IMG Travel LX Insurance - 2024 Review

IMG Travel Insurance provides comprehensive, single-trip plans for up to 10 travelers.

IMG has three travel insurance programs:

• IMG Travel Lite
• IMG Travel SE
• IMG Travel LX

IMG Travel LX is supremely loaded with valuable benefits that protect you from financial distress:

• More than 40 covered cancellations reasons including:
  • Sickness, injury, death of a traveler, family member, or pet
  • Cancel for work reasons, including rescinded vacation and termination
  • Cancel for school reasons like extended school year or academic exams rescheduled
  • A pregnancy that occurs after buying the policy
  • The airline, cruise line, or other carrier going bankrupt
  • Cancel For Any Reason optional upgrade
  • And so much more
• Massive $500,000 medical insurance and $1 million medical evacuations to get you home after a medical emergency
• A waiver that closes the Pre-existing Condition coverage gap
• Baggage insurance, baggage delay, trip delay, missed connection, and travel assistance
• Embedded rental car collision protection and security evacuation
• Extention of the policy if medically confined until a doctor gives travel permission

These are just a few of the features in IMG Travel Insurance policies.

This article explains the IMG Travel LX plan in greater detail.

 About IMG Insurance

IMG (International Medical Group) has been providing travel insurance since 1990. They are headquartered in Indiana.

IMG Travel Insurance holds an "A-Excellent" rating for financial strength by AM Best. United States Fire Insurance Company underwrites the plans.

IMG is a full-service and experienced insurance carrier. It is also one of the fastest-growing travel insurance companies in the US because of the substantial value its policies offer.

They provide in-house operation of insurance, administrative, claims, and travel assistance services.

 Snapshot of IMG Travel LX

Travel Arrangements

Benefit per person	IMG Travel LX
Trip Cancellation	100% Trip Cost
Trip Interruption	150% Trip Cost
Cancel For Any Reason Interruption For Any Reason	Optional Upgrade 75% Trip Cost
CFAR Time Sensitive Period	20 Days
Cancel For Work Reason	Yes

 Medical Benefits

Benefit per person	IMG Travel LX
Medical Insurance	$500,000
Dental Sublimit	$1,000
Medical Coverage	Primary
Medical Evacuation and Repatriation of Remains	$1,000,000
Pre-existing Condition Waiver	Yes
Time Sensitive Period	Before or on the Final Payment Date
Look Back Period	60 Days
Accidental Death & Dismemberment	$100,000 Common Carrier Only

 Travel Inconvenience Benefits

Benefit per person	IMG Travel LX
Baggage Loss/Damage	$2,500
Baggage Delay	$500 12 hours or more delay
Sports Equipment Rental Damage or Loss	$500/day $2,000 max
Trip Delay	$250/day $1,000 max 6 hours or more delay
Pet Kennel	$100/day $500 max per pet
Missed Connection	$125/day $500 3 hours or more delay
Change Fee	$300
Frequent Traveler Reward	$75
Rental Car Damage and Theft Waiver	$40,000
Search and Rescue	$10,000
Security and Political Evacuation	$50,000 per event

 Policy Limits

Free Look Period	10 Days
Minimum Trip Distance	100 miles
Minimum Insurable Trip Cost	$500
Maximum Trip Duration	180 Days
Maximum Age Insured	99

 Covered Trip Cancellation and Trip Interruption Reimbursement

Sometimes life gets in the way of your travel plans, and you cannot travel as scheduled.

Trip Cancellation insurance provides a full cash refund if an unexpected event occurs.

Similarly, Trip Interruption reimburses you for the unused prepaid travel arrangements. If one of the covered situations arises during your trip, you may have to return home early. This benefit also includes the transportation cost to return home.

Almost all travel insurance policies cover the common cancellation reasons:

• Unforeseen illness, injury, hospitalization, or death of a traveler, family member, traveling companion's family member, child's caregiver, host at the destination, or business partner
• Hijacking, quarantine, jury duty, subpoena
• Inclement weather
• Complications of pregnancy
• Strike of common carrier
• Terrorism
• Documented traffic accident en route to departure or the destination
• Common carrier mechanical breakdown or equipment failure
• Documented theft of passports or visas
• Residence or destination uninhabitable due to natural disaster, vandalism, or burglary*
• Financial default or bankruptcy of a common carrier, cruise line, or tour operator (does not include travel agency)*

*indicates a Time Sensitive Benefit – must buy the policy before or on the day of your Final Trip Payment

However, some plans like IMG Travel LX offer all of the above plus a far more impressive list of covered cancellation reasons that refund 100% of your trip costs:

Sickness or injury:

• Unforeseen illness, injury, hospitalization, or death of a traveling companion's family member, child's caregiver, host at the destination, or trip guide/outfitter
• Normal pregnancy or childbirth, or attend childbirth of family member or surrogate if conceived after the policy's effective date
• Hospitalization for a mental, nervous, or psychological condition
• Unforeseen injury or sickness not requiring hospitalization but having medically imposed restrictions, requiring additional hotel nights, meals, and local transportation expenses until you are fit to travel (Trip Interruption only)

Pet or service animal:

• Pet or service animal, injured, sick, diagnosed with a terminal illness, or dies
• Pet or service animal hijacked or quarantined

Weather-related:

• NOAA hurricane warning at the point of departure or destination
• Mandatory evacuation due to adverse weather or natural disasters*
• Event canceled due to inclement weather
• 75% of ski trails or slopes closed due to insufficient snow, natural disaster, or trail condition*

*indicates a Time Sensitive Benefit – must buy the policy before or on the day of your Final Trip Payment

Divorce, custody, adoption that occur during the trip:

• Legal separation or divorce (Trip Cancellation only)
• Divorce or custody hearing
• Adoption proceedings

Travel bans/warnings:

• Level 4 travel alert or warning, travel ban, or evacuation order for your destination after buying the policy

School-related:

• Full-time student, teacher, or employee at primary school must attend extended school year
• Traveler required to take an academic exam after during your scheduled trip
• Traveler required to participate in interscholastic or team sport event during the scheduled trip

Government-related:

• Shutdown of an airport or air traffic control due to fire, power outage, security breach, civil disorder, riot, or government orders
• US government issues hunting or fishing activity restrictions
• Passport or visa not issued in time for the trip (trip cancellation only)

Trip delay

• Trip delay causes you to lose 50% or more of the scheduled trip (see the section below – Trip Delay)

IMG Travel LX also includes an abundance of Cancel For Work Reasons.

Cancellation and Interruption – Work-Related Reasons

Occasionally, something happens at work that makes travel impossible.

These are the Cancel For Work Reasons that IMG Travel LX covers:

• Called to military or first responder service due to natural disaster, epidemic, civil disorder, terrorism, or war
• Military leave revoked
• Involuntary layoff or transfer
• Required to work because vacation rescinded, a natural disaster, burglary or vandalism at the place of employment, or involved in a merger, acquisition, product recall, or bankruptcy proceedings.
• Full-time student, teacher, or employee at primary school must attend extended school year

Like all other cancellation reasons, these scenarios are covered at a 100% Trip Cost refund.

Time Sensitive Period

Many travel insurance plans offer additional features if you buy the policy within the Time Sensitive Period.

Typically, the Time Sensitive Period is the first two to three weeks after you pay the very first dollar toward your trip.

However, IMG Travel LX handles this slightly differently. Its Time Sensitive Period focuses on the Final Payment date, not the Initial Payment date.

Therefore, the Time Sensitive benefits are part of the policy if you buy the plan before or on the Final Payment Date. These would include:

• Pre-existing Condition Waiver
• Interruption For Any Reason
• Carrier bankruptcy protection
• Your home or destination is inaccessible or uninhabitable due to natural disaster, fire, burglary, or vandalism
• Mandatory evacuation at destination

The exception to this rule on IMG Travel LX is Cancel For Any Reason. CFAR is only available when you buy the plan within 20 days of paying your Initial Deposit.

Cancel For Any Reason

Cancel For Any Reason is the highest level of Trip Cancellation money can buy.

You can cancel the trip for any or no reason at all. Typically, people get this for situations like a canceled wedding or change their mind about traveling.

IMG Travel LX offers Cancel For Any Reason for an additional premium. When purchased, the policy reimburses you for 75% of the total trip cost if:

• Plan purchased within 20 days of paying your Initial Deposit or Payment
• All travelers are medically fit to travel when they enroll in the policy
• Cancel the trip two days or more before the scheduled departure day

Two other features worth noting about IMG Travel LX's Cancel For Any Reason provisions:

1. Most CFAR plans require that you 100% of all prepaid, non-refundable travel arrangements. Travel LX CFAR does not require you to cover everything. So, if you want to cover just the cruise and not the airfare or hotels, you can.
2. It covers almost any reason. Suppose your travel supplier (airline, cruise line, etc.) does not provide the services you paid for due to a cessation of operations. Then, Travel LX CFAR does not cover it.

Interruption For Any Reason

Interruption For Any Reason works like Cancel For Any Reason but occurs during your trip.

Suppose you arrive at a 3-month rental home for the winter in Florida. The listing online made it look beautiful, but it looks nothing like those pictures. You also discover it is next to a noisy road. This is not the idyllic scene you dreamed about.

IMG Travel LX Interruption For Any Reason lets you leave the rental early and refunds 75% of the unused prepaid travel arrangements.

