The Insurance Doctor

Tag: travel

  • Travel Insurance?

    Travel Insurance?

                                

    The summer travel season kicked off this past Memorial Day weekend!  Over 3 million Americans planned to travel by air, besting predictions by the Federal Aviation Administration!

    Many Americans are couped up and feeling the need to take a break and catch up on missed travel opportunities this summer.  Some are calling this the season of “Revenge Travel!” 

    International travel has become riskier, as there are more variables such as testing Covid-19 positive and being mandated to quarantine in a foreign country well past your intended duration of stay.  For this reason, it is critical to explore travel insurance. 

    There are many different variations of travel insurance policies.  From family vacations to extreme sports, to business travel, travel insurance policies provide travelers with peace of mind knowing they have an extra layer of protection from unforeseen circumstances during these tumultuous times!

    One thing about travel and insurance is that every situation is different and unique.  Regular “Financial Wave” readers might remember I wrote a piece on this in the beginning of this year.

    There are so many variables and questions to ask yourself, such as:

    1. What does my current health insurance cover?
    2. Will there be dangerous risks?
    3. What does my credit card cover?
    4. What about my pre-existing conditions?
    5. What about my medicare supplement or Medigap policy?
    6. Should I protect myself more now since I am older?
    7. Can I afford to self-insure this risk?

    I decided to do a “deeper dive” into some of these important questions and interviewed Jerry Gonzalez, President of Dugan and Gonzalez Insurance, located in Ridgewood, Queens.

    Hi Jerry, “my readers have questions about travel insurance during these uncertain times as protection is more important now than ever”. 

                Robert:  1. Jerry, what type of protection does my current health insurance policy provide me?

                Jerry:  First and foremost, always call and ask your broker or insurance carrier.  Changes are made to plans all the time, so what was once covered may not be covered now.  How you obtain insurance coverage has an impact on coverage extended to you.  Individual plans or Affordable Care Act exchange-based plans usually do NOT cover these types of claims!

    Employer-based group plans usually do offer emergency coverage outside the USA, though the challenge doesn’t end there.  The foreign provider will expect payment upfront before services are rendered.  The coverage extended to you only provides reimbursement AFTER the claim is submitted, so the question you must ask yourself is, “Do I have access to enough funds to cover the cost of a medical emergency?”

    Robert: 2. What about my Medicare or Medigap supplement policy? 

    Jerry: Medicare supplement plans will cover up to 60 days of travel, up to $50,000 on your policy.  Medicare Advantage usually does NOT offer this coverage.  When coverage is available it is offered on a reimbursement basis once the claim is submitted.  This brings us back to the original question; “Do I have access to enough funds to cover the cost of a medical emergency?”

    Robert: 3.  What about if I take dangerous risks?

    Jerry:  When you are traveling and participating in extreme sports or high-risk activities, I would suggest looking into your coverage closely.  Ask questions about limits of the policy.  If you are working with a broker, outline the activities you plan to participate in making sure your coverage will cover those types of injuries.  There are policies designed specifically to handle emergency situations with concierge services to communicate with providers about coverage and payment.

    Robert: 4. What about policy pre-existing conditions?

    Jerry: Pre-existing conditions, depending on the policy, may present a challenge.  There are certain insurance carriers that underwrite the policy that may cover that condition for an additional premium, exclude the condition, or add a waiting period on covering that condition.  There are others that may provide a guaranteed issue policy and cover that regardless.  If you are concerned about a pre-existing condition, disclose it to the broker assisting you with the policy!

    Robert: 5.  Do I need to buy travel or cancellation insurance?

    Jerry: I would suggest that you do!  For an overseas trip, in this Covid-19 environment, I would say it is important.  For medical coverage on these policies, it is usually offered, and it is varied.  There may be different limits and conditions.  Usually, these policies are offered on a guaranteed-issue basis within a specified period, so they will usually cover pre-existing conditions.  You may have concerns about how they cover claims (reimbursement basis) and policy limits (dollar amounts).  I suggest obtaining a copy of the policy offered and submitting it to your broker for discussion. 

    It is better to be safe than sorry during these times of uncertainty!

  • Pizza = Big Business

    Pizza = Big Business

    Pizza is my favorite food! The passion for pizza goes way back to my early childhood when my Sicilian Grandmother, Anna Intelisano, made her own pizza for us. At our house, for a variety of reasons, we would often have pizza on Friday nights with cannoli for dessert.

