Research, Review, and Compare Travel Insurance Before You Buy
There are thousands of international health and travel insurance companies offering a variety of products and services. Most are similar. You want to make sure you review the terms and conditions of the product they are offering and the financial strength of the underwriter behind the plan. We have carefully chosen recommended plans from top travel insurance companies and put them side by side for you to review and compare. If you need additional guidance, our staff can walk you through the differences and advantages of one plan vs. another.
Considerations When Comparing Travel Insurance Plans
Review and Compare the Benefits and Exclusions
The most important factors are the benefits (what is covered) and exclusions (what is not covered). The benefits and exclusions should be laid out in detail for you to review. Although two companies may offer a similar benefit amount, if you review exclusions, one provider might exclude coverage for certain benefits that are not excluded by the other. Therefore, you should review both the benefit and exclusions in the plan details. Ask us for a copy of the “policy certificate” and “plan rules” which will provide a comprehensive list of all benefits and exclusions.
Travel Insurance Reviews
We are often asked about online reviews of travel insurance companies. Clients are often confused as the majority of reviews are negative and filed by upset consumers. The thousands of customers with positive experiences are not as motivated to file positive reviews. As a result, there are more negative reviews than positive – which is not an accurate reflection of the insurer. Be assured that most insurance companies, and all of the ones we recommend, are willing to pay legitimate claims.
All of the travel insurance companies listed on our website have been reviewed by our team. We have personally visited their offices and met with the management teams. Therefore, we are confident in recommending them to our clients. If you are not satisfied, we will support you in your effort to get your issue resolved with the insurer and quickly as possible.
Travel Insurance Insurance Company / Plan Administrator
Who is the company behind the plan? In most cases, you will be interacting with the plan administrator should you need to file a claim or receive assistance while abroad. Try calling the plan administrator’s customer service or claims phone number and see what kind of response time you get from their call center. We have screened all of the plan administrators listed on this site to ensure quality customer service.
Related: Best Travel Insurance Companies
Underwriter and Ratings
Although the company administering the plan is important for customer service issues, they typically utilize an underwriter to back the plans they offer. The underwriter is the organization backing the insurance plans financially. All plans listed on InternationalInsurance.com are highly rated and financially stable. If you are not sure, you can visit AMBest to review the current ratings of specific underwriters.
Comparing the Different Types of Travel Insurance
Trip Cancellation and Travel Medical insurance are two different types of Travel Insurance. We have provided some detail below on the differences between the two options along with links to additional articles to help you research and compare these different travel medical plan types to help you find the best options for your trip.
Recommended Trip Cancellation Insurance
Trip Cancellation plans will cover the cost of your trip should you have to cancel for a covered reason. They also provide a number of other benefits, including emergency medical coverage, trip interruption, repatriation, etc. You can compare trip cancellation plans along with the benefits offered by a few providers to find the best option for your specific needs. These plans are great if your trip is expensive and you are planning well in advance. We recommend the following trip cancellation for international travelers:
Trip Cancellation for US Citizens:
RoundTrip Elite
- Comprehensive trip protection for U.S. residents traveling abroad.
- Optional rental car collision coverage available.
- Optional Cancel for Any Reason coverage available (if eligible).
Trip Cancellation for International (non-US) Residents:
RoundTrip International
- Trip protection for non-U.S. residents traveling up to 30 days.
- $100,000 personal liability benefit.
- 24/7 multilingual travel assistance.
Compare Travel Medical Insurance for World Travelers
Travel Medical Insurance plans offer emergency medical coverage with additional benefits to provide you with peace of mind while traveling abroad. These plans are typically more affordable than trip cancellation plans. You should compare travel medical insurance as they vary widely in cost, benefits, and service.
The Atlas Travel Medical Plan is Available to All Nationalities
Atlas Travel Medical
- You choose between the basic essentials and more extensive coverage.
- Meets Schengen visa insurance requirements.
- 24/7 worldwide travel and emergency medical assistance.
Travel Medical Insurance for US Citizens Traveling Abroad
Voyager Travel Medical Plan
- Great option for US citizens traveling abroad
- For trips up to 6 months for ages up to 84
- May cover pre-existing conditions for medical services
For comprehensive long term coverage abroad, consider a Global Health Insurance Plan
Compare Customer Service and Claims Processing
Here, we have done some of the work for you. The plans we include on our site are top quality with excellent customer service. Our goal is to make sure all of our clients are well taken care of by the plan administrator. To be honest, it reduces work for us and ensures we get repeat business as well as referrals from satisfied customers.
Additional Resources for Comparing Travel Insurance
In addition to providing a comprehensive list of the best travel insurance companies offering a wide range of coverage, benefits, and service, we offer the following comparisons:
