TRAVEL INSURANCE
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Travel Insurance Policies
We urge all guests to get travel insurance appropriate to their needs prior to traveling. We are no longer able to provide refunds due to COVID.
If travel is booked via certain websites such as Airbnb, we may require proof of trip cancellation and trip interruption insurance prior to completing your reservation.
Travel insurance coverage is commonly provided via one or more of the following:
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payment by credit card.
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purchase of a travel insurance policy.
Payment by Credit Card
Although our Canadian snowbirds typically pay by check, payment by credit card may be desirable for you during these times. Our pricing for snowbird rentals has been calculated for payment by check. If a credit card is used for payment, a convenience fee or elimination of the cash/check discount may be reflected in your final pricing. The difference in pricing typically amounts to about 3% of the amount charged.
Coverage via Your Credit Card
Many credit cards provide some travel insurance. Look at the offering for your credit card carefully.
If the travel insurance offering is acceptable to you, consider paying by credit card. The credit card convenience charge may be less than the cost of a separate travel insurance policy.
Purchasing a Travel Policy that Covers COVID-19/Coronavirus
Read travel policies carefully before purchasing to ensure that they meet your needs. Coverage for events related to COVID *may* be included in some policies, even if not specifically spelled out.
Read policy exclusions carefully.
Contact the provider for clarification before purchasing.
In the age of COVID, the extent of coverage is important to many travelers, especially to our Canadian snowbird guests. Consider the following coverages.
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Trip cancellation
This rider may provide coverage if you need to cancel a trip prior to departure. It may provide coverage if you, a covered travel companion or someone you need to care for contracts COVID-19 prior to departure.
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Trip delay
This rider may provide coverage if your trip is delayed due to changing COVID-related guidelines.
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Trip interruption
This rider may provide coverage in case your trip needs to terminate early or be extended due to changing COVID-related guidelines. Trip interruption insurance can refund lost prepaid costs, minus any available refunds. Note that this rider may or may not include quarantine coverage.
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Travel medical
This rider may provide temporary medical coverage in the event of illness or injury while traveling. Look for coverage of medical expenses and medical evacuation.
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Quarantine coverage
This rider may provide coverage of daily expenses if you are forced to quarantine due to COVID-19. Some policies require a positive COVID test result in order for coverage to apply. If quarantine coverage is a concern, be wary of policies which do not explicitly state that they include quarantine coverage. Get this coverage in writing.
Additional Optional Coverages
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Cancel for Any Reason (CFAR)
This coverage gives you the most flexibility in canceling. It is often an add-on benefit to a more comprehensive plan, and cannot be purchased separately.
Many policies state that they will cover 75% of trip costs. This greatly mitigates risks of costs due to cancellation.
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Group travel
If you are traveling with family or travel buddies, it may be less expensive to purchase a group travel policy rather than multiple individual policies.
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Extended stay travel
Many policies cover up to a maximum of 30 days. If you need to extend coverage for just a few days on either side of you trip, arrange for this coverage in advance. One company quoted $8/day for the extra coverage.
If the entire length of your travel is for a lot more than 30 days, consider an extended stay policy. If that is not available from your provider, consider purchasing separate policies covering back to back portions of your stay, if this is permitted by your provider.
Some Travel Insurance Offerings
We did not find a single travel insurance offering that covered all options described above. It may be useful to pick a policy that contains the most important elements to you and supplements policies that you or friends in your network are already familiar with.
This list of offerings is provided for your information only. We do not have specific recommendations. We have no relationship with any of these companies.
Travel Medical Insurance for Canadian Snowbirds
We assume quarantine coverage is important to our Canadian guests. Several options offered in Canada are listed below.
Manulife offered the most extensive quarantine coverage of the Canadian options that we reviewed. It covered a maximum of $2100 CDN for a maximum of 14 days.
Medipac and TourMed have more limited quarantine coverage.
Other Offerings
The following options are offered to both U.S. and non-U.S. travelers.
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HeyMondo -
https://heymondo.com/travel-insurance-covid/
Extra lodging expenses due to a medical quarantine (when testing positive) are covered under the “Lodging expenses due to convalescence” coverage.
HeyMondo offers Single Trip, Annual Multitrip, and Long Stay options. HeyMondo Annual Multitrip covers stays of up to 60 days each. HeyMondo Long Stay covers a minimum of 90 days travel.
HeyMondo offers a Cancellation Only policy with 8 covered reasons. These include COVID-19 diagnoses for you, for your travel companions, or for close relatives.
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SafetyWing -
https://safetywing.com/nomad-insurance
SafetyWing offers limited coverage of costs for quarantine, similar to Medipac and TourMed.
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COVID TESTING AT BAREFOOT
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What COVID Testing Is Available?
If you have COVID symptoms or suspect that you have been exposed to someone with COVID, health insurance often covers the entire cost of the test. If you do not have insurance with a U.S. based health insurer, contact your insurer for information about your coverage. Insurance coverage may not be available if you are simply testing for surveillance or for travel reasons.
For the safety of everyone, please refrain from traveling if you have COVID-19 symptoms and have not tested negatively for COVID, or if you have been in contact with someone in the last 10 days suspected or confirmed to have had COVID, and have not tested negatively for COVID. COVID symptoms include, but are not limited to, fever, cough, or shortness of breath. It is possible to be an asymptomatic carrier. We may not be able to accommodate you or your party if any member has COVID and needs to quarantine.
Consider a travel insurance policy with quarantine coverage if you are traveling far from home.
If you have already arrived in North Myrtle Beach, local COVID-19 test sites may be found at
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CVS Pharmacy
4401 Hwy 17 South, Windy Hill Road
North Myrtle Beach, SC 29582
Phone 843-272-8884
This CVS is located at the second entry to Barefoot Resort on Highway 17N.
As of November 10, 2021, the out of pocket cost for COVID testing is $139 if you are asymptomatic or if you are getting tested for travel reasons.
The cost may be free if you suspect that you have been expoed to COVID or if you are exhibiting symptoms.
Make certain to schedule your tests to ensure that results are returned in time for you to travel to your destination. Most CVS sites require scheduling in advance.
Other sites have
walk-in testing available. As of November 2021, there are two CVS walk-in sites in Myrtle Beach and one walk-in site in North Myrtle Beach.
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SC DHEC
This is a state maintained list of testing sites. Some sites may be mobile and have rapid results.
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QUARANTINE OPTIONS
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What If I Need to COVID Quarantine During or After My Stay?
If your home country requires a negative COVID test prior to your return home, refer to the information provided
above
regarding COVID testing.
If you test positive, you may be required to quarantine prior to returning home. Your travel insurance policy may cover the costs of quarantine.
As we are small and do not have alternative accommodations, we may not be able to accommodate you if your party has to quarantine near the end of your stay.
If we have a subsequent booking, we will need to allow for a sufficient time frame for cleaning before the next guest arrives.
For our guests who are traveling far from home, purchasing travel insurance with quarantine coverage is strongly recommended for the next couple of years.
Prior to the summer season beginning in June, alternative housing at a nearby hotel may be easier to find.
During the busy summer season, your party may have to complete your quarantine period at a hotel further inland.
Conway is nearby and has an excellent hospital. Florence is slightly further inland and also has an excellent hospital system.
The local health services can supply you with further guidance, if needed.
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