# CSA Travel Insurance



## horseman (Oct 5, 2012)

It appears that travel insurance plan has changed ... again. In 2011, I bought $1000 of coverage for 13 months for $65... a no brainer. 

This expired  in August 2012, so last week I went to purchase another policy for my upcoming trips to Aruba(Nov) and Phoenix(May) and found that the price went up to $99 for 13 months of coverage. 

Now, checking again this morning, I see that they have changed the program to apply on a per trip basis  and they are charging $69  for $725 of coverage. In order to get Trip Cancellation or Interruption  its $174 for $725 of coverage for 1 trip. ( formerly $180 for $1000 coverage for however many trips you take  in 13 months).

The new rates are $9.50 per $100 of coverage for the $69 coverage and $24 per $100  of coverage  for the $174 coverage . Thats pretty hefty for insurance rates and a steep increase for those of us  who take multiple trips per year. 

Does anyone have any other options out there. Is the II plan better? 

Thanks


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## horseman (Oct 5, 2012)

...And here's the email I received from MVC 

It's never been easier to make sure your next vacation is protected 
You asked, and we listened. We now offer travel protection plans that better fit your needs. Your new travel protection plan provides the peace of mind you desire, including coverage for Emergency Assistance such as medical transportation, Rental Car Damage, Trip Cancellation, Trip Interruption and more. But now the program is much simpler: 
*Each protection plan is now specific to one trip — from start to finish. *From the moment you leave home for vacation until the moment you arrive back at your doorstep, you'll have access to insurance coverage and 24-hour assistance. 
If you must cancel your vacation due to a covered event, Trip Cancellation Coverage can provide reimbursement for your Maintenance and Exchange Fees.*
Best of all, these newly enhanced travel protection plans start at just $69 or 250 Vacation Club Points!

"You asked, and we listened" Really? I dont recall asking for to pay more money for less coverage. Did any of you?

I guess there is a benefit to some people in that the minimum purchase is now $69 vs. $99. But last year the minumum purchase was $65 and covered 13 months. Maybe they thought we weren't paying attention.


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## jimf41 (Oct 5, 2012)

I don't really understand the part about,

$69/250 Vacation Club Points for up to $725 in coverage.
$99/350 Vacation Club Points for up to $1,500 in coverage.
$199/650 Vacation Club Points for up to $3,000 in coverage.". 

What exactly does that mean? All the items covered in the policy have specified payout amounts that have no relation to the above figures.


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## horseman (Oct 5, 2012)

jimf41 said:


> I don't really understand the part about,
> 
> $69/250 Vacation Club Points for up to $725 in coverage.
> $99/350 Vacation Club Points for up to $1,500 in coverage.
> ...



I didn't get that at first either, but I think that is the maximum  amount of maintenance/exchange fees they will pay . The other coverages are for the higher amounts listed. 

The line in the chart under the coverages and premiums you listed above says *"Maintenance¹ and Exchange Fee Insured. Up to amount insured."*. So that's refering to the $725,$1500 or $3000 limit


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## dioxide45 (Oct 5, 2012)

horseman said:


> ...And here's the email I received from MVC
> 
> It's never been easier to make sure your next vacation is protected
> You asked, and we listened. We now offer travel protection plans that better fit your needs. Your new travel protection plan provides the peace of mind you desire, including coverage for Emergency Assistance such as medical transportation, Rental Car Damage, Trip Cancellation, Trip Interruption and more. But now the program is much simpler:
> ...



While we never bought the plans in the past (we intended to buy one later this year), the annual plans were actually very cheap compared to buying for individual trip plans. My bet is that they were not making a lot, if any, money on the plans. This is a rather disappointing "enhancement" for many here.


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## dougp26364 (Oct 5, 2012)

dioxide45 said:


> While we never bought the plans in the past (we intended to buy one later this year), the annual plans were actually very cheap compared to buying for individual trip plans. My bet is that they were not making a lot, if any, money on the plans. This is a rather disappointing "enhancement" for many here.



That was my thought as well. They want you to buy on a per trip basis instead of once to cover all your trips for a year. Last year we paid for the coverage since, in all likelyhood, we'd only need to buy it once. It's been rare we've cancelled a trip for a covered reason and I figured the chances of needing it twice would be slim and none. 

