Insurance pays off for cancellations

AS an attorney who has represented several travel agencies, consultants and travelers, I appreciated very much Laurie Berger’s article [“Nonrefundable? It Sometimes Pays to Fight Company Policy,” Travel Q&A;, Nov. 6].

Tenacity and pressure do help for, as the adage states, “the squeaky wheel gets the grease.” Please note that many insurance carriers will include preexisting conditions in the trip cancellation policy if the policy itself is taken out within 10 days of the first payment or deposit toward the trip.

If the couple referred to in Berger’s article had done that, they would have avoided a lot of effort, stress and economic loss. Unfortunately, most people wait until the no-penalty cancellation period is about to expire before buying insurance. If someone is suffering from a chronic disease that could flare up at any time, buying the insurance within the 10-day period could be a very wise investment.

BARRY S. RUBIN

Beverly Hills