Travel Insurance Costa Rica: Must-Have Benefits and Coverage Pricing

Picture yourself having a once-in-a-lifetime experience during an adventure in Costa Rica. Are you exploring one of its national parks? Costa Rica has 26 national parks, and three of them are UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization) World Heritage Sites. Are you zip lining through the trees, or just enjoying a walk down a boardwalk?

The last thing you, a family member, or a travel companion want to happen is for that picturesque moment to be ruined, whether due to an unexpected trip cancellation or even a medical emergency once you do arrive at your destination. But sometimes… things just happen.

While a Costa Rica travel guide can tell you of all the beautiful sites to see and activities to try for the ultimate experience, any wise traveler will know there is always potential for something unexpected to happen – and it is often out of your control. Knowing you have travel insurance for Costa Rica that provides coverage for trip cancellations and a variety of other unexpected mishaps can make all the difference.

 

 

How Much Travel Insurance Do I Need for Costa Rica?

Costa Rica might not be the cheapest country to visit in Central America, but it’s typically much more affordable than a European vacation. Making room for travel insurance for Costa Rica in your budget can go a long way in keeping costs more predictable, no matter what might happen on your trip. 

Now that you’ve determined travel insurance is the right move for you and your travel companies, the next step involves determining what kind of coverage you want. When asking yourself, “How much travel insurance do I need for Costa Rica?” it’s best to start by creating a list of “must-have” benefits and “nice-to-have” benefits.

Here are five must-have benefits we recommend for your trip to Costa Rica:

• Reimbursement for trip cancellation could cover prepaid and nonrefundable expenses you miss out on if you must cancel your trip due to a reason covered under your insurance policy. This can be especially important for prepaid excursions, hotels, flights, or other big-ticket items that might not be refunded if your trip is canceled.
  
  
• Coverage for trip interruption – which can shorten your vacation, cause you to miss scheduled tours or activities, and also cause frustration – can be important for unexpected trip adjustments. If you are forced to miss a portion of your vacation because of a covered reason, you could get reimbursed for prepaid and unused travel purchases.
  
  
• A travel delay benefit could mean you are reimbursed for expenses related to extensive travel delays, like a flight delayed for over twelve hours.
  
  
• Emergency medical coverage could be essential should you or your travel companion fall sick or become injured. Sun poisoning after a day at the beach or a serious injury while hiking along a walking trail could land you in the emergency room for several hours with a hefty bill in tow. Emergency medical coverage could help cover the cost.
  
  
• The U.S. Department of State advises travelers to Costa Rica to get emergency medical evacuation coverage. Should you need to be transported to a different medical facility to save your life or limb, your evacuation coverage could help cover transportation costs.
  
  
• Coverage for damaged, lost, or stolen luggage could provide reimbursement for the replacement of clothes and personal hygiene items.

There are also add-on benefits, or upgrades, that might be nice to have to further cover your financial risk while traveling to Costa Rica.

Four of these nice-to-have benefits include:

• A trip cancellation for any reason (CFAR) benefit would allow you to recoup 50% or 75% of the costs if you cancel your trip for a reason not covered under your base insurance plan. This gives you the freedom to cancel your trip on your own terms while still getting refunded a significant portion of your prepaid and nonrefundable travel expenses.
  
  
• If you’re interested in upgrading your medical evacuation coverage, an optional medical evacuation upgrade would be ideal. Double your coverage for medical evacuations and have the freedom to select your hospital of choice for evacuation.
  
  
• Interruption coverage for vacation rental accommodations, such as if the rental you reserved is not available once you arrive, is unclean, or otherwise non-accommodating, might also be beneficial to travelers. This rental accommodations protection benefit can reassure you’ll be covered if you’re forced to scramble to find a new rental after arriving to one of these unfortunate scenarios.
  
  
• Some travel insurance plans exclude coverage for activities like safaris, bungee jumping, hang gliding, and more. An adventure sports benefit could provide coverage for these types of adventure activities during your trip to Costa Rica where the excursion opportunities are so plentiful.

 

How Much Does Travel Insurance Cost for Costa Rica?

Knowing the costs associated with purchasing travel insurance and what you should expect to spend can be an important factor as you plan your Costa Rica trip. The truth is the cost of your travel insurance coverage will vary depending on your unique needs. There are four factors that will impact the price of your coverage:

• Trip Cost – The more expensive your trip is, the higher your coverage premium will be.
  
  
• Age of Traveler(s) – Travel insurance is often more expensive for older travelers and less for younger travelers.
  
  
• Level of Coverage – If your insurance plan offers multiple levels of coverage, these levels will likely vary in price.
  
  
• Benefit Upgrades – You could choose to add on additional benefits to your plan, which will add to your overall price.

Let’s use WorldTrips’® Atlas Journey® travel insurance as a reference for how much your travel insurance may cost. We offer three different levels of coverage with our travel insurance plan: Premier, Preferred, and Economy. Premier plans start at *$43 per person. Preferred plans start at *$36 per person. Economy plans start at just *$17 per person.

*Cost reflects Atlas Journey travel insurance plan pricing as of the date of publishing on 6/13/2023.