    Pizza was invented in Naples, Italy in the early to mid-1800s. The classic Margherita-style pizza was named after the Italian “Queen Margherita!” In celebration of the queen’s visit to Naples in 1889, a popular pizzeria made a pizza to match the white, green, and red of the Italian flag. 

    Pizza became popular in the United States in late 1945, when returning soldiers who fought in Italy in WWII spread the word. The first pizzeria in the USA was Lombardi’s, which opened in 1905. 

    I led a pizza crawl in October 2019 (see the picture) which started at Famous Ben’s, then onto Prince Street pizza (my #1 pepperoni Sicilian slice,) followed by a fabulous sit-down meal in the Lombardi’s basement dining room. 

    Lombardi’s was founded by Gennaro Lombardi.  His employees included Anthony “Totonno” Pero, John Sasso, and Pasquale “Patsy” Lanceri. The 3 pizza makers left and launched their own pizza establishments called Totonno, John’s, and Patsy’s respectively. Thus, the Lombardi pizza family tree was created! Subsequently, two pizza generations branched out to places like Patsy Grimaldi’s (his nephew) and Lucali. 

    There are now numerous pizza styles such as Detroit-Style (Emmy’s and Emmy Squared,) a new wave of Neopolitan artisanal personal pizza styles such as Roberta’s, Keste, Best and Motorino. With these hybrid styles have come large price increases.

    Food and Wine recently came out with a report ranking New York pizza #3 behind New Jersey and Connecticut. Their reasoning is that New York pizzerias are in a hurry and rush the process to make more profit. I am not buying this; however, I do have a few places in N.J. and Ct. on my radar to do my own comparison.

    I have found excellent pizza all over the world. From Naples (we went to Pizzeria da Michele, featured in the Eat, Pray, Love Julia Roberts movie) to Sydney, Australia to Bogota, Colombia.

    Since the early 1960s, the price of a regular New York slice has almost matched the price of a subway token. This was called the “Pizza Principle” or the “Pizza-Subway Connection.” This held true until about 6-8 years ago when pizza prices started to ramp up and become a huge money-making business. Now, in many places, a gourmet slice with toppings can run between $4-$5 per slice.

               Courtesy of factretriever.com, my top 10 pizza factoids are:

    1.   In America, annual pizza sales exceed $28 billion per year.

    2.   Over 5 billion pizzas are sold every year in the world.

    3.   Over 3 billion pizzas are sold every year in the United States.

    4.   Americans eat approximately 350 slices per second.

    5.   Recently, Halloween unseated Super Bowl Sunday as the biggest pizza day.

    6.   Thanksgiving is the day Americans eat the least amount of pizza.

    7.   October is national pizza month.

    8.   The average American eats about 46 slices or 23 pounds per year.

    9.   The most popular pizza topping in the USA is pepperoni.

    10.Lady Gaga once bought $1,000 worth of pizza for fans waiting in line for her autograph!

  • 5 Reasons to Visit Northern California

    5 Reasons to Visit Northern California

    Since we are in the middle of the summer and a pandemic, it is not feasible for most people to travel overseas.  There has never been a better time to explore within the USA.  I recommend considering Northern California:

    1. Mount Shasta:  Beautiful mountain located between Redding and the Oregon border 3600 feet above sea level with hiking, museums, art galleries, and good cuisine.
    2. Sundial bridge: Built by Santiago Calatrava in 2004 this is the only sundial bridge in the USA.  It’s located in the turtle bay exploration park with a glass bottom, great trails, and a museum.  It’s a great stop if driving up to Vancouver and it’s also dog friendly.
    3. Pluto caves: These caves are not marked nor will you find them in any travel guide.  We were tipped off by a local and had an outstanding hike inside of them.
    4. Whiskeytown lake: It’s a reservoir in Shasta county and a big favorite of the locals.  Kayaking and all motorized boating are permitted.  Various levels of restaurants are available in the vicinity.
    5. In and Out Burger: My favorite burger chain.  Family-owned restaurants who unfortunately have stated they will not expand to the east coast.
  • 8 Reasons to Visit Australia

    8 Reasons to Visit Australia

    Australia is a gorgeous place and it’s about 75% of the size of the United States with only 10% of our population situated mostly along the coast.  I hope you enjoy these reasons to visit half as much as we enjoyed this beautiful continent!

