy
Do we really need travel insurance?
For most trips with prepaid, non-refundable costs or travel outside the U.S., we recommend it. It can protect what you’ve paid if plans change and help with medical care and emergencies away from home.
When should we buy it?
Soon after your first trip deposit. Some benefits, like pre-existing condition waivers and cancel for any reason upgrades, are often only available if you buy within a set number of days of that first payment.
How much coverage should we buy?
For trip cancellation, plans are usually based on your prepaid, non-refundable trip cost. Many plans and upgrades require you to insure the full amount, so if you add costs later, let us know and we’ll update your coverage.
Health and medical
Does Medicare cover us outside the United States?
Usually not. Medicare.gov explains that Medicare generally doesn’t cover health care while you’re traveling outside the U.S., with only a few limited exceptions, and Medicare drug plans don’t cover prescriptions bought abroad. Some Medicare supplement (Medigap) policies may cover emergency care abroad, so check your own plan before you go.
Does my regular health insurance work abroad?
It depends on your plan. Many U.S. plans offer little or no coverage overseas and rarely include medical evacuation. Call your insurer before you travel and ask exactly what’s covered, and how claims work if you’re treated abroad.
What if I have a pre-existing medical condition?
Many plans offer a pre-existing condition waiver if you meet certain conditions, which often include buying within a set number of days of your first trip deposit, insuring your full trip cost and being medically able to travel when you buy. Tell us about it early so we can look at the right options.
Changes and claims
What does cancel for any reason actually cover?
It lets you cancel for a reason a standard policy wouldn’t cover and get back part of your prepaid, non-refundable costs, typically 50 to 75 percent. It’s an optional upgrade that usually has to be bought soon after your first deposit, and you’ll normally need to cancel at least a couple of days before departure.
What if we have to come home early?
Trip interruption coverage can help with the unused, prepaid parts of your trip and the extra cost of getting home early for a covered reason, such as a serious illness or a family emergency.
How do claims work?
Keep every receipt, booking confirmation and note from doctors or airlines. If something happens while you’re away, call your plan’s 24-hour assistance line and then call us. We’ll help you gather what you need, and the insurance company decides the claim based on the policy.
More questions about planning with us? See all FAQs
Let’s plan something wonderful
Tell us where you’re dreaming of going. Your advisor will help you protect the trip, too.