IFAR has a few rules:

• Must buy the plan before or at the time of Final Payment
• Insure full cost of travel arrangements within 20 days of those subsequent payments
• Cancel 48 hours or more after the scheduled departure date
• Refunds 75% of the unused, prepaid arrangements

Medical Insurance

Medical Insurance is one of the most essential aspects of travel insurance.

Many people focus on the pain of losing money due to cancellation, but a medical emergency overseas is more than painful. It is financially devastating.

That is why TravelDefenders always recommends travelers have at least $100,000 Medical Insurance when traveling abroad.

Consider this: Medicare and most private health insurance do not pay for treatment overseas.

Some Medicare supplements have a $50,000 benefit for international travel. However, it is a lifetime limit and is subject to life-and-death situations. Plus, you must pay 20% of the medical bills up to $50,000. After that, Medicare expects you to pay 100%.

IMG Travel LX offers a massive $500,000 Medical Insurance limit. Interestingly, Travel LX offers this hefty benefit regardless of whether your trip costs $10,000 or $500.

Take a look at IMG Travel LX if your primary concern is Medical protection. It is a generous and affordable policy if that is all you need.

Primary vs. Secondary Medical Insurance

IMG Travel LX pays as a primary Medical Insurance. That means it will pay before any other insurance you have and pay first.

Secondary travel insurance waits for your other health insurance to pay first and then pays the remainder.

Medical Evacuation

Medical Evacuation insurance is another critical travel insurance component. It makes sure that you can return home safely after a medical emergency.

Usually, it is as simple as a ground ambulance or getting on a commercial flight. In severe cases, it means an air evacuation in special-equipped aircraft.

IMG Travel LX provides a Medical Evacuation benefit of $1,000,000. Whether you are in Cabo or Christchurch, Medical Evacuation ensures you get home safely for continued medical treatment.

IMG Travel LX easily exceeds TravelDefenders's $250,000 recommended Medical Evacuation level.

Hospital of Choice

This policy's Medical Evacuation benefit also offers Hospital of Choice.

Typically, the evacuation service would drop you off at the hospital closest to your home. Hospital of Choice lets you decide which hospital you go to in the US when you return for medical repatriation. However, once they drop you off, you return home at your own cost.

Hospital of Choice does not apply to where you receive treatment while outside the country.

Transportation of Children

Suppose you are the only adult traveling with children and you fall sick or injured. IMG Travel LX provides a chaperone and transportation to return children to their home.

Bedside Visit Transportation

Similarly, let's say you travel alone and are hospitalized for at least 3 days. The policy can bring a companion to your bedside. The Medical Evacuation benefit covers their travel costs. Another benefit in IMG Travel LX reimburses their accommodations up to $200 per day to a maximum of $1,000.

Search and Rescue

Although it does not fall directly under Medical Evacuation, IMG Travel LX provides up to $10,000 for search and rescue.

Pre-existing Medical Conditions

As discussed earlier, IMG Travel LX insurance includes Pre-existing Medical Conditions protection when you enroll on or before your Final Payment Date.

This Waiver allows the policy to cover Cancellation and Interruption Pre-existing Condition-related claims and for Medical treatment if hospitalized.

Without the Waiver, the policy excludes Pre-existing Conditions from the past 60 days.

Essentially, if you received any of the following in the past 60 days, the policy does not cover them:

• New diagnosis
• Treatment or test for a new or worsened condition
• New or change in medication
• Recommendation for treatment or test you have not yet completed

IMG Travel LX's Pre-existing Condition Waiver covers the above if you buy the policy before or on the day of your Final Payment.

Whenever possible, TravelDefenders recommends all travelers, particularly seniors, buy travel insurance with a Pre-existing Condition Waiver.

Look Back Period 

As just mentioned, IMG Travel LX has a 60 day look back period.

That means if you had any medical activity in the 60 days before buying the insurance, the policy would not cover Pre-existing Conditions.

Look back means the insurer looks back at your medical history to see if you have a Pre-existing Condition within that window.

To make sure your policy covers Pre-existing Conditions, buy a plan with a Pre-existing Condition Waiver.

Trip Delay vs. Missed Connection

Trip Delay insurance reimburses you for food, taxi, hotel, and phone calls if you have a delay longer than 6 hours. It refunds up to $250 per day up to a maximum of $1,000 per person.

Trip Delay is triggered by:

• A common carrier delay (airline, cruise line, train, bus, etc.)
• Theft or loss of passport or visa
• Car accident en route to departure city or destination
• Inclement weather
• Natural disaster
• Quarantine
• Strike
• Hijacking

Pet Kennel

IMG Travel LX also provides a Pet Kennel reimbursement. If you are delayed 6 hours or more returning home, the plan covers additional kennel stays. The policy provides $100 per day with a maximum of $500 per pet.

Missed Connection

Missed Connection insurance is often misunderstood. It is not about connecting you from one flight to another. It refers to connecting you from one mode of transportation to a cruise or tour.

