We like the ExactCare plan’s generous medical evacuation limits, and decent travel delay and baggage loss benefits. Plus, its required waiting period for travel delays (five hours) is better than some competitors.
The LuxuryCare plan earned 2.5 stars in our ratings of the best travel insurance and provides higher benefit limits than the ExactCare policy.
About Berkshire Hathaway Travel Insurance
Berkshire Hathaway Travel Protection provides a variety of travel insurance policies that can appeal to leisure travelers, cruisers, students traveling abroad, visitors to the U.S. and others. Here are key types of benefits included in Berkshire Hathaway travel insurance policies.
Trip Cancellation Insurance
If you cancel a trip for a reason listed in the policy, trip cancellation travel insurance reimburses you for nonrefundable, prepaid trip costs.
Travel Medical Insurance
If you become ill or injured during your trip, travel medical insurance can pay for emergency medical expenses, up to the limits listed in your policy. These expenses can include doctor and hospital bills, medicine and lab work.
Emergency Medical Evacuation Coverage
If you require emergency transportation for treatment after an injury or illness during your trip, medical evacuation travel insurance pays for medevac costs. This insurance will pay for your transport to the nearest medical center that can treat your condition.
Travel Interruption Insurance
If an emergency causes you to cut your trip short, trip interruption insurance pays for a last-minute flight home. It also compensates you for the money you lose on nonrefundable activities, flights and hotel stays.
Travel Delay Insurance
If your trip is delayed due to a reason covered by your policy, travel delay insurance pays for extra costs, such as bills for a hotel room and meals, up to the amount specified in your policy. You can also recoup prepaid, nonrefundable costs for portions of the trip you miss due to the delay. Check your policy for required waiting periods before coverage kicks in.
Baggage and Personal Effects
If your luggage is lost, stolen or damaged, baggage insurance can reimburse you for the depreciated value, up to your policy limits.
If your bags show up after the waiting period specified in your policy, baggage delay coverage can reimburse you for the cost of necessities you bought to tide you over. It also extends to your personal belongings, if lost, damaged or stolen. Some exclusions apply to baggage and personal effects insurance, so check your policy to see what’s covered.
Berkshire Hathaway’s LuxuryCare Plan
Specifically designed for high-end travel, the LuxuryCare policy packages together valuable core benefits to protect your trip investment.
The LuxuryCare plan provides excellent coverage for hurricanes and other natural disasters. There is no waiting period for trip cancellation and trip interruption benefits to apply, as long as you bought your policy before the hurricane becomes a named storm. Some competitors require a wait of 48 hours for coverage to kick in for natural disasters.
The LuxuryCare plan also includes coverage for missed connections, sporting equipment delay, sports permit reimbursement and accidental death and dismemberment.
You can buy a “cancel for any reason” (CFAR) travel insurance upgrade for a Berkshire Hathaway LuxuryCare plan. If you file a CFAR claim, you’re reimbursed 50% of your insured trip costs. Note that if you want CFAR you must buy it when you purchase a LuxuryCare plan, and within 15 days of your first trip deposit. CFAR travel insurance allows you to cancel a trip for reasons not listed in your policy, as long as you do so at least 48 hours before your trip departure.
Rental car insurance and pre-existing medical condition exclusion waivers are also available.
- Travel medical expenses: $100,000
- Emergency medical evacuation: $1 million
- Trip cancellation: $100,000
- Trip delay: $2,000
- Trip interruption: $150,000
- Baggage loss: $2,500 with specific sublimits, such as a maximum of $500 for the first item
- Missed connection: $500
Comparison of Berkshire Hathaway’s ExactCare Travel Insurance Plans
Berkshire Hathaway’s core suite of travel insurance plans include ExactCareExtra, ExactCare and ExactCare Value:
- If you’re not interested in high coverage limits for medical expenses and medical evacuation, the ExactCare Value plan is a good choice.
- The ExactCare plan is worth considering if you want a short trip delay waiting period, high baggage insurance limits and decent medical expense and medical evacuation insurance limits.