    1. The Great Barrier Reef: The largest reef system in the world dates back 500 million years and there are 3000 reefs covering 2000 islands over 1250 miles long.  Swimming with sharks and fish rank in my top 3 trips all-time (African Safari & Angkor Wat)!
    2. Blue Mountains National Park: Called the “Grand Canyon of Australia” the mountains get their name from the release of oil from the eucalyptus trees which causes a blue haze.  Amazing rock formations, hiking and visit “Scenic World” to ride the world’s steepest railway down to the rainforest boardwalk!
    3. The Animals: See some of the most exotic animals in the world ranging from Kangaroo’s to Koala bears to Penguins at Phillip Island and the Melbourne Sea Life aquarium.  About 1 million animals have died in the fires, they’ll be very happy and appreciative to see you!
    4. The Beaches: Australia is blessed with the most miles of coastline in the world and there are great beach options like Bondi beach that are close to the cities and easy to reach.  Watersports are available for families and extreme sports folks alike!
    5. The People: You won’t find friendlier and happier people anywhere around the globe.  Fun with a great sense of humor the people are a treasure and will appreciate your visit!  Melbourne has been voted the world’s most livable city several times.
    6. The Architecture: Sydney possesses a great diversity of architectural styles from Modern Expressionism like the Sydney Opera House to Colonial Georgian structures to elaborate Victorian buildings like Sydney town hall.
    7. Yarra Valley Wineries: This beautiful valley is home to some of Australia’s best cool-climate wineries.  They’re known for sparkling wines, Chardonnays and Pinot Noirs.
    8. Reasonably priced:  With the proper research, coach flights are available for under $1000 and hotels are reasonably priced outside of Sydney.  We recommend Parramatta, a Sydney suburb and easy 25 minute Ferry Ride from center city Sydney, enjoy!

  • 5 Tourist Traps to Avoid

    There are so many fabulous places in the world to visit. Avoid the hype as these 5 tourists traps that are a waste of time!

    1. Stonehenge, Wiltshire, England: This mysterious site may date as far back as 3000 bc. More than 1.3 million visited in 2014. It takes hours to get there and you can longer go into thetourist-traps central ring of stones. It’s a ton of tour buses with tourists walking in circles aimlessly!
    2. Mall of America, Bloomington, Minnesota: Receives over 40 million visitors from around the globe each year. Expect heavy crowds and over-priced goods. Unless you are going on rides it’s a waste of time!
    3. La Boca, Buenas Aires, Argentina: It’s a brightly painted neighborhood that attracts tourists looking to take tango lessons and photograph crayola-colored houses. It’s basically 1 fake-looking street painted to get tourists to visit the over-priced coffee shops, bars and restaurants.
    4. Walk of Fame, Hollywood, California: It’s comprised of 15 blocks of Hollywood blvd and marked by commemorative stars in the sidewalk. Seedy sin city type crowds tourist-trap-linkedin-Dec42015with hookers, dirty streets and solicitors everywhere.
    5. Manneken Pis, Brussels, Belgium: Manneken Pis depicts a naked boy urinating in a fountain. For some this 17th century sculpture is a work of art. For most this is a small statue that’s a waste of time!Are you prepared for your financial journey? Avoid the traps by contacting Robert today.
  • 10 Reasons to Stay at the Bogota, Colombia BNB Inn

    10 Reasons to Stay at the Bogota, Colombia BNB Inn


    Colombia has an old stigma as a beautiful yet dangerous place to visit.  Tourism is booming as there is so much culture and depth to this country.  I strongly suggest staying at the Bogota Bed & Breakfast Inn.

