Annual Travel Insurance

Annual travel insurance plans are ideal for travelers who are planning to take multiple trips throughout a 12-month period, and need basic travel insurance benefits. Most commonly, these policies include Emergency Medical and Medical Evacuation benefits. Annual policies provide long-term travel insurance coverage, but are not intended for one year-long trip. A multi-trip travel insurance policy can be less expensive than purchasing several single trip policies, especially for travelers who don’t need Trip Cancellation coverage. In addition to being less expensive, purchasing one annual, multi-trip travel insurance policy can be more convenient and efficient than purchasing several single trip policies throughout the year. Annual policies include Emergency Medical, Medical Evacuation and Travel Delay benefits. Some policies even include Trip Cancellation and Interruption coverage, however this is not the norm. Travelers who want to insure a high trip cost, or who want high medical coverage per trip, should consider single trip policies.

An annual policy is recommended for:

• Business or leisure travelers taking multiple short trips over the course of one year

• Frequent international travelers who need medical coverage while overseas

• Travelers who don’t need high Trip Cancellation coverage

An annual policy is not recommended for:

• Travelers who will only be traveling once or twice over the course of a year

• Travelers taking extended trips, lasting longer than 90 days

• Travelers who have specific Trip Cancellation concerns or want to insure a high trip cost

Annual policies are designed to provide long-term travel insurance benefits for travelers taking two or more trips throughout a 12-month time period. Rather than purchasing individual policies for each trip, travelers can purchase an annual plan and be covered for all trips taken within a year.

Most annual policies cover trips up to 30 days, while some more lenient policies will allow up to a 90-day trip length. In general, these plans are ideal for frequent travelers looking for medical coverage while abroad. Some policies will also include coverage for delays and cancellations, however they are primarily designed to offer medical benefits for frequent travelers.

Travelers who need to insure a high trip cost, have specific cancellation needs, or need medical benefits for an extended trip should not purchase an annual travel insurance policy. Travelers who do not meet the recommendations for an annual policy should consider a single trip policy. Single trip travel insurance policies can cover longer trips and provide travelers with comprehensive coverage that includes cancellation, medical, delay, and other important benefits.

Likewise, annual policies are not recommended for travelers taking a cruise, participating in adventure and hazardous sports, or traveling with a large group, as these situations are better covered by other travel insurance policy types.