Around the world with your home and auto insurance

  

  

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How far does home and auto insurance travel?

Despite the ever shrinking leg room, hidden fees, neglectful flight attendants and other nuisances now commonly associated with air travel, many people still feel it is a price they are willing to pay in order to travel abroad. For all you diligent travelers out there, here are a couple of things to consider from an insurance standpoint before you embark on your journey.

Does your Massachusetts auto insurance cover you overseas? No, your auto policy only provides you with coverage for the United States, Canada, and other US territories only. So if you are renting a car in Europe or driving across the border to Mexico please be advised: Your insurance policy, no matter how comprehensive, will not cover you!

Does your homeowners insurance cover your contents while abroad? There is some better news for worldly travelers on this front. You have up to 10% of your contents coverage (you can find this limit on the first page of your homeowners insurance policy) to protect your personal belongings when you travel. The same exclusions and restrictions that are in your policy will apply overseas as well. Also if you a traveling with items that you have specifically scheduled, such as valuable jewelry or a really nice set of golf clubs, you will have coverage for these abroad as well. Keep in mind that if any item is lost due to theft, it is extremely important that you report it to the police if you want to get coverage for them!

Some other things to keep in mind:

• If you are retired, keep in mind that Medicare does not cover health care outside of the United States.
• If you are going to a remote area, does your insurance cover you in case of a medical evacuation? If you break a leg while climbing Mt. Kilimanjaro, a helicopter ride back down could be quote costly.
• Another thing to consider is trip cancellation insurance coverage. This could make sense if you have paid a considerable amount of money up front or if you are worried that a health of family problem might require you to call off your trip.
• And last but not least, remember to check out travel warnings from the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention (www.cdc.gov/travel).