Nationwide Travel Insurance Review 2023

Nationwide Travel Insurance (not to be confused with nationwide.co.uk) is part of Nationwide’s comprehensive suite of insurances ranging from car, home, life insurance to wedding insurance. The parent company (Nationwide) has been accredited with BBB since 1955, which’s way longer than many insurance companies have existed for. The company has been in business for 94 years and has developed relationships with 11,000 independent agents in the country. If you are looking for the right travel insurance – you’re in a right place. make sure to take a look at our list of the best travel insurance companies.

About Nationwide Travel Insurance

Nationwide Travel Insurance is a member of the US Travel Insurance Association. Most Nationwide travel insurance reviews seem positive. The parent company is mutual (by corporate structure), and simply massive. The company brought in $17.76 billion in revenue last year and is known for its solid history and relatively decent reviews.

How We Reviewed 

There are a number of factors we considered while reviewing Nationwide. At first, we checked out the website and how easy it is to access and retrieve relevant information. We also analyzed it for how convenient it would be for a prospective consumer to get a quote and apply for the insurance. We extracted multiple quotes from different situations to get an accurate idea about the pricing. 

We also consulted external sources, including Nationwide travel insurance ratings, reviews on different websites, and their BBB complaints to compile this guide. 

Where Is It Available

Nationwide travel insurance is available in 50 states and Washington, DC. The company is also available for international travel, though there are certain limitations in different plans. You can find the contact numbers for policy inquiries, travel assistance, and claims on the company’s contact page. Keep your policy number nearby, so the travel assistant has an easier time tracking your details. 

Nationwide is headquartered in Columbus, Ohio. The parent company, Nationwide, is a major conglomerate with a wider reach than its travel insurance wing, but be sure to contact Nationwide travel insurance, using the relevant contact details.

Travel Insurance Review

Nationwide travel insurance policy is divided into three plans. It’s important to understand that not all coverage elements are primarily covered. Many plans include medical coverage for which the applicant must have eligible primary coverage.

Cruise Travel Insurance

The cruise travel insurance is single trip insurance created specifically for cruise trips. So apart from typical coverage, it covers issues like a mechanical breakdown or itinerary changes. The cruise ship insurance is further divided into three plans:

1.   Universal Cruise Plan
2. Choice Cruise Plan
3. Luxury Cruise Plan

All three plans cover the following:

• Trip cancellation
• Trip interruption
• Trip delay insurance
• Missed connection
• Baggage and personal effects
• Itinerary changes
• Emergency Accident and sickness coverage
• Cancellation and Interruption coverage for Weather, School, Work, Terrorism in itinerary city
• Refund (Not available in New York and Washington)

The plans primarily differ based on the amount of coverage, but there are other differences as well. For example, the Choice Cruise plan and Luxury Cruise plan also cover accidental death and dismemberment, pre-existing condition waiver, cancelation for any reason coverage (additional), and non-medical evacuation coverage. 

As for cancellations related to COVID-19 or a similar reason, the Luxury Cruise plan offers coverage for it. But only if the CDC has issued a health warning for the destination. The itinerary change coverage is also for different amounts in different states (and based on your plan). 

There is virtually no age limit for different cruise plans, though you can’t get a quote for someone aged over 99, so let’s say that’s the limit. Some inclusions to the plan include suicide, mental disorder, injuries resulting in body contact sports, and non-emergency treatments.

Single Trip Insurance

It’s the simplest of all the travel insurance plans. The plan covers any trip in or out of the country for less than 31 days, and the initial cost should be less than $10,000. The insurance is divided into two plans: Essential and Prime plans. 

Both plans cover the following:

• Trip cancellation
• Trip interruption
• Trip delay
• Baggage and personal effects
• Baggage Delay
• Accident and sickness medical expense coverage 
• Emergency dental coverage
• Emergency medical evacuation
• Terrorism in the Itinerary city
• Accidental death and dismemberment
• Travel Assistance
• Refund (Not available in New York and Washington)

 

Extra provisions include rental car collision (and loss), financial default, and pre-existing condition waiver. If you’ve bought prime coverage, you can also buy cancel for any reason coverage and missed connection for an additional premium. Other than that, the major difference between the two plans is simply the amount of coverage offered.

The age limitation here is according to plan. You can’t buy a reasonably-priced essential plan if you are over 75. But you can buy the prime plan till you are 99.

