Travel Insurance, Decoded: What's Worth Buying and What Isn't
April 14, 2026 · 6 min read · By the Merédian advisor team
Nobody daydreams about travel insurance. But on trips costing five figures, the difference between the right policy and the checkout-box policy can be the entire cost of the trip.
The coverage that actually matters
Medical evacuation is the non-negotiable — an air ambulance from a remote island can exceed $200,000, and your health insurance almost certainly won't pay it. Primary emergency medical comes second, especially abroad where US coverage thins out.
Trip cancellation matters in proportion to your prepaid, non-refundable costs. Add 'Cancel For Any Reason' (CFAR) only when your plans are genuinely uncertain — it costs roughly 40% more and reimburses about 75%.
What you can usually skip
Baggage coverage duplicates what credit cards and airlines already owe you. Flight-only accident policies are statistical theater. And the cruise line's own protection plan is almost always weaker than a third-party policy at similar cost.
Our advisors quote licensed third-party coverage matched to each itinerary — remote destinations get evacuation-heavy policies, complex multi-country trips get cancellation depth. Insurance should be tailored like everything else.
