by California Casualty | Travel |
If you’ve ever had to cancel a vacation or had an accident with a rental car, you know the value of insurance. But how much travel and rental car insurance do you need and do you really always need it?
Types of Travel Insurance
The two most popular types of travel insurance are…
- Vacation Plan. It provides the most coverage in a single policy, including trip cancellation, lost luggage, travel delays, emergency medical assistance, and more. This type of plan usually comes with 24/7 assistance.
- Medical Plan. Your health insurance policy doesn’t cover you outside the U.S.— or if it does, it’s often not a lot of coverage. Travel medical plans cover healthcare expenses and can connect you with a local doctor or pharmacy. Some plans cover pre-existing conditions. They also cover emergency medical evacuations, if you need to be airlifted to a hospital.
There also are specialty travel policies that you can buy. These include medical evacuations only, accident insurance, and rental car insurance. Read more about rental car insurance, below.
Why you need travel insurance:
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- You don’t want to lose all your money from a prepaid trip that has to be canceled (for illness, a funeral, etc.).
- Flights can be delayed, necessitating unexpected expenses for meals and lodging.
- Lost luggage can spoil your trip.
- Accidents happen and health crises occur. Medical evacuations can be costly.
- Travel insurance can provide peace of mind, and assistance when you need it.
What to look out for in a travel insurance plan:
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- Make sure you insure the full value of your trip. If you just insure your deposit, that’s the amount you’ll recoup.
- Make sure your plan has enough for emergency medical evacuation. This can sometimes be in the thousands of dollars.
- Know the services that come with your policy. It could include translation, concierge services, and 24-hour travel assistance. If you’re paying for these services, you might as well use them.
- Watch out for “cancel for any reason” coverage. Usually this is a substantial extra expense, and in most cases, is not needed. Check the reasons that you can cancel for the standard policy. Usually, those will cover what you need.
Types of Rental Car Insurance
Rental car insurance is a specialized kind of travel insurance. You can purchase rental car insurance as an add-on with many travel insurance policies. You will be offered the opportunity to buy rental car insurance when you rent a car. These coverages are all optional.
Following are the types of coverage you may be offered:
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- Collision/Loss Damage Waiver – This covers the cost of repairs in the event of an accident. Rental car companies can charge you for more than just the damage. They can also bill for towing charges, loss of use, diminished value, and administrative fees.
- Supplemental Liability Protection – If you cause an accident, liability pays for the damage to another person or property.
- Personal Effects Coverage – This helps cover items stolen from your rental car (e.g. laptop, clothing). You may have this coverage through renter’s insurance.
- Personal Accident Insurance – This pays your and your passenger’s medical bills as well as for an ambulance and death benefits. You may already have this coverage through your health, life, or auto insurance.
Before you purchase rental car insurance, make sure you don’t already have coverage under your personal auto insurance policy, your health insurance, life insurance or your credit card. Know what your insurance covers in terms of car rentals, including the deductible you may need to pay in the event of an accident.
When you need rental car insurance:
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- If you’re traveling for business, your personal auto policy will not cover you. You will need rental car insurance.
- If renting a vehicle of higher value than the car you usually drive, your auto policy may not provide enough insurance. In that case, you may need additional insurance.
- If you’re worried about your premiums going up due to a rental car accident using your own insurance, get the rental insurance.
What to look out for when purchasing rental car insurance:
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- Some rental car companies will ask for damages above policy limits. So you should still read the rental contract to see what would work best for you.
- If you’re using your credit card’s rental car insurance, make sure you pay for the rental car using that card or it won’t cover you. Also, don’t sign up for supplemental rental car insurance. That may negate credit card coverage.
- Check your credit card terms for insurance. Sometimes insurance does not apply to luxury vehicles, RVs, motorcycles, or trucks.
- Credit card insurance doesn’t cover you in some countries, including Ireland, Israel, Italy, Jamaica, and Australia.
California Casualty offers rental car insurance on vacation with our auto policies! If you carry liability and physical damage coverage on your vehicle, you may extend that coverage to a rental car. Your coverage applies as long as you, your spouse, or a resident relative is driving the rental car.
Plus, we will waive the collision deductible for a collision with another Cal Cas policyholder, with an “identified” uninsured motorist, or while operating a rented non-owned vehicle while on vacation.
This article is furnished by California Casualty, providing auto and home insurance to educators, law enforcement officers, firefighters, and nurses. Get a quote at 1.866.704.8614 or www.calcas.com.
by California Casualty | Firefighters, Health |
The Fourth of July is a day of patriotism and pride. There’ll be BBQs, picnics, and parades all leading up to fireworks displays in towns and cities across the nation.Family and friends will also gather for their own fireworks displays. While they can be...
by California Casualty | Auto Insurance Info, Homeowners Insurance Info |
You know the basic coverage that comes with your health insurance, car insurance, and home insurance policies. But did you know there are other special insurance policies and add-ons that you could be missing out on?
