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WorldTrips has been a reputable travel insurance provider for more than 20 years. Unsurprisingly, it boasts an A+ rating from the Better Business Bureau and positive reviews from thousands of customers.
Types of Travel Insurance Plans from WorldTrips
WorldTrips offers several unique products for travelers, including a dedicated plan for students pursuing study abroad programs. This section will help you understand the different plans available through WorldTrips in either category.
Most plans include COVID-19 coverage by default. Many also allow you to customize the plan to include optional upgrades for additional protection.
Travel medical insurance plans
Atlas Travel
Flagship product Atlas Travel provides travel medical insurance for travelers of various nationalities - a valuable product for anyone seeking financial support while exploring the world. The maximum coverage available through an Atlas Travel plan goes up to $2 million.
It's worth noting Atlas Travel does not cover US citizens and residents. However, US citizens and residents can purchase travel insurance coverage for countries outside the United States under an Atlas International plan. In addition, non-US citizens outside of the United States are also eligible for coverage within the US under the Atlas America plan. The site automatically selects it for the traveler at the time of purchase.
Atlas Premium
Atlas Premium is an upgraded version of Atlas Travel offering more flexibility on deductibles, coverage duration, and coverage maximums. This plan is ideal for several types of travelers, including parents covering an entire family, travelers planning adventurous activities carrying some risk, and people planning luxury or expensive travel.
Atlas Group
Atlas Group offers Atlas Travel benefits at a 10% discount for people traveling in groups of five or more. This policy is ideal for traveler profiles such as youth groups, missionaries, students studying abroad, larger families, and organizations planning international travel.
Atlas MultiTrip
Digital nomads and frequent international travelers can benefit from an Atlas MultiTrip plan. It provides global health coverage for any number of pre-planned or last-minute trips within 364 days, as long as each trip lasts fewer than 30 or 45 days. The duration guidelines vary depending on the coverage selected.
StudentSecure
Students studying abroad can purchase StudentSecure, an international health insurance policy for full-time students and scholars pursuing academic studies outside their home country. StudentSecure comes in four levels of coverage to meet each student's specific needs and meets or exceeds most country or school insurance requirements.
Trip protection insurance plans
Atlas On-The-Go
Atlas On-The-Go covers you if you only need financial reassurance for your travel plans. This trip protection insurance is for US residents traveling worldwide. In addition, it provides medical coverage for unexpected sickness, injury, lost or stolen bags, or travel cancellations.
Atlas Journey
Atlas Journey offers trip protection coverage for US citizens and residents on domestic and international travel. You can choose from three tiers of coverage: Premier, Preferred, or Economy, with up to 150% of trip costs covered in the case of travel interruptions, as well as up to $1 million in medical evacuation expenses.
Additional Coverage Options (Riders)
Buyers can customize many WorldTrips policies to enhance the overall benefits of the insurance plan. Here are some of the available riders and purposes.
Cancel-for-any-reason (CFAR) coverage
Cancel-for-any-reason insurance coverage, often abbreviated as CFAR, is an optional upgrade. It allows you to claim a percentage of your nonrefundable travel costs if you cancel your trip for any reason.
CFAR is available as an add-on on specific WorldTrips policies and can cover either 50% or 75% of your total nonrefundable travel forfeited when you cancel. However, you'll have to purchase CFAR coverage within a specific time limit after your first payment for travel expenses. You must cancel your trip more than 48 hours before the scheduled departure to make an eligible CFAR claim.
Adventure activities coverage
WorldTrips offers additional coverage options for adventurous travelers pursuing risky or challenging activities. This add-on increases your medical and evacuation benefits in the event of an incident.
Pet care coverage
If you're traveling with a pet, this coverage will help cover some of the costs associated with pet travel, including medical expenses if needed.
Rental accommodations coverage
This add-on covers expenses you may incur if your accommodations are double-booked or untenantable.
Rental car coverage
If you rent a car during your travels, you can purchase this add-on to forego the coverage offered at the rental car desk. Note, if you hold a premium credit card with travel benefits, you may already have access to free rental car insurance meeting or exceeding any ceilings offered through WorldTrips, even with this upgrade.
School activities interruption/cancellation coverage
If a school schedule change impacts your travel plans, this add-on will reimburse you for nonrefundable travel expenses associated with the travel cancellation or interruption.
