Unless required, I usually do not purchase travel insurance. Most travel credit cards have travel insurance [see post: Credit Card Travel Insurance]. However, some tour companies require you to purchase travel insurance.

I had a difficult time finding travel insurance that covered U.S. residents traveling to Somalia. For instance, companies such as World Nomads (the insurance company that I use for all trips that require travel insurance) do not cover any type of travel to Somalia. Others, such as Voyager Travel Insurance, do not cover U.S. residents (some insurers only cover people resident in certain countries).

Things to Note
Before purchasing a policy, make sure that the insurance company is aware of where you are going and what you are doing. In addition to confirming coverage for the destinations and activities, confirm what the insurance company will be able to do for you in an emergency.

Traveling to an unusual destination? Some insurance companies do not provide coverage for countries with government-issued travel warnings. Traveling to a war-torn country? Some policies have a clause that does not cover delays or injuries due to war and terrorism. Traveling to a remote area? Consider what the policy covers and what type of assistance would be offered in a remote, inaccessible area. Do you need kidnap, ransom, and extortion coverage? Often, these coverages are the most expensive and are not offered by every insurance company.

Companies
Here is a list of insurer and rescue companies that can provide such coverage:

• Global Rescue
• IMG
• First Allied Travel Insurance
• Frontiers Travel
• Battleface
• Middle East Insurance Company
• Clements Worldwide
• Safe Passage International
• World Escapade

Global Rescue
For my recent trip to the Horn of Africa, I purchased an Individual, 1-Year, Medical and Security Evacuation membership with Global Rescue – the world’s premier medical, security and travel services organization. The membership is valid for unlimited trips (up to days 45 at a time) during the term purchased.

Global Rescue provides medical advisory and evacuation services, field rescue, and security advisory and extraction services. It is important to note that Global Rescue is a rescue provider and not an insurer. In addition to the membership with Global Rescue, I had to purchase an insurance policy. Through their partnership with IMG, Global Rescue also offers travel assistance and insurance. I purchased the Global Rescue Signature policy. Fortunately, I have not yet had to use either.