If you’re traveling to Mexico, own an older home, a classic car, or have precious family heirlooms, etc., you should increase your protection by looking into purchasing these lesser-known insurance policies and options.
Planning to travel south of the border? Mexico does not recognize U.S. auto insurance. If you’re driving to Mexico from the U.S. in your own car or a rental, you will need to purchase a tourist auto policy.
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- A Mexico auto policy will allow you to cover damages if you’re involved in an accident.
- If you cannot show proof of Mexican insurance, you can be heavily fined and even arrested. This is true even if you are not at fault for the accident.
- You can get coverage for the duration of your trip: a few days, a few months or longer.
2. Homes Built Before 1986
Homebuilding has changed over the years. If you’re living in a home built before 1986, it’s likely your house has outdated materials or old-fashioned types of construction. You can get a policy option that helps bring your house up to date if it is damaged.
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- With this type of policy, in the event of a loss, your insurance covers repairs and/or replacement of outdated materials and construction methods.
- As a result, losses will cost less to settle.
- Those repairs and updates will reduce the coverage amount that you need to protect your home.
- This will ensure you have enough insurance to rebuild.
3. Special Computer Coverage
With everyone working remotely this past year, computers have become our lifeline. Consider a special computer coverage option to ensure you are covered for all of your devices: desktop computers, laptops, tablets, and smartphones. While homeowner policies typically cover possessions, special computer coverage offers more coverage.
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- If you accidentally spill a glass of water on your computer, and your computer is damaged as a result, it would be covered.
- With this coverage, you will receive more money for your devices if they are damaged than with traditional homeowner’s.
Personal Property, also referred to as “contents coverage,” is the term insurance companies use to collectively define the things you own inside your home. Scheduled Personal Property (SPP) Coverage is for items that have higher values above your personal property coverage limits. This includes:
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- Heirlooms
- Watches
- Jewelry
- Instruments
- Furs
SPP offers much broader coverage for your precious items – if you misplace a set of earrings, they are covered; if a diamond falls out of a ring, or a guitar neck breaks, they’re covered. There is no deductible if the covered items are stolen, lost, or damaged. SPP provides a replacement for the actual appraised value of the item.
Spending time and money on your classic car? Don’t let it go to waste. Make sure it’s protected with classic car insurance coverage. With this coverage, you will pay less than standard auto insurance coverage and you can determine the value, the deductible, and the policy options that work best for you including towing and coverage for lost or stolen parts. There are mileage plans that cover everything from cruising on the weekends to driving to attend auto shows.
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- Classic Car Coverage is for all types of collectibles – collector trucks, classic and custom motorcycles, kit cars, fire engines, military vehicles, and more.
6. Refrigerated Property Coverage
When there is a power outage, the food in your refrigerator could spoil. A standard homeowner’s policy may cover the costs of replacing some of the food. A refrigerated property policy provides additional coverage.
- A refrigerated property policy adds up to $500 of coverage for property, such as meat that spoils because of a power outage or equipment failure.
7. Other Members of Your Household Coverage
Do you have someone living with you who is not a relative, guest, or tenant? You may consider this policy for other members of your household.
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- If a boyfriend moves in, and he’s not on the lease, it may make sense to add this coverage.
- This policy adds personal property, liability, and additional living expense coverage for that person.
Our pets are like family and we want to keep them as healthy as possible. Pet insurance can help to offset those veterinary expenses.
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- Depending on your policy, pet insurance may cover exams, prescriptions, lab tests and x-rays, surgeries, emergency visits, and even cancer.
- You make the initial payment and then are reimbursed depending upon the deductible and limits that you have selected.
9. Sump Pump Endorsement
If your home is prone to flooding, chances are that you have a sump pump to remove the water. A sump pump/water backup endorsement covers damage if your sump pump fails or something happened to cause water to back up into your home. This damage is not covered under standard homeowner policies.
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- Just a couple of inches of water backup can cause thousands of dollars in damage – ruining carpets, destroying appliances, and crumbling drywall.
- This could happen to any system, and especially ones where sewer pipes are old.
10. Permitted Incidental Occupancies – Residence Premises (for Home-Based Businesses)
Do you have a home-based business? You may wish to add an endorsement to your homeowner’s policy.
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- This policy covers limited activity for business that takes place in your home or in a detached garage or other building on your property.
- It protects entrepreneurs, such as teachers offering in-home tutoring or music lessons.
