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There is wide variation in what travel insurance encompasses. Many policies cover preexisting medical conditions, as long as the insurance is purchased along with the initial trip payment or

shortly after; others do not. A comprehensive plan includes financial protection against nonrefundable travel expenses, medical coverage for emergencies, or evacuations, and concierge

services in case you lose a passport or need to find a different hotel, says Megan Freedman, executive director of the UStiA. "It makes sense to buy it at the same time or close to when

you're booking the trip," she adds, to ensure it covers anything unexpected that pops up before your departure date.   For those who travel frequently, there are even blanket

policies that cover all travel throughout the year. PROVIDERS: You can consider purchasing the policy that the agent or tour provider offers when you book a trip. But Liz Dahl, a travel

agent and founder of the Boomer Travel Patrol advice website, encourages travelers to research other providers' policies because coverage varies widely. The best way to do that is

through comparison websites such as InsureMyTrip, SquareMouth or TravelInsurance.com. Whether a policy is worthwhile may vary by individual, but those who have had coverage and needed it

have saved tens of thousands of dollars, especially when a medical emergency is involved. Bob Mattson and his wife, Diana, of Winter Haven, Fla., paid $142 for comprehensive, joint travel

coverage before taking a Caribbean cruise a few years ago. As they were pulling into St. Martin, Mattson, now 72, felt a pain in his left arm. The infirmary doctor on the ship soon

determined that Mattson was having a heart attack and called an ambulance. Mattson was medevaced to Miami. "Without that travel insurance, we would have literally maxed out every credit

card we had to pay for those costs," he says. He estimates the total costs for his evacuation at over $25,000. The cruise line also reimbursed the couple for the unused portion of the

cruise. "We had never taken out travel insurance before," says Diana Mattson. Now they'll never leave the country without it.