Cheesemans' Ecology Safaris: Travel Insurance Recommendations

Travel Insurance

There are many types of travel insurance, including emergency medical insurance and trip cancellation insurance. Be sure to compare benefits and exclusions carefully so you will purchase the policy that you desire and need. As always, don't hesitate to contact us if you have any questions or concerns.

General Information

Emergency Medical Insurance - Covers emergency medical treatment and emergency evacuation to a treatment facility and to your home. It should be reasonably priced, usually below $150 depending on the duration of the trip and your age. This coverage can also provide helpful services, often 24 hours a day, 7 days a week that can include concierge services and emergency travel assistance. If you are not worried about pre-existing condition coverage, you can purchase this policy at any time before your departure. There may be other benefits available such as lost luggage and missed connection coverage.
Trip Cancellation Insurance - Trip cancellation protection provides trip reimbursement for non-refundable trip payments and deposits if you must cancel your trip before you start. Trip interruption protection provides trip reimbursement for non-refundable trip payments and out-of-pocket expenses if your trip is interrupted after you leave home. It usually includes emergency medical coverage also. This coverage is more expensive, usually costing 5-7% of your trip cost.
Insuring Valuables - We are very concerned about, but not responsible for, the safety of your valuables. Generally speaking, while on a guided tour, it is safe to leave equipment in the vehicle under the care of the driver, but we do not guarantee the safety of your valuables. We do recommend keeping items of significant value with you or in hotel safety deposit boxes. Some items may be covered by travel insurance, but you should check your policy carefully for limitations and restrictions. If you have expensive camera equipment, you may consider purchasing an additional insurance policy; contact your insurance agent for information. It is best to leave expensive articles that are not needed, such as jewelry, at home.

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Insurance Limitations

Whatever insurance you purchase, be sure to carefully check the terms and limitations of your coverage, especially those for:

Pre-existing conditions. Important note: Before you purchase a policy, carefully read about pre-existing condition coverage. Some policies require that you buy insurance close to making your reservation deposit to cover pre-existing conditions, so we recommend that you buy insurance when you make your initial payment to maximize your coverage.
Trip cancellation reimbursement rules.
Valuables such as cameras, cash, jewelry, and computers.
Exclusion of coverage in the event that a disease outbreak, such as a flu, is classified as pandemic.

Please be sure to ask an insurance representative about their most up-to-date terms and conditions as they can change at any time.

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Our Requirements

Please note that we do not sell or include insurance for our trips. There are many providers that offer travel insurance and we encourage you to do your own research to determine which company is most suitable for your needs.

Your trip itinerary and reservation form will tell you if emergency medical insurance is required for your trip:

Optional Emergency Medical Insurance - For those tours where insurance is not required, we still strongly encourage you to purchase a policy due to our remote destinations. Emergency evacuation and medical care can be very costly and difficult to coordinate in international locations. If you decide to decline this insurance, you must tell us in writing on your reservation form.
Required Emergency Medical Insurance - For some of our most remote expeditions, such as to the Antarctic and Arctic regions, we do require you to purchase emergency medical and evacuation insurance. Sometimes this insurance is also required by the country you will be traveling in or the regional outfitter that we use.

Please note that, in the event of your medical evacuation, you are personally responsible for any costs in excess of your insurance coverage limits.

We do not require trip cancellation insurance for any of our tours, but we encourage you to consider purchasing this coveratge if there is any chance that you may cancel your reservation close to your departure date. Once close to this date, we will not be able to refund anything or perhaps only the small amount stated in your itinerary. Do understand that in the event of your cancellation, you will be responsible for the cancellation fees as stipulated in your trip itinerary.

Please note that in the event of a medical evacuation, you are personally responsible for any costs in excess of your insurance coverage limits.

Once you obtain travel insurance, please provide us with details, including provider, policy type, policy number, and the provider's emergency phone number.

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Insurance Providers

• Allianz (formerly Access America)

Access America is now Allianz

We have worked with Access America for many years and have generally had good experiences. Access America was recently bought by Allianz, whom we do not have any experience with. You can compare and purchase policies at the Allianz's website or by calling (800) 284-8300. Please use our company's ACCAM code: F018870 when purchasing your insurance at Allianz so we can track your insurance.

For Allianz, coverage of existing medical conditions is only available if insurance is purchased within 14 days of making your first trip deposit. Travel insurance policies can be purchased at anytime prior to departure, however, to maximize what you are covered for, we recommend that you purchase your policy within 14 days of sending your trip deposit. Coverage for existing medical conditions for you, a travel companion, or a family member is only available if you purchase in this timeframe (see other restrictions in plan details). If you are hesitating to purchase insurance because not all of your travel plans are finalized, please keep in mind that Access America will allow changes or modifications in your plans (including date and cost) after you purchase the policy. You must notify them within 14 days of making a change to maintain your existing medical condition coverage.

Allianz does not cover those living outside of the USA.

Read Allianz's Travel and News Alerts about coverage during recent disasters and disease outbreaks.

• Travelex

We have heard good things about Travelex from many of our travelers and have recently developed a working relationship with them to benefit our travelers.

For Travelex, coverage of existing medical conditions is only available if insurance is purchased within 21 days of making your first trip deposit.

Travelex is available to those living in and outside of the USA. Please note that if you contact them directly, that you give them our location number: 05-0911; this is required when purchasing from outside of the USA.

• Flying Doctors

The Flying Doctor Service operated by AMREF is one of the most comprehensive air ambulance services in Africa, evacuating approximately 600 people annually. In case of a medical emergency that requires an evacuation from a remote area, the Flying Doctor service will send in a medical team and an aircraft that can be converted into an airborne intensive care unit to evacuate you to Nairobi Wilson Airport where you will be transported by an ambulance to a hospital in Nairobi. A tourist membership costs about $50 for two months. As a member of the Flying Doctor Society of Africa, you are entitled to one free evacuation per year in case of a life-threatening emergency. If you do not use your membership for an evacuation in any given year, your contribution goes to evacuate somebody who urgently needs medical attention who cannot afford it.

This is the minimum insurance required for our safaris to Tanzania.

Important! The Flying Doctors do not cover the cost of hospitalization.

• Squaremouth

You can compare different travel insurance to make sure you get the best benefits for the best price at Squaremouth. Their website also has lots of information on travel insurance.

Squaremouth also sells insurance for travellers from the United Kingdom and other countries around the world.

• QuoteWright

You can also compare different travel insurance at QuoteWright. They include Access America in their comparisons.

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Updated February 2012