IMG is a travel insurance company with a wide array of options, offering a whopping 26 plans that cover all types of trips, from vacations to mission work.
Business Insider compared IMG to the best travel insurance companies and found it to be an above average option, with low cost options and accessible preexisting condition coverage. However, IMG's CFAR coverage is reserved for its most expensive plan.
IMG Travel Insurance Pros and Cons
IMG Travel Insurance Pros
- Eight different vacation plans to choose from
- Specialized plans for missionaries, seniors, and students in a cultural exchange or study abroad program
- Covers trips as long as 180 days
- Preexisting condition coverage available with most plans
IMG Travel Insurance Cons
- Higher-end plans are on the expensive side
- CFAR reserved for most expensive plan
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- Six different plans to choose from
- Cancel for Any Reason and Interruption for Any Reason coverage available
- Specialized plans for missionaries, seniors, and students in a cultural exchange or study abroad program
- Higher-end plans are on the expensive side
- Travel Essential plan has lower coverage compared to comparable plans through some competitors
- Six travel insurance plans to choose from
- Travel LX plan is the most popular option, and includes up to $2,500 in trip delay coverage and the option to add CFAR insurance
- Emergency medical coverage of up to $500,000 (primary or secondary depending on the plan)
- Coverage for baggage delays, loss, missed connections, and more
Compare IMG Travel Insurance
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- Zero Complaint Guarantee
- Streamlined comparison platform
- Variety of partnered travel insurance companies
- Customer service team is difficult to reach
SquareMouth is an online marketplace that helps you choose a travel insurance policy from 32 companies that shares a comprehensive, streamlined overview page for each insurance provider.
SquareMouth Travel Insurance
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- Policy coverage includes most pre-existing health conditions
- Generous medical and evacuation amounts for peace of mind
- COVID coverage included by default on all insurance plans
- Offers a wide range of plans for various budgets and travel needs
- Some plans offer CFAR, “cancel for work reasons,” financial default, and unemployment coverage
- Limited add-on coverage options
- Baggage loss and delay coverage is low compared to competitors
Tin Leg travel insurance offers eight travel insurance plans to meet the unique needs of travelers.
Tin Leg- Tin Leg was founded in 2014 by the travel insurance industry experts at Squaremouth. Designed to meet the most common needs of travelers, these policies offer comprehensive Trip Cancellation and Trip Interruption benefits, and a range of Emergency Medical and Medical Evacuation limits.
- Options to cover sports equipment
- Option to increase medical coverage
- Can cancel up to 48 hours before travel when CFAR option is purchased
- Affordable coverage for budget-conscious travelers
- Includes generous baggage delay, loss and trip delay coverage
- Optional "adventure sports" bundle available for riskier activities
- Pricier than some competitors with lower coverage ceilings
- Some competitors offer higher medical emergency coverage
Travelex travel insurance is one of the largest travel insurance providers in the U.S. providing domestic and international coverage options. It offers a basic, select, and America option. Read on to learn more.
Travelex Travel Insurance- Optional CFAR insurance available with the Ultimate plan
- Travel delay insurance starting at $500 with the Advantage plan
- Emergency medical and dental coverage starting at $15,000
IMG Travel Insurance Overview
One of the industry leaders in travel insurance, International Medical Group, also known as IMG, has most of its competitors beat in sheer quantity, offering a whopping 26 policies for various types of travel including study abroad and mission work. For people taking vacations, the company has seven single-trip trip cancellation policies, two travel medical policies, and two annual multi-trip policies.
With seven plans to choose from, including a low cost plan and a plan for adventure sports travelers, customers are likely to find a plan that suits their needs. IMG's Travel Lite plan is particularly interesting, managing to keep its rates relatively low, even for older travelers.
IMG Travel Insurance Plans and Coverage
Of IMG's 26 insurance plans, we'll focus on the travel medical plans, trip cancellation plans, and annual multi-trip plans.
