travel insurance advice for 4-5 month trip

Hi, all.

I'm considering a 4-5 month trip through Australia, NZ, and SE Asia. For obvious reasons, I'm looking for good travel insurance available to Americans.

I'd love to hear about good or bad experiences that people have had with travel insurance while abroad. Are there any companies that you would highly recommend? Any to avoid at all costs?

I used http://www.quotesmith.com and found that policies ranged from $500 - $1000 for the same trip. I have medical insurance from home, and my carrier has informed me that they *will* cover medical expenses while abroad. If this is the case, what am I looking for in a travel insurance policy?

Will your insurance cover repatriation if required? Will you be required to pay the hospital/doctor overseas upfront and will your carrier make arrangements to do this or will you have to pay for medical treatment then seek reimbursement?

What to look for:

Trip Cancellation/Interruption Trip Delay Itinerary Change Medical Expense Medical Evacuation/Repatriation Baggage and Baggage Delay Accidental Death or Dismemberment Terrorism coverage Coverage for bankruptcy/financial default

Look at: http://csatravel.com/sys-tmpl/door/

I haven't use this company but looking through various travel insurance policies, felt they offered a good comprehensive package.

Can we get terrorism cover now? Every bloody policy I've got specifically excludes any payout in the event of an act of terrorism. I've always wondered why my premiums increased with the insurance companies blaming the terrorism on the WTC as the cause but they wont payout if I get blown up.

I'm using a plan from world travel center for my Thailand & Australia trip this coming Feb. They have lots of plans.
http://www.worldtravelcenter.com/eng/index.cfm

[msge snipped]

I did see something about coverage on one website a few weeks ago however I did not take much notice of it to be honest as I was looking for something else. I will see if I can pull it up again - currently I am on vacation so will have to 'fish' to try and find it.

Insurers in Canada are going gangbusters - my own vehicle insurance TRIED to go up 38% with a clean record this year (my response: it'll go down 100%, thank you). They have two wonderful whipping persons for public consumption: Osama and lawyers. Jury's still out on who's more despised.

Neither assertion is valid. Bad investments are the underlying cause, overall. I had naively thought insurers were indemnitors of policy holders. Turns out the reverse is true.

Please tell me more about WorldCare Australia's Remote Area recovery insurance and why you say to stay away from it. We had been looking at this and it was recommended by someone, but I'm always interested in other opinions.

Cheers, Jean Avalook at Australia travel site http://www.avalook.com.au/

My vehicle died in the Simpson - they had it towed to Birdsville where they could not perform the work required. Worldcare said, 'you're on your own, all we have to do is take you to the nearest service provided,' even - apparently - if they could not do the service. I had to have it hauled south at my own expense, then they only pitched up (after I signed a full and final release) upon my sending them a very firm email saying, 'pay or I sue.'

Not my ideal insurance experience!

wrote in

Helps to be a lawyer

Which chapter are you going to include this little episode in when the definitive 'bush travel' book appears?

They didn't know I was a lawyer (and, of course, I'm not licensed in Queensland, where WorldCare is based). I did, however, take the liberty of saying, 'if you think it'll go away because I am, wrong. I'll retain Queensland counsel, and I'm coming back.' I think that's what did it more than anything (plus, of course, the fact I'm right in saying 'nearest service provider' and 'nearest garage' are not the same thing 8-))

Ha! The end, naturally!