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Insurance for pre and post tour travel

FHowse

So we are arriving 2 days before the start of a Tauck tour and leaving 4 days after the end of the tour (from a different city). Today I spoke with two different Tauck representatives and two different Aon Insurance representatives to find out if we need an additional medical and accident policy for the pre and post travel beyond the river cruise protection which we purchased . I got four different answers and no one was willing to put the information in writing. I tried to read the 50 pages of detailed policy language and I don't agree with any of the four answers.

Does anyone have experience with this situation? I am on Medicare so I know they offer zero international insurance.

Comments

Claudia Sails

I just saw this thread - I don't believe it showed up on the full listing. I'm curious about this question as well since we're adding some days to the end of a tour later this year. I do know someone who worked directly with Aon to bring her guest protection up to the level it currently has. Her original had been bought before the rate went up along with the coverage.

If medicare isn't your only insurance, you might check the other policy. We have Tricare For Life and it does cover medical expenses internationally with their copays. Doesn't do anything for other expenses like hotel, airfare changes, etc.

AlanS

Test to see if this bumps the thread to the active Discussions list.

Claudia Sails

Seems to have worked Alan

Fyi -- Alan did this because I noticed last night that some posts in the general category were not appearing in the active discussion list. If you posted one here or in Travel Tips and never got a reply this might be why.

AlanS

Claudia, you beat me to the explanation!

I just heard back from Tauck Emily who fixed the problem. It seems the attributes for posts to the General Discussion category had been changed for some reason which prevented them from also being shown on the active Discussions list. The only people who saw them were those who went to that sub-forum. All should be fine now.

Not sure what to do about the post on forum access workaround for Canadians. Also, I didn't go back earlier than May 2022.

Claudia Sails

Fhowse, I just sent a question to Aon thru their website - the one where you make claims. I clicked on the Contact Us link and it didn't require a claim number or say it had to be about a claim. Hopefully this works. If it does, at least I'll have an answer in writing. They promise a response by end of the next business day (Mon?).

Will let you know if I get a real answer.

SandyFeet

I, too, am concerned about buying an insurance policy that would cover my expenses should I test positive for COVID 24 hours before flying home from Cape Town in September. I would have to quarantine for ten days and the Tauck insurance I purchased would not cover any of those costs. Hoping some of you intrepid Tauck travelers can help. Thanks in advance.

Claudia Sails

Ladybombay, just so you know both Fhowse and I have purchased Guest Protection from Tauck. Coverage for a delay in return home due to a positive covid test is included. Our concern is about coverage for additional days beyond the tour itself. Within the tour window we're insured. Beyond it we don't know.

Sealord

If you are on the “Arrive Early” or “Stay Later” options offered and arranged by Tauck it is reasonable to assume that the Tauck insurance has you covered. If you are traveling on your own on a side trip that has nothing to do with Tauck, is it reasonable to expect to be covered by Tauck insurance? We were delayed in London for three days due to circumstances beyond our control (British Airways shut down) enroute to a Tauck trip, and Tauck’s insurance covered all of our expenses.

sevenseas

Good thread. I have had this concern and a while back checked with my agent and then Aon whom my agent wanted me to check with. The Aon agent was assuring as of my concerns about having both early arrival and then a post K & T stay in Amsterdam. She indicated that there was a window of time for coverage that was a flexible band with a total of days pre and post the official tour, and even if after the tour but before returning home. She sent me the applicable policy but I don't see that. I also see a number of issues. Covers trip components ****booked by the supplier, defined as Tauck****. So, if like me you book hotels or air pre or post not thru Tauck, I think you are out of luck. Aon covers the originally scheduled departure and return date (unless changed out of your control). So if a follow-up travel is bolted onto the trip after the original booking, as I did that seems to be not counted, and would also seem to go beyond the original return date, since I booked rewards air and hotel at day 330, well after the original Tauck booking. Also, the medical coverage won't get you to a facility of your choice no less even back home. So for clarity and peace of mind, I have resolved to buy a Medjet policy for good evacuation and medical, plus a good 3rd party insurance policy for non-Tauck trip components which is very affordable. The Medjet can be purchased as family/ annual for $598 and if timed right can include another trip next year. Also good for US travel within the year. Both of these extra policies can be purchased prior to departure from home. If I can afford a $25K trip (Tauck part alone) I think the extra few dollars on the insurance side is acceptable or I should not be taking the trip.