- For those who want high medical expense and medical evacuation limits and more flight coverage—tarmac delays and missed connections are included—the ExactCare Extra plan is worth checking out.
| Coverage type included in the plan | ExactCare Value | ExactCare | ExactCare Extra |
|---|---|---|---|
Trip cancellation | 100% | 100% | 100% |
Trip interruption | 100% of trip cost | 150% of trip cost | 150% of trip cost |
Interruption return air only | $500 | $750 | $1,000 |
Trip delay | $500/$100 per day max | $1,000/$200 per day max | $1,000/$200 per day max |
Tarmac delay | x | x | $1,000 per person |
Flight departure delay | x | x | $50 per flight |
Missed connection | x | $500 | $100 per flight |
Baggage/personal items | 750/$50 deductible | $1,000 | Flat benefit $500 per trip |
Baggage delay | $200 | $200 | Flat benefit $150 per trip |
Medical expense | $15,000 | $25,000 | $50,000 |
More on Berkshire Hathaway’s ExactCare Travel Insurance Plans
ExactCare Value
The ExactCare Value travel insurance plan is designed for travelers on a budget who don’t need high limits for travel medical coverage. ExactCare Value is a solid fit for solo travelers and those with only a modest trip investment.
- Travel medical expense: $15,000
- Emergency medical evacuation: $150,000
- Trip cancellation: 100% of insured trip cost
- Travel delay: $500, with 12-hour waiting period
- Trip interruption: 100% of insured trip cost
- Baggage insurance: $750
- Baggage delay: $200 with 24-hour waiting period
ExactCare
Berkshire Hathaway’s ExactCare plan is a good pick for a family traveling with checked luggage to a single location and who wants a policy with valuable coverage for a good price.
- Travel medical expense: $25,000
- Emergency medical evacuation: $500,000
- Trip cancellation: 100%
- Travel delay: $1,000 with five-hour waiting period
- Trip interruption: 150%
- Baggage insurance: $1,000
- Baggage delay: $200, with 24-hour waiting period
- Missed connection: $500 with three-hour waiting period
ExactCare Extra
For vacationers who have multiple flights, tours, excursions and pricey bucket-list trips, ExtraCare Extra is a good choice. It includes flight insurance for delayed flights, missed connections and tarmac delays.
- Travel medical expense: $50,000
- Emergency medical evacuation: $500,000
- Trip cancellation: 100%
- Travel delay: $1,000 with five-hour waiting period
- Trip interruption: 150%
- Baggage insurance: $500
- Baggage delay: $150, with 12-hour waiting period
- Flight departure delay: $50, with two-hour waiting period
- Missed connection: $100
- Tarmac delay: $1,000 with 2-hour waiting period
ExactCare Lite (Road Trip Travel Insurance)
For domestic road trips with a modest budget, this plan provides basic coverage for your trip costs and provides medical coverage. This plan was not designed for travelers taking flights or cruises, or going abroad.
- Travel medical expense: $10,000 per person
- Emergency medical evacuation: $100,000
- Trip cancellation: $500 per person
- Trip interruption: $750 per person
More Berkshire Hathaway Travel Insurance Choices
AdrenalineCare (Adventure Travel Insurance)
Berkshire Hathaway’s AdrenalineCare travel insurance plan is a good fit for travelers who are planning adventure sports or activities. This comprehensive policy also provides coverage for sporting gear and equipment and lost permit and license fees.
- Travel medical expense: $50,000
- Emergency medical evacuation: $750,000
- Trip cancellation: $25,000
- Trip delay: $200 per day
- Trip interruption: $37,500
- Baggage delay: $150
- Baggage loss: $1,500
- Sporting and golf equipment delay: $500
AirCare (Flight Insurance)
A Berkshire Hathaway AirCare policy will reimburse you for flight costs if you experience cancellations, delays or interruptions during your trip, as long as the reason for the problem is listed in the policy.
- Baggage delay: $200
- Baggage loss: $500
- Flight cancellation: $150
- Flight departure: $50
- Flight diversions: $150
- Missed connections: $100
- Tarmac delay: $1,000
WaveCare (Cruise Insurance)
For cruise vacations, Berkshire Hathaway’s WaveCare insurance provides a wide range of core benefits and a high level of travel medical evacuation coverage.
