Travel Insurance Won't Cover Acts of War, Says Squaremouth ...

The cross-border rocket fire between Israel and Gaza has caused multiple deaths over several days of intense fighting. The unrest has put many travelers? plans in jeopardy, leaving them to contemplate cancelling travel arrangements, and hoping travel insurance will reimburse them for their losses. Squaremouth, America?s fastest growing travel insurance comparison site, advises travelers that buying travel insurance for cancellation coverage due to acts of war might not be worth the extra buck.

?The recent events in Israel have prompted several calls from customers questioning their coverage,? says Chris Harvey, CEO of Squaremouth. ?Concerned travelers should know that war is generally excluded from coverage in travel insurance policies.?

Although war may not be covered by travel insurance, terrorism may be listed as a covered reason for cancellation and interruption. Harvey says travelers may not make the distinction between war and terrorism, but a travel insurance policy will. Terrorism is often defined as the unsanctioned and illegal use of violence that causes destruction, injury, or death. The implied purpose is achieving a political or religious goal. Travelers should keep in mind that in order to claim cancellation for terrorism, a policy may require the covered person be scheduled to arrive in the city where the incident occurs within a specified number of days.

Even fulfilling these requirements may not qualify terrorism coverage under some policies. A certificate may exclude terrorism coverage for any destination where a travel warning has been issued by the U.S. State Department when the coverage is purchased.

However, all is not lost with travel insurance when it comes to coverage for war or civil unrest. Travelers who have coverage under the ?cancel for any reason? benefit can be reimbursed for a percentage of their non-refundable trip costs. This benefit allows travelers to cancel their trips without having to provide a reason to the travel insurance provider. In order to claim, travelers must insure 100% of their trip cost and make the cancellation at least two days before departure.

?We usually try to talk travelers out of buying ?cancel for any reason? coverage because they typically don?t need it,? says Harvey. ?But war is one case where ?cancel for any reason? coverage could be beneficial.?

For those already traveling, Squaremouth advises checking the policy certificate for coverage under the non-medical evacuation benefit. The benefit will transport travelers from a place of danger to the nearest place of safety, or home, in the event of civil, political, or military unrest at the destination.

The key to utilizing a travel insurance policy to its full advantage is knowing how specific benefits apply. Travelers are encouraged to read and review the terms of coverage to understand what is excluded from coverage and how covered benefits are defined.

About Squaremouth
Squaremouth is America?s fastest-growing travel insurance comparison site, providing the tools to instantly quote, compare and buy policies from every major provider. The company is headquartered in St. Petersburg, FL, with offices in Fort Wayne, IN. For more information on Squaremouth or its extensive network of partner sites worldwide, visit www.squaremouth.com.

About our Zero Complaint Guarantee
The cornerstone of Squaremouth?s commitment to customers is the guarantee to remove any provider with a customer complaint that cannot be resolved to Squaremouth?s satisfaction. Squaremouth offers the broadest selection of insurance, with an emphasis on quality, follow-up care, and independent evaluations from insurance industry watchdog, AM Best.

Squaremouth offers products from the following travel insurance providers:
Air Ambulance Card, AMEX Assurance Company, Azimuth Risk Solutions, LLC, CSA Travel Protection, Global Alert Administrators, HCC Medical Insurance Services, HTH Worldwide, IMG, ?iTravelInsured, John Hancock Insurance Agency, Inc., MedjetAssist, MH Ross Travel Insurance Services, Seven Corners Inc, Travel Guard, Travel Insurance Services, Travel Insured International, Travelex Insurance Services, TravelSafe, Trawick International, USA-ASSIST Worldwide Protection, and VacationGuard.

AVAILABLE TOPIC EXPERTS:
Chris Harvey
charvey@squaremouth.com
Toll-free (800) 240-0369 x 6103
Direct (727) 490-5802
Chrisharvey.com
LinkedIn
Google+

Jenna Gravino
jgravino@squaremouth.com
Toll-free (800) 240-0369 x 6112
Direct (727) 502-6849
LinkedIn
Google+

Related press releases:

Source: http://blogs.squaremouth.com/press-room/travel-insurance-wont-cover-acts-of-war-says-squaremouth/

PECO