Student Foreign Trips and Tour Insurance
Purchasing Travel Insurance Provides Peace of Mind
Dec 8, 2008
Purchasing travel insurance on group tours ensures peace of mind, but parents should know that exclusions exist. Most student tour companies offer medical, baggage & property, and tour cancellation insurances. Purchasing the entire package saves money and represents a fraction of the cost of a tour that can take several weeks.
Purchasing Group Travel Medical Insurance
Depending on the tour length, premiums for medical insurance can be as low as $45.00. Medical insurance covers hospital fees, prescriptions, and doctor bills even if the doctor makes a visit to the hotel. These reimbursements only relate to on-tour emergencies, however. Tour participants that need to replenish medications relative to on-going medical conditions will not benefit.
It is important to note that medical tour insurance does not pay directly. All costs are made, up front, by the tour participant who is then reimbursed by the insurance underwriter after submitting receipts in a timely fashion. Parents of students on a tour should also contact their own health care providers to determine if coverage is extended to vacations taken abroad. In some cases, a rider covering travel related medical concerns may be less expensive and more direct than the group policy.
Medical costs vary from country to country and parents would be wise to research these costs based on the trip itinerary. An emergency room visit in Italy, for example, will cost nothing, but a private clinic or hospital can be pricey. On a recent tour experience, a private hospital in Barcelona charged $600 for a visit while a public hospital in France was only $150.00.
Baggage and Property Insurance on Group Tours
Although the criteria for lost or stolen baggage, documents, and money carry maximum dollar limits, parents should be well acquainted with the details of these insurances. For example, some plans reimburse student costs if baggage is delayed more than 24 hours during the departure phase of the tour. On tour, theft of property and money is also covered. Additionally, airlines will reimburse for lost luggage and these payments are independent of insurance payments to the participant. Many students and parents that meet one or more aspects of the criteria are simply unaware of their benefits.
It is still advisable to take necessary precautions that will assist the participant in the event of a loss:
- Make a complete list of every item in each piece of luggage with good descriptions.
- Keep the list with personal documents such as passports.
- Don’t bring expensive jewelry or other items on a tour as the cost of replacement may outweigh loss reimbursements.
Tour Cancellation Insurances
These insurances offer significant benefits, particularly when tour fees are steep. Purchasers should be aware that there are limitations. Generally, tour cancellation insurances cover such situations as medical conditions that may prohibit travel (unexpected hospitalization), sudden unemployment, and other hardships specified in the fine print. In every case, documentation will be required to recoup paid tour fees.
Cancellation insurances cannot be used just because someone decides at the last minute not to participate on a tour. Too often parents attempt to drop students from tours due to school grade concerns or conflicts with other family plans. Parents should read the fine print detailing the exceptions and limitations of all insurances.
Peace of mind is important and accidents do happen on tours. No student traveling aboard should be without insurance. At the same time, parents should research every aspect of travel insurance guidelines, coverages, and restrictions.
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