Answers
What is travel protection?
Travel protection is a combination of travel insurance and 24-hour emergency assistance
services designed to give you peace of mind when you travel. Whether you are traveling
in the U.S. or abroad, you can have peace of mind knowing that you have travel protection
through Access America. We offer a variety of products to meet all types of travel
needs.
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Why do I need travel protection?
You need travel protection because it lets you travel with a strong sense of security.
Travel protection insures your financial investment (up to the amount of your policy
limits) should your trip be cancelled or interrupted for a covered reason, and it
guards your health in case of medical emergencies. Here are a few of the benefits
you'll enjoy:
- Reimbursement of the non-refunded portion of your travel investment if your trip
is cancelled or interrupted for a covered reason
- 24-hour access to emergency medical referrals and assistance
- Reimbursement for unexpected travel expenses
- Protection in case of medical emergencies
- Arrangement of and payment for Emergency medical transportation
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What does travel protection cover?
The insurance component of travel protection assures that you'll be reimbursed for
non-refundable financial expenses associated with a cancelled or interrupted trip,
lost baggage, or medical emergencies (Exclusions may apply, depending upon the policy
you purchase).
For information about how travel protection works, select one of the following links.
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When is the best time to purchase travel protection
in order to be covered?
You can buy travel protection up until the day before you leave on your trip. If
you want coverage for pre-existing conditions, and/or supplier default, make sure
you buy travel protection within 7 or 14 days, depending on the program you purchase,
of paying your initial deposit for the trip (and for the pre-existing conditions
waiver, if your trip costs less than $10,000 per person).
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Won't my credit card, homeowner's policy, or medical
insurance give me the coverage I need when I'm traveling?
Not necessarily. You should check these policies before you travel to assess just
how you would be covered in case you have an emergency.
Credit cards and homeowner's policies. Many credit cards and homeowner's
policies don't cover everything you need to protect, including some types of emergencies
and trip cancellation/interruption. If they do provide coverage, it's often limited,
depending on the type of card you use or the coverage you have with your homeowner's
policy.
Health insurance. Most health insurance plans don't provide direct payment
to foreign hospitals. They may also have deductibles and won't cover the cost of
emergency medical transportation.
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What will the 24-hour hotline service do for me?
Access America's 24-hour hotline is staffed with multilingual specialists who can
help you with all types of situations from anywhere in the world, from reporting
lost baggage to getting emergency medical treatment. They can also help you replace
passports, refer you to legal assistance, secure cash in case of emergency and guarantee
payment to gain admission into a hospital.
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If I cancel my trip, do I get all of my money back?
No.
Trip cancellation coverage refunds prepaid, nonrefundable payments if you
have to cancel your trip for one of the reasons covered by your policy. Covered
reasons include the following: sudden medical emergencies, financial default of a covered airline, cruise line or tour operator, bad
weather, terrorist incidents, and jury duty. Changing your mind about taking a trip
or having certain business obligations are not covered. If you cancel your trip
for a covered reason, you must notify your travel supplier(s) within 72 hours of
the occurrence, otherwise the right to compensation will lapse.
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What is included under non-refundable costs?
Non-refundable costs include the total sum of all of your trip payments that would
be forfeited due to cancellation prior to trip departure. Some examples include
cruise, tour and airline ticket costs. Be sure to consult your travel coordinator
to determine what costs are non-refundable for your particular trip as cancellation
policies vary. Examples:
- Cruise - If a cruise costs $3,000 and the cruise policy is 50% loss at 90 days out,
75% loss at 45 days out and 100% loss up to 7 days within departure, you would need
to insure for the full $3,000 since you would be out the full amount in the event
you cancelled within the week before departure.
- Airline - If an airline ticket costs $700, and the ticket is 100% non-refundable
at the time of purchase, you would need to insure for the full $700 in order to
qualify for the pre-existing conditions waiver (other requirements still apply).
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Are there events or medical conditions that aren't
covered?
Every travel protection plan contains restrictions and limitations. For information
about what your coverage includes, select one of the following links. You can also
contact us if you have questions
about your coverage.
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Will I have to pay any deductibles?
There is no deductible on our most popular plans, Classic and Deluxe. Other policies
we sell may have a $50.00 deductible for Medical and Dental. Please refer to your
letter of confirmation to determine if you have a deductible. You may also have
deductibles through your primary insurance in cases in which we are the secondary
insurer.