IMG Trip Cancellation Insurance
Of the 26 travel insurance plans that IMG offers, just six of its plans focus on trip cancellation under the title iTravelInsured.
| iTravelInsured GT | iTravelInsured Lite | iTravelInsured Choice | iTravelInsured SE | iTravelInsured Sport | iTravelInsured LX | |
| Trip cancellation | 100% of trip cost (up to $30K) | 100% of trip cost | 100% of trip cost | 100% of trip cost | 100% of trip cost | 100% of trip cost |
| Trip interruption | 125% of trip cost | 125% of trip cost | 150% of trip cost | 150% of trip cost | 125% of trip cost | 150% of trip cost |
| Cancel for Any Reason | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | 75% of trip cost (must purchase within 20 days of trip deposit) |
| Emergency medical | $25K (secondary coverage) | $100K (secondary coverage) | $100K (primary coverage) | $250K (primary coverage) | $250K (secondary coverage) | $500K (primary coverage) |
| Preexisting condition | Covered if purchased within 20 days of initial trip deposit | Not included | Covered if purchased within 21 days of initial trip deposit | Covered if purchased within 20 days of initial trip deposit | Covered if purchased within 21 days of trip deposit | Covered if purchased within 21 days of trip deposit |
| Medical evacuation, repatriation | $100K | $100K | $500K | $500K | $1 million | $1 million |
| Travel delay | Up to $600 ($150 daily) for 12+ hour delay | Up to $500 ($125 daily) for 12+ hour delay | Up to $1K ($150 daily) for 6+ hour delay | $2K ($125 daily) for 12+ hour delay | $5K ($250 daily) for 6+ hour delay | $2.5K ($250 daily for 6+ hour delay |
| Baggage delay | $200, covered after 24-hour delay | $150, for 24- hour delay | $300, for 6+ hour delay | $250, for 12+ hour delay | $750, ($100 daily ) for 9+ hour delay | $500, for 12+ hour delay |
| Baggage & personal items loss | $1.5K, $250 per item | $750, $250 per item | $1K, $250 per item | $1.5K, $250 per item | $3K, $250 per item; $5K for sports equipment rental | $2.5K, $250 per item; $2K for sports equipment rental |
| Missed connection | Up to $500 ($125 daily) | Not included | $500, for 6+ hour delay | $500, for 6+ hour delay | N/A | $500, for 6+ hour delay |
| Accidental death & dismemberment | Not included | Not included | $10K | $25K | $25K | $100K |
While this is a summary main benefits, it's not all-encompassing. For example, the Sports plan also offers benefits specific to sports activities, such as natural disaster evacuation and search and rescue coverage.
IMG Travel Medical Insurance
IMG also has a line of travel medical insurance which covers U.S. residents traveling abroad. As they don't offer much in trip cancellation or baggage coverage, these policies are a cheaper alternative to its iTravelInsured products.
Here are the following benefits of IMG's Patriot travel medical insurance:
| Patriot Lite | Patriot Platinum | |
| Policy limit | $1 million | $8 million |
| Policy duration | 5 days to 12 months - renewable up to 24 months | 5 days to 12 months - renewable up to 36 months |
| Trip cancellation | Not available | Optional add-on |
| Trip interruption | Not available | Optional add-on |
| Travel medical | $50K to $1 million (secondary) | $2 million to $8 million (secondary) |
| Deductible options | $0, $100, $250, $500, $1,000, $2,500 | $0, $100, $250, $500, $1,000, $2,500, $5,000, $10,000, $25,000 |
| Medical evacuation | Up to $1 million | Up to $8 million |
| Lost luggage | Up to $500; $50 per item | Up to $500; $50 per item |
IMG Annual Travel Insurance
IMG offers two annual travel insurance plans, which cover an unlimited number of trips over a 12-month period. It offers a more general Patriot Multi-Trip International plan and a GlobeHopper Senior Multi-Trip for older travelers.