Now, with this "enhancement" it appears we'd need to buy covered for specific vacations. In our case, we'd need to buy upwards of four plans. That increases our cost from $99 to a minimum of $280. For that price they can keep their coverage. It would take only three years of not paying for the insurace to cover one canceled vacation, assuming that cancelation woud be covered. We've been taking regular vacations since 1998, lately upwards of 6 full week vacations/year with a couple of short trips tossed in. To date, we've had only ONE vacation cancellation that would have been covered by insurance and, we actually had that vacation insured (it was a cruise, not a timeshare vacation). Of the timeshare vacations we've cancelled, one we retained value by canceling the reservation and depositing the week with I.I., all others would have been for non-covered reasons, like that last one where we stayed home with our sick dog. My bet is they wouldn't consider cancelling a vacation to stay home and take care of a sick dog as a covered reason.

My bet is there are a lot more single week owners out there and this change won't make a big difference. They might even see an increase in owners buying coverage. For multiple week owners, especially those like us who own lock-out units and take multiple trips per year, this is just a bad "enhancement" all the way around.


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## TravlinDuo (Oct 5, 2012)

I plan to call CSA sometime next week, as I am interpreting the coverage and fees a little differently than others who have posted.   We’ve purchased CSA insurance for the last 3-4 years.  Last year's cost to cover ALL weeks associated with our units (including any lock-offs) was $175 and the TOTAL COMBINED reimbursable maintenance fees was capped at $4,000.

Benefits amounts are the same; however the fee structure has changed.   What I am interpreting with the “enhancement” is that the:

$174/yearly fee will cover Unused Maintenance Fee; Exchange Fee associated with your ownership weeks and/or Vacation Club Points Cancellation for a maximum of $725 in reimbursable maintenance fees for each trip

$204/yearly fee will cover Unused Maintenance Fee; Exchange Fee associated with your ownership weeks and/or Vacation Club Points Cancellation for a maximum of $1,500 in reimbursable maintenance fees for each trip

$304/yearly fee will cover Unused Maintenance Fee; Exchange Fee associated with your ownership weeks and/or Vacation Club Points Cancellation for a maximum of $3,000 in reimbursable maintenance fees for each trip


I also plan to reconfirm that whoever travels with us would continue to be covered, should we renew our policy.  Getaway trips have never been covered under the CSA policies we purchased.


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## BocaBoy (Oct 5, 2012)

dioxide45 said:


> While we never bought the plans in the past (we intended to buy one later this year), the annual plans were actually very cheap compared to buying for individual trip plans. My bet is that they were not making a lot, if any, money on the plans. This is a rather disappointing "enhancement" for many here.


We have always bought these plans, but they were so outstanding that I am sure the insurance company lost money on them.  They certainly lost money on us, as we had two snow-related trip delay/interruption claims 18-24 months ago.  We collected multiples of what we paid in premiums.  

The new coverages seem ordinary.  It is unlikely we would ever be interested in a per trip policy for anything other than a cruise or a foreign trip.


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## pwrshift (Oct 5, 2012)

Looks like they took lessons from Marriott about BS 'enhancements'.  Bait and switch?  Get 'em to join at low levels and then enhance the deal to their advantage.  iI's plan looks good again.

Brian



horseman said:


> ...And here's the email I received from MVC
> 
> It's never been easier to make sure your next vacation is protected
> You asked, and we listened. We now offer travel protection plans that better fit your needs. Your new travel protection plan provides the peace of mind you desire, including coverage for Emergency Assistance such as medical transportation, Rental Car Damage, Trip Cancellation, Trip Interruption and more. But now the program is much simpler:
> ...


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## m61376 (Oct 5, 2012)

Very disappointing- it was nice to buy one policy for the year, and it was a great value before.

Having the emergency med. insurance is a nice benefit, since you never know if something is going to happen and those costs can be huge. 

I hope people will post back as they explore other options.


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## Kagehitokiri2 (Oct 5, 2012)

m61376 said:


> Having the emergency med. insurance is a nice benefit, since you never know if something is going to happen and those costs can be huge.



if its evac, you can get that as annual from medjetassist


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## JimC (Oct 6, 2012)

For anyone traveling outside the US, the included medical benefits in the plans may be well worth the cost.  Most health plans I have seen exclude coverage outside the US and none include extended medical transport.  