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Who provides the insurance for these programs?
The insurance coverage you get when you purchase travel protection from Access America
is provided under Form No. 52.401 or 52.201 issued by BCS Insurance Company or Form
No. 101-C-XX-01 or 101-P-XX-01 issued by Jefferson Insurance Company. BCS Insurance
Company is rated "A-"(Excellent), and Jefferson Insurance Company is rated "A" (Excellent)
by A.M. Best Co. Your insurance comes with certain limitations and exclusions.
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Do you have a glossary of travel insurance terms
to help me understand my coverage?
You can contact us if you have specific
questions about your coverage.
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Questions about the Existing Medical Condition Coverage
What is an existing medical condition?
An existing medical condition is an illness or injury that you, a traveling companion
or family member were seeking or receiving treatment for or had symptoms of on the
day you purchased your plan, or at any time in the 120 days before you purchased
it. Please also note that you may still be covered for losses caused by reasons
other than those related to an existing medical condition. See the Certificate of
Insurance / Policy for details.
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What is the existing medical conditions exclusion?
The program does not cover losses or expenses if they result from an illness or
injury that you, a traveling companion or family member were seeking or receiving
treatment for or had symptoms of on the day you purchased your plan, or at any time
in the 120 days before you purchased it.
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If I have an existing medical condition, can
I still purchase insurance?
Yes. On select products, we offer existing medical condition coverage. In order
to have the existing medical condition covered, you must meet the following criteria:
- you must purchase your plan within 14 days of making your first trip payment or
first trip deposit.
- you must purchase trip cancellation coverage that covers the full cost of all your
non-refundable trip arrangements.
- you must be a U.S. resident and be medically able to travel on the day you purchase
the plan, and.
- the total cost of your trip is $50,000 or less. ($50,000 is for Deluxe only. The
amount should correspond to what is currently listed for each product)
Please also note that you may still be covered for losses caused by other reasons
other than those related to an existing medical condition. See the Certificate of
Insurance / Policy for details.
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What does Medically Able mean?
Medically Able means that, at the time of purchase of insurance, you had no illness
or injury ( of which a prudent person would reasonably know or be aware) that would
prevent or substantially interfere with your ability to travel. Some factors to
consider when determining if your condition prevents or substantially interferes
with your ability to travel, include: 1) whether you recently had a significant
change in medication, 2) whether you require medical assistance or ongoing treatment,
or 3) whether you have a medical procedure scheduled in the period between your
trip purchase and planned departure dates (for which continuing side effects are
known or likely to occur).
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What is included under non-refundable costs?
Non-refundable costs include the total sum of all of your trip payments that would
be forfeited due to cancellation prior to trip departure. Some examples include
cruise, tour and airline ticket costs. Be sure to consult your travel coordinator
to determine what costs are non-refundable for your particular trip as cancellation
policies vary. Examples:
- Cruise - If a cruise costs $3,000 and the cruise policy is 50% loss at 90 days out,
75% loss at 45 days out and 100% loss up to 7 days within departure, you would need
to insure for the full $3,000 since you would be out the full amount in the event
you cancelled within the week before departure.
- Airline - If an airline ticket costs $700, and the ticket is 100% non-refundable
at the time of purchase, you would need to insure for the full $700 in order to
qualify for the pre-existing conditions waiver (other requirements still apply).
Return to Existing Medical Condition Coverage
Return to Questions
Customer questions about Covered Suppliers
The following question-and-answer section provides you with information about our
policies concerning coverage in case of a supplier default. We've tried to cover
most of the questions you might have. If you have other questions for us about travel
suppliers, you can call us toll free at 1-866-807-3982, 24 hours a day, seven days
a week. You can also email your questions
to us. We're happy to help you.
What is the Covered Supplier List?
The Covered Supplier List is a list of airlines, cruise lines and tour operators that are "Covered Suppliers" when determining eligibility for Financial Default coverage as defined in Access America travel insurance policies and certificates.
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What is supplier default?
Supplier default refers to financial default as it is defined in our insurance policies and certificates: "A complete cessation of operations because of financial circumstances, with or without filing for bankruptcy protection".
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How will this insurance help me if my travel supplier defaults?
Subject to your plan's terms and conditions, you are covered for the specified amount of Trip Cancellation/Interruption you purchased in the event a Covered Supplier financially defaults. Coverage applies to non-refundable payments and deposits you made before your trip was canceled, less any published refunds you're entitled to receive.
