What insurance do you need for spring break travel?

What kind of insurance do you need for spring break travel?

While travel insurance is always a good idea to protect your investment in your trip, you may also need travel health insurance and extra car insurance if you're leaving the U.S. Where you're going, how you're getting around and where you're staying can all affect the type of insurance you need.

Your existing coverage can handle a lot of the risks of travel; personal property coverage from home or renters insurance extends around the world, personal liability coverage from that same policy can cover damage or injuries you cause elsewhere, and your car insurance coverage likely covers you in a rental car within the U.S. and Canada.

However, overseas travel can be more complex, and health insurance is a concern anytime you're away from home.

Do you need travel insurance for spring break?

You may need some form of travel insurance, especially if:

• The cost of the trip is high
• Your trip is non-refundable
• You're traveling outside the U.S.
• Your trip includes multiple flights, increasing the risk of delays or lost luggage

What does travel insurance cover? Trip cancellation, trip interruption and more

Travel insurance policies protect you from financial loss if you have to cancel your trip, cut it short, or if other travel-related issues arise. Coverage includes:

• Trip cancellation. If you have to cancel for a covered reason, you will get some or all of your money back
• Trip interruption. If you have to cut your trip short and come home, costs are covered
• Delays. Provides coverage if our trip is delayed due to cancelled flights, weather or other issues
• Lost luggage. Pays to replace lost items

Whether or not you need this coverage depends on whether you’re willing to risk the loss of non-refundable travel, like tours, hotel rooms, tickets and other costs. Make sure you read the fine print before you buy, as most plans have exclusionsItems that are specifically denied coverage under the terms of an insurance policy. For example, most auto insurance policies exclude coverage for normal wear and tear, drag racing and intentional acts. and limitations.

Check with your credit card company as well to find out if any travel insurance or trip cancellation benefits are included. Note that this only applies to purchases made on that card.

Does your health insurance cover you out of the state or country?

If you are leaving the U.S. or even, in some cases, within the country, you may have limited health insurance coverage at your destination, or no coverage at all. Health insurance plans vary in the coverage they offer outside the country or even outside the state, so you may need to buy travel health insurance.

If you're traveling to another state:

• If you have an HMO, you have no out-of-network coverage. That means that even in another state, you might be far from an in-network provider.
• While health plans should cover out-of-network care in an emergency, you could run into trouble if there’s a serious injury or accident and need to be in the hospital for a long time.

If you're traveling outside the country:

• Emergencies may be covered.
• Non-emergency treatment (your child gets an ear infection, for example) may be covered as out-of-network care or not at all.
• You may have to pay out of pocket and submit for reimbursement, which could be a hefty upfront payment.

In either case, you may be required to move to an in-network facility as soon as you are stable enough to travel, and that travel will likely be at your own cost.

Call your insurance company before you travel, especially if you have a chronic condition that could flare up. Find out what’s covered and how. 

Should you buy travel health insurance?

To be safe, buying travel health insurance is a good idea. It provides health coverage if you become ill or are injured while traveling. This may be included in a travel insurance package plan, or you can buy it as a standalone policy.

• Most travel health insurance plans don’t cover regular medical care, just emergencies and unexpected illnesses.
• Make sure you bring any prescriptions you might need along and take care of any medical needs before you travel.
• You may need to pay for your care upfront and then file for reimbursement. Check the details of your policy in advance.

Do you need medical evacuation coverage?

Medical evacuation coverage covers evacuation (bringing you back home for treatment) and repatriation, which is a worst-case scenario coverage to return remains to the U.S. for burial. It may be included in some amount on a travel health or other travel insurance plan. Be sure to check the coverage limits. You can often add coverage or buy a standalone policy

Health insurance, even travel health insurance, may not cover the cost of bringing you home if something goes seriously wrong on your spring break trip. If you’re severely injured or ill and need to be returned home under medical care for further treatment, it can be astronomically expensive.

Is personal property covered on vacation?

Both home and renters insurance cover your personal property anywhere in the world, but it’s important to know that there are limitations.

1. The total coverage for personal property off-premises (anywhere that’s not the insured property) is reduced. The usual limit is 10% of the total personal property coverage.
2. There are limits on coverage for certain high-value items, like computers and jewelry. Your best bet is to leave these items at home when you travel, but if you must bring them, consider a scheduled personal property floater. This will add additional dollar-value coverage and also extend to circumstances in which the item is lost. While home insurance usually doesn’t cover “mysterious disappearance” (which means you lost the item), a floater does.

Does your car insurance cover you across state lines and national borders?

If your spring break involves a road trip, it’s important to know how your car insurance works when you’re away from home.

If you're leaving the U.S.