Try www.InsureMyTrip.com for a selection of travel policies.


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## m61376 (Oct 6, 2012)

Kagehitokiri2 said:


> if its evac, you can get that as annual from medjetassist



I think the CSA prices are less, and there is a 75 age limit on Medjetassist (and for those who invite elderly family members or who fall into that age category themselves, that's an issue; Medjetassist does have a more exp. plan for 75-85 year olds).


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## Bunk (Oct 6, 2012)

I see that Medjetassist covers the cost of medical evacuation/transportation.  But it doesn't cover the cost of medical treatment

Do most health insurance plans cover the cost of emergency room/hospital  treatment if there is a medical emergency while traveling internationally.  I assume that they would all cover the cost of emergency room/hospital  treatment if traveling within the US.


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## DCBoy (Oct 6, 2012)

I renewed my CSA policy under the old terms on 9/11/12. The cost was a bit higher though. Is it possible that you can still get the year long policy if you ask?


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## dioxide45 (Oct 6, 2012)

TravlinDuo said:


> I plan to call CSA sometime next week, as I am interpreting the coverage and fees a little differently than others who have posted.   We’ve purchased CSA insurance for the last 3-4 years.  Last year's cost to cover ALL weeks associated with our units (including any lock-offs) was $175 and the TOTAL COMBINED reimbursable maintenance fees was capped at $4,000.
> 
> Benefits amounts are the same; however the fee structure has changed.   What I am interpreting with the “enhancement” is that the:
> 
> ...



I suppose it is still coverage of all use of ownership weeks and not necessarily buying per trip. Here is what is seen when you click through the Buy Now link.



> ProtectME - Covers up to $725
> in Maintenance and Exchange Fees.
> (Typically up to 1,500 Points
> or partial week/lock off usage***.)
> ...



The ProtectME Plus plans cover $5000 additional for additional arrangements for Cancellation or Interruption. The Plus option costs $105 more on top of the base plans.

One should definitely use the 10 day cancellation period to study the plan.


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## tschwa2 (Oct 6, 2012)

*Vacation Guard*

I don't have any experience with them but when I was pricing plans I also saw VacationGuard. When I priced out the timeshare option it came to $99.00 plus tax for 12 months of coverage.



> Timeshare
> BenefitCoverage
> Trip CancellationUp to $5,000 per plan term
> Trip InterruptionUp to $5,000 per plan term
> ...


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## m61376 (Oct 6, 2012)

Dioxide- that's what I thought too- but if you click on enroll, the enrollment screen wants the date of travel.

DCBoy- what plan and what cost did you have/pay? It is an interesting possibility if they will allow plan renewals.


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## DCBoy (Oct 6, 2012)

My plan runs from 9/12/12 to 10/8/13 and has a maintenance fee cap of $4K. The cost was $229.00


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## m61376 (Oct 6, 2012)

DCBoy said:


> My plan runs from 9/12/12 to 10/8/13 and has a maintenance fee cap of $4K. The cost was $229.00


Sounds like the plan they had last year for $215- hopefully they land up being available.


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## m61376 (Oct 6, 2012)

tschwa2 said:


> I don't have any experience with them but when I was pricing plans I also saw VacationGuard. When I priced out the timeshare option it came to $99.00 plus tax for 12 months of coverage.



Not available to residents of NY, fyi


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## dioxide45 (Oct 6, 2012)

tschwa2 said:


> I don't have any experience with them but when I was pricing plans I also saw VacationGuard. When I priced out the timeshare option it came to $99.00 plus tax for 12 months of coverage.



I had looked at this in the past based on posts on TUG, but never bought the plan. This looks like it may be what we go with for next year in the absence of the 13 month plan with CSA/MVCI. In fact, it seems much cheaper than the prior 13 month plan with CSA.


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## pwrshift (Oct 9, 2012)

My current CSA expires sometime early in 2013 but I think I'll sign in with VacationGuard instead due to CSA getting greedy.  Thanks for the heads up on it.  


