Go Ready Insurance

What Go Ready Insurance is

Go Ready Insurance is a travel plan brand run by an insurance agency, not an insurer. The about page calls it "a distinguished division of Aegis General Insurance Agency," and the footer of every page names the seller as Aegis General Insurance Agency Inc., Travel Insurance Division, "CA License No. 0I66850" and "National Producer No. 957388." The same about page says the brand was "Founded originally under the APRIL Travel Protection brand" and "evolved through its acquisition by Aegis in 2021," and its page title still reads "April Travel Insurance Becomes Go Ready Travel Insurance."

The risk sits with outside carriers, and the site names them plan by plan. The compare page prints "Insurance coverages underwritten by Zurich American Insurance Company" under the Choice, Cruise and Trip Cancellation plans and "Insurance coverages underwritten by United States Fire Insurance Company" under Elite. The annual page names "Starr Indemnity & Liability Company" for the Annual/Multi-Trip Primary Plan and "Generali US Branch" for the Annual/Multi-Trip Preferred plan. The FAQ gives an older, shorter version, "Starr Companies and/or Zurich American Insurance company," and says both carry A.M. Best ratings of "A." The policy documents, which the FAQ says arrive electronically within 24 hours of purchase, identify the carrier on any one policy.

The single-trip plans side by side

The compare page is a full benefit table with a starting price per plan: Choice "Starting at $42," Cruise at $49, Trip Cancellation at $41 and Elite at $66. All four reimburse trip cancellation at 100% of the insured trip cost, cap trip cost at $50,000 per person and cover trips of "Up to 60 days."

Choice is the modular plan. The plans page describes it as a plan built around optional benefits, and the table shows many lines as upgrades. Its base medical and dental benefit is $50,000 per person with a $1,000 dental maximum, on a primary basis, emergency evacuation and repatriation is $250,000 per person, trip interruption is 150% of trip cost, and baggage is $500 per person. Upgrades on Choice include Cancel for Any Reason at up to 75% of trip cost, trip cancellation for work reasons, sports equipment, electronics, pet evacuation and rental car damage up to $50,000.

Cruise raises the medical line to $100,000 per person, keeps evacuation at $250,000, adds itinerary change of up to $250 per person and baggage of $1,500. Its CFAR upgrade is listed at "Up to 50-75% of Trip Cost."

Elite is the top of the range. The plans page says it "provides the highest coverage limits of any policy we offer," and the table bears that out: medical and dental of $250,000 per person with a $2,000 dental maximum, evacuation and repatriation of $500,000, baggage of $2,500, missed connection of $1000 and an air-only accidental death benefit of $100,000. Elite alone offers upgrades for Interruption for Any Reason at up to 75% of trip cost and for natural disaster evacuation, search and rescue and political evacuation, each up to $75,000 per person. The page also marks Elite "Not available in NY & WA," while the other three are "Available in all 50 states, plus D.C."

The Trip Cancellation plan is what its name says. The table lists trip cancellation at 100% and "Not Included" against interruption, medical, evacuation and baggage. The plans page also names a Priority Plus Plan, described as "A comprehensive travel insurance plan with our broadest array of pandemic-related benefits," which does not appear in the comparison table.

Pre-existing conditions, sports and pregnancy

Pre-existing condition cover depends on the plan and on timing. On the compare table, Choice has no waiver unless upgraded and "Excludes Pre-Existing Conditions From Last 180 Days"; Cruise includes the waiver "if Policy is Purchased No Later Than 24 Hours After Final Payment" and otherwise looks back 90 days; Elite includes it "if plan is purchased within 14 days of the Initial Trip Deposit" and otherwise looks back 180 days. The FAQ sums it up as a look-back of "90-180 days depending on the Aegis plan purchased."

The FAQ lists sports exclusions that apply across the policies, among them "mountain climbing, bungee cord jumping, skydiving," heli-skiing, skiing outside marked trails and "scuba diving below 120 feet (40 meters) or without a divemaster," and notes that plans may differ. On pregnancy it says "losses caused by, or resulting from, normal pregnancy or childbirth are excluded," while unforeseen complications on a covered trip may be covered if the insured is hospitalized.

The annual plans

Two annual plans sit on their own page. The Annual/Multi-Trip Primary Plan starts at $198 and is underwritten by Starr Indemnity & Liability Company. Its medical and dental benefit is $30,000 per person on a primary basis with a $750 dental limit, emergency evacuation and repatriation is $50,000, trip interruption is capped at a $2,000 maximum per policy, and trips of up to 90 days are covered. It has no trip cancellation benefit. The plans page says this is a plan "where pricing is not affected by age."

The Annual/Multi-Trip Preferred plan starts at $42, is underwritten by Generali US Branch, and includes trip cancellation and trip interruption of up to $1,000 each, medical of $50,000 per person on a secondary basis, emergency assistance and transportation of $100,000, and trips of up to 31 days. It is "Not available in Florida, Indiana, New York, and Washington."

Who can buy and how claims work

The FAQ says buyers "need to be U.S. residents, with travel itineraries returning to the United States." For the Choice plan it says "There is no maximum age limit," though the buyer "must be 18 years or older to purchase it," and a parent or guardian can buy it for children traveling alone. The quote form asks for destination, trip cost, each traveler's age, travel dates, deposit date and state of residence. The free look period "varies by plan and by state (within 10 or 14 days from purchasing the plan)," and trip cost and dates can be changed before departure, sometimes for extra premium. The FAQ describes coverage as "primary for most benefits in most states," provided the traveler holds no other travel or medical cover for the trip.

The feature the brand leans on is Stress Less Benefits. The site says that by "contacting Aegis immediately when experiencing any covered event such as a flight disruption, illness, or injury, our team can coordinate the solution and pay for it on the spot," so the traveler may avoid paying first and claiming later. The FAQ limits this to "certain covered events," and the Stress Less page lists which benefits it applies to on each plan. Emergency assistance is on (877) 317-3472 toll-free, and claims otherwise start by phone or email through customer service on (800) 774-3959. The site's published weekend email hours and email response times differ from page to page.

Who it suits

Go Ready fits a US resident who wants to compare a published benefit table across several single-trip plans, including a modular plan that starts lean and adds cover item by item. Elite carries the largest medical and evacuation limits the brand sells, and Cruise ties its pre-existing waiver to buying within 24 hours of final payment rather than of the first deposit. It fits less well for anyone living outside the US, for trips over 60 days on a single-trip plan, or for residents of New York and Washington looking at Elite.