If an airline delay caused you to miss your cruise's departure from the port, that is a Missed Connection.

The Missed Connection benefit reimburses you for the added cost to join your cruise or tour. It triggers Trip Interruption to refund the unused portion of the trip. Also, it can compensate you for the cost of meals, hotel, taxis and phone calls.

A Missed Connection occurs when you experience:

• Inclement weather
• A common carrier delay
• Quarantine, hijacking, strike, natural disaster, terrorism, civil disorder, or riot

Change Fees and Frequent Traveler Rewards

If things do not go as planned on your trip, you might need to change your travel arrangements. Then, your carrier may charge a change fee to update your tickets.

IMG Travel LX covers change fees up to $300 per person if you face a:

• A covered Trip Cancellation
• A covered Trip Interruption
• A common carrier delay
• Involved in a car accident en route to departure
• Travel supplier cancels or interrupts your trip

Frequent Traveler Rewards

Many travelers use miles or points to book their airfare or hotels. If you do, travel insurance can still help you.

Although you should not include the value of your miles when calculating your total trip cost, consider the fee if you must put the points back on the account.

IMG Travel LX reimburses up to $75 per covered traveler to re-bank points to your account.

Non-Medical Evacuation

IMG Travel LX provides a $50,000 benefit per traveler if things go sideways during your trip and you need a non-medical evacuation.

This political and security evacuation is usable if:

• Civil, military, or political unrest breaks out, and the local government formally recommends foreigners leave
• The US State Department issues a recommendation during your stay to leave the country
• The country you visit expels you or declares you a persona non-grata

Keep in mind that neither this benefit nor any part of the policy covers claims for OFAC sanctioned countries.

Rental Car Damage and Theft Waiver

IMG Travel LX can save you some time and expense with its Rental Car Damage and Theft Waiver.

The coverage protects the car if there is a collision, theft, vandalism, natural disaster, or any cause beyond your control while in your possession.

It covers up to $40,000 for the lesser of:

• Reasonable and customary cost of repairs and loss of use charges while the rental company repairs the car
• The actual cash value of the rental vehicle, less its reasonable salvage value

This Waiver does not include liability insurance.

Accidental Death and Dismemberment

IMG Travel LX includes an Accidental Death and Dismemberment of up to $100,000.

It includes situations where the traveler is the victim of an accident dismemberment (loss of hand, eye, or foot) while on a common carrier. 

The policy pays the full benefit if the traveler dies in an accident on a common carrier during the trip.

This benefit also includes losses due to exposure and disappearance.

Baggage Insurance and Baggage Delay

IMG Travel LX provides Baggage Insurance and Baggage Delay benefits.

If a common carrier damages or loses your luggage, baggage insurance compensates you up to $2,500 per person for replacements or repairs. The policy has a $250 per item limit.

Likewise, if a common carrier delays your luggage by 12 hours or more, the policy reimburses up to $500 for clothing and toiletries.

The baggage insurance benefit also includes the cost to replace travel documents, passports, and visas.

IMG Travel LX also includes protection for sports equipment rental. If a common carrier damages or loses it, the plan covers up to an additional $500 per day, $2,000 maximum.

Travel Assistance

All IMG policies include Global Peace of Mind Travel Assistance services.

You can call them 24/7 from anywhere in the world.

They can help with:

• Emergency travel arrangements
• Lost passport/travel documents assistance
• Lost luggage assistance
• Embassy or consulate referral
• Emergency message relay
• Emergency prescription replacement
• Medical referral
• Emergency cash transfer
• Legal referrals
• Emergency translations
• and more

Reach IMG Travel Assistance in the US or Canada at 866-243-7524. From worldwide locations, call collect +1-317-655-9798.

IMG Travel LX Offers Industry-Leading Coverage

IMG Travel LX is one of the only travel insurance plans on the market to cover the injury, illness, or death of a beloved pet. The policy's extremely generous list of cancellation reasons makes it an industry leader in contemporary protection.

You can also travel with the peace of mind that IMG Travel LX's robust $500,000 Medical Insurance and $1 million Medical Evacuation protects your health.

The Pre-existing Medical Condition Waiver closes a coverage gap. Its rental car damage waiver saves you money. The non-medical evacuation benefit keeps you safe if your vacation goes sideways because of a natural disaster or political turmoil.

Finally, IMG Travel LX also includes an optional upgrade to the ultimate protection: Cancel For Any Reason and Interruption For Any Reason.

Compare prices for this fully-featured travel insurance plan with others at TravelDefenders Travel Insurance Marketplace.

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Travel insurance is not "one size fits all." Our friendly licensed agents can help you find the best policy that meets your travel needs.

Visit TravelDefenders to shop the Travel Insurance Marketplace before committing to the first travel insurance policy you come across.

Please stop by and chat with us, send an email, or give us a call at +1(786) 321 3723.

Safe travels!