Trip Mate insurance

My wife, Shirley, and I would like to report a happy experience with the insurance company Trip Mate (Kansas City, MO; 800/888-7292 or www.tripmate.com).

For a tour of the Dalmatian coast, we took out an independent policy with Trip Mate after reviewing several companies on the Internet. Following a trip to China in July-August, Shirley developed a severe pain in the hip due to pressure on a nerve in the spine. Attempts to relieve the pain were not successful, so approximately a month before scheduled departure on Nov. 3, ’05, we decided we’d be unable to keep up walking with the group.

We canceled our Adriatic trip with the tour agency, then filled out a form describing the circumstances. We had the three doctors who were involved in the treatments also fill out some forms for Trip Mate.

In a few weeks we received checks from Trip Mate for the full amount we had paid the tour operator. Trip Mate dealt with the matter professionally and with relative promptness, and we appreciate it.

Incidentally, a few years ago we had a problem with an insurance company regarding the loss of private possessions due to civil unrest that had forced us to evacuate the country abruptly.

The company tried to read the relevant clauses in the policy in a narrow and unusual way. We took the company to court, whereupon they offered to settle (for less than our claim). We refused the offer and the judge agreed with our reading of the policy. We received our full claim. Some cases are more difficult than others.

MORTON SCHAGRIN
Watertown, MA