Travel insurance is not just for those off-the-beaten-path destinations or people over 65. Instead, it is essential for anyone who travels. Yet figuring out how to demystify all the different options can be daunting. That is why I went right to the source. Read this Q&A with Christina Tunnah, General Manager of the Americas for World Nomads, a global leader in travel insurance and inspiration. 

As a travel writer who travels for a living and fun, it is a bit ironic that I am writing this story but I am embarrassed to admit that I made a serious mistake last month by not purchasing travel insurance. I was in the habit of purchasing insurance with every trip before the pandemic but then I had fallen out of the habit of buying it, thinking that I would not need it. How wrong I was!

It wasn’t swimming in a bat cave, going down the Teribe River on a homemade bamboo raft, or hiking and swimming in a waterfall that caused me to seriously injure my ankle and foot. Nope. It was searching to capture on film the elusive red-tailed white bird at Bird Island on a snorkeling boat, forgetting I was wet from swimming and falling and crashing hard on my foot.

Entering the Bat Cave on Isla Bastimentos in Bocas del Toro islands, Panama

I made the mistake of walking on the swollen ankle and purple foot throughout the conference not wanting to miss a thing and believing I’d just get it checked out when I got home. I had sprained it many times before and even broke it. I thought I knew what to do. Worse, I admit to not having trip insurance (my bad). Although I have health care, paying for those X-rays and services at urgent care would have been pricey. So I decided to delay seeking medical attention and wait until I got home to the States a week later.

When I got home, I went to urgent care on a Sunday and was seen by a Physician’s Assistant (not a Doctor as there were none on call) who misdiagnosed my injury and put me in the wrong boot. Now, two weeks later, I am fitted in another much larger (up to knee) boot and awaiting results from an upcoming MRI. I have an inflamed tendon due to wearing the wrong boot and not receiving proper care from an orthopedic doctor specializing in the ankle and foot. A costly mistake.

Where the accident happened….

So lesson learned. Get trip insurance. Don’t mess with an injury or wait to seek care.

What perhaps is even more ironic about this situation is that I was at an Adventure Travel conference and on one of the last days of the event I met Christina Tunnah, General Manager of the Americas for World Nomads, one of the global leaders in travel insurance. I realized that I there was a lot I wish I had known about travel insurance and perhaps you do too!  So I did a short Q & A with Christina to help demystify the facts. I hope you find it helpful.

Standing tall at the incredible Kiki Waterfall, Chiriqui province, Panama

Q&A with Christina Tunnah, World Nomads

Why should travelers always purchase travel insurance before going on a trip?

Travel insurance provides protection by covering unexpected events that can disrupt your trip – these can include expenses related to medical emergencies, trip cancellations, lost or delayed baggage, flight delays and more. You can think of travel insurance as providing coverage for three main buckets: your trip investment, your health and your stuff.

The #1 way to protect your travel plans and your investment is by purchasing a travel insurance plan that fits your needs. Travel insurance may help you recoup money for unexpected events and inconveniences like being stuck on the tarmac, a trip delay, medical emergencies, lost bags, and more. Travel insurance can’t necessarily prevent stressful things from happening to you, but it may be able to ease the financial and logistical blow.

How can travel insurance help you while traveling?

Many travel insurance companies have an emergency helpline; the emergency assistance team also could be a lifeline to you during a very turbulent time. World Nomads has a 24/7 Emergency Assistance team available to our travelers, with translators available in dozens of languages. If you need to communicate to a medical team or police department in a foreign country, the translation services could be very helpful. The team also has a vast network of medical providers across the globe; should you need medical care overseas, they may be able to refer you to a place that will be best for your particular situation.

What should travelers look for when comparing travel insurance plans?

Travel insurance provides crucial protection by covering unexpected events that can disrupt your trip – these can include expenses related to medical emergencies, trip cancellations, lost or delayed baggage, flight delays and more. You can think of travel insurance as providing coverage for three main buckets: your trip investment, your health and your stuff.

The first thing shoppers should know when considering travel insurance is that there is no such thing as a “standard” insurance plan for travelers that can be compared across different providers.  The traveler must understand the benefits and limits of a plan to be sure the coverage and the terms of inclusion and exclusions are a fit for their situation and needs. Be aware that waiting periods can apply for certain coverages. There is no one-size-fits-all travel insurance plan, so customers need to choose an insurer and a plan that is right for them and their travel situation.

What are the different service options?

World Nomads has four different levels of service: The Standard, the Explorer, the Epic and the Annual Plan. Please see this link for a description of each service level and how to compare them. For a more in-depth explanation check this link out.

What is the new annual travel policy plan?

The Annual Plan allows you to purchase travel insurance once for the year and be covered on almost all the trips you take that are over 100 miles from your home – even those that are here in the US. The maximum trip length is 45 days. If you know you’ll be traveling a lot and have multiple trips planned throughout the year, this may be one to look at closely when you’re doing your travel insurance plan comparison.  To learn more about what it includes, click here.

Why choose World Nomads?

World Nomads covers more than 250 activities – everything from skiing to scuba diving, to the more extreme sports like jetpacking, deep water soloing, hiking to high elevations, and more. Some activities will require you to purchase a higher-tier plan, like the Explorer or Epic (limitations and exclusions may apply). With World Nomads, you can explore the globe knowing you have a backup plan in case something unexpected and out of your control happens. World Nomads has a 24/7 emergency assistance team that is just a phone call away and available to guide you through your travel snafu. The team has likely dealt with the situation you are facing and also has translators available in dozens of languages to help wherever you are in the world.

Any success stories you’d like to share with us?

One recent story I particularly like is this one. Bottom line, you never know when you will need travel insurance!

Author’s note: There are many travel insurance providers available.  Do your homework and find the company and plan that is best for you.