BootsnAll Travel Community

Hi everybody, I just found some cheap travel insurance from Services for International Travel and Education (SITE). Fees are $395 US per year, and it seems to cover a lot:

1. Loss of Deposit or Cancellation
2. Personal Accident
3. Medical & Other Expenses
4. Personal Luggage, Money & Valuables
5. Travel Delay & Holiday Abandonment
6. Hijack
7. Personal Liability
8. Winter Sports & Winter Sports Equipment
9. Ski Hire
10. Ski Pack
11. Piste Closure
12. Delay due to Avalanche
13. Hazardous Sports

I'm a little suspicious of the low price. Anybody have any experience with them? Their website is here.

There is a link on that page to the full policy.
I've read the policy, and it looks pretty good, but if anybody else with some travel insurance experience wants to look it over and give their opinion, it would be greatly appreciated.

I have some friends who used SITE while studying abroad, but everyone was pretty healthy so the only claims were visits to the doctor. We have a bunch on travel insurance info on this site: Travel Insurance. That may be able to answer some of your questions, and then you can compare rates.
Court

I don't have time to read all the details at their site at the moment, but does it cover evacuation? I don't see that listed.

Hopefully it is something you will never need, but if you do it will cost thousands and thousands of dollars.

They pay for "the cost of repatriation to Your Home Country (or final country of destination if a one way Trip), by whatever means deemed medically necessary."

I believe this is the same as emergency evacuation, no?

hi rawr, hope you still can wangle a leave somehow -- it will be good for your soul. I'm wondering if you got any more feedback from users of SITE/travellerspoint, for health/travel insurance. Compared to other offerers, the brate does seem suspiciously cheap. Bert, aka ancient mariner.

we also have a new backpacker policy as well that you may find comprable... new insurance

any updates on this? Im seriously contemplating signing for one year coverage with them..it seems legit and what i need...

IM SCARED? why? cause everything is too good to be true.

Does anyone have any experience with the IMG Patriot International plan?

Also, are there any travel insurance providers who will pay medical costs directly (rather than the insured being required to meet the costs initially and filing a claim post-treatment)?

Thanks for any help.

Hey Winston-
I don't know of any international insurance that pays up front...I think it is too complicated still.
Court

Thanks. An Italian international playboy I met in BKK apparently had such an insurance policy, but I wouldn't be shocked if none are available to US travelers.

Just thought I'd provide an update. I ended up going with SITE, and I've fortunately only had to submit expenses to them once. I had some x-rays done in Hong Kong, and the total bill was $100 US. I submitted the receipts, and my mom said I received a cheque back home for about $50 US... exactly as expected, as the policy has an excess (or deductible) of $50. I think this is pretty standard for most insurance policies. I've been to a few other doctors along the way for minor problems, but the fees have been so small (ranging from free to $10), that it's not worth submitting. Drugs are also cheap in most countries, and you can buy them without a prescription.

But it's good to know that the insurance is there for the bigger things. (knock on wood)

-Ian
RAWR!ca

I just went to the SITE website to check it out, because I need good cheap insurance. But they are currently not insuring private travelers. Darn