Brian


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## budnj (Oct 10, 2012)

Be aware that Vacationguard excludes Getaways...

https://www.vacationguard.com/learn more/faqtimeshare.aspx


10. What about “Bonus time”, “Get-away’s”, and other cash based trips?
This plan applies only to trips where your annual Timeshare usage by points or dues is allocated and used for that trip. Discount trips that you can access via your membership, yet pay for with cash, like Bonus Time, Get-aways, and other cash based trips are not covered. You can affordably cover them with our Leisure Plan. Click here to Get a Quote.


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## dioxide45 (Oct 10, 2012)

budnj said:


> Be aware that Vacationguard excludes Getaways...
> 
> https://www.vacationguard.com/learn more/faqtimeshare.aspx
> 
> ...



According to TravlinDuo, the CSA/MVCI plan didn't cover getaways either. From my discussions with the MVCI reps, they weren't covered either, but cash based stays booked with MVCI Owner Services were covered.


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## TravlinDuo (Oct 24, 2012)

*CSA Trip Insurance - Changes in coverage*

I finally had time this morning to call CSA.   The new pricing structure is what I would call outrageous.  Our policy for 13 months of coverage for all timeshare related trips which cost a total of $175 is no longer available.  The insurance is now issued on a trip-by-trip basis.  Out of curiosity, I wanted to find out how much it would cost to cover a spring 2013 timeshare trip for the same benefit levels as our previous policy.  A whopping $204 for the ONE trip.  I politely said thanks, but no thanks.  So, I will now be researching benefit coverage and pricing from VacationGuard, TravelGuard, and insuremytrip.com.


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## m61376 (Oct 24, 2012)

TravlinDuo said:


> I finally had time this morning to call CSA.   The new pricing structure is what I would call outrageous.  Our policy for 13 months of coverage for all timeshare related trips which cost a total of $175 is no longer available.  The insurance is now issued on a trip-by-trip basis.  Out of curiosity, I wanted to find out how much it would cost to cover a spring 2013 timeshare trip for the same benefit levels as our previous policy.  A whopping $204 for the ONE trip.  I politely said thanks, but no thanks.  So, I will now be researching benefit coverage and pricing from VacationGuard, TravelGuard, and insuremytrip.com.



Share your research when you're done- thanks!


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## horseman (Oct 24, 2012)

Do I correctly understand that these policies are on a per traveler basis? So you have to buy multiple policies for the same trip? 

The CSA certificate wording only indictes 1 person is covered. 

The Vacation Guard on-line quote system does not allow to get a quote for more than one traveler. 

I did an on-line chat with a MVC rep yesterday and they said up to 10 travelers are covered, but I havent been able to verify this.


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## amisco (Oct 24, 2012)

*Just Bought Vacation Guard for coverage beginning March 2013*

Thanks everyone for your input on this issue.... Here is a perfect example where TUG membership pays...   My CSA policy expires in March 2013 ...was very disappointed in the new CSA offering.  Glad to find coverage which will cover all of the timeshare ownerships (I own both Marriott and Hilton weeks) ..the old CSA plan only covered Marriott weeks...so the VacationGuard plan covers all owned membership weeks....a definite improvement.  

Thanks to everyone on this!!!


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## dioxide45 (Oct 24, 2012)

horseman said:


> Do I correctly understand that these policies are on a per traveler basis? So you have to buy multiple policies for the same trip?
> 
> The CSA certificate wording only indictes 1 person is covered.
> 
> ...



My understanding is that the Vacation Guard insurance only covers up to the plan maximums. I don't think the limits are per person. So for $1000 for trip interruption is for all people on the trip, not per person. Same for $10,000 medical. Perhaps someone who has bought this and reviewed the documentation can actually confirm.


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## pwrshift (Dec 28, 2012)

*Anything new on Timeshare Travel Insurance??*

I'm curious to know what Marriott Tuggers have done since the last post regarding travel insurance.

I called CSA today about renewal and was told that the fee is now $199 per trip for the same coverage that I had for $175 when it covered the whole year.  That seems to be what others here have found.

After asking her why such an increase, *she said that Marriott claims were so excessive they had no choice* but to change the plan to per trip and not annually.  