    1. Location: Nestled in cozy middle class Teusaquillo near the airport, downtown and the Bogota Botanical Garden.  Downtown is 15 minutes and a $2-3 Uber ride anywhere.  Easy one-hour flight to Medellin or Cartagena.
    2. Safety and Security: 16 high-tech security cameras and a 500 lb. steel front door with remote, nice residential area.
    3. Family-owned by a wonderful couple: Rick Estrada and Beatriz (Aunt B to me) Leon.  Rick was born in Manhattan and grew up in Florida.  Ex-military (USAF) he’s also a historian and runs the best tour.  Bea, born in Cali (Colombia) and helped transform the community.  They both speak fluent English and Spanish.
    4. The Price is Right: The only true BNB in Bogota is under $100/night including breakfast, a briefing and fast free internet, business services and so much more…
    5. Food: Omg the food is so good, they make breakfast to order.  They cook traditional American, arepa with eggs and specialty dishes like Tamel.  Also, excellent pizza and burgers as well as upscale restaurants are blocks away.
    6.  Clean and neat: They won the TripAdvisor Green Leader award for eco-friendliness.  This place is spotless!
    7. Sight-seeing galore:  A plethora of options, Monserrate mountain, Nemocon salt mine (“Los 33” Antonio Banderas Chilean minor’s movie was filmed there), graffiti walking tour, gold museum and Guatevita the flooded city.
    8. People and the scene: Cosmopolitan capital Bogota is home to warm, welcoming people who appreciate a small effort to speak Spanish.  The city offers culinary, art and live music scenes that rival Buenos Aires or Mexico.
    9. The “Rick Special Tour”: I suggest taking this tour the first 2-3 days in Bogota.  Rick can customize the trip based on your interests.  An encyclopedia of knowledge, he will give you a great picture of Colombia’s history past to present.
    10. Feels like home: Unlimited library of music, I felt comfortable for 9 days wearing my PJ’s (pants only) around the house.  Where else can you text the owners on WhatsApp and get prompt answers?  Click the website above for video on each room and book the reservation!

  • 5 Reasons to Visit Sicily

    If there’s one place I love to visit it is ‘old country’, Sicily that is. If there is one destination that is ‘bucket list worthy’ it is Sicily.

    1. Taormina: Sicily’s greatest resort, Taormina was built on a cliff overlooking the Ionian Sea.  With great shopping and panoramic views of the sea and Mount Etna, Taormina is a must for Sicily visitors.insurance, New York City, financial services, health insurance
    2. Mount Etna: The tallest active volcano in Europe, Etna offers a variety of different hikes. I was actually on the mountain in 1994 which was the last time it erupted.
    3. Syracuse and Ortygia: Siracusa is a dramatic mix of old and new. It was once a key city in the Greek empire.  Ortygia, thousands of years old is known as the old city.  Having been bombed several times, Ortygia was rebuilt in what is called Sicilian Baroque.  These wonderful places can be seen on the same day.
    4. The Godfather tour: In Fiumefreddo  (cold river) it’s about a 30-minute drive from Taormina.  I haven’t seen it advertised, however, it’s a must for Godfather fans.  The most famous scene shot there is when Michael’s Sicilian wife Appolonia blew up in a car meant for Michael.  The property owner, Franco Platania was on the set as a kid in 1971 when Godfather 1 was filmed.
    5. Food and wine: I have had several of my best all-time dishes in Sicily including Tiramisu and rice balls.  Sicily is a must especially if you have been to Italy as many feel that it’s a different country!
  • 8 Summer Travel Tips

    8 Summer Travel Tips

    Having touched foot on 5 of the 7 continents, I have learned a lot.  With solid planning, I was able to do 3 weeks in Thailand, Myanmar, and Cambodia with 1 carry-on bag and 1 computer bag.  My top travel tips are:insurance, New York, travel

    1. Call your credit card companies in advance: and tell them where you are going and what dates. I have had cards frozen because companies see a string of out of town charges and they think your cards were stolen.
    2. Think in body sections when packing: I do this in the morning while getting work ready and start from feet to head.  It can be stressful the last days before a trip so you don’t want to forget anything so do the same with the kids.
    3. Pack a change of clothes in your carry-on bag: 29 million bags are lost/delayed each year. Be ready when it happens to you!
    4. Buy a guide book if going overseas: Can’t stress this enough. Advanced research prevents issues which can ruin a trip.  For example, my research told me that in Myanmar and Cambodia they accept US dollars however not with folds or wrinkles.  I went to the bank in advance and withdrew $500 of new bills in 1’s, 5’s, 10’s and 20’s. I like “lonely planet” and “rough guides” the best.  Look for the most recent edition.
    1. Read negative reviews on hotels: I prefer trip advisor and Agoda for international travel.
    2. If touring by car get a tune-up and GPS: Nothing worse than getting lost or having your car break down.  GPS your destinations in advance for proper time planning.
    3. Buy an off color suitcase: This way you can spot in from a long distance away.
    4. Sign up for the TSA: The TSA pre-check can make the difference between missing and making a flight and decrease travel stress considerably.
  • 6 London Attractions to See on a Budget

    6 London Attractions to See on a Budget

    6 great attractions in London on a budget

    After a ten day visit, I can say that London is a fantastic place to visit however it can burn a hole in your wallet or purse. Today’s exchange rate is about $1.50 US dollars for every 1 pound (Lb).

