at SquareMouth
USI Affinity
USI Affinity emphasizes tailoring plans and offers unique coverage for individuals versus groups.
at SquareMouth
Pros
- Can add on a pre-existing medical condition exclusion waiver up to 21 days of the date your initial trip deposit for higher cost plans.
- Blue Ribbon Bags coverage for missing luggage is included.
Cons
- CFAR upgrade is only available for higher-cost plans.
- Trip delay benefits only kick in after a 12-hour delay.
USI Affinity Travel Insurance Services offers three tiers of coverage for travelers, and the right pick often comes down to your trip cost and the limits you need.
However, USI's premiums are expensive compared to its competitors, making its plans less appealing to budget travelers. Before you apply for coverage, make sure you understand what you're getting, and compare pricing with other travel insurance providers.
USI Affinity Travel Insurance offerings
USI Affinity Travel Insurance offers wide-ranging coverages for both individual and group travelers. It also offers a handful of more limited medical insurance coverages, making it easier to find a policy that best fits your needs and situation.
With Trip Care Complete, you can choose from three tiers:
- Basic: Best for budget-conscious individual travelers who still want the option to upgrade with Cancel For Any Reason (CFAR) coverage.
- Plus: A middle option for travelers who want stronger medical and evacuation coverage and added disaster protection.
- Elite: Suited to travelers who want the most robust medical coverage and extras like rental car protection.
The insurance provider also provides group coverage for select organizations through its Travel Insurance Select plans. If you need more specialized or medical-only coverage, USI Affinity offers several other plans:
- InterMedical: Best for U.S. residents who want medical-only coverage while traveling abroad.
- WorldMed: Good for younger travelers who want flexible medical coverage heading into or out of the U.S. for an extended stay.
- Voyager Annual: Great for frequent travelers who want medical coverage for a full year of trips under one plan.
- Worldwide Group Protector: Designed for groups of five or more who want medical protection on a trip abroad.
» Learn more: What to know before buying travel insurance
What USI Travel Insurance covers
USI Affinity's plans share a common set of coverages, though the specific protections and limits depend on which plan and tier you choose, and not every plan includes all of them.
Here's a quick summary of the coverages USI Affinity offers:
- Trip cancellation: Reimburses your prepaid, nonrefundable trip costs if you have to cancel before departure for a covered reason.
- Trip interruption: Reimburses unused trip costs and added transportation expenses if a covered reason cuts your trip short.
- Trip delay: Covers reasonable extra expenses like meals and lodging when a covered reason holds up your trip.
- Missed connection: Helps with the added cost of catching up to a cruise or tour when a covered delay makes you miss the departure.
- Airline ticket change fee: Covers the airline's fee to change your ticket after a covered disruption.
- Emergency medical: Pays for covered medical and emergency dental treatment if you're injured or fall ill during your trip.
- Emergency medical evacuation and repatriation: Covers transportation to the nearest adequate medical facility and the return of remains in the event of death.
- Security and natural disaster evacuation: Covers evacuation costs tied to a covered security situation or natural disaster.
- Accidental death and dismemberment: Pays a benefit in the event of a covered accidental death or serious injury.
- Baggage and personal effects: Reimburses you if your luggage or belongings are lost, stolen or damaged.
- Baggage delay: Covers essential purchases when your checked bags are held up in transit.
- Rental car damage: Covers damage to a rental car under the plans that include it.
- Cancel For Any Reason (CFAR) and Interruption For Any Reason (IFAR): An optional upgrade that reimburses part of your nonrefundable costs when you cancel or cut a trip short for a reason the plan doesn't otherwise cover. The add-on is not available in New York.
Coverage options and limits vary by plan and tier, so check the specific plan you're considering before you buy to confirm it includes what you need.
» Learn more: The best credit cards for travel insurance benefits
USI Affinity Travel Insurance detailed policy overview
USI Affinity's two comprehensive plans vary in what they include and how much they cover. Here's a look at the Trip Care Complete tiers and their coverage amounts:
Coverage type | Coverage limits |
|---|---|
Trip cancellation | Basic: Up to $10,000. Plus: Up to $25,000. Elite: Up to $30,000. |
Trip interruption | Basic: Up to 125% of trip cost. Plus: Up to 150% of trip cost. Elite: Up to 150% of trip cost. |
Trip delay | Basic: Up to $500 ($100 daily). Plus: Up to $750 ($250 daily). Elite: Up to $1,500 ($250 daily). |
Missed connection | Basic: Up to $500. Plus: Up to $750. Elite: Up to $750. |
Airline ticket change fee | All plans: Up to $200. |
Emergency medical | Basic: Up to $10,000. Plus: Up to $50,000. Elite: Up to $250,000. |
Emergency dental | All plans: Up to $750. |
Emergency medical evacuation | Basic: Up to $25,000. Plus: Up to $500,000. Elite: Up to $500,000. |
Repatriation of remains | Basic: Up to $10,000. Plus: Up to $250,000. Elite: Up to $250,000. |
Baggage and personal effects | Basic: Up to $500. Plus: Up to $1,000. Elite: Up to $2,500. |
Baggage delay | Basic: Up to $100. Plus: Up to $300. Elite: Up to $500. |
Rental car collision damage | Basic: Not offered. Plus: Not offered. Elite: Up to $5,000. |
Security and natural disaster evacuation | Basic: Not offered. Plus: Up to $100,000. Elite: Up to $100,000. |
Preexisting condition waiver | All plans: Available if bought within 14 days of initial deposit, with a 60-day lookback period. |
Add-on options
Beyond the coverage built into each plan, USI Affinity offers optional add-ons you can buy for an extra cost:
- Cancel For Any Reason: Reimburses 75% of your prepaid, nonrefundable trip costs when you cancel for a reason the plan doesn't otherwise cover. The add-on is available on all Trip Care Complete plans.