Ninety percent of Americans live in areas that are seismically active. If you live in an area that is prone to earthquakes, you may want to consider this additional coverage.
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- Homeowner, condo, and rental insurance policies typically do not cover earthquakes.
- Earthquake insurance can help pay for some of your losses.
Floods are expensive. Just a couple of inches of water could cost thousands of dollars in damage to your home and belongings. There are a lot of myths about flood insurance; it’s important to know the facts.
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- Flooding is America’s most common natural disaster.
- One in four homeowners will experience a flood during a 30-year mortgage.
- A flood insurance policy can protect your home and its contents.
This article is furnished by California Casualty, providing auto and home insurance to educators, law enforcement officers, firefighters, and nurses. Get a quote at 1.866.704.8614 or www.calcas.com.
by California Casualty | In Your Community |
NEA Member Benefits recently added siblings to the list of family members eligible to access the NEA Auto and Home Insurance Program provided by California Casualty. Referred to as an NEA Member’s “Extended Family,” parents, in-laws, adult children, and now siblings can take advantage of the special rates, deep discounts, and personalized service available through the NEA Auto and Home Insurance Program.
California Casualty offers policyholders special benefits, such as:
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- Rates good for a full year, not six months like many insurers offer
- Auto insurance that covers $500 for non-electronic items taken from your vehicle
- $0 deductible for accidents in a rental car
- Broad policy protection for anyone they allow to drive your vehicle
- Free ID defense
- Free pet injury coverage up to $1,000
- Holiday or summer skip payment options
- Exceptional towing and roadside assistance availability
Plus, as an NEA Member, you have more exclusive benefits, including:
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- Waived/reduced deductible for collision or vandalism while parked on school property
- Educators excess liability coverage for protection in the classroom
- Fundraising coverage with $0 deductible for goods/funds valued up to $500 while under your care at school
- And more!
Tell your family (and colleagues) about the NEA Auto and Home Insurance Program. Members who switch see an average of $423 in savings.
This article is furnished by California Casualty, providing auto and home insurance to teachers, law enforcement officers, firefighters, and nurses. Get a quote at 1.800.800.9410 or www.calcas.com.
by California Casualty | Auto Insurance Info |
As more cyclists (of all ages) take to the road to enjoy the nice weather, now is a great time to brush up on the rules for safely sharing the streets.
Think of bikes as cars, but with fewer safety features. Road hazards such as potholes and debris may cause a cyclist to suddenly swerve, much like if they were driving a vehicle. And although riding on the right side of the lane is preferred for bike traffic, there may be the occasion when cyclists take to the center if road conditions require it.
Understanding cyclists and anticipating their next move will help you safely share the road. Here are some quick safety reminders on driving with cyclists this summer.
1. They have the right to “drive” in your lane, but they also need their space. Always give cyclists the right of way. Be sure to watch your speed compared to theirs. Pass only when there’s ample room (at least 3 feet between you and their bike) and while other vehicles are not approaching.
2. Look for bicyclists everywhere. Cyclists may not be riding where they should be or may be hard to see—especially in poorly lit conditions, including dusk/dawn/night and even in inclement weather.
3. Avoid turning in front of a bicyclist who is traveling on the road or sidewalk, often at an intersection or driveway. An oncoming cyclist may be traveling faster than you think. Drivers turning right on red should look to the right and behind to avoid hitting a bicyclist approaching from the right rear. Stop completely and look left-right-left and behind before turning right on red.
4. Completely stop at red lights or stop signs to let bikers pass or check for unseen bikers. Make eye contact with cyclists at intersections or crosswalks to acknowledge their presence and signal to let them know they are free to pass.
5. Don’t honk at someone on a bike. The noise could startle them, making them lose control of the bike they are riding. If it’s absolutely necessary, do so from a distance and make it a light tap.
6. Take extra precautions if you are sharing the road with children riding their bikes. They are smaller and harder to spot on the road, especially for drivers of bigger cars. Plus, these young bicyclists won’t have the same control over their bikes or know the rules of the road as mature riders.
7. Knowledge of common biking hand signals is a must. These include sticking the left arm straight out to indicate a left turn, holding the left arm up at a 90-degree angle to indicate a right turn, and pointing the left arm down at a 90-degree angle to indicate a stop or slowing down.
Taking extra precautions when you are behind the wheel and understanding a cyclist’s next move can help you avoid an accident. Use these tips this summer to help you both navigate the road ahead safely and seamlessly.
This article is furnished by California Casualty, providing auto and home insurance to educators, law enforcement officers, firefighters, and nurses. Get a quote at 1.866.704.8614 or www.calcas.com.
