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Travel Insurance Reviews Nationwide Essential

The Essential plan from Nationwide Mutual Insurance is for travelers planning trips on a budget who don't want to sacrifice coverage. Coverages include Trip Cancellation and Interruption, Medical, Emergency Medical Evacuation, and Assistance Services.

To learn more, see the Nationwide Essential trip insurance product page.

Customers rated the Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company Essential plan
4.62 out of 5
7,466
ratings and reviews
97%
recommended
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Filed claim
Nationwide Mutual Insurance Essential
Nationwide Mutual Insurance hides behind bureaucracy to delay processing claims.

I had a family doctor visit (non-emergency, neither requiring hospitalization) during my international trip. I submitted a claim for only $60, after few weeks I got an email from Nationwide Travel Claims asking me to submit a letter/documentation from my primary insurance stating if my policy does cover medical expenses incurred outside of the United States. I contact my primary insurer who explains in a letter that they ONLY cover excess of $350, and ONLY for emergencies or hospitalization.

After few weeks, I receive another email from Nationwide Travel Claims asking me to provide a copy of my primary health insurer’s Explanation of Benefits indicating the amount paid or denied for the submitted charges, which THEY KNOW that I cannot provide because my primary health insurer won't cover those charges as documented in the letter that I already sent them the first time they contacted me.

In summary, **Nationwide hides behind bureaucracy to delay processing the claims**
Miguel M. would not recommend this plan to a friend or relative.
4 of 4 people found this review helpful
Coverage
Value
Satisfaction
Claims
  • Empty Comment
Nationwide Mutual Insurance Essential
Purchased land arrangements then 12 days later purchased airfare. Understood financial default covered if purchase within 10 days of initial purchase and within 10 days of any additional arrangements purchased, so figured whole trip cost covered. After all, couldn't purchase for full amount until after got air fare to get there. Land supplier defaulted & stole our money. Filed claim. Twice they said they hadn't received my claim documents. Third time they decided I should have purchased within 10 day sof land arrangements, then somehow amended my purchase to add the airfare after I purchased it, & so denied default claim for land arrangements. Policy language certainly misleading, & I've been a lawyer for 42 years so if I didn't understand it...how could a non-lawyer? I won't purchase a Nationwide policy ever again.
Andrew T. would not recommend this plan to a friend or relative.
3 of 3 people found this review helpful
Coverage
Value
Satisfaction
Claims
  • Empty Comment
Nationwide Mutual Insurance Essential
I inquired about documentation needed to file a medical claim since I got sick while abroad. I received a wrong answer first --Nationwide sent me the form for a trip cancellation, which was not the case, and then Nationwide answered with the correct form several weeks later, on the day I was traveling back. It is totally unacceptable for the insurer to answer an inquiry about documentation weeks (between 2 and 3 weeks) later. Once you leave the country you are visiting, it will be very hard to get any missing paperwork.
Daniel C. would not recommend this plan to a friend or relative.
2 of 2 people found this review helpful
Coverage
Value
Satisfaction
Claims not filed
  • Empty Comment
The trip included a
tour
Nationwide Mutual Insurance Essential
Easy to purchase, reasonably priced, and provided the coverage we wanted. Thank you!
Benjamin P. would recommend this plan to a friend or relative.
Coverage
Value
Satisfaction
Claims not filed
  • Empty Comment
The trip included a
cruise
Nationwide Mutual Insurance Essential
Another cruise in the books with full peace of mind that we had our travel insurance, just in case! Thank goodness we did not need it. But, I read a story where a passenger had a heart attack and was stuck in a Dominican Republic hospital with no funds to return to the States because they did not get insurance.

We always use insuremytrip to find a policy that fits our needs based on where we are going.
Joseph L. would recommend this plan to a friend or relative.
Coverage
Value
Satisfaction
Claims not filed
  • Empty Comment
The trip included a
tour
Nationwide Mutual Insurance Essential
While on vacation in Dubai, I fractured my foot. Upon returning home filing my claim was easy and I was reimbursed for all expenses. It was helpful that the Dubai medical systems is amazing and was able to email my medical records asap.
Jacqueline W. would recommend this plan to a friend or relative.
Coverage
Value
Satisfaction
Claims
  • Empty Comment
The trip included a
cruise
Nationwide Mutual Insurance Essential
I had to cancel my cruise due to my mom's death about a week prior to cruise. I submitted my claim online-took about 4 weeks for claim to be completely processed and about another 2 weeks to receive checks.
I did have to get help from my daughter to help me file the claim,but I am not computer savy.
I only received one email from the company during the whole process,and that was a few days after I submitted claim-they were just letting me know there might be a delay due to the high number of claims.
I just checked the website frequently and that is now I knew the claim had been approved and checks were generated.
I did receive my total amount I had paid for the cruise and was never asked for any additional paperwork-But I did wait until I had everything( MD note/death certificate ,etc) before I submitted claim.They have a list of items they show you when you start the process
I would definitely use again,actually I just bought the same policy for my next cruise
KARAN J. would recommend this plan to a friend or relative.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful
Coverage
Value
Satisfaction
Claims
  • Empty Comment
The trip included a
tour
Nationwide Mutual Insurance Essential
The price of the policy was fine. Be careful to read the Exclusions section of the policy because many common items (e.g. cell phones, eye glasses) and circumstances (e.g. theft from a vehicle) are not covered. We needed to file a claim for a stolen backpack and it was a little frustrating because the claims processor subcontractor's website provides no indication that they had even received our submission until after they made a determination, which took a week.
Jeremy S. would not recommend this plan to a friend or relative.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful
Coverage
Value
Satisfaction
Claims
  • Empty Comment
Nationwide Mutual Insurance Essential
We have previously used Nationwide through Insuremytrip for trip insurance, and in one case needed to make a claim. Nationwide covered our losses with no issues, and so we now default to them (and Insuremytrip) when buying trip insurance. Although we did not need to make a claim this time, we were able to book everything with the peace of mind that we would not be out a bunch of money should something unforeseen happen.
William S. would recommend this plan to a friend or relative.
Coverage
Value
Satisfaction
Claims not filed
  • Empty Comment
The trip included a
tour
Nationwide Mutual Insurance Essential
My wife and I had to use the doctor while on vacation and Nationwide did pay what my primary medical insurance did not cover. BUT I did not like is the paper work required. Here is an example of what they asked for: "...flight booking confirmation with dates of travel, cost and proof of payment which identify you as the traveler and document your entrance into and exit from the country or countries where medical services were received..." my first response was how the heck to I do this! I ended up sending the receipts from the airlines and that worked. The also wanted the EOB from my primary medical - once they got all of the info they did pay out just a few days later.
Just a lot of electronic "paper work" to get there.
Richard G. would recommend this plan to a friend or relative.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful
Coverage
Value
Satisfaction
Claims
  • Empty Comment
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