- Interruption For Any Reason: Reimburses 75% of your nonrefundable costs when you end a trip early for a reason the plan doesn't otherwise cover. It's included in the CFAR add-on for Trip Care Complete plans.
» Learn more: Trip cancellation insurance explained
What USI Affinity travel insurance plans do not cover
Like any travel insurance, USI Affinity's plans come with exclusions, and certain losses, items and conditions fall outside coverage.
USI Affinity does not cover:
- Preexisting conditions, unless you qualify for the waiver.
- Criminal acts committed by you, a companion or family member.
- Most dental treatment beyond accidental injury or emergency pain relief.
- Losses while intoxicated or under the influence of drugs.
- Mental or emotional disorders, unless they result in hospitalization.
- Nonemergency treatment, physicals, hearing aids, eyeglasses or contacts.
- Contact sports, skydiving, mountaineering, hang gliding and similar activities.
- Military service, training exercises, police service or contracting.
- Professional, organized amateur or interscholastic sports competitions.
- Piloting, learning to pilot or serving as aircraft crew.
- Pregnancy and childbirth, beyond unforeseen complications requiring hospitalization.
- Cosmetic surgery, except qualifying reconstructive procedures.
- Suicide, attempted suicide or intentionally self-inflicted injury.
- Traveling for the purpose of getting medical treatment.
- War, invasion, foreign hostilities or civil war.
- Your participation in civil disorder, riot or a felony.
- Injury or sickness while traveling against a physician's advice.
- Care or treatment that isn't medically necessary.
- Services not covered or not approved in advance.
- Losses covered under workers compensation or similar laws.
- Exposure to hazardous biological, chemical or nuclear material.
How much is USI Affinity travel insurance?
Price tends to be the first thing people weigh when comparing travel insurance companies. What you'll pay for a USI Affinity plan depends on which plan you pick, the cost of your trip, your age and gender, and a handful of other factors.
For this example, we have a 45-year-old traveler from Illinois heading to Mexico for a one-week vacation, with a total trip cost of $2,000.
- Trip Care Complete Basic: $148.
- Trip Care Complete Plus: $157.
- Trip Care Complete Elite: $214.
How USI Affinity compares with its competitors
Before buying a policy with USI Affinity, it's worth shopping around and comparing plan options, coverage amounts and rates across several insurance carriers.
Using the same example as above, here's how some of the top travel insurers compare. USI is the most expensive at $148 for the basic plan. The lowest-cost plan comes from BCBS Global Solutions at $17.
Keep in mind that less expensive plans may come with fewer benefits or lower limits, so as you shop around, be sure to make an apples-to-apples comparison:
Company | Star rating | Basic plan cost | Premium plan cost | Generate a quote |
|---|---|---|---|---|
AAA | $101. | $146. | ||
AEGIS (GoReady) Travel Insurance | $69. | $84.72. | ||
Allianz Global Assistance | $89. | $174. | ||
Arch RoamRight | $103. | $121. | ||
AXA Assistance USA | $73.07. | $135.62. | ||
Berkshire Hathaway Travel Protection | $52. | $112. | ||
HTH Travel Insurance | $73. | $116.51. | ||
IMG | $74.85. | $114.20. | ||
Seven Corners | $75. | $126. | ||
Tin Leg | $65. | $147. | ||
Travel Guard | $81.06. | $160.13. | ||
Travel Insured International | $74. | $162. | ||
Trawick International | $55.84. | $88.94. | ||
USI Affinity Travel Insurance Services | $148.20. | $214.20. | ||
World Nomads | $83.60. | $256.50. | ||
WorldTrips | $71. | $91. | ||
These star ratings are based on a separate analysis of each travel insurance provider’s offerings. For more detailed scoring, see our recommendations for the best travel insurance companies, read each individual provider's NerdWallet review or view our methodology at the end of this article. Pricing is subject to change based on your specific trip details. You can verify the latest price by clicking through to Squaremouth (a NerdWallet partner). | ||||
Which USI Affinity plan is best for me?
