Trip Insurance --- To Alaska?

[MuirWannabe]

I purchase trip insurance. I hate having to do it. It costs so much. But my mom is 91 and if something were to happen to her while we’re gone, I’d be out all that money from tour fees. On trips where it was 100% planned by me, I usually won’t get the trip insurance.

 

[FlaMariner]

What risks are you trying to insure?

Health insurance will work the same in Alaska as it does if you travel to any other USA state so no real issues there.

Trip cancellation/interuption insurance might be covered (lots of hurdles to traverse) by your credit card.

As a USA citizen, the only concern I would have would be the time I was in Canada (since I am thinking you traverse Canada to get to Alaska in a car) and for that, I'd either hold my breath as I drove thru (self insured and drove carefully and got out quickly. LOL) or I'd go to "insure my trip" .com and buy a medical policy to cover that (including medical evacuation).


Have fun!

 

[athena53]

Agreed on insurance against medical costs- whatever happens should be covered by Medicare.

I've also bought MedJetAssist- never needed to use it but Stuff happens. A friend fell in a hotel room in Istanbul and broke her hip- she was treated but said that flying home in Coach was like "the seventh circle of hell". You're likely to be hiking on glaciers, too.

Cancellation is the third crucial coverage to me, and that's what drives the amount I purchase. You have to decide whether you want to risk losing airfare or the tour costs, depending on what's refundable. Check carefully for descriptions of whether pre-existing conditions are covered (sometimes it's only if you book as soon as you book the trip) and when the coverage applies. You can't travel due to illness? Spouse can't travel? Family member not traveling with you has health crisis? Beloved pet needs emergency surgery? Not all policies are alike.

 

[Sunset]

....
Health insurance will work the same in Alaska as it does if you travel to any other USA state so no real issues there.

.....

Does health insurance cover helicopter evacuation from remote areas ?

We have Medicare, but I doubt it covers the $50K -> $100K chopper ride to a city.

 

[Fermion]

Does health insurance cover helicopter evacuation from remote areas ?

We have Medicare, but I doubt it covers the $50K -> $100K chopper ride to a city.

If it is a life threatening emergency, isn't it required to be covered under the ACA rules?

 

[braumeister]

An actual life-threatening emergency would be a pretty rare occurrence.

When my friend was helicoptered out of Denali NP to Anchorage (a long flight), he could certainly have survived the trip in the normal way, but he would have been in a lot of pain. So, "life threatening emergency?" would be a no, I think.

But there was a doctor on the trip who got on the phone and certified that it was necessary, and his evacuation insurance paid for the chopper flight.

 

[Fermion]

Two Oxy seems cheaper than a $50,000 helicopter flight if my health isn't at risk.

 

[EastWest Gal]

I decided to purchase an annual plan from Allianz. I know that sometimes there are problems with them paying for minor things. I have four trips scheduled in the next 5 months, two driving and two flying. One is to Hawaii and the other is for skiing at Whistler in B.C. The plan covers the entire household for one year, even our adult son, for $485. My main reason is in case DS breaks something (again) and to cover cost for damage to a rental car, since we could be driving in less than ideal conditions on the ski trip.

 

[DrRoy]

My exact answer, especially for a relatively inexpensive domestic trip like Alaska. If I had purchased travel insurance for all our trips I'd be broke! I've never needed it on endless international trips we've taken. Even if we lose money by canceling our next trip I'll still be money ahead.

Odd's are you won't need it. These travel insurance companies are in business to make money, just remember that.

+1. We have easily saved the cost of a complete trip by not buying trip insurance over the years. We might add something modest for future international travel due to the high cost of a potential medical extraction, which should not really apply to you for this trip.

 

[Traveler777]

We have an annual travel policy with in country medical and evacuation to 1,000,000. We pay $350 a year for the two of us. We travel internationally for 2-3 months a year. I don’t think that is exorbitant. Our CC also offers interruption and delay, cancellation.

We had a friend have a heart attack in Madrid while out walking. He spent a month in the hospital, bypass surgery and everything was covered by same insurance including eventual evac. That was worth the cost imho.

 

[Sunset]

We have an annual travel policy with in country medical and evacuation to 1,000,000. We pay $350 a year for the two of us. We travel internationally for 2-3 months a year. I don’t think that is exorbitant. Our CC also offers interruption and delay, cancellation.

We had a friend have a heart attack in Madrid while out walking. He spent a month in the hospital, bypass surgery and everything was covered by same insurance including eventual evac. That was worth the cost imho.

