Berkshire Hathaway Travel Insurance Review: Is It Worth the Cost?

Berkshire Hathaway Travel Protection can be more expensive than competitors' offerings, but speedy claim reimbursement and specialty options for cruisers, adventurers and road trippers make it a compelling choice.

Berkshire Hathaway’s travel insurance offers a variety of policies for customers on the road. Berkshire Hathaway Homestate Companies has an A++ rating from AM Best, which rates companies within the insurance industry.

A++ is superior and the top rating available from AM Best, marking Berkshire Hathaway as a standout among competitors.

Overall, Berkshire Hathaway travel insurance coverage runs the gamut, with a broad array of standard inclusions:

• Berkshire Hathaway health insurance coverage: Covers emergency medical situations such as illnesses and injuries. 

• Trip cancellation and trip interruption: Reimburses prepaid, nonrefundable costs incurred as a result of your trip being canceled or interrupted. 

• Rental car insurance: Provides insurance when renting a car. 

• Lost luggage: Replaces the value of the items lost in your luggage. 

• Emergency medical evacuation: Covers the costs of evacuating you in an emergency medical situation. 

Note that most Berkshire Hathaway medical coverage is primary, which means it will pay out before any other plans. (ExactCare Value and ExactCare Lite are secondary.)

Plus, every plan that offers emergency medical coverage also provides inclusions for a pre-existing conditions waiver provided you meet eligibility requirements and buy a policy within 15 days of the initial trip deposit.

Berkshire Hathaway Travel Protection offers seven plans for travelers. Three of these are a standardized ExactCare offering, with variations in policy maximums and a few extra inclusions on more expensive plans.

There are also six specialty plans available. These plans focus on what type of activity you’ll be doing, whether you’re on a road trip, looking for luxury benefits or need protection while scuba diving.

Here's an overview of Berkshire Hathaway travel insurance plan options and what is included.

Add-on options

Berkshire Hathaway Travel Protection doesn’t have many add-ons available; instead, inclusions are added when you buy more expensive plans.

However, if you purchase the LuxuryCare plan, you have the opportunity to add Cancel For Any Reason (CFAR) insurance.

» Learn more: Is CFAR insurance worth it?

The protections excluded from your coverage depend on the policy you buy. For example, the AirCare plan doesn’t offer coverage for emergency medical expenses. So look closely at the policy terms to make sure you have the protections you're looking for.

As a general rule, travel insurance — including Berkshire Hathaway Travel Protection — won’t cover these situations:

• Adventure activities (unless specifically included).

• Anything that happens while under the influence of drugs or alcohol. 

• Named storms. 

• Epidemics. 

On a 5-star scale, NerdWallet rated Berkshire Hathaway Travel Protection 5 stars. Jump to see our methodology.

A sample trip for a 36-year-old traveler from Indiana to Canada for five days found that the cheapest Berkshire Hathaway Travel Protection plan cost $26. If you were to opt for the premium plan, which increases coverage limits, expect to pay $75.

When looking across multiple providers, the basic plan for the same sample trip ranges in cost from $10 to $202. Note that price isn't the only differentiating factor. Coverage isn't identical across plans; each company offers various levels of scope, limits and exclusions.

How much does Berkshire Hathaway travel insurance cost? To get a sense of what you’ll spend on a policy, we generated a quote for a 40-year-old traveler from California headed to Nicaragua for one week, with a trip cost of $2,200.

As you can see, of Berkshire Hathaway travel insurance plans, AirCare is by far the cheapest — and it may be a good choice for those who don’t want medical coverage. However, its fixed rates for reimbursement may be too low for those with more expensive travel.

To buy a policy, head to Berkshire Hathaway Travel Protection’s website, then enter your information to generate a quote.

Enter your travel parameters, including:

• Destination country.

• Travel method (plane, automobile or cruise).

• Trip dates.

• Date of the first payment you made for the trip.

• ZIP code of your primary residence.

• Date of birth.

• Total trip cost.

• Number of travelers.

• Email address.

You must fill out all fields to proceed. Select “Check our prices” to view the cost for each plan.

You’ll be able to edit any or all parts of the quote, including your destination, residence, travel mode, dates, number of travelers and trip costs. Then, you can choose the plan you prefer and complete the purchase online.

Consider comparison shopping

If you're not 100% sold on purchasing a plan from Berkshire Hathaway, you can use a travel insurance aggregator to compare policies across multiple companies at once.

The best Berkshire Hathaway travel insurance plan for you depends on what you’re doing.

For example, the AdrenalineCare option may be a good idea if you’re planning to do extreme sports since it offers increased coverage for emergency evacuation and health care.

The LuxuryCare plan has the highest limits for medical expenses and medical evacuation, but it’s also the most expensive. On the other plans, the medical coverage is rather limited.

On the flip side, budget-conscious travelers who still want some protection when flying may prefer the less expensive AirCare plan, which will reimburse fixed costs when flights go awry.

Many travel credit cards include various trip protections, so look over those benefits to ensure you’re not paying for something you already have.

» Learn more: How free travel insurance through credit cards works

Yes, Berkshire Hathaway Travel Protection includes 24/7 assistance. This includes concierge services as well as help with emergency situations. To access it, call 844-411-2487.

You can choose to file a claim with Berkshire Hathaway Travel Protection online or over the phone. If plan to do so over the phone, call 855-487-1745.

If you file a claim online, head to Berkshire Hathaway Travel Protection’s claim page. Same-day payment options are available if you choose an electronic payment for reimbursement.

Is Berkshire Hathaway travel insurance good? In short: Yes. There’s a reason it scored high marks in NerdWallet's review of the best travel insurance companies. You’ll pay more for your policy, but in return, you’ll have access to fast repayments and a policy backed by one of the top-rated insurance companies.

You never know what might happen before or during a trip, so buying travel insurance is usually a good idea. A trip protection policy can help you recoup unexpected costs and save some headaches later.

Berkshire Hathaway Travel Protection is a trustworthy insurance provider, and the speed with which it processes claims is impressive. However, its medical coverage limits aren’t the highest. If you’re looking for emergency medical coverage, we recommend considering other travel insurance providers.