Choosing the right USI Affinity plan comes down to your specific trip and what you need covered. Before buying a plan, think through a few things.
First, add up the nonrefundable money you've already put into your trip, like flights, hotels and tours. That tells you how much trip cancellation coverage you need and whether one of the comprehensive plans makes sense.
Second, check what your regular health insurance covers while you're traveling, especially abroad. If it offers little or nothing outside the country, you'll want a plan with strong medical and evacuation benefits.
Third, consider what kind of trip you're taking. A pricey group tour points toward Travel Insurance Select and its higher limits, while a long international stay may be better served by a medical plan like WorldMed or an annual plan like Voyager. With Trip Care Complete, pick the tier that matches your trip cost and how much medical coverage you want, with Basic for cheaper trips and Elite for the highest limits.
Finally, decide how much you're willing to spend. More coverage costs more, but it can save you far more if something goes wrong.
Does USI Affinity offer 24/7 travel assistance?
USI Affinity includes 24/7 emergency travel assistance for all of its Trip Care Complete plans through Assist Card. The assistance line offers 24/7 coordination of medical services worldwide, with multilingual coordinators reachable by phone, email or the Assist Card mobile app.
How to file a claim with USI Affinity travel insurance
To file a claim, visit travelinsure.com, and select the claim forms for your specific plan under the Resources tab. Keep in mind that USI doesn't directly manage claims, so reaching out to the insurer directly may not get you anywhere.
When you file, have your plan details and documentation ready, including what happened, when it happened and the amount you're claiming, along with supporting paperwork like receipts, itineraries or medical records.
Is USI Affinity travel insurance worth it?
While USI Affinity's premiums may run higher than those of its competitors, its range of plans helps you manage costs by letting you buy only the coverage that fits your trip, whether that's an individual vacation, a long stay abroad, a year of frequent travel or an organized group tour.
Its comprehensive plans also let you waive the preexisting medical condition exclusion when you buy early, a valuable benefit that many travel insurance providers either exclude entirely or offer with restrictions. That makes USI Affinity worth a look for travelers with ongoing health concerns who want reliable protection on their trips.
Star rating methodology
Travel insurance rating and review methodology
Travel insurance
NerdWallet's ratings for travel insurance companies take into account the following details about each insurer:
- Scope of coverage.
- Customizability.
- Consumer experience and complaints.
- Cost.
The best travel insurers excel in all of these categories. They provide the information people need to make a purchase without any surprises along the way. They offer insurance at a fair price and allow customers to customize plans to meet their coverage preferences. They're also able to keep their customers happy throughout the relationship.
Data collection and review process
NerdWallet collects over a dozen data points for each insurer we analyze from their public-facing websites and third-party analyses. These data points are then compared against one another and against NerdWallet's standards for good travel insurance companies to determine a star rating.
Data is collected on a regular basis and reviewed by our editorial team for consistency and accuracy. Final star ratings are presented on a scale of one to five stars, where a one-star score represents "poor" and a five-star score represents "excellent."
The reviews team
The writers and editors behind NerdWallet's travel insurance reviews are insurance specialists who have had their work featured by or appear in The Associated Press, The Washington Post, The New York Times, the Chicago Sun-Times, U.S. News & World Report and the Society for Advancing Business Editing and Writing. Each writer and editor follows NerdWallet’s strict guidelines for editorial independence.
In addition to travel insurance, the team covers travel rewards programs, airlines and hotels.
Rating specifics
Our star ratings are weighted based on our editorial and professional opinions. We use the following weightings when rating travel insurers:
- Scope of coverage (35%).
- Customizability (10%).
- Consumer experience and complaints (20%).
- Cost (35%).
Scope of coverage ratings are based on assessments of a company’s standard protections, including:
- Travel medical insurance.
- Trip cancellation.
- Trip interruption.
- Trip delay.
- Baggage and personal belongings, lost luggage.
- Emergency medical assistance.
- Emergency medical evacuation.
- Emergency medical repatriation.
- Accidental death and dismemberment insurance.
- Rental car coverage.
Customizability ratings factor in whether coverage limits are fixed prices or a percentage of the trip cost (the percentage is generally better), whether a policy has customizations available, and the number of bonus features, including:
- 24-hour assistance.
- Pre-existing medical conditions coverage.
- Extreme sport coverage.
- CFAR add on availability.
- Travel health insurance.
- Interruption for Any Reason.
- Travel Inconvenience.
- Cancel for Work Reasons.
- Electronics coverage.
Consumer experience ratings are based on provider reviews on Squaremouth and TrustPilot.
Affordability ratings are based on the percentage of total trip cost a plan costs a policyholder. Less than 4% is considered excellent, whereas over 9% is considered poor.
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