Atlas International is an A-rated comprehensive Travel Medical insurance plan that provides medical coverage and other covered travel and emergency services for a traveler’s temporary stay outside of their home country. The coverage duration is available from 5 days to 364 days.
After the deductible is satisfied, the plan will pay 100% of eligible medical expenses up to the policy maximum.
If you’re getting ready for a trip, you know it can involve a fair bit of planning. From finding affordable vacation ideas to choosing the ideal flights, there are a lot of decisions to make. One decision you’d probably rather not deal with is choosing a travel insurance plan.
Unlike scouting for the best flight and hotel deals, there’s nothing fun about thinking about the worst-case scenario. It’s tempting to skip it altogether – but don’t. Anything could happen, and it’s better to be safe than sorry.
The best travel insurance companies offer comprehensive coverage that protects your financial investment and your health.
Atlas travel insurance features
Trip cancellation insurance
Atlas trip cancellation insurance plans protect you from financial loss if you cancel your trip or return home suddenly (for a covered reason). There are 3 plans to choose from – Excursion, Expedition, and Enterprise.
As an example, the basic Atlas Excursion plan includes:
- Trip Cancellation
- Trip Interruption
- Baggage Delay
- Trip Delay
- Emergency Medical and Dental Expense
- Emergency Medical Evacuation and Repatriation of Remains
- Common Carrier AD&D
Of course, the higher-tiered Expedition and Enterprise plans offer more coverage per category and offer extras like Cancel for Any Reason coverage and a Pre-existing Medical Conditions Waiver.
One note about these plans – they are not easy to find on their website. In fact, you have to get a quote (and therefore, already know your plans or have made reservations) to even get access to coverage amounts. It would be nice to see coverage amounts front-and-center similar to the MultiTrip and travel medical plans – without having to put in specific information first. Anyone should be able to see up-front how much insurance is provided.
Atlas MultiTrip
Atlas’ MultiTrip plan is a travel medical plan that covers all trips lasting up to 30 or 45 days in a 364-day period. It’s an attractive solution for frequent travelers. Their MultiTrip plans include:
- Emergency Medical Evacuation: $1,000,000 lifetime maximum
- Repatriation of Remains: Up to the overall maximum limit
- Emergency Dental: $300
- Accidental Death and Dismemberment: Lifetime max up to $25,000 depending on age
- Common Carrier Accidental Death: up to $50,000 depending on age
- Personal Liability: $25,000 lifetime max
- Trip Interruption: $10,000
- Lost Luggage: $1,000
- Travel Delay (12 hours): $100/day for maximum 2 days
- Lost or Stolen Passport/Travel Visa: $100
- Deductible: $250 per covered trip
Remember that while it includes trip interruption, trip delay, and baggage loss coverage, it does not include trip cancellation insurance. If you want that, you can purchase it separately.
Cost of Atlas Travel Insurance
The cost of a travel insurance policy depends on several factors, including your age, the length and cost of your trip, whether you’re traveling solo or with family, and your state of residence. To weigh your options, get an online quote directly from Atlas.
That said, these examples help illustrate how the plans compare in terms of price.
Consider a 33-year-old solo traveler heading to Belgium for two weeks in June. He’s from the U.S. state of Georgia, and his trip costs $3,000. Here is what he would pay for each of the Atlas trip cancellation insurance plans:
- Atlas Excursion: $91
- Atlas Expedition: $107
- Atlas Enterprise: $126
Now, if it were a family vacation with his 35-year-old wife and their two kids, ages 7 and 10. With the additional airfare, let’s say the trip costs $5,500:
- Atlas Excursion: $204
- Atlas Expedition: $240
- Atlas Enterprise: $280
In both examples, the jump from Atlas Excursion to Atlas Expedition is pretty small. Considering Atlas Expedition gets you an extra $100,000 in emergency medical coverage and the pre-existing medical conditions waiver, I think it’s worth it.
Note that adding Cancel for Any Reason coverage to the Atlas Enterprise plan would cost an extra $182. The standard trip cancellation coverage includes the most common reasons for canceling a trip, so most people probably wouldn’t add it on.
Atlas MultiTrip: How Much?
When buying the MultiTrip Plan, you can insure trips lasting up to 30 or 45 days. Here is how much it would cost to insure the travelers from the previous example for all trips taken for 364 days.
Our 33-year-old solo traveler would pay:
- $188 for all trips lasting up to 30 days
- $230 for all trips lasting up to 45 days
The family of 4, ages 35, 33, 10, and 7 would pay:
- $282 for all trips lasting up to 30 days
- $345 for all trips lasting up to 45 days
How to buy Atlas Travel insurance
The simplest way to buy any of the Atlas plans is online. Start by grabbing a quote and reviewing the coverage. If you like what you see, enter your details and your payment information, and you’re good to go.
The Atlas trip cancellation insurance plans come with a 10-day review period. This means you can request a refund within 10 days of purchasing your plan if you change your mind (as long as your coverage hasn’t started).
With the Atlas MultiTrip plan, you can request a refund any time before coverage begins.
How to make a claim
You have 20 days for trip cancellation insurance or 60 days for MultiTrip insurance from the day coverage ends (the last day of the certificate period) to file a claim.
To start a claim, you must contact Tokio Marine HCC-MIS to give notice of your claim. You can do this online or by mail, and you can call to get help. They will advise what forms and information you need to provide.
Atlas Travel Insurance: What isn’t covered?
The in-depth exclusion details vary by plan and can be found in your plan certificate. Here are a few things worth noting.
Pre-existing medical conditions
The Atlas trip insurance plans define a pre-existing medical condition as one you had in the 60 days preceding your scheduled departure. That 60 days is called the look-back period. Pre-existing conditions are handled differently based on the type of travel insurance you purchase.
The Atlas Excursion plan does not cover pre-existing medical conditions in any circumstance. For some, this is a good reason to buy the Atlas Expedition or Enterprise plans instead.
The Atlas Expedition and Enterprise plans have a pre-existing conditions waiver. That means that if you meet certain criteria, your trip cancellation, interruption, and medical benefits will cover your pre-existing medical conditions. These are the criteria:
- You purchase your travel insurance plan within 21 days of making your initial trip deposit
- You purchase insurance for the full cost of your trip
- You’re medically able to travel on the effective date of your policy
The Atlas MultiTrip plan has a look-back period of two years. That means a condition is considered pre-existing if you had it in the two years prior to the beginning of your coverage.
The MultiTrip plan does not cover pre-existing medical conditions except in cases of acute onset. Acute onset means a sudden, unexpected, brief flare-up that requires urgent care (excluding chronic or congenital conditions).
Adventure sports
There’s a whole list of adventure sports that aren’t covered. That means if you sustain an injury while taking part in one, Atlas won’t pay your claim. Here are a few notable exclusions:
- Parachuting
- Any kind of race
- Base jumping
- Independent scuba diving
- Spelunking or cave diving
- Whitewater rafting
- Big game hunting
If any of these are an important part of your travel plans, you should look elsewhere for your insurance needs. We recommend checking out World Nomads, which is known for its adventure sports coverage.
Lost or damaged medical items
It’s important to note that baggage/personal effects and baggage delay coverage do not cover loss or damage to medical items you may travel with. This includes:
- Eyeglasses, sunglasses, and contacts
- Artificial teeth and dental bridges
- Hearing aids
- Prosthetic devices
- Prescribed medications
- Retainers and orthodontic devices
The best course of action is to keep these items in your carry-on luggage to reduce the chance of loss or damage.
Standard Exclusions
As is the case with most travel insurance providers, Atlas does not cover losses related to:
- Anything self-inflicted
- War, invasion, acts of foreign enemies, civil war, hostilities between nations
- Any non-emergency medical treatment
- Injury or sickness when traveling against the advice of a physician
- Participation in professional sports, piloting, or military training exercises
Again, consult your plan certificate for the full list of exclusions.
Atlas Insurance: Pros and cons
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Trip cancellation plans offer comprehensive coverage with three tiers to choose from. | Little adventure sports coverage. |
| Pre-existing condition waiver included in Atlas Expedition and Enterprise plans. The look-back period is short at 60 days. | Pre-existing condition waiver included in Atlas Expedition and Enterprise plans. Look look-back period is short at 60 days. |
| Atlas Enterprise plan offers optional Cancel for Any Reason insurance. | No annual plans that include trip cancellation insurance. |
| MultiTrip plan available for frequent travelers. | Have to get a quote to see trip cancellation plan coverage amounts |
| Coverage in the Expedition and Enterprise plans up to age 99. |
Who should buy Atlas Travel insurance?
- Frequent Travelers: If you travel several times a year, Atlas MultiTrip can save you money.
- Travelers Who Need an All-In-One Insurance Product. If you need to insure your non-refundable trip deposits but you also want high levels of medical coverage, the Atlas Expedition or Enterprise plans will be a good fit for you. They come with a generous $150,000 or $200,000 in medical coverage.
- Travelers Who Need Cancel For Any Reason Coverage. The Atlas Enterprise plan comes with optional Cancel for Any Reason coverage. Although it’s expensive, it will be worth it for some travelers.
Who should skip Atlas Travel insurance?
- Seniors Aged 75 and Over. Seniors over age 75 are not eligible for the Atlas Excursion plan or the MultiTrip plan. They can get the Atlas Expedition and Enterprise plan, but they can likely find more options elsewhere.
- Adventurous Travelers. Atlas doesn’t offer adventure sports coverage, so if bungee jumping or mountain climbing are in the cards, look elsewhere.
- Frequent Travelers Who Need Trip Cancellation. The Atlas MultiTrip plan is a great option for frequent travelers, except for one thing: it doesn’t include trip cancellation insurance. If you’ll be making expensive deposits several times per year, the MultiTrip plan won’t check all your boxes.
Atlas Travel Insurance: Is it worth buying?
If you’re looking for a solid, comprehensive travel insurance plan that protects your non-refundable deposits and offers emergency medical coverage, Atlas has you covered. Their Expedition and Enterprise plans offer robust coverage at a reasonable price. They are the trip insurance plans that will meet most travelers’ needs.
The MultiTrip plan is a good fit for travelers looking to insure multiple trips a year but don’t need trip cancellation coverage.
Whether you choose Atlas or another provider, make sure you protect yourself and your trip by purchasing a travel insurance policy before you go.
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