Travel Insured Responds to MSNBC Article Questioning Travel Insurance
Travel Insured responded to a summer 2008 article on the MSNBC News Web site that posed the question, “Is Travel Insurance Worth the Extra Money?” and then gave a negative answer. “In rare instances it is a good deal, but it often duplicates existing coverage,” the sub-headline stated. Travel Insured emailed MSNBC writer Laura Coffey recommending she consult the U.S. State Dept. Web site for the government’s advice regarding medical insurance.
Did they just get it wrong or was it a young inexperienced reporter?
In my many years in the newspaper business, I saw lots of young reporters who just didn’t do enough good research to get the facts correct. Whose fault is that. Well, it’s the fault of the editor and the reporter and the publisher. All three! A good experienced newspaper editor with a little common sense could easily tell this was not a complete factual story. It had some facts. But, it had left out some critical, pertinent information, and it ‘got by’ somebody with gray hair. They just missed it. An experienced copy editor at a newspaper would have questioned that story in an instant. Apparently they don’t scrutinize as much at Network TV stations.
Here’s an example:
Contrary to Coffey’s statement that “your medical insurance may be valid in other countries.” the State Dept. says “U.S. medical insurance is generally not accepted outside the U.S., nor do the Social Security Medicare and Medicaid programs provide coverage…”
Is that clear enough for anyone but a cub reporter?
A simple fact check could have avoided embarrassing the young reporter and the news station. However, I sense that MSNBC was looking more for sensationalism rather than facts in this case. In any case, it didn’t help me believe much else they have to say….at least for a while.
Travel Insured International also cited experts, such as former Consumer Reports travel editor Ed Perkins, whose research disagreed with the MSNBC opinion that “airlines reimburse lost baggage.” Perkins, in his SmarterTravel.com article of December 2006, reported that airlines find ways to avoid reimbursing clients for lost bags and added, “government rules tend to protect airlines, not passengers.”
I’ve seen lots go wrong and been very glad to have helped provide trip travel insurance to clients. You just never know when they will need to take advantage of trip cancellation insurance. I’ve even seen clients use golf travel insurance during an ice storm when a couple couldn’t get to the airport.
Travel Insured also suggested writer Coffey consult published accounts of the 2007 Valentine’s Day ice storm, and travel agents’ customer experiences, to learn that travelers often do not receive refunds after a natural disaster, contrary to MSNBC’s opinion that “you are likely to get a refund if your trip gets cancelled” due to a natural disaster. We had clients who were protected during that ice storm and we can report they were very grateful we offered them Travel Insured Worldwide Trip Protector to save their cruise when they simply could not get to the airport. It was a lifesaver.
Sorry MSNBC, you missed that one…..too!
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