My current CSA plan expires Jan 13...and do want insurance for my FL trip, but stumbling over what I call an excessive increase.  I told her that if her car insurance doubled in a year, that she'd also be looking elsewhere but she couldn't comment as our conversation was being taped.  

Brian


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## FractionalTraveler (Dec 28, 2012)

pwrshift said:


> I'm curious to know what Marriott Tuggers have done since the last post regarding travel insurance.
> 
> I called CSA today about renewal and was told that the fee is now $199 per trip for the same coverage that I had for $175 when it covered the whole year.  That seems to be what others here have found.
> 
> ...



Brian, without any data to support it, I would tend to believe their reasons for the program change.  All other Travel Insurance programs I have ever seen over the years have always been on a per trip basis so I guess its really not that shocking of a change.

Maybe they started the program out that way to entice new customers to try their product and after several years of claims decided that a change was required to their business model to remain profitable.

I would still look at buying it for high value vacations such as over $10K.

FT


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## dioxide45 (Dec 28, 2012)

pwrshift said:


> I'm curious to know what Marriott Tuggers have done since the last post regarding travel insurance.
> 
> I called CSA today about renewal and was told that the fee is now $199 per trip for the same coverage that I had for $175 when it covered the whole year.  That seems to be what others here have found.
> 
> ...



We never bought the CSA insurance through MVCI. Though we will probably go with the Vacation Guard next year. It seems more economical than getting a per trip plan through even another company other than CSA. We really only need it for the medical coverage.


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## TravlinDuo (Dec 28, 2012)

We went with Vacation Guard - they currently continue to carry a package policy which covers all timeshare/exchange trips (not getaways or non-timeshare travel).  Below are the benefits per trip copied from our Confirmation of Coverage document; policy cost was $103/yr:

*Benefits Per Trip* / *Maximum Benefit Amount*
Trip Cancellation = Up to $5,000 per plan term
Trip Interruption = Up to $5,000 per plan term
Trip Delay = $1,000
Baggage/Personal Effects = $2,000
Baggage Delay = $500
Recreational Equipment Rental = $500
Emergency Medical Expenses = $10,000
Medical Evacuation/Repatriation = $100,000
Property Damage = $2,000
Accidental Death & Dismemberment = $10,000
Travel Assistance = Included
Roadside Assistance Services = $100 per occurrence


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## FractionalTraveler (Dec 28, 2012)

Thanks for the information.  I plan on looking into this product offering as an alternative to CSA.


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## Superchief (Dec 28, 2012)

I bought the insurance for one of my trips next year, but only because I had DC points that are about to expire. Their DC point costs are unreasonable, but I figured it would be better to use them than to lose them.


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## pwrshift (Dec 28, 2012)

Called CSA and it appears that they've decided not to insure Marriott owners outside of USA anymore.  The fact I bought from them for the last 3 years made no difference.

It appears TravelGuard won't sell Canadians either.  I checked more traditional sources in Canada and the rates are sky high with the exception of CAA (AAA in US), but the coverage isn't as good and costs more.  RBC, Manulife, etc. wanted almost $1000 for single coverage for 35 days.  So I'll probably stick with my company's travel plan but it doesn't cover MF and many other fees such as cancellation costs.

Brian


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## dioxide45 (Dec 29, 2012)

TravlinDuo said:


> We went with Vacation Guard - they currently continue to carry a package policy which covers all timeshare/exchange trips (not getaways or non-timeshare travel).  Below are the benefits per trip copied from our Confirmation of Coverage document; policy cost was $103/yr:
> 
> *Benefits Per Trip* / *Maximum Benefit Amount*
> Trip Cancellation = Up to $5,000 per plan term
> ...



It looks like the Trip Cancellation and Interruption are on a per plan and not per trip. So max benefit under these would be $5,000. This would also include costs for airfare associated with timeshare travel. So this should be a pretty good plan for most people as in many cases you would never cancel all travel plans for an entire year and these coverage should cover the costs for one or two trips.


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## m61376 (Dec 30, 2012)

Any other good options other than VacationGuard? They don't sell to residents of NY.


