Trip insurance
Wild Sheep
Just wondering what you guys have used for trip insurance for your hunts. I have used Ripcord and Global Rescue on other trips, but they won't insure trips over $30k. With $40k+ tied into a sheep hunt, I'd hate to have a medical or family issue come up before the hunt that would prevent me from going and then I'm out the price of the hunt. Any suggestions?
Travel Guard goes up to 150k
That’s an interesting take on it. I don’t see it working real well. Fist off the policies aren’t 30%. Second I’m guessing most outfitters on these big $ hunts need the hunt cost, not the premium you are paying if you back out. And third, and there is all kinds, but I just couldn’t trust most outfitters to pay me back the hunt cost if you break a leg a week out. These are all reasons it’s underwritten by a 3rd party insurance company.
For me, I hate insurance, I don’t buy any more than I absolutely have to. I have bought hunts that would be extremely painful to loose the $, but nothing that would bankrupt me or put me in a horrible place financially. If I can afford the hunt then I should be able to afford not going on it too. But obviously we all have different risk tolerances. My mom for example just bought trip insurance for our family to go to Europe this summer. All off us cost less than a sheep hunt, but she worries about stuff like that. I don’t....
—Jim
Whats travel guard run about per 10k insured?
Last time I had it on a big trip was 2015. Cost then was about $400 per each 10k. You'd really need to get a current quote though. I believe part of the cost is based on your home state, where exactly you're going, and how far in advance you buy the policy.
That’s not bad all thing considering, I am interested in reading a policy over. I think I will ask for a quote
Trip insurance is fine but most reputable outfitters would re-book you if it was a valid reason for delaying a year or so without additional fees....so in that case , it's not like you'd lose anything but time.
I would not bet on that or expect them to. What a reputable outfitter would do is be VERY CLEAR up front on the terms and conditions. To insinuate that someone would not be reputable if they would not allow a free re-book on a missed trip in a given year is probably a bit unfair. They have "X" number of slots a year to derive income from. It's their job and how they feed their family. Giving one of those slots away with no penalty would be a total gift and well beyond what anyone should have a right to expect.
Remember on the insurance you don't need to insure the total cost you can insure what you are uncomfortable with. Maybe the first deposit that is a couple years out. As things get closer in and other payments are being made there is less risk in a conflict and you may choose not to increase the coverage to cover that. At no point would you need to insure more money than you have outstanding anyway and that is normally not 100% of the hunt and if it is it is not 100% until just before the departure. Sometimes you may be fine self insuring a portion of the hunt, but don't want to be on the hook for the whole thing so just insure what you want.
I think everything is circumstantial. That said one thing that isn’t is that fact that insurance will use every loop hole they can on a policy to not pay out or pay out in reduced amount. I would probably have the policy looked over and dissected by an expert before agreeing to it. I agree that the first recourse should be with the outfitter always, there maybe a mutually agreeable Solution.
I went with travel guard for a brown bear hunt in May. It’s a decent policy. My outfitter recommended trip insurance ( not specific company). Last spring he had a hunter get sick on 2nd day of a 12 day hunt and had to go to hospital and miss his hunt
Thanks for the replies. I called and got quotes from both TravelGuard and RipCord. For those who are curious, here is the cost for me and my 15yo son (non-hunting companion).
TravelGuard $2,600 covers trip cost up to $55k, no medical evacuation.
RipCord $1,600 covers trip cost up to $30k only, but includes medical evacuation for both me and my son as well as: • Trip cancellation and interruption for unforeseen reasons listed on the policy • Up to $100,000 of primary medical expense coverage per person, emergency dental, baggage loss, and trip delay coverage • Medical evacuation and rescue services from point of injury or illness to a traveler’s home hospital of choice • 24-7 access to travel assistance services.
I think I am going to go with Ripcord, mainly for the medical evacuation coverage. Not cheap, but still not crazy expensive considering what it covers.
How important is it to have a good travel insurance during covid?
Curious could a cancellation due to Covid be covered?
Most standard policies cover only a prescribed list of losses, one of which is NOT a trip cancellation due to government travel bans. Some providers had been offering no-fault type policies that would theoretically cover it.....but not sure if they still offer those in this environment. But those policies are much more expensive and typically only cover a percentage of the loss.
Usually lots of fine print in these types of policies. I’ve considered them, but hate insurance, so I’ve never bought trip insurance.
I think that some of the policies have conditions based on when you buy the policy in relationship to the booking of the trip. If you buy the policy about the same time you book the trip the cost maybe lower or the available provisions maybe better.
Someone mentioned they could possibly handle the loss of expenses for a hunt. Something else to think about is what in case of a medical emergency. A lot of things could happen on a hunt, especially a mountain hunt. In the event of a medical evacuation, I don't think many of us would want to pay that bill. Just some food for thought.
Correct Lone Eagle. I buy an annual Global Rescue policy for accidents/Evacs but don’t worry about the trip cancellation/travel insurance stuff. I’ll take the hit on the latter, but would hate to eat a $150k evac. I pay about $325 per year for up to 45 days abroad at a time. Evac can also be purchased per trip for $130-$150. Everyone is different but I feel if I can afford to go on the hunt, I can afford to lose the hunt. But I don’t want to pay for an evac. My philosophy is risk what you can afford to lose. Insure everything else.