These plans offer the following benefits:
| Patriot Multi-Trip International | GlobeHopper Senior Multi-Trip | |
| Trip cancellation | Not included | Not included |
| Trip interruption | Not included | Up to $5K |
| Trip duration | 30 days, 60 days, 90 days | 30 days, 45 days |
| Travel medical coverage | $1 million for travelers up to 69 years old; $50K for travelers 70-79 | $50K to $1 million for travelers 65-79; $100K for travelers 80+ years old |
| Medical evacuation | Up to $1 million | Up to $250K |
| Deductible | $250 for covered illness; None for covered accident | $0, $100, $250, $500, $1,000, or $2,500 |
| Lost luggage | Up to $500; $150 per item | Up to $250; $50 per item |
| AD&D | $50K | $25K |
Additional Coverage Options from IMG Travel Insurance
Aside from its primary vacation plans, IMG also offers the following policies for other travel purposes:
Visitors coverage: This type of insurance is for international travelers visiting the United States.
Student travel insurance: IMG also offers policies for students who are studying abroad, covering medical expenses and evacuation.
Mission/social work: IMG offers policies that cover medical expenses for people traveling for mission work and international outreach.
Expat insurance: These IMG policies are for individuals and families who need long-term (1+ year) international medical insurance.
IMG Travel Insurance Cost
The premium you pay will depend on various factors, including the age of the travelers, destination, and total trip costs. The average cost of travel insurance is 4% to 8% of your travel costs.
After inputting some personal information, such as your age and state of residence, along with your trip details, like travel dates, destination, and trip costs, you'll get an instant quote for IMG plans available for your trip. And from there, it's easy to compare each option based on your coverage needs and budget.
Now let's look at a few examples to estimate IMG coverage costs.
A 23-year-old from Illinois taking a week-long, $3,000 budget trip to Italy would have the following
travel insurance quotes:
- iTravelInsured Travel Choice: $72.90
- iTravelInsured Travel Lite: $90.40
- iTravelInsuredTravel SE: $108.46
- iTravelInsured Travel LX: $196.04
- iTravelInsured Travel Sport: $199.83
Premiums for IMG plans are between 2.4% and 6.7% of the trip's cost, well within the average cost of travel insurance.
IMG provides the following quotes for a 30-year-old traveler from California heading to Japan for two weeks on a $4,000 trip:
- iTravelInsured Travel Choice: $109.14
- iTravelInsured Travel Lite: $121.27
- iTravelInsuredTravel SE: $145.48
- iTravelInsured Travel LX: $251.66
- iTravelInsured Travel Sport: $254.32
Once again, premiums for plans are between 2.7% and 6.4% of the trip's cost, within and below the expected range of travel insurance costs.
A Texas family consisting of two 40-year-old parents with a 10-year-old and 4-year-old on a two-week trip to Australia for $20,000:
- iTravelInsured Travel Choice: $514.84
- iTravelInsured Travel Lite: $707.80
- iTravelInsuredTravel SE: $864.24
- iTravelInsured Travel LX: $1,355.18
- iTravelInsured Travel Sport: $1,317.16
Quotes for this trip cost between 2.6% and 6.8%, within and below the average cost of travel insurance.
A 65-year-old couple looking to escape New Jersey for Mexico for two weeks with a trip cost of $6,000 would have the following quotes:
- iTravelInsured Travel Choice: $301.48
- iTravelInsured Travel Lite: $436.58
- iTravelInsuredTravel SE: $480.72
- iTravelInsured Travel LX: $706.02
- iTravelInsured Travel Sport: Unavailable
Quotes for this trip cost between 5% and 11.8%, which is generally higher than the average cost of travel insurance. Older people often pay more for insurance, and IMG is no exception. That said, its policies for older travelers aren't as high as some of its competitors.
IMG Annual Travel Insurance Cost
Let's look at some quotes for IMG's annual plans.
A 35-year-old from Ohio would pay $282 for IMG's Patriot Multi-Trip plan with a 30-day maximum trip length per trip. This plan offers a flat rate regardless of age, but prices vary based on which maximum trip length you choose: 30 days, 60 days, or 90 days. IMG's Patriot Multi-Trip 60-day plan costs $423, and its 90-day plan costs $564.