Claudia Sails

I feel confident that the 2 extra days at the Tauck hotel at the end are covered - "Stay Later". Where I'm not sure is the 3 days in Barcelona after that where we reserved the hotel and will book the train. The only piece that gives me hope is Tauck booked all the air including the flight home starting in Barcelona. What I'm hoping is that failing that I could pay extra to extend the extra days needed.

There has to be some flexibility in the coverage window that Tauck controls since you can add a back to back tour to one already booked and Tauck rebates the second Guest Protection cost to you. It's one of the perks of back to back tours - you only pay for one guest protection.

Hopefully I get an answer from Aon Monday.

OurTravels34

We have Medjet Horizon also for the same reason. https://medjetassist.com

AlanS

sevenseas
4:29PM
. . . . Also, the medical coverage won't get you to a facility of your choice no less even back home. So for clarity and peace of mind, I have resolved to buy a Medjet policy for good evacuation and medical, plus a good 3rd party insurance policy for non-Tauck trip components which is very affordable. The Medjet can be purchased as family/ annual for $598 and if timed right can include another trip next year. Also good for US travel within the year. Both of these extra policies can be purchased prior to departure from home. If I can afford a $25K trip (Tauck part alone) I think the extra few dollars on the insurance side is acceptable or I should not be taking the trip.

Are you sure about this? Seth (legendary K&T, etc. TD) assured us that Tauck has one of the best evacuation programs anywhere, which may actually be through Medjet. A few years ago mazalea's husband hurt his back (hip?) and had to be evacuated from the Serengeti Four Seasons in Tanzania. Though they didn't use Medjet because of timing issues, I believe the Tauck insurance paid for the airevac in Business/1st class. I think mazalea might still be on Classic Italy, but is due back in a few days so she should be able to correct my memory.

Here is a link to the Tauck insurance summary which includes $100,000 for emergency medical transport. https://www.tauck.com/-/media/Tauck/FAQ/Tauck-International-GPP-2021.pdf?rev=ecc881ed460d42be927415b7a2fa21de

sevenseas

@Alan S - Clicking thru to the actual policy versus the summary, you will see that for medical evacuation it is to closest hospital or medical facility, and then for medical repatriation back home, it is only if it is deemed medically necessary by the local doctor and plan administrator. Medjets by contrast will transport you home so long as medically stable, just based upon your request, without someone determining medical necessity. I would bet too that the Tauck limit of $100K could easily be exceeded for air ambulance situations.

British

We use Emergency Assist plus, an annual fee. As long as you are over 100 miles away from home, they will get you to a hospital near home and transport your significant others, your car extra

AlanS

We are of course, talking fairly different situations. Right now we both appear to be discussing medevac for a serious condition when the focus of recent posts has been on quarantine lodging, airfare, etc., for COVID related interruption of travel, which I find hard to believe could ever exceed $100k unless the person is un-vax'd which is a violation of Tauck's policy or is vax'd but has an underlying co-morbidity and shouldn't be traveling internationally in these times anyway. (note, the policy for your state may vary)

I think it comes down to the individual's condition and maybe a little negotiation with "the local attending Physician and Our designated Travel Assistance Services Provider determine that Your condition is acute, severe or life threatening" because the next paragraph says,

"Medically Necessary Repatriation
Following an Emergency Medical Evacuation or a covered Injury or Sickness We will pay for Medical Evacuation
expenses to return You to Your point of origin, Your Primary Residence, or to a Hospital or medical facility closest to
Your Primary Residence capable of providing continued treatment, if Your local attending Physician and Our designated
Travel Assistance Services Provider determine that it is Medically Necessary.

In any case, the full document answers a number of other questions people have been asking:

When coverage begins:

This is Your Effective Date and time for Trip Cancellation: Coverage begins on the day that You elect the coverage
and the Travel Supplier receives the required premium to cover Your Trip.

This is Your Effective Date and time for Trip Delay: Coverage is in force while en route to and from the Covered
Trip.

This is Your Effective Date and time for All Other Coverages: Coverage begins on the date and time You depart on
the first Travel Arrangement (or alternate travel arrangement if You must use an alternate Travel Arrangement to reach
Your Scheduled Destination) for Your Trip.

When coverage ends:

Trip Cancellation coverage(s) automatically end on the earlier of:
1. the date and time You depart on Your Trip;
2. the date and time You cancel Your Trip.

All Other Coverages: Your coverage automatically ends on the earlier/est of:
1. the date You complete Your Trip;
2. the Scheduled Return Date;
3. cancellation of Your Trip covered by this certificate

Automatic Extension of Coverage:

All coverages except Trip Cancellation will be extended if Your entire Trip is covered by this certificate and Your return
is delayed due to unavoidable circumstances beyond Your control. This extension of coverage will end on the earlier of
the date You reach Your originally scheduled Return Destination or 10 days after the originally Scheduled Return Date.