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How do I determine if I have supplier financial default coverage?
Please review your plan's terms and conditions. Generally, you are covered for the specified amount of Trip Cancellation/Interruption purchased in the event a covered supplier financially defaults as long as all the conditions listed below are met:
- You purchased a plan with Trip Cancellation/Interruption coverage within 14 days of paying your initial trip deposit.
- The financial default occurs more than seven days after the Policy effective date.
- The financial default results in a complete cessation of services of named supplier on the "Covered Supplier List" at the time your policy was purchased.
- You did not purchase your insurance from the defaulting airline, cruise line, tour operator or their affiliates.
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Where can I find the "most current" list of covered suppliers?
Current lists of Covered Suppliers are posted here and must be on the list as of your policy purchase date.
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My supplier's name is very similar to one on your list - is my travel supplier covered for default?
There are many travel suppliers, so it is possible that similar or duplicate names exist for travel suppliers. If you have any question about whether your selected travel supplier is on the list, please send an email to coveredsupplier@accessamerica.com or call customer service at 1-800-334-7525 with your supplier's name and location. With this information, our associates will be able to verify whether your supplier is included on the list.
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My policy doesn't mention supplier financial default coverage - am I covered?
Some of our policies or certificates do not cover supplier financial default. For those that do, the coverage is listed in "Trip Cancellation and Trip Interruption" section. Our policies are named-peril policies which means that your insurance policy covers only losses which result from causes that are explicitly listed in the policy you purchased.
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What happens if my travel supplier is not on the Covered Supplier List?
In cases where your travel supplier is not on the Covered Supplier List, you are not covered for losses caused by financial default, but you are still covered for losses caused by other named perils as listed in your Letter of Confirmation and described in the Certificate of Insurance/Policy.
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Would you add my travel supplier to the Covered Supplier List?
The request must come via email from the supplier who will be added to the list. Please ask your supplier to request an application form at
coveredsupplier@accessamerica.com mailbox. After they return a completed form, we will process the information provided and determine if their company meets our underwriting guidelines. Supplier "financial default" coverage is only available for suppliers who are listed in the Covered Supplier List on the day the policy is purchased. Default coverage does not apply if you purchased your insurance from the defaulting supplier.
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How long does it take to add a supplier to the Covered Supplier List?
Once a completed application form is received by Mondial Assistance, it may take up to 10 business days to process the request and add the new supplier to our Covered Supplier List. (Please note: You have 14 days after making your initial trip deposit to meet the policy purchase conditions.)
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How frequently does the Covered Supplier List change?
The list is generally updated on a weekly basis, but may also be updated whenever needed.
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How do I file a claim for supplier financial default?
Filing a claim for Supplier Default is like completing any other claim. Just visit www.accessamerica.com/claims, fill out a claim form, include proof of payment, documentation regarding the "default" and refund information (if applicable).
Go online to:
1. Find out what forms and documentation you need
2. Download a claims form and mail it in
3. File a claim electronically and track its progress
Claims inquiries:
1. Website: www.accessamerica.com/claims
2. Email: claimsinquire@accessamerica.com
3. Telephone: 1-800-334-7525
Return to Customer questions about Covered Suppliers
What happens if my travel supplier was on the list when I purchased the policy, but now I don't see them on the list?
Suppliers on the Covered Supplier List are updated regularly so the list may be different from when you purchased your policy. As long as you have met the conditions for supplier default coverage as defined in your policy, you are still eligible to receive any applicable benefits.
- You purchased a plan with Trip Cancellation/Interruption coverage within 14 days of paying your initial trip deposit.
- The Financial Default occurs more than seven days after the Policy effective date.
- The Financial Default results in a complete cessation of services of named supplier on the "Covered Supplier List" at the time you purchased your policy.
- You did not purchase your insurance from the defaulting airline, cruise line, tour operator or their affiliates.
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How can I get a copy of the Covered Supplier List that was in effect when I bought my policy?
Please contact Access America for a duplicate copy of the list. Archived lists are not available on the Access America websites.
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What happens if only one of the travel suppliers I am using for my vacation defaults (e.g. cruise +tour) or (tour+air)? Can/will I receive a reimbursement for that part of my trip?
Yes, subject to the terms and conditions of your policy.
Return to Customer questions about Covered Suppliers