A 70-year-old from Ohio would pay $272.13 for IMG's GlobeHopper Senior Multi-Trip policy with a 30-day maximum trip length per trip. Once again, this plan doesn't change based on the traveler's age, but its 45-day maximum trip length option is more expensive, costing $340.16.
How to Purchase and Manage Your IMG Travel Insurance Policy
You can by IMG either through the IMG website. You'll need to be prepared to provide the following information about yourself and your trip:
- Travel dates
- Primary travel destination
- Traveler(s) information (age, sex, citizenship, residence, state)
- Trip cost
You'll be shown quotes for all of IMG's travel insurance plans that apply to you and your trip.
IMG policies have a 10-day free-look period, in which you can cancel your policy and receive a full refund as long as your trip hasn't started already and you haven't filed a claim yet.
How to File a Claim with IMG Travel Insurance
You must submit a claim within 30 days of the loss.
Claims with IMG will be handled through its claims center. You can contact customer service or the claims center 24 hours a day at 866-347-6673 or 1-866-243-7524, respectively.
Claims forms and information can be mailed to:
IMG iTravelInsured Claims
PO Box 3231
Farmington Hills, Michigan 48333-3231
You can also email claims to itravelclaims@imglobal.com.
IMG must pay your claim within 30 days of receiving your proof of loss. If you're not paid within 30 days, your claim starts accruing interest at 6% APY until the date of late payment.
IMG Travel Insurance Customer Reviews and Ratings
IMG is very well reviewed, receiving an average of 4.6 stars out of five on Trustpilot and a 4.21 on SquareMouth. Many customers spoke highly of the company's buying process, saying that the price was reasonable, the application was easy to complete, and customer service agents were polite and knowledgeable.
That said, customers also reported claims taking several months to process. Many of the five-star reviews of IMG's claims services are filed by people who have recently filed, but haven't heard back yet.
In addition to long wait times, customers also reported that claims agents were largely unavailable, and customer service representatives, while polite, were ultimately powerless in escalating a claim.
Additionally, multiple customers reported only receiving partial compensation without explanation. One customer mentioned that mental illness was not included as a covered illness, writing, "Almost a medieval view of what constitutes an illness."
It's also worth mentioning that reviews on SquareMouth are generally inflated. The worst-reviewed provider is Azimuth Risk Solutions, with an average score of 3.92 while the highest provider is GeoBlue, with a 4.64. With this context, we actually see that IMG is on the mid-to-lower end of rated providers.
Let's look at third-party ratings for a more balanced perspective of IMG's travel insurance services.
The National Association of Insurance Commissioners' complaint index rates insurance companies based on how many complaints they receive against its share of the market. A 1.00 means that a company has an expected number of complaints based on its size. A lower score indicates fewer complaints than expected and a higher number indicates more complaints than expected.
IMG has two travel insurance underwriters: United States Fire Insurance Company and SiriusPoint America Insurance Company.
United States Fire Insurance has a 0.72 Company Complaint Index score, indicating that it has fewer complaints than expected given its share of the market. SiriusPoint also has a 0.72 Company Complaint Index score.
SiriusPoint, which owns IMG, has an A- (Excellent) Financial Strength Rating from AM Best, indicating that it's likely to pay out on claims.
IMG Travel Insurance Alternatives
Learn more about how IMG travel insurance compares to top travel insurance providers.
IMG vs. Travel Guard
We'll look at a couple of different plans from both IMG and AIG Travel Guard to compare and contrast the coverage between the two companies.
We'll start with IMG's Travel Essential and Travel Guard's Essential plans.
Travel Guard's Essential plan covers trip cancellations with up to $100,0000 in coverage, up to $150,000 in emergency medical evacuation expenses, and up to $100 per day ($500 total) for delays of 12 or more hours, and coverage for lost or delayed baggage.
In comparison, IMG's Travel Essential offers trip cancellation coverage of 100% of the trip cost, $0 of emergency medical evacuation coverage, up to $2,000 (with a $250 daily limit) for trip delays of 12+ hours, and no lost or delayed baggage coverage.