Medical Evacuation and Repatriation Extension:
If You incur a covered Injury or Sickness on Your Trip and a treating Physician certifies that You are not Medically Fit to
Travel to Your Return Destination on Your Scheduled Return Date, the Medical Evacuation and Repatriation benefit will
be automatically extended until You are Medically Fit to Travel and transported to Your Primary Residence or You
reached the Maximum Benefit Amount shown in the Schedule of Benefits.

I don't know if you are quarantined by an official foreign entity if that is considered not being medically fit to travel. It seems like it should be. But here is also where the $100K kicks in.

For anyone who wants to slog through the full policy: https://www.affinitytravelcert.com/docs/TACGPPINTL

Claudia Sails

I feel pretty comfortable that the policy would cover most or all costs if you had to stay longer due to covid as long as it happened during your coverage window. I just need to figure what our window is.

A story I heard of recently (friend of an acquaintance) of someone injured on a trip. A young man (early 20's) was on his honeymoon in Iceland where they went skiing. He crashed, had to be airlifted to a local hospital, was in a coma, on a ventilator, had both legs amputated, etc etc. Only way to get him home to the US was in a special air ambulance plane. No insurance. His family will somehow have to figure out how to pay for the astronomical expense of all this. And that's just to get him home.

sevenseas

@AlanS The 100K only relates to medical evacuation and repatriation. Items in your list relate to either trip interruption ($10K) or sickness medical. As to the latter, the limit is $20K for pre 7/1/21 policies and $50K for after. IF someone had a serious Covid or other experience (not as common among the vaxed and hopefully reasonably healthy) you could hit those limits. That is particularly the case for the older policies before the upgrade (which must have been done for a reason). For many of us, myself included, trips were canceled and rebooked in spring/summer/fall of 2020 or in early 2021 so we have lower limit policies. Notably, Tauck's website provides: With the uncertainty of COVID-19, some countries have implemented insurance coverage requirements to enter their countries, yet not all insurance providers provide COVID-19 travel protection. To respond to these concerns, plan benefits for trip delay and medical coverages have been increased. So it seems to me there is a gap for sure for older issued policies.

AlanS

sevenseas
10:47AM
So it seems to me there is a gap for sure for older issued policies.

It appears so- we are in that category for all 3 trips this year.

One thing I think I caught somewhere in the text- I believe the amount of coverage for flights/evac does not include the amount of reimbursed airfare, but not sure how that would work. Does the insurer go to the airline for that and apply it to the cost of evac? I have no clue.

We either need to be only mildly sick or sick enough to need medical evacuation with a basic level of care. Every one has different levels of aversion to risk. At least one member never gets the insurance (not uncommon for those who do detailed cost-benefit analysis or study actuarial data) while others get secondary policies. For us we take the middle ground. The one time we needed the insurance, it worked out well and has essentially paid for the insurance premium for every subsequent trip.

Claudia Sails

A followup on this thread.

We are scheduled for the Douro plus Lisbon/Madrid cruise in Oct/Nov. We have our Gift of Time in Lisbon, 2 extra days booked at our own expense at Taucks hotel in Madrid, then we plan to take a train to Barcelona staying 3 nights there before returning home. Tauck booked all our air (this is important).

On the 13th I sent a message to Aon thru their website that is mostly about claims requesting clarification on my Coverage End date. Mainly, was the 3 days in Barcelona covered. No response for most of last week so I sent another on Thur the 19th. Finally this morning I got an email that basically said this is complicated you need to call us. So I called them and from that agent was assured we were covered. Was still a bit vague so I called Tauck. After being on hold for 20 minutes I went for the Call Back option which worked just fine. The agent I spoke with put me on hold so she could get help from an inhouse expert. I got good news and not as good.

Most important news is that our extra days are covered by the Guest Protection with purchased. Main reason being - that our flights were arranged by Tauck. Had we booked our own air, the Coverage End date would have been after the 2 extra nights in Madrid.

The not so good news is we purchased before July 2021 which means that our Trip Delay (the part that pays for extra hotel/meals if you test positive for covid) is limited to $1000 per person. I'm not super worried as this will most likely happen in Barcelona and we're staying in a much less expensive hotel than the usual Tauck choice and we have a kitchenette so meals should be cheap. If I decide to worry more about it I know I can go back to Aon and pay extra to bring the coverage up to the current levels but doubt I will.

British

Thank you so much Claudia, this is extremely useful info