What was/is the name of the insurance company. It's always nice to hear the name of one that does payout.

 

[Traveler777]

What was/is the name of the insurance company. It's always nice to hear the name of one that does payout.

Geoblue Trekker Choice Plan.

 

[athena53]

Two Oxy seems cheaper than a $50,000 helicopter flight if my health isn't at risk.

Let me give you another real-life example, which I've mentioned here before. A friend's brother had a transient ischemic attack while on a Caribbean cruise. They did get him to a hospital in St. Kitts where he got a bed and 3 squares a day and not much else. No phone, Internet, TV, physical therapy. He must have had some kind of insurance because I think my friend git reimbursed for going down there to get him. Brother couldn't walk and had lost his ability to read. He still can't drive. Maybe a fast evacuation from St. Kitts to a hospital near his home would have resulted in a better outcome.

I don't consider myself a candidate for a stroke but there are a lot of places I travel where I'd rather be in my home hospital than the local ones if something major happens.

And take a look at repatriation- awful thought but transporting a body from one country to another is horrendously expensive and cremation, if that's what you'd prefer, is prohibited in some countries.

A note on credit card coverages: from what I've read they've been degraded significantly. Many provide coverage only for the small stuff you can handle yourself- delayed luggage, hotel overnight, etc. If they cover the major risks they usually have pretty low limits.

 

[Sunset]

^^^^^^^^
It was seeing a number of helicopter rides off the cruise ships that convinced me to always buy year long evac insurance at a minimum. We also saw ship to small ship/rescue boat transfers.

One time the Captain announced the ship would divert course for the helicopter. I guess we were at/near the limits of the helicopter and they wanted a safety factor. I'm guessing the cost of that would be added to the bill.

 

[Fermion]

^^^^^^^^
It was seeing a number of helicopter rides off the cruise ships that convinced me to always buy year long evac insurance at a minimum. We also saw ship to small ship/rescue boat transfers.

One time the Captain announced the ship would divert course for the helicopter. I guess we were at/near the limits of the helicopter and they wanted a safety factor. I'm guessing the cost of that would be added to the bill.

That does sound expensive but I highly doubt they could/would add the cost of diverting the ship to the bill...that would be millions of dollars. No trip insurance would pay that lol.

 

[2017ish]

Geoblue Trekker Choice Plan.

Nice to hear that it paid out for your friend! We've had this plan since 2017, but luckily haven't needed it.

An FYI for anyone looking at it though. IF a single trip is longer than 70 days, you'll need to buy a single trip rider to tack onto this policy.

 

[Sunset]

That does sound expensive but I highly doubt they could/would add the cost of diverting the ship to the bill...that would be millions of dollars. No trip insurance would pay that lol.

The ship simply went off course, and didn't have to dock anywhere.
So I asked AI , the cost for a 100 mile diversion, -> it's only $35K (est) in this case.

So this could have been tacked on the bill, otherwise the cruise line is paying it. Some evacuation insurance might be able to cover some of it.

Still expensive..


Q- Searching for: cost for cruise ship to divert 100 miles off course

"The cost for a cruise ship to divert 100 miles off course depends on several factors, such as the ship’s speed, fuel consumption, and itinerary. Based on some web search results, I can provide you with some rough estimates.

First, let’s assume that the cruise ship is traveling at a speed of 20 knots per hour, which is equivalent to 23 miles per hour 1. This means that it would take about 4.3 hours to travel 100 miles. Next, let’s assume that the cruise ship consumes about 140 gallons of fuel per mile, which is a common figure for large cruise ships 2. This means that it would consume about 14,000 gallons of fuel to travel 100 miles. Finally, let’s assume that the average price of fuel for cruise ships is $2.50 per gallon 2. This means that it would cost about $35,000 to fuel the cruise ship for 100 miles."

 

[Fermion]

The ship simply went off course, and didn't have to dock anywhere.
So I asked AI , the cost for a 100 mile diversion, -> it's only $35K (est) in this case.

So this could have been tacked on the bill, otherwise the cruise line is paying it. Some evacuation insurance might be able to cover some of it.

Still expensive..


Q- Searching for: cost for cruise ship to divert 100 miles off course

"The cost for a cruise ship to divert 100 miles off course depends on several factors, such as the ship’s speed, fuel consumption, and itinerary. Based on some web search results, I can provide you with some rough estimates.