- Travel medical expense: $75,000
- Emergency medical evacuation: $750,000
- Trip cancellation: $25,000
- Trip delay: $1,000
- Trip interruption: $37,500
- Baggage loss: $1,500
- Baggage delay: $200
- Cruise disablement: $500
- Missed connection: $500
Cost of Berkshire Hathaway Travel Insurance Plans
Costs for Berkshire Hathaway travel insurance policies vary based on the plan’s benefits, your age and the trip cost.
| Travelers and trip | Cost per trip for the ExactCare plan | Cost per trip for the ExactCare Value plan | Cost per trip for the LuxuryCare plan |
|---|---|---|---|
Two travelers age 30, trip cost $3,000, traveling to Mexico for 8 days | $92 | $68 | $178 |
Two travelers age 40, trip cost $6,000, traveling to Italy for 17 days | $356 | $264 | $350 |
Family with two parents age 40 and two children, $15,000 trip cost, traveling to Italy for 17 days | $448 | $560 | $866 |
Family with two parents age 40 and two children, $15,000 trip cost, traveling to France for 17 days | $448 | $560 | $866 |
Family with two parents age 40 and two children, $15,000 trip cost, traveling to U.K. for 17 days | $448 | $560 | $1,595 |
Two travelers age 65, trip cost $6,000, traveling to Italy for 17 days | $520 | $244 | $670 |
Two travelers, age 70, trip cost $3,000, traveling to Mexico for 8 days | $260 | $200 | $460 |
Does Berkshire Hathaway Have 24/7 Travel Assistance?
All Berkshire Hathaway travel insurance plans include 24/7 assistance services, which include emergency travel and medical assistance and concierge services to enhance your experience. Berkshire Hathaway provides these services through one assistance phone number and the call is routed to the specific experts who can help.
Services provided include:
- Emergency cash transfer assistance
- Event ticketing assistance
- Eyeglass and contact lens replacement assistance
- Flight and hotel rebooking
- Language translation
- Lost passport/travel document assistance
- Prescription medication replacement assistance
- Physician/hospital/dental/vision referrals
- Restaurant referrals and reservations
What’s Not Covered by Berkshire Hathaway Travel Insurance
It’s important to thoroughly read any travel insurance policy to understand the scope of coverage. All travel insurance plans contain exclusions. For example, Berkshire Hathaway’s LuxuryCare plan has these exclusions for travel medical coverage:
- Alcohol or substance abuse or treatment
- Experimental medical treatments
- Intentionally self-inflicted injury
- Mental health care
- Routine physical examinations
How to File a Claim With Berkshire Hathaway
If you have a claim on a Berkshire Hathaway travel insurance policy, you can file a claim online or through the app, by email or by phone. When you file a claim and upload documents and receipts using the app, you can get paid the same day when you choose electronic payment.
- Website: bhtp.com
- Email: claims@bhtp.com
- Telephone: (855) 487-1745
Methodology
Forbes Advisor researched and analyzed 39 policies to find the best travel insurance. When companies had more than one travel insurance policy we used the highest-scoring plan. Ratings are based on the following metrics.
Cost (25% of score): We analyzed the average cost for each travel insurance policy for trips to popular destinations:
- Couple, age 30 for a Mexico trip costing $3,000.
- Couple, age 40, for an Italy trip costing $6,000.
- Family of four for an Italy trip costing $15,000.
- Family of four for a France trip costing $15,000.
- Family of four for a U.K. trip costing $15,000.
- Couple, age 65, for an Italy trip costing $6,000.
- Couple, age 70, for a Mexico trip costing $3,000.
Missed connection coverage (10% of score): Travel insurance policies were awarded more points if they include missed connection benefits of $1,000 per person or more.
Medical expenses (10% of score): Travel insurance policies with travel medical expense benefits of $250,000 and up per person were given the highest points.
Medical evacuation (10% of score): Travel insurance policies with medical evacuation expense benefits of $500,000 and up per person were given the highest points.
“Cancel for any reason” upgrade (10%): Travel insurance policies received points if “cancel for any reason” upgrades are offered. More points were awarded for “cancel for any reason” upgrades with reimbursement levels of 75%.
Baggage delay required waiting time (5%): Policies with baggage delay benefits kicking in at 12 hours or less were given points.
Cancel for work reasons: (5%): Travel insurance plans that allow cancellations for work reasons were awarded points.
Hurricane and weather (5%): Policies received points if the required waiting period for hurricane and weather coverage was 12 hours or less.
“Interruption for any reason” upgrade (5%): Policies were awarded points if they offered an “interruption for any reason” upgrade.
Pre-existing medical condition exclusion waiver (5%): Points were given to policies that cover pre-existing medical conditions (if purchased within a required timeframe after the first trip deposit).
Travel delay required waiting time (5%): Policies with travel delay benefits kicking in after six hours or less were given points.
Trip interruption travel insurance (5%): Points were given if trip interruption reimbursement is 150% or higher.
0 Comments