I need your help with a travