Should you buy travel insurance? The short answer is...YES!

Looking back on the many, many trips my husband and I took over the years, we were lucky. We never took out a travel insurance policy, and we never had anything go wrong. But there are two reasons why I’d never travel without insuring my trips today: my age--and this crazy world.

Age is an easy one to understand. As seniors, we all know how quickly our health (or that of a traveling companion) can change. But today is a different world from the past.  Today we’re living in a world where (as recently happened in mid-July), a “global tech disruption” caused thousands of flights to be grounded. In addition, hurricanes and extreme weather have caused tremendous destruction worldwide. In short--the odds that something catastrophic can happen have increased for everyone--but especially for seniors.

The need for travel insurance is becoming more and more obvious. What isn’t obvious is “what kind” of insurance to buy, and how can you be sure you’re buying the best policy for your concerns?

Over the next few weeks we’ll be addressing your “travel insurance” concerns in future articles within this blog. So stay tuned.  But first--let’s start by looking at the kinds of situations where travel insurance would be a wise investment.

1. Cancellation due to illness

This might be the most common cause of ruined vacations. If you or a travel companion were to get sick right before your planned trip and you have to cancel, you could lose the full cost of the trip. Or if a medical emergency crops up during your trip and you need to come home early, in many cases there might be no reimbursement available. That’s where travel insurance could come in handy.

2. Emergency medical reimbursement

With a travel insurance plan that includes emergency medical coverage, you are expanding your health insurance in most cases. Most plans will work as secondary insurance, filling the holes of your primary health insurance plan. Some plans specifically for travel medical will act as primary insurance, but those plans have fewer travel-related benefits. NOTE: It’s important to know that Medicare does not cover you outside of the U.S. borders.

3. Delayed or lost luggage

If you are checking a bag when you travel, you are at risk of the airline losing, redirecting or damaging your bag and its contents. A travel insurance plan can help reimburse you for necessities purchased while waiting for a delayed, lost bag or damaged belongings. The coverage limit varies depending on the plan, so take into consideration the belongings you are bringing and read the exclusions list provided with each plan.

4. Emergency evacuation

If you need to be flown to a hospital or evacuated from a danger zone, helicopter transport could cost you thousands of dollars. Travel insurance may cover these types of costs.

5. Loss of a friend or family member

Say someone really close to you passes away just before your departure date. With trip cancellation coverage, you may be able to cancel or postpone your vacation in the event of a tragedy.

6. Trip interruption

When a hurricane or winter storm closes the airport for days, keeping you from reaching the resort you’re heading to, you could lose the cost of airfare, side trips and even what you’ve paid for the resort. Buying your travel insurance policy when you book your trip may help you get reimbursed for these costs.

7.  Damaged destinations

Hurricanes, tropical storms, volcanic eruptions, landslide and wildfires. There are many reasons why your vacation paradise can suddenly become inaccessible...and this is one more area where trip insurance could ensure you against a substantial financial loss when it comes to your vacation plans.

8. Trip cancellation

If you have to cancel your trip due to a covered reason, a comprehensive travel insurance plan may help reimburse you for lost trip costs. Each plan will have a list of covered reasons for both cancellation and interruption. If those don’t seem to cover your needs, you should consider a plan that allows you to upgrade to Cancel for Any Reason coverage. (Keep in mind, that coverage has specific eligibility requirements.)

There are "cancel for any reason" policies, and we'll be covering this option in a future blog post, so stay tuned.

Buying travel insurance is easy--and most tour companies will offer excellent plans at reasonable prices. In our next blog, we’ll cover a few very important things you need to know BEFORE buying travel insurance, including "cancel for any reason" clauses.

In the meantime, if you have a travel question you’d like us to address, please send us an email to:  BucketBuddiesInfo@Yahoo.com.

Many thanks to Colleen Taylor, Travel Advisor with

Go Central Travel Agency in Jefferson City, Missouri,

for her help with this article.