Now let’s look at some Costa Rica travel examples.

 

Example #1: Annual Miller Family Vacation

The Miller family, consisting of two parents (45 and 48), two teens (14 and 16), and grandparents (65 and 66), is planning an annual trip of five nights and six days. They’ve chosen Costa Rica for the variety of activities it offers for different ages. They’re looking into purchasing travel insurance to cover their trip expenses and potential medical emergencies.

Grandma Miller’s friend visited Costa Rica just a few months back and ended up at a hospital for a broken ankle. Her friend was very impressed with the care, so Grandma would like coverage that would allow them to choose their hospital of choice if they need evacuation.

Using the Atlas Journey quote engine, they enter their trip details, including the $8,000 trip cost, and decide to go with the Preferred plan ($428), then add the Medical Evacuation upgrade for only $18 more.

*Cost reflects Atlas Journey travel insurance plan pricing as of the date of publishing on 6/13/2023.

 

Example #2: Friends Excursion Through the Costa Rica Wildlife 

Another example is the four-night, five-day trip that best friends May (28) and Jessica (30) are planning as adventurers who want to get out in nature. They’re looking forward to hiking and zip lining and exploring Costa Rica beyond the resort experience.

In addition to trip cancellation and emergency medical coverage, these best friends want to add extra coverage for adventure sport activities and make sure that there is a single occupancy benefit in case one of them has to cancel unexpectedly.

After putting their trip details into the Atlas Journey quote engine, including the trip cost of $3,000, they decide to go with the Premier plan for maximum coverage, including the single occupancy benefit, for $138. In addition, they choose the optional Adventure Sports upgrade for an additional $22.

*Cost reflects Atlas Journey travel insurance plan pricing as of the date of publishing on 6/13/2023.

In the end, the answer to, “How much does travel insurance cost for Costa Rica?” is ultimately up to you. Establish your list of “must-have” benefits and then go from there.

 

Learn about Costa Rica’s impressive ecotourism industry.

 

What Is the Best Costa Rica Travel Insurance for Your Trip?

Atlas Journey® travel insurance may be the best Costa Rica travel insurance for individuals and families alike looking for the necessary travel and medical expense coverage they need. Choose from three convenient levels of coverage, including Economy, Preferred, or Premier, all designed for U.S. residents traveling within the U.S. and/or abroad. Here are some of the key benefits:

• The plan features trip cancellation coverage as well as coverage for other travel mishaps, like travel delay, missed connection, loyalty/frequent flyer miles, and baggage delay, damage, or loss.
• You’ll also get coverage for emergency medical expenses, unexpected dental expenses, medical evacuation, and accidental death and dismemberment coverage.
• Every WorldTrips policyholder gets access to 24/7 travel assistance services upon purchasing a plan. Our team of skilled representatives can help you navigate a stressful emergency abroad.

To further customize your plan, benefit upgrades are available for Atlas Journey Premier and Atlas Journey Preferred policies. Here are a few of them:

• Adventure Sports – Extends coverage to include sports such as safari, bungee jumping, hang gliding, & more
  
  
• Medical Evacuation – Doubles medical evacuation coverage and offers evacuation to hospital of your choice
  
  
• Baggage – Doubles baggage coverage and makes baggage coverage primary, rather than excess
  
  
• Rental Accommodations Protection – Interruption coverage if rental is unclean/overbooked or keys are lost
  
  
• Rental Car Damage and Theft – Adds collision damage waiver and coverage for theft of rental vehicle

If you’re wondering “How do I get travel insurance for Costa Rica?” and you’re ready to buy Costa Rica travel insurance from WorldTrips, you can get an immediate plan price here.

Can I Use U.S. Health Insurance in Costa Rica?

You might be wondering, “Can I use my U.S. health insurance in Costa Rica?” and “Do I need health insurance to travel to Costa Rica?” The answer to the first question? Probably not.

Though primary health insurance plans in the U.S. can vary, most do NOT offer coverage overseas. Contact your health insurance provide to find out whether or not you will have coverage when traveling internationally. If after questioning, “Can you use American health insurance in Costa Rica?” and confirming from your health insurance provider that you won’t be getting any coverage (or that you’ll be getting very little coverage), then it’s time to start looking into your options.

Travel medical coverage isn’t required for Costa Rica, but it may be worth considering. Many comprehensive travel insurance plans, like Atlas Journey, will feature some type of emergency medical coverage. This type of coverage could cover unexpected trips to the emergency room and treatment for unexpected injuries or illnesses.

You can also opt for travel medical insurance for Costa Rica like Atlas Travel® from WorldTrips. This is a travel medical insurance plan that offers more coverage for emergency medical expenses, but at a less expensive price since it doesn’t include trip cancellation coverage.

Travel health insurance for international trips features coverage for a variety of unexpected medical expenses, such as:

• Hospital room and board
• Diagnostic testing and surgery
• Necessary emergency medical evacuation

So, whether you are looking for Costa Rica health insurance for expats or trip cancellation coverage for a week-long vacation, make sure you’ve purchased travel insurance or travel medical insurance to help cover any unexpected bills.