In fifteen years of advising clients on international travel, I have never had a client regret purchasing travel insurance. I have had clients regret not purchasing it — sometimes dramatically. A medical evacuation from a remote island in French Polynesia costs $85,000 to $150,000 without insurance. A trip cancellation due to a sudden illness can mean losing $20,000 in non-refundable deposits on a 10-night luxury safari. These are not edge cases. They happen to our clients, and when they do, the difference between having the right coverage and not having it is life-changing.
What Standard Travel Insurance Actually Covers
Most comprehensive travel insurance policies include some combination of the following: trip cancellation (reimbursement if you cancel for a covered reason before departure), trip interruption (reimbursement if you must cut a trip short), travel delay (hotel and meal expenses if your flights are significantly delayed), baggage loss and delay, emergency medical coverage abroad, and emergency medical evacuation.
The critical words here are 'covered reason' and 'emergency.' Standard policies reimburse cancellations only for specific covered reasons — illness, death of a family member, natural disasters, and a list of other qualifying events. Changing your mind, work obligations, or anxiety about traveling are not covered reasons on a standard policy.
Cancel For Any Reason: What It Is and When It's Worth It
Cancel For Any Reason (CFAR) is an upgrade that does exactly what it sounds like: you can cancel your trip for any reason whatsoever and receive a reimbursement of typically 50–75% of your non-refundable costs. It costs more — usually 40–60% above the base policy premium — and it must be purchased within 14–21 days of your first trip deposit.
When We Recommend CFAR
For any trip where a meaningful portion of the cost is non-refundable and committed early (safaris, destination weddings, remote villa bookings), CFAR is worth the premium. It's also the right choice when there are known variables that could force a cancellation — an elderly parent's health, a business situation with uncertainty, or travel to a destination with elevated political risk.
Medical Evacuation: The Coverage Most People Underestimate
Emergency medical evacuation coverage is, in my view, the single most important component of any travel insurance policy for international trips. A helicopter evacuation from a tented camp in the Masai Mara to Nairobi, followed by a medically-equipped air transport to the United States, costs between $50,000 and $150,000. This is not an uncommon scenario — it happens several times a year in the East Africa circuit alone.
Standard health insurance — including Medicare — provides no coverage for medical evacuation and limited or no coverage for emergency medical treatment abroad. Travel insurance with robust evacuation coverage is not an optional add-on for international luxury travel. It is essential.
Pre-Existing Conditions: The Fine Print That Matters Most
Most travel insurance policies exclude pre-existing conditions from their medical coverage unless you purchase the policy within a specific window — typically 14–21 days of your first trip deposit — and meet a 'look-back period' clause. For travelers with any medical history worth noting, this timing requirement is critical. We brief every client on it at the time of their first payment.
"Standard health insurance provides no coverage for medical evacuation. A helicopter from the Masai Mara to Nairobi and then to the US costs $50,000 to $150,000. This is not a theoretical scenario."
What Most Policies Don't Cover (And What Fills the Gap)
- Supplier default (a hotel or tour operator going bankrupt) — look for policies with 'default' coverage specifically listed
- Pandemic-related cancellations — post-COVID policies have varied widely; read the exclusions carefully
- High-risk activities (skydiving, off-piste skiing, certain diving certifications) — many policies exclude these or require a rider
- Rental car damage — often requires a specific rider or is better handled by a standalone rental car coverage product
- Travel to destinations under a State Department Level 3 or 4 advisory — some policies void coverage if you travel against advisory
How We Handle Insurance for Our Clients
Every trip we book comes with a travel insurance recommendation tailored to the specific trip, the client's health profile, and the non-refundable cost structure. We work with several providers and compare policies rather than defaulting to one. What we don't do is treat insurance as a checkbox — it's a genuine risk management conversation, and we take it seriously.
If you're planning a significant trip and uncertain about your coverage, that conversation is one we're happy to have independently of any booking. Call us, and let's make sure you're protected before you go.