GAP: REMEMBER - TRAVEL INSURANCE CAN BE YOUR FRIEND!

[The CyberPoet]

I almost got out the door (bike's all packed, etc) for the Gap Rally when I remembered I had forgotten to get some travel insurance. Oppps! Five minutes later, I had nailed down the policy, paid my $34 (about twice what I paid last year but better coverages) and now have 14 days of coverage including the following coverages:
Trip Cancellation: $1,500
Trip Interruption: $2,250
Travel Baggage: $1,500
Baggage Delay: $500
Travel Delay: $1,000
Accidental Death: $50,000
Medical: $250,000
Dental: Included in Medical
Emergency Evacuation: $1,000,000
Rental Car Collision/Loss: $50,000

For those traveling by motorcycle, this can be significant
Fast quotes (and, no, I'm unaffiliated -- I just buy through them every year):

https://www.insuremytrip.com

Cheers
=-= The CyberPoet

[loudnlow7484]

I, for one, didn't know something like that existed. Amazing. Remind me to get travel insurance, and take a trip to Florida before the next hurricane. I could use that $1,000,000.

[Sagan]

Call up your credit card company, see if they don't already offer it as well, or your credit union if you're in a good one. Check coverages still tho, CP's list would make that really easy...

[The CyberPoet]

It's the medical coverage that's significant -- most motorcycle medical coverage policies (PIP or whatever) put a low limit on medical services, don't cover dental or emergency air-evac at all... And those coming from Florida may not carry any insurance at all (not a requirement for most riders).

And because of the location of the Gap, serious accidents are almost always air-evac'd out, meaning a huge transport bill. The policies I get give me total peace of mind in that sense.

Cheers,
=-= The CyberPoet

[woobie]

This is a must have for us Canucks heading south. Although OHIP will cover some medical charges the fact is a US hospital stay can quickly go above and beyond what the OHIP Daily allowance covers.

If you don't have extra coverage through work Cheap coverage can be bought through CAA.

And because of the location of the Gap, serious accidents are almost always air-evac'd out, meaning a huge transport bill. The policies I get give me total peace of mind in that sense.

If I recall corectly Range was quoted $3500 per half hour for an air evac when he broke his arm, needless to say we choose to drive him by car.

[Range]

it was only my wrist...if it was my arm...my name was going to be "Keith"

[The CyberPoet]

it was only my wrist...if it was my arm...my name was going to be "Keith"

Cheers,
=-= The CyberPoet

[canadianbacon]

This is a must have for us Canucks heading south. Although OHIP will cover some medical charges the fact is a US hospital stay can quickly go above and beyond what the OHIP Daily allowance covers.

If you don't have extra coverage through work Cheap coverage can be bought through CAA.

here is the rate plan info. from the caa southern ontario website:

http://www.caasco.on.ca/insurance/pdfs/consumer_rate_brochure.pdf

the 'best' deal if you travel outside of ontario often is the 15 or 30 day policies, basically they will cover any trip you are out of the province as long as it is less then the 15 or 30 day limit and you can go as many times as you want as long as you come back home (to ontario) within your policy limit

if you don't like caa or want even more supplemental coverage because you are paranoid about getting hurt, all the major banks offer coverage available as well (TD, Scotia, RBC, etc.)...in fact, check your credit cards, some gold cards, specifically the travel gold cards cover a certain amount to travel insurance for you included with your annual dues

for us canuck'ians, right now the dollar is high so we don't have to worry about it but if the dollar does drop then the cost of actual medical assistance south of the border will go up as well....your coverages are usually based on canadian dollars, so tho you may have bought 50,000 in coverages for your trip its CDN and if the dollar drops down to .70 then its really only about 35,000 USD, i know for a fact that an extended hospital stay $35,000 goes fairly quickly, just fyi and something to think about...

work coverage is your primary coverage, if you buy CAA or bank coverage it is supplemental in that you will have to use up your work coverage before the CAA/Bank coverage will kick in, now here's the kicker, to make it easier on yourself, because the the actual insurance underwriters between banks and your work coverage maybe different, find the bank that has the same insurance underwriter as your company is using (you can find the underwriter normally in the fine print, and there aren't that many actual insurance companies out there out there anyway, primmum, kingsway, security national, etc to name a few), by having the same insurance company for both work and supplemental, if you were to get into an accident the coverage is totally is seamless from prmary to supplemental, if its not the same you may (i stress may, doesn't have to happen but may) but you may run into snags because the supplemental will have to confirm with the primary insurance that benefits have been used and access to supplemental funds opens up, if they are slow you could be bed ridden for a few days with no actual coverage...it'll all get covered in costs later but its just less of a headache if you do find the correct one, esp. since rates are competitive between them all and they vary usually by only about $5 or $10 annually...

my 2 cents, hope that helps...

[Wade-Kat600]

I dont do travel insurance - but I have huge accident insurance policies - I even carry one that pays me for everything that happens to me

[91tana]

Quack, AFLAC

[steves]

I dont do travel insurance - but I have huge accident insurance policies - I even carry one that pays me for everything that happens to me

Re-read what Marc posted above about air-evac. That was the biggest single reason why we bought trip insurance last year. It cost about $50 for Kristin and I, and I extended the coverage several days to cover us coming back from St. Louis as well.

[The CyberPoet]

Re-read what Marc posted above about air-evac. That was the biggest single reason why we bought trip insurance last year. It cost about $50 for Kristin and I, and I extended the coverage several days to cover us coming back from St. Louis as well.

It's not just air-evac, it's air-evac + air-med transport onwards or to home (as needed). What if you end up so mangled that you can't simply ride home or even take a bus/public transport -- do you want to spend 4-6 months in a hospital or an assisted living facility next to the gap (staffed with those locals), or do you want to be air-evac'd on a private jet to your own home area or onwards to where the right docs are for whatever ails you? Especially if the specialist you need isn't available in the greater gap area?
All these things cost huge bucks. A typical complete air med evac service means ambulance from the wreck to the closest landing pad, helicopter to the hospital, and after stabilizing/initial treatment, helicopter or ground ambulance to the airport, private jet, jet-flight (staffed with EMT, duty nurse, pilot, co-pilot, and possibly even a doctor), ambulance or helicopter from the airport to the hospital on that end. Combined, these transport costs (and med supplies/staffing during transport) can easily reach $450k for locations on the west coast (from the Gap), or $250k for destinations on the northeast or Eastern Canada. Most health insurance plans don't have good transport coverage. Just a thought.

I hate to admit it, but part of the reason I take the insurance is in case I lose a limb -- the partial dismemberment payment will help cushion the transition period.

Cheers,
=-= The CyberPoet

[Range]

there is only one "limb" I can't live without.....

[steves]

Bump for a rally right around the corner!

[steves]

Bump... going to buy mine right now.