Hunting and fishing cancellation/interruption
This add-on will help defray your cost if changes to your local government restrictions or equipment delays impact your travel plans. Unfortunately, this policy does not cover big game hunting.
Destination wedding cancellation or interruption coverage
This policy add-on protects guests attending a destination wedding. If the couple cancels the wedding or the event is delayed or canceled due to other circumstances, this policy will help cover expenses incurred by the change in plans.
Coverage type | Cost | Increase to insurance premium (expressed as a percentage) |
$109 | 41% to 62% | |
Cancel-for-any-reason (CFAR) 75% | $141 | 53% to 81% |
Adventure sports | $11 | 4% to 6% |
Pet care | $10 | 4% to 6% |
Rental accommodations | $21 | 8% to 12% |
School activities interruption/cancellation | $4 | 2% |
Hunting/fishing interruption/cancellation | $5 | 2% |
Destination wedding interruption/cancellation | $41 | 15% to 23% |
How Much Does WorldTrips Travel Insurance Cost?
Travel insurance coverage varies greatly, and the amount you pay reflects the range of protection. However, since travel insurance protects your financial investment, it's typically worth spending a few extra dollars for higher coverage maximums, especially for medical insurance and evacuation expenses.
Let's say you're planning a 10-day solo trip in Mexico over the winter holidays with a total cost of $6,000, including a cruise and some potential adventure excursions. Here's what a WorldTrips Atlas Journey insurance plan would cost and include. We have included three different tiers of coverage:
Premier: $266 | Preferred: $218 | Economy: $175 | |
Coverage for preexisting conditions | Included if the plan is purchased within 21 days of the initial trip payment date (otherwise, a 90-day lookback exclusion | Included if the plan is purchased within 21 days of the initial trip payment date (otherwise, a 90-day lookback exclusion period applies to preexisting conditions) | Included if the plan is purchased within 21 days of the initial trip payment date (otherwise, a 90-day lookback exclusion period applies to preexisting conditions) |
100% of travel expenses up to $150K | 100% of travel expenses up to $150K | 100% of travel expenses up to $10K | |
Trip interruption | 150% of the trip costs | 150% of the trip costs | 100% of the trip costs |
Travel delay (5+ hours) | Up to $200/ day; $2K max | Up to $150/ day; $2K max | Up to $100/ day; $500 max |
Travel inconvenience | Up to $150 max per person; $750 max per policy | Up to $150 max per person; $750 max per policy | N/A |
Emergency accident and sickness medical expense | Up to $150K (primary coverage) | Up to $150K (secondary coverage; can be upgraded to primary) | Up to $25K (excess coverage) |
Medical evacuation and repatriation of remains | Up to $1M | Up to $1M | Up to $250K |
Baggage damage or loss | Up to $500/ article; $2K max | Up to $500/ article; $1,500 max | Up to $500/ article; $1K max |
Baggage delay (12+ hours) | Up to $500 | Up to $300 | Up to $200 |
Accidental death and dismemberment | Up to $25K | Up to $20K | Up to $10K |
Missed connection | Up to $2K | Up to $1,500 | Up to $500 |
Airline reissue or cancellation fees | Up to $500 | Up to $500 | Up to $250 |
Travel planning assistance | Included | Included | Included |
Cancel for any reason (optional upgrade; must be purchased more than 48 hours before departure date) | Choice of 50% or 75% of the total trip cost (if CFAR is purchased within 21 days of the initial trip payment date) | Choice of 50% or 75% of the total trip cost (if CFAR is purchased within 21 days of the initial trip payment date) | N/A |
Many WorldTrips policies can be customized with optional add-ons enhancing the overall benefits of the insurance plan. We priced out a number of the available riders based on the hypothetical trip to Mexico and represented the cost of the add-on as a percentage of the estimated trip cost of $6,000.
How to File A Claim
Unfortunately, the WorldTrips claim filing process leaves much to be desired. WorldTrips customers need to keep their travel insurance policy handy to know which claims process to follow.
You'll also need to have some other information on hand, such as whether or not a medical provider would bill WorldTrips directly on your behalf or if you have to pay out of pocket at the time of your service.