The list of exclusions is pretty long here. And it includes piloting, underwater activities (except recreational swimming), non-emergency treatment, traveling to receive medical treatment, etc. There are several personal baggage exceptions as well, including animals, bicycles, and hearing aids.

Annual Trip Insurance (Multi-Trip Insurance)

This is especially suited for people who take multiple trips within a year. There are certain restrictions from the outset. To qualify for this insurance:

1. Trip must be 100 miles away from home
2. Originate or include the US as a stop
3. Must be 30 consecutive days or less
4. You should be aged 80 or under

There are three plans: TravelPro, Travel Plus, and Travel Pro Deluxe, and they all cover the following:

• Trip delay (for covered reasons only)
• Baggage and personal effects
• Baggage Delay
• Repatriation of remains
• Emergency medical expense coverage 
• Emergency medical evacuation
• Accidental death and dismemberment
• Travel Assistance

 

The travel plus plan also covers trip cancellation. There is an annual limit, and the rates are fixed for each coverage option. The Travel Pro Deluxe is simply an inflated version of the normal Travel Pro plan, with a higher cost and higher coverage. 

 

Travel insurance pricing

After going through multiple Nationwide travel insurance quotes, it’s apparent that the premier service also charges a premium price. But the most significant differences in prices for insurance plans were in Cruise and single-trip insurance plans. The annual insurance trip policy has a very consistent price range.

For cruise insurance and single trip insurance, the two most significant cost drivers are age and total trip cost. Let’s compare the situation for a single trip. 

If a 40-year-old individual is taking a $5,000, week-long trip to the UK, he can buy essential coverage for $174 and prime for $241. But if the same trip costs $9,500, the coverage is now four times as expensive. It’s $703 for essential and $1,056 for prime.

Now let’s change the age from 40 to 70. For a 70-year-old individual, the $5,000 trip would cost $353 for essential coverage, and $427 for prime. And a $9,500 trip would cost $1,161 for essential coverage and $1,441 for prime.

The annual insurance plan only considers one variable, your age. Though there are a lot of extras, you can pay to drive this price right up.

Customer Satisfaction and Financial Strength Review

Nationwide Insurance’s BBB rating is a stellar (A+), but the customer rating is quite dismal (1.1/5). For customer satisfaction ratings, two major review sites pop out, and the company has great ratings on both of them:

• Insuremytrip: 4.63/5 (Based on 8,619 reviews)
• Squaremouth: 4.06/5 (Based on 202 reviews)

As for the financial strength of the company, it’s part of a billion-dollar group of the insurance company that brings in billions of dollars in revenue each year. Its financial and corporate stability ratings are powerful. 

• Nationwide insurance am best rating: A+
• Moody’s: A1
• S&P: A+

Most of the complaints are regarding COVID-19 cancellations abroad and the company’s refusal to pay claims. 

Customer Support

Their customer support can be reached out using their international phone numbers, email, and through written communication. You can call Nationwide insurance customer service for claims, travel assistance, and purchase questions. The company is too old school to have developed an app that would have made the claims and contact process significantly easier.

Ease of Buying & Claims Handling

The process of buying insurance is easy enough. Once you’ve received a quote, you can apply directly through their website. The only difficulty is timing. If you have pre-existing conditions or some other special stipulation that might prevent your insurance claims to be entertained, you might have to buy the policy way before the trip starts.

Nationwide travel insurance claim reviews not related to COVID-19 related incidences show that the company processes claims easily, if not quickly.

Comparison With Competitors

The company stands strong against the competition.

Nationwide vs. Allianz travel insurance

Allianz doesn’t offer any cruise coverage; instead, it offers rental car coverage. The one-trip insurance is broken down into five individual plans. Allianz is a tad expensive for a cheaper trip, but cost-friendly for costlier trips. Its trip cost limit is also higher, but only for prime and premier plans. Allianz again wins with a 24/7 hotline for all plans.

Nationwide vs. AIG international travel insurance

AIG offers travel insurance under the brand name travel guard. The insurance plan distribution is a bit different. There are five plans, three for a single trip, one annual plan, and one “Pick and go” plan (the last minute travel plan). The cruise option is built into all the plans. Unlike Nationwide, where there is a huge difference between essential and price plans, AIG’s plans don’t vary much in cost. But the basic plan is more expensive than Nationwide’s (for a single trip).