First, let’s assume that the cruise ship is traveling at a speed of 20 knots per hour, which is equivalent to 23 miles per hour 1. This means that it would take about 4.3 hours to travel 100 miles. Next, let’s assume that the cruise ship consumes about 140 gallons of fuel per mile, which is a common figure for large cruise ships 2. This means that it would consume about 14,000 gallons of fuel to travel 100 miles. Finally, let’s assume that the average price of fuel for cruise ships is $2.50 per gallon 2. This means that it would cost about $35,000 to fuel the cruise ship for 100 miles."

Sure, that is fuel costs, but what about the extra pay for the ~1000? crew members and the loss of booking time if the cruise ship misses destinations and has to refund passengers or cancel future booking? It has got to be more than just fuel costs to divert a ship.

 

[njhowie]

These travel insurance companies are in business to make money, just remember that.

You know of many insurance companies not in business to make money? Your home, auto, and health insurers are in business to make money, aren't they? And yet you do have those types of insurance, don't you?

It boils down to the value placed on the insurance and what it provides. Obviously, for you, the value is not there. For others, it carries more value and so they purchase it.

 

[Sunset]

Sure, that is fuel costs, but what about the extra pay for the ~1000? crew members and the loss of booking time if the cruise ship misses destinations and has to refund passengers or cancel future booking? It has got to be more than just fuel costs to divert a ship.

If a ship has to stop in another port, or miss a day, or extend a day, then the costs jump to the $1M range depending upon lots of factors..

I think they would just let a passenger die, than do a really expensive change in the cruise.

Sort of how Air Canada didn't divert a flight, and carried on a long flight resulting in the death of the passenger (allegedly).
https://boingboing.net/2023/11/06/air-canada-refused-to-divert-plane-while-man-had-heart-attack-he-died.html

 

[bookman51]

We were in Alaska last Summer for a couple weeks.

My advice. Get your VRBO or hotel reservations now! We made reservations about a year in advance and supply is very limited.

We flew into Anchorage. Stayed a couple days. Then out to Denali and then down to Kenai. Not too many places to stay.

Went day hiking in Denali … awesome. Out on a boat for a day trip to see whales and glacier in Kenai … awesome.

The zoo in Anchorage is nice and stays open late.

Watch out for the moose. Was out for a trail run, came around a corner and a large moose was standing in the trail. I backed away and continued my run in the other direction.

And we have never purchased trip insurance by the way.

It is part of a package with a tour company. I am paying them to worry about the hotels, etc. Thanks much.

 

[bookman51]

Get the insurance! On our trip to Alaska on day four I tripped and broke my shoulder. We were on a land tour and thankfully near a local hospital. If we were in Denali I would have to be airlifted to Fairbanks. Trip insurance covered 100% and even reimbursed me for the one day I missed on the trip. Medical flights can be $30k+

What insurance company?

 

[meleana]

I have read through the various threads and looked at the various Internet sites. With all the companies, options, and price variations, I simply am confused. My wife and I are planning to go to Alaska next summer for about ten days---not on a cruise and after flying in to Anchorage we will be on land all the time. I figure the cost in the $8,000 to $9,000 range. In looking at various options, trip insurance runs from about 9% to 16%+ of the trip costs. That really seems pricy to me.

My main two questions: 1) are there absolutes I should have for trip; and 2) are there companies with good reputations and companies that I should avoid?

Just a note, we are both in our 70s and in good health with Medicare and Blue Cross-Blue Shield Supplemental.

Thanks in advance.

We always take out insurance to at least cover the airfare and the tour, or hotel and car rental if applicable. Medical I wouldn’t worry about domestically.

In fact, since the pandemic we even go for the cancel for any reason which is pricey. And next year when we go to Italy we are even getting refundable plane tickets on top of everything else since those haven’t been booked with our tour yet.

 

[Northforker]

The only insurance that may be valuable is medical evacuation insurance.

This

 

[imnontrad]

I have a one year policy for Allianz that covers all my trips - for $280. https://www.allianztravelinsurance.com/

I lived in Alaska for a little over 4 years. First of all, you will be renting a mid size SUV or larger for safety (expect to drop 4 figures for rental).

Let's look at a worst case situation. You and your spouse are driving when a moose runs across the road and you hit it. If you are lucky, it is a female and you may be badly injured - or it is a male and you are killed. There are limited health facilities in Alaska. An injury may require an emergency helo to Anchorage, stabilization and then a medical flight to the continental US for further treatment/rehabilitation that may take months. And no, this is not farfetched. One of my former co-workers had a son in this situation last year. Either way whether injured or killed, you would transport back to the continental US - which will not be cheap.