• A U.S. car insurance policy will cover you in all U.S. states and territories (although you’re probably not driving to Puerto Rico) and Canada.
• U.S. car insurance doesn't cover you in Mexico. Call your car insurance company before you go to ask if they offer Mexican coverage. Many companies offer it online, and you can even buy it right at the border.

If you're staying in the U.S.:

• Your car insurance covers you in other states.
• If you’re involved in an accident in a state with different minimum coverage levels than your home state, your insurance company will automatically adjust your coverage to match that state’s minimum. However, increasing your coverage above the legal minimum is always a good idea, which is rarely enough to cover an accident.

Is my child covered if they take my car for spring break?

Yes, your child is covered under your policy if you lend them the car. Even if your student no longer lives at home and isn’t on your insurance anymore, they’re covered as a permissive user.

However, it's a good idea to give your insurance company a call and confirm coverage, and to ensure that no one you haven't given permission to drive is allowed behind the wheel.

Does your car insurance cover a rental car for spring break?

Most car insurance companies will extend coverage to a rental car if you rent and drive it in any U.S. state or territory or in Canada. Always call your insurer to confirm the coverage before you go, however.

It’s also a good idea to check with the credit card you’re using to rent the car. Many credit cards offer rental car coverage.

If neither of these applies, consider buying the coverage offered by the rental car company; you don’t want to be on the hook if something goes wrong. You should also consider buying that coverage if you carry liability-only insurance, as your policy will transfer over only what you carry on your own car. You’ll have no coverage for damage to the rental.

“If you have liability coverage on your auto policy and need comprehensive and collision to extend to your rental car, you can change the coverages on your auto policy for the time you will be renting the vehicle, or you can purchase comprehensive and collision through the rental car agency,” McKenzie says.

Outside the U.S. or Canada, you will need to purchase rental car insurance. Your insurance will not apply.

Do you need insurance for a vacation rental?

Although both Airbnb and VRBO provide coverage to the owner that protects their property and provides liability insuranceLiability insurance covers sums that an insured becomes legally obligated to pay because of bodily injuries or property damage, or financial losses caused to other people., if you’re to blame for the incident, you can be held liable. In this case, your homeowners liability insurance extends to protect you away from home, and you can file a claimAn insurance claim is a request you make to your insurance company for coverage after your car is damaged or you have an accident. You can file a claim online, by phone, or in writing. if needed.

“Most home insurance policies would cover the Insured, or other household members, for instances that occur off the property,” Lauren McKenzie, senior agent at A Plus Insurance in South Carolina, says.

You may also be offered an insurance plan that provides additional protection when you book your rental. Some hosts even require it, and if that’s the case, you will have to buy it. However, if it’s not required and you have a home insurance policy with a solid liability coverage level, you can likely skip it.

Bear in mind, though, that intentional destruction is not covered. If your college student throws a party where things get out of hand and items are intentionally destroyed, they’re on the hook. And if they’re a minor, it's you that’s on that hook.

Does my insurance cover damage to a hotel room?

Your homeowners liability will extend to the hotel, but again, not for intentional damage. There’s a reason hotels take a credit card at check-in; they’ll happily charge that card if you leave damage behind.

“Damages covered off property may include damages to a hotel room…up to your selected liability limit. Each insurance provider has guidelines to follow, so check with your home insurance provider on specifics to ensure you would be covered in the event of any damages,” McKenzie says.

Spring break insurance need by destination: What you need based on where you're going

To quickly decide what kind of coverage you need, start with where you're planning to go. Here's a breakdown for common destinations.

Spring break insurance for travel to Mexico (including Cancun, Cabo and Puerto Vallarta)

If you're traveling to Mexico, you should buy:

• Mexican car insurance, if you are crossing by land or planning to rent a car in Mexico
• Travel health insurance in case you are injured or become seriously ill
• Travel insurance, if your trip is non-refundable

Spring break insurance for travel to Florida, Texas or California

If you're staying in the U.S. but traveling to a popular spring break destination like South Padre Island, San Diego or Fort Lauderdale in another state, you should consider:

• Travel insurance, if your trip is non-refundable and costly
• Rental car insurance if you plan to rent a car and don't have either your own policy or a policy with low limits
• Travel health insurance if your health plan limits coverage out of state or out-of-network

Spring break insurance for travel abroad (Europe, Asia, South America and other destinations)

If you're traveling overseas, the cost of something go wrong can be very high. Buy whatever additional insurance you can, including:

• Travel health insurance
• Medical evacuation insurance in case you need to be transported back home
• Travel insurance that includes trip cancellation and interruption coverage
• Rental car insurance if you plan to drive (U.S. car insurance will not apply)

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