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## dioxide45 (Jan 20, 2013)

It looks like Vacation Guard price has gone up. They now only list a Timeshare Plus plan. Not sure if this was what it was called last year. The plan is now $129 instead of $99 as it was last year. Though it looks like coverage levels are a lot better. Medical up to $25,000 from $10,000. Cancellation and Delay up to $10,000 from $5,000.

Edited to add. This appears to either be a new policy type. The Timeshare Plan last year was underwritten by Nationwide Mutual Insurance company. The Timeshare Plus plan is underwritten by Stonebridge Casualty Insurance Company. Does anyone know if the Timeshare Plus plan was offered in 2012? I don't remember seeing this one before through Vacation Guard.


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## Bunk (Jan 20, 2013)

Are you sure that the typical policy excludes time shares.

Several years ago, we had to cut our trip short because my mother had a stroke.  We lost 3 nights of a 7 day time share.  I had a travel insurance policy that was not specific to timeshares.  The insurer reimbursed me for 3/7 of my maintenance fee.

I've looked at my recent travel insurance policies and can't find an exclusion for timeshares.  Instead I just find a reference to accommodations being covered.  Since the timeshare is a prepaid non refundable accommodation, why wouldn't it be covered?


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## m61376 (Jan 20, 2013)

I am a bit confused looking at the Vacation Guard website- is it coverage per person only? I don't see where to enter multiple travelers. 
I am primarily interested in the medical coverage in case of emergency. Anyone know more about the three different plans are on their website? It seems that now it doesn't restrict NY residents with the new underwriters.

Thanks


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## Quilter (Jan 22, 2013)

My policy expires 10/13.   When I talked with the rep at time of purchase it still seemed like the old 12 month plan.   I sure hope so because I've got a couple claims on this trip.


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## dioxide45 (Jan 22, 2013)

Quilter said:


> My policy expires 10/13.   When I talked with the rep at time of purchase it still seemed like the old 12 month plan.   I sure hope so because I've got a couple claims on this trip.



Unless you provided dates of travel, you bought under the old plan. Given that it has an expiration date, it would also make me think that it is the old annual plan. Sounds like you squeaked in under the deadline.


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## m61376 (Jan 22, 2013)

Any more details on the new vacation guard plans?


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## dioxide45 (Jan 23, 2013)

m61376 said:


> Any more details on the new vacation guard plans?



I don't have any but think we will buy it for this year since we have two two-week trips in 2013. There is a 21 day free look period, so if you purchase and don't like what the policy offers, you can cancel for a refund.


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## JimC (Jan 23, 2013)

m61376 said:


> I am a bit confused looking at the Vacation Guard website- is it coverage per person only? I don't see where to enter multiple travelers.
> I am primarily interested in the medical coverage in case of emergency. Anyone know more about the three different plans are on their website? It seems that now it doesn't restrict NY residents with the new underwriters.
> 
> Thanks



I called about multiple travelers after reading the contract.  I was prepared to cancel the policy.  The agent told me that the contract includes the owners of the timeshare (typically husband and wife) and family members on the travel itinerary.  I pushed back a little and said that the contract language was not clear on this and they agreed to add my wife's name as insured.  I got an updated contract within an hour.


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## Safti (Jan 23, 2013)

pwrshift said:


> Called CSA and it appears that they've decided not to insure Marriott owners outside of USA anymore.  The fact I bought from them for the last 3 years made no difference.
> 
> It appears TravelGuard won't sell Canadians either.  I checked more traditional sources in Canada and the rates are sky high with the exception of CAA (AAA in US), but the coverage isn't as good and costs more.  RBC, Manulife, etc. wanted almost $1000 for single coverage for 35 days.  So I'll probably stick with my company's travel plan but it doesn't cover MF and many other fees such as cancellation costs.
> 
> Brian


Like you Brian, I live in Canada and my CSA insurance expires on March 1,2013. I have a trip planned to Scottsdale in March and another timeshare to HH in April. I just found out the new plan is on a per trip basis. Ridiculous pricing. Did CSA actually say they wouldn't sell to a Canadian? This must be new since I've purchased CSA for the past 4 years. I have the TD infinite
card and I wonder how their coverage compares. What did you decide to do about insurance coverage?


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## dioxide45 (Mar 12, 2013)

Something I learned from VacationGuard today. Their insurance is based on Use Year. We have two trips in 2013 that are using weeks that are from 2012, 2013, and 2014 use years. You also can't insure past use years. We would have had to pay for two years of coverage (2013 and 2014) at $129 per use year and we wouldn't have had coverage for our 2012 weeks that we were utilizing through banking in 2013.

Just something to keep in mind if you signing up for the first time and using banked or borrowed weeks.


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## pwrshift (Mar 12, 2013)

Safti said:


> Like you Brian, I live in Canada and my CSA insurance expires on March 1,2013. I have a trip planned to Scottsdale in March and another timeshare to HH in April. I just found out the new plan is on a per trip basis. Ridiculous pricing. Did CSA actually say they wouldn't sell to a Canadian? This must be new since I've purchased CSA for the past 4 years. I have the TD infinite
> card and I wonder how their coverage compares. *What did you decide to do about insurance coverage?*



Sorry...just saw your message.  I didn't buy the insurance at all this year.  I really only needed it for trip cancellation insurance, not health, etc., as my plan in Canada pretty much covers everything else.

Brian


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## FractionalTraveler (Jun 21, 2013)

Here is a new way MVCI is allowing you to get travel insurance quotes on the fly.

http://www.csatravelprotection.com/;jsessionid=IhhbZi5hPFymkOTmQBJyew__

Just fill in the information and you get an instant quote.  Looks like you can now protect more than 1 trip at a time.

Looks like the ranges are from $69 to $1200 depending upon coverage selected.

FT


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## simpsontruckdriver (Jun 21, 2013)

One group of people who Travel Insurance is almost a "must" is Medicare recipients. I work with PUP (Medicare Advantage for Central Florida residents), but Medicare does not allow getting non-emergency care outside the network. So, if a person is 65+ and goes to Europe, and has an emergency, there's no coverage. Some plans say they will only pay what they would pay in the USA, and who covers the balance? You. Most Travel Insurance will pay for emergencies overseas.

TS


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## FractionalTraveler (Jun 21, 2013)

simpsontruckdriver said:


> One group of people who Travel Insurance is almost a "must" is Medicare recipients. I work with PUP (Medicare Advantage for Central Florida residents), but Medicare does not allow getting non-emergency care outside the network. So, if a person is 65+ and goes to Europe, and has an emergency, there's no coverage. Some plans say they will only pay what they would pay in the USA, and who covers the balance? You. Most Travel Insurance will pay for emergencies overseas.
> 
> TS



In your first sentence you describe no coverage for "non-emergency" events and in the second you describe not having "emergency" coverge.

Are you really saying emergencies are not covered outside USA for medicare recipients?  Confusing how it was worded.


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## simpsontruckdriver (Jun 21, 2013)

Correct. Medicare only covers Emergency outside their area (like out of state), but there's no coverage out of the USA. Some Medicare Advantage plans allow limited coverage outside the USA. _[Text deleted.]_

TS


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## pedro47 (Jun 22, 2013)

_[Deleted.]_


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## simpsontruckdriver (Jun 22, 2013)

As I mentioned, PUP will pay for emergencies outside the USA, but (1) only what they would usually pay an American hospital, and (2) to a certain max amount. For instance, if an Irish hospital charges an American $15000, but an American hospital charges $10000 for the same procedures, you're responsible for the $5000. I'm only giving my own company's financials, your MA plan may do differently.

As I mentioned, travel insurance will erase that uncertainty. Let the travel insurance take care of your medical needs overseas, let your MA/Medicare take care of your needs within the USA.

TS


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## bazzap (Jun 22, 2013)

This is the first time I have ever heard of hospital charges costing more outside of the US!
You live and learn!.


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## simpsontruckdriver (Jun 22, 2013)

I am only giving a "what-if". On the other hand, if a MA/Medicare Recipient (with limited international coverage) goes to London and has to go in the hospital, and the costs are the same or less, no worries.

TS


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## byebye (Aug 26, 2013)

*Beware of Vacation Guard*

We are trying to recoup loses from a vacation since April. We flew to St. Martin and on the way back within the last 10 minutes of the flight my wife became ill. Everyone was thinking she was having a heart attack. When we landed the paramedics were called and we went to the hospital. A few hours later we went home. My insurance covered 80% but Vacation Guard denied the remaining 20% because they said we completed our travel. They're documents state that you are covered 2 days before and 2 days after. We keep saying that our home is where the trip started and where it ends. They have said that's only a driving vacation. Nowhere in they're documents is that stated. We have started the appeal process but no one has responded. So beware!


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## Ann in CA (Sep 6, 2013)

*Vacation Guard or Marriott CSA or some new discovery?*

In the past, have used the Marriott CSA coverage for the whole year of coverage, so now it is difficult for me to want to pay them almost as much for one short trip as for a whole year with many weeks of travel coverage.  We never have had a claim, so I really don't have any experience with how they would come through, but Vacation Guard is not sounding so great, and we will only have one 2013 week to use on this trip to Waiohai, so the "year"of coverage with Vacation Guard would boil down to only one week anyway.

Anyone find new, better choices than what have been menioned in this thread? I spent some time at insuremytrip.com, but decided we might as well just go with Marriott CSA if nothing better is discovered.  However, not going to be doing that for every trip...only the high MF and international after this!


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## laurac260 (Sep 7, 2013)

spiker said:


> We are trying to recoup loses from a vacation since April. We flew to St. Martin and on the way back within the last 10 minutes of the flight my wife became ill. Everyone was thinking she was having a heart attack. When we landed the paramedics were called and we went to the hospital. A few hours later we went home. My insurance covered 80% but Vacation Guard denied the remaining 20% because they said we completed our travel. They're documents state that you are covered 2 days before and 2 days after. We keep saying that our home is where the trip started and where it ends. They have said that's only a driving vacation. Nowhere in they're documents is that stated. We have started the appeal process but no one has responded. So beware!



I'm confused and think I am misunderstanding what you are saying. It seems as though you are stating that you went on your trip, came home from your trip and that you are looking for compensation for your trip?  You said she got sick the last 10 minutes.  You said "a few hours later we went home".  What is it that you are looking for compensation FOR?


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## dioxide45 (Sep 7, 2013)

laurac260 said:


> I'm confused and think I am misunderstanding what you are saying. It seems as though you are stating that you went on your trip, came home from your trip and that you are looking for compensation for your trip?  You said she got sick the last 10 minutes.  You said "a few hours later we went home".  What is it that you are looking for compensation FOR?



Not looking for compensation for the trip, but for the medical expenses incurred due to the illness.


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## byebye (Sep 12, 2013)

*Medical Expenses*

Vacation Guard said that we completed our trip when we landed at O'Hare. I said that the trip starts and ends at my home. 10 minutes out of O'Hare - while in the plane - my wife got extremely sick and everyone thought she was having a heart attack. When we landed the wheel chair was waiting for us and so were the paramedics. They transported us to the hospital and we were there for awhile. Then I got a ride home to pick up my car and came back to pick her up. VG said that the 2 days before and after the trip is only in regards to a drive vacation. Doesn't make sense. We are only trying to get the 20% that my work medical insurance doesn't cover - about $900. We checked with our family doctor and he thinks that she must have suffer some sort of descending altitude pressure which made her light-headed, sweaty and almost fainting. Thankfully she is ok now.


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## DCBoy (Sep 12, 2013)

Just got a pamphet in the mail explaining the current benefits of my Chase Sapphire Preferred credit card. It looks like there's $5K of coverage in travel cancellation and trip interruption insurance whenever you charge a trip with the card. There are many provisions (I have not read them all) and it doesn't look like it would cover emergency evacuations like CSA and some others did, but it's free and it might be something to consider as an alternative to the current CSA per trip pricing format. You could also pay all of your maintenance fees and airline tickets and other travel costs with this card and then transfer the points to your Marriott account on a 1 to 1 basis.


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## swaits (Sep 12, 2013)

spiker said:


> 10 minutes out of O'Hare - while in the plane - my wife got extremely sick and everyone thought she was having a heart attack.



I'm really glad your wife is ok. That said, I honestly don't feel they're being all that unreasonable here.


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## byebye (Sep 15, 2013)

*Looks like they'll pay!*

Well looks like we were right. Maybe we just had to complain because we just received a letter that states they Vacation Guard will pay the difference. Now we're waiting for the check.


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