Atlas Travel, Atlas Premium, Atlas Group, Atlas MultiTrip, and StudentSecure travel medical insurance
If you hold a policy under one of the travel medical insurance products above, here's the step-by-step guide you'll reference when submitting a claim. You can submit your claim via email or regular mail using the following contact information:
Email: service@worldtrips.com
Mail:
WorldTrips
Claims Department
Box #2005
Farmington Hills, MI 48333-2005
You can also submit your claim electronically through your customer portal: Client Zone for most policyholders and Student Zone for students.
Atlas Journey and Atlas On-The-Go trip protection insurance
If you have an Atlas Journey or Atlas On-The-Go plan, you'll reference the "submit a claim" section of this FAQ for the relevant forms you'll need to complete and the supporting documentation for your claim.
You can submit your claimant's statement and authorization form via your customer portal (Client Zone for most policyholders or Student Zone for students). Buyers can also use the WorldTrips Online service page and select "submitting a claim or an appeal" from the dropdown menu under the "contact us" header at the top of the page.
If you prefer to submit your claim through email or regular mail, the contact information is as follows:
Email: service@worldtrips.com
Mail:
WorldTrips
Claims Department
Box #2005
Farmington Hills, MI 48333-2005
If you can't access the required forms online, contact WorldTrips to have the documents faxed, emailed, or mailed.
If you're a student, you must submit additional documents for your claim proving you are a full-time student. Having the proper records can make your claim much less frustrating.
Deborah from California posted on Squaremouth, "When we returned home I called WORLD TRIPS and they said that I must file a claim with the airline first and then once that claim was adjudicated to file a claim with WORLD TRIP. I haven't gone back to read the policy terms but didn't think that this WORLD TRIP was secondary to other sources of recovery."
WorldTrips Travel Insurance FAQs
WorldTrips offers excellent travel insurance plans for any traveler but is particularly beneficial for students studying abroad, travelers planning a group trip, or digital nomads looking for continuous medical coverage while abroad.
WorldTrips offers different options to file claims, including mail, online, etc. However, it requires extra paperwork compared to many other travel insurance providers. As a result, the process may be more complicated compared to competitors.
WorldTrips offers a study abroad travel insurance policy called StudentSecure, which covers medical expenses and emergencies while students are abroad.
It's best to purchase travel insurance as soon as you make your first payment for your trip. That way, you can buy critical optional riders and add-ons such as cancel-for-any-reason insurance.
Methodology: What Went into Our WorldTrips Travel Insurance Review
We evaluated WorldTrips against the best travel insurance companies by comparing the options offered, customizations available, coverage ceilings, and ease of filing a claim. A licensed insurance agent reviews our articles. Our rating system is available to read in-depth here.
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Nationwide Travel Insurance
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Berkshire Hathaway Travel Protection
Compare WorldTrips vs. Nationwide
WorldTrips compares favorably to Nationwide. While Nationwide is also a reputable insurance provider with great reviews, the company offers just two standard plans customizable with unique add-ons. Nationwide does offer some of the most affordable travel insurance rates with a large and recognizable company name behind it. However, unique add-ons like sports equipment and pet coverage are not available.
Thus, travelers seeking more customized travel protection may prefer the unique plans offered through WorldTrips, especially those looking for specialized coverage for destination weddings, group travel, study abroad programs, and more. On the other hand, travelers without special coverage needs looking for cheap travel insurance may want to stick with Nationwide.
Karen S posted about her trip to Turks & Caicos on insuremytrip.com, saying, "It was easy to find a plan with the coverage that I needed. My travel companion is my 92-year-old mother so it was imperative that I have the best coverage at a reasonable cost."
Compare WorldTrips vs. Berkshire Hathaway
WorldTrips and Berkshire Hathaway are well-known insurance companies in the travel protection industry, offering various plans to meet the needs of any traveler. If you're planning a particular trip with multiple variables, WorldTrips has more customizable options with different types of add-ons and upgrades. However, Berkshire Hathaway offers a significantly easier claim filing process through its proprietary app, which can help you submit photos and other evidence for your claim in just a few seconds.
Both companies have customer reviews suggesting coverage provides peace of mind. But claims filing gets mixed reviews.
Editorial Note: Any opinions, analyses, reviews or recommendations expressed in this article are those of the author’s alone, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any card issuer. Read our editorial standards.
Please note: While the offers mentioned above are accurate at the time of publication, they're subject to change at any time and may have changed, or may no longer be available.
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