So in this instance, it's pretty easy to decipher the main differences between these plans. And to see that you'll get much better coverage with Travel Guard's Essential plan.
Now we'll look at both of the highest-tier plans from each provider.
Travel Guard's Deluxe plan, the highest-tier option, provides trip cancellation coverage of up to $150,000, emergency medical evacuation coverage of up to $1,000,000, up to $200 per day ($1,000 maximum) reimbursement for travel delays of 12+ hours, and coverage for delayed or lost baggage.
IMG's Travel LX plan provides trip cancellation coverage of 100% of the trip cost, up to $1,000,000 in emergency medical evacuation, up to $2,500 with a $250 daily limit )reimbursement for travel delays of 6+ hours, and relatively high limits on coverage for delayed or lost baggage.
In this instance, the Travel LX policy provides superior coverage. But it's important to always get quotes for your particular situation to find the policy that best fits your needs and budget.
Read our AIG Travel Guard travel insurance review.
IMG vs. Allianz Travel Insurance
Both IMG and Allianz Allianz Travel Insurance offer various plans with varying levels of coverage designed for different types of travelers. These include single-trip plans and policies covering those who take multiple trips per year.
Allianz's most popular single-trip option is the OneTrip Prime plan, which offers trip cancellation coverage up to $100,000, trip interruption coverage up to $150,000, emergency medical coverage for $50,000, coverage for baggage loss, theft, or damage up to $1,000, and up to $800 in travel delay coverage.
IMG's most popular plan is the Travel SE plan, which provides trip cancellation coverage of 100% of trip costs, trip interruption coverage of 150% of trip costs, emergency medical coverage for $250,000 (primary coverage), coverage for baggage loss, theft, or damage up to $1,500 ($250 per item), and up to $2,000 ($125 daily limit) in travel delay coverage for delays of 12+ hours. Overall, it offers more coverage than Allianz in this example.
Again, it's best to compare quotes using your personal and trip details to determine which policy is the best for you. Various factors will determine the final cost of any of these policies.
Read our Allianz travel insurance review.
Why You Should Trust Us: How We Reviewed IMG Travel Insurance
To evaluate IMG travel insurance, Business Insider reviewed the following factors.
Coverage amounts: We consider the policies available, what they cover, and how much coverage they offer. We like to see a variety of options available, with a great deal of flexibility to cover as many needs and customers as possible.
Inclusions/Exclusions: We consider common inclusions and exclusions, and how much customers have to pay for certain benefits. For example, many companies offer preexisting condition waivers, but reserve this benefit for more expensive plans. Most of IMG's plans offer preexisting condition waivers, provided you buy your policy within the generous time windows provided.
Cost: We obtain quotes for a variety of travelers, including single travelers, families, couples, and older travelers. We see how the quotes compare to the standard costs of travel insurance, which is between 4% and 8% of your total trip cost.
Customer service: We consider how a company treats its customers by looking at online customer reviews on sites like Trustpilot, SquareMouth, and the Better Business Bureau. We also look at ratings from third-party organizations like the NAIC and AM Best. We look at any customer service features a company offers, like 24/7 helplines.
Unique features: We look to see if a company has any unique features or benefits.
Read more about Business Insider's travel insurance ratings methodology.
FAQs
Yes, IMG is great for international trips, offering coverage for medical emergencies, evacuations, and adventure sports.
IMG offers an adventure sports plan called the iTravelInsured Travel Sports Plan, which offers high medical evacuation coverage, search and rescue benefits, and sports equipment rental coverage if your own equipment is damaged.
Customer reviews typically indicate that IMG has an efficient claims processing system, characterized by timely responses and a supportive claims handling team.
Yes, most of IMG's travel insurance policies cover preexisting conditions if you purchase your plan within the time window. The iTravelInsured Lite is the only plan that doesn't cover preexisting conditions.
IMG stands out for its variety of plans, long trip lengths, and lower rates.