    Check out these 6 FREE must see options below:

    1. The British Museum: Ranked #15 of top 25 places to visit in the “world” in lonely planet’s august 2015 survey. It’s 1 of only 2 museums listed (the other is in Australia). This massive museum houses priceless artifacts from all 7 continents. It’s set up by country and subdivided by era. It’s also free! Was so nice I went twice. They suggest a 5-pound donation however not mandatory.

    The Borough Market, London
    The Borough Market, London

    2. Borough Market: A hidden gem located walking distance from London Bridge. Words don’t describe how interesting it is (see my FB pictures). Before 5 pm the market is loaded with tasty treats. Some of the best cheeses I’ve ever had. After 5 pm it’s filled with locals getting out of work.

    3. Tate Modern Museum: an art gallery with pieces (Picasso’s and Warhol’s) mostly from 1900-present and is 1 of 4 Tate galleries in the UK. There’s a great balcony for pictures of the Thames river and St. Paul’s. It’s located a short walk over the millennium bridge across from St. Paul’s cathedral. It’s about 75% free as there’s one floor with current exhibits that they charge for. Also, check out the lounge area with couches the unique activities for the kids. They can draw and be creative and see their drawings projected onto the wall. A 4-pound donation suggested not mandatory.

    4. Camden town: Reminds me of our Greenwich village in Manhattan. Cool hipster edgy area with interesting vintage clothing shopping and people watching. Go to their Camden market which used to be horse stables that were converted into many little unique booths. Great place to find the same goods as centre city London for less than half the price. For you shopaholics (you know who you are, lol) also visit Harrods department store. It takes Saks 5th avenue to a whole new level.

    5. The National Gallery: This gallery has one of the best collections of paintings in the world. Read the captions as I was interested to see some of the pieces were given to the gallery in lieu of paying estate (inheritance) taxes. It’s located in Trafalgar square which is a really fun place to just walk around. The architecture is breathtaking!

    6. London Rock Tour: This is a bonus tidbit although it’s not free. There are two different mini-bus tours 9-1 and 2-6 that cost about $50 each. They are run by a former band promoter named Bob. Go to Abbey road and abbey road studios. See Paul McCartney’s house, the Rolling Stones sticky fingers restaurant and get great stories of these British bands on their way up.

    Contact Rob here for your free financial review today

  • 10 Fun & Not So Fun Facts About Puerto Rico

    After 20+ years I just spent a week at the El San Juan and learned that it’s not what it used to be.  Here’s what I found.

    The streets of San Juan, Puerto Rico
    streets of San Juan, Puerto Rico

    1. Leave your passport home: PR is a U.S. territory hence, you can ditch your passport!  Bring a valid / current photo ID though.

    2. The drinking age is 18 and currency is U.S. dollar    :  It makes things very easy to buy what you forgot to pack.

    3. There are 5 Miss Universe winners from PR: Unfortunately, I didn’t see any of them at the beach.

    4. PR has 270 miles of beaches and is an archipelago: which means there are more islands to explore.

    5. The west coast of PR has some of the best surfing and diving in all of the Caribbean: A hidden gem for sure.

    6. PR has some of the best coffee in the world: Having been on 5 of the 7 continents I rate them in my top 5.

    7. PR is the home of the world’s largest telescope: It’s called the Arecibo Observatory.

    8. PR is almost always between 70 to 80 degrees year round: Weather is steady but no guarantee.  We were just had 2 of 7 days that were sunny.  We did find that the humidity seemed lower and less bugs than before.

    9. PR is in deep debt that is currently $72B: Old town San Juan was noticeably run down with many closed businesses and less people.  There was actually a shortage of luggage earlier this year because so many people are leaving the island.

    Zip line fun in Puerto Rico
    Zip line fun in Puerto Rico

    10. Currently, PR has no bankruptcy protection: PR is in a deep recession and there’s no guarantee that the USA will bail them out.  They are having elections in may and corruption is rampant.  The relationship between the U.S. and PR is a “tricky” one.  We shall see how it plays out.

    In summary,  PR is still a fun place to visit.  That being said if you were there years ago like us you will notice the difference and might be disappointed!