Our travel insurance ratings methodology

How we rate travel insurance 

We evaluated 1,855 travel insurance coverage details and rated 39 travel insurance companies by weighting key factors of top travel insurance plans and scoring the following details.

Cost

We analyzed 567 rates to determine the average cost of travel insurance plans, both with and without a “cancel for any reason” upgrade. The traveler profiles we used are based on various traveler profiles, destinations and trip costs.

• $3,000, 8-day trip to Mexico for two travelers age 30.
• $3,000, 8-day trip to Mexico for two travelers age 70.
• $6,000, 17-day trip to Italy for two travelers age 40.
• $6,000, 17-day trip to Italy for two travelers age 65.
• $15,000, 17-day trip to Italy for four travelers ages 40, 40, 10 and 7.
• $15,000, 17-day trip to France for four travelers ages 40, 40, 10 and 7.
• $15,000, 17-day trip to the U.K. for four travelers ages 40, 40, 10 and 7. 

>> Why this is important: While the cost of travel insurance will vary based on your personal trip details, you want a fairly priced travel insurance plan that includes adequate coverage for the benefits that are important to you. 

Emergency medical coverage

We scored each travel insurance plan based on the emergency medical coverage limit. Travel insurance policies with emergency medical expense benefits of $250,000 or more per person received the highest score.

>> Why this is important: Your U.S. health insurance may not cover you when you travel out of the country. This coverage can cover doctor bills, X-rays and hospital stays if you’re ill or injured abroad. It’s best to have primary coverage with this benefit, which means you won’t have to first file a claim with your health insurance company before filing a travel insurance claim. 

Medical evacuation coverage

Emergency medical evacuation coverage pays to transport you to the nearest adequate treatment center. We gave travel insurance policies with emergency medical evacuation benefits of $500,000 or more per person the highest score.

>> Why this is important: Emergency medical evacuation can cost tens of thousands of dollars, or more if you need to be transported back to the U.S. from the other side of the globe. You’ll want a high coverage limit, especially if you are planning to travel on a boat or to a remote location. 

Pre-existing medical condition exclusion waiver

We gave full points to travel insurance policies that cover pre-existing medical conditions if certain conditions are met. These conditions often include buying your policy within a certain number of days after your first trip deposit, being medically able to travel at the time you buy your travel insurance and insuring the full value of your trip.

>> Why this is important: If you don’t qualify for this waiver, or buy a policy that doesn’t offer one, your pre-existing conditions will not be covered by your travel insurance plan. This could include any condition for which you’ve received treatment in recent months, such as asthma.

Missed connections coverage

Not all travel insurance plans offer coverage for expenses you incur after missing a connecting flight. We gave plans with missed connection benefits of $1,000 per person or more full points. 

>> Why this is important: If a delayed flight causes you to miss a connection and your cruise leaves without you, you could be out a lot of money. This benefit is often limited to cruises and tours but some plans offer more expansive coverage. 

“Cancel for any reason” (CFAR) upgrade

CFAR is an optional upgrade that raises the price of your travel insurance but gives you the option to cancel for a reason not listed in your policy. Some CFAR coverage upgrades only reimburse up to 50% of your trip expenses. We gave points to travel insurance plans with CFAR coverage that reimburses up to 75%.

>> Why this is important: If you’re going to spend the extra money for CFAR coverage, you want a plan that reimburses up to 75% of your prepaid, nonrefundable trip expenses. 

Travel delay required waiting time

Travel delay benefits kick in after a certain waiting period. We gave points to travel insurance policies with travel delay benefits that kick in after a delay of six hours or less.

>> Why this is important: If your connecting flight is delayed and you need to spend extra money, such as on buying dinner at the airport, you want a short waiting period.

Cancel for work reasons

We gave travel insurance plans that allow you to cancel your trip for work reasons points. 

>> Why this is important: Being asked by your boss to stay and work instead of traveling may not be within your control. Watch out for fine print with this benefit though. You might need to have been employed with your current company for a number of years in order to qualify.

Hurricane and severe weather waiting period

Travel insurance plans with a required waiting period of 12 hours or less for hurricane and severe weather coverage received points.

>> Why this is important: If severe weather disrupts your trip, you won’t want to have to wait more than 12 hours for your benefits to apply. 

Our star ratings explained

Our best travel insurance star ratings are determined by weights assigned to the key factors above. Each travel insurance plan is scored and its total score out of 100 determines its star rating. Top scores earn 5 stars. 

Methodologies

• Best travel insurance companies.
• Best cruise travel insurance.
• Best senior travel insurance.
• Best “cancel for any reason” travel insurance.

Best travel insurance methodology

The best travel insurance companies bundle several types of valuable coverage together for a reasonable price. We rated travel insurance plans based on important benefits, coverage levels and cost. 

Best travel insurance ranking factors

• Cost: 40 points.
• Emergency medical coverage: 10 points.
• Medical evacuation coverage: 10 points.
• Pre-existing medical condition exclusion waiver: 10 points.
• Missed connection coverage: 10 points.
• “Cancel for any reason” upgrade: 5 points.
• Travel delay waiting period: 5 points.
• Cancel for work reasons covered: 5 points.
• Hurricane and severe weather waiting period: 5 points.

See the results of our analysis in our rating of the best travel insurance.

Best cruise travel insurance methodology

The best cruise travel insurance covers COVID-related cancellation and medical expenses, offers missed connection coverage and has high levels of emergency medical and medical evacuation coverage. 

Best cruise travel insurance ranking factors

• Cost: 50 points.
• Emergency medical coverage: 10 points.
• Medical evacuation coverage: 10 points. 
• Missed connection coverage: 15 points. 
• CFAR reimbursement level: 5 points.
• Trip interruption coverage: 5 points.
• Pre-existing medical condition exclusion waiver: 5 points.

See the results of our analysis in our rating of the best cruise travel insurance.

Best senior travel insurance methodology

The best senior travel insurance has high levels of emergency medical and evacuation benefits as well as a pre-existing medical condition exclusion waiver. All plans we considered also offer an optional “cancel for any reason” upgrade. 

Best senior travel insurance ranking factors

• Cost: 50 points.
• Emergency medical coverage: 15 points.
• Medical evacuation coverage: 15 points. 
• Pre-existing medical condition exclusion waiver: 20 points. 

See the results of our analysis in our rating of the best senior travel insurance.

Best “cancel for any reason” travel insurance methodology

The best “cancel for any reason” (CFAR) travel insurance offers a high reimbursement percentage for a good price. 

Best CFAR travel insurance ranking factors

• Cost: 80 points.
• CFAR reimbursement level: 20 points. 

See the results of our analysis in our rating of the best “cancel for any reason” (CFAR) travel insurance.

How we collect data

Our insurance editors collect travel insurance data by requesting quotes for seven unique traveler profiles for each plan in our analysis. We then review sample travel insurance policies and document details on each plan’s coverages, benefit levels and optional add-ons. We also document notable exclusions from coverage. 

Our data undergoes three levels of fact-checking to ensure accuracy. We refresh this data annually, and our ratings are updated then. 

USA TODAY Blueprint’s editorial standards

Our goal as insurance editors is to provide an unbiased analysis of insurance products on the market and break down the pros and cons of each for readers. 

For insurance ratings, we collect thousands of data points to evaluate by assigning weights to the most important factors. These weights determine each product’s score out of 100, which translates to a star rating. Top-scoring insurance products get 5 stars. 

Our ratings are designed to let rigorous methodology determine the winners so all star ratings are data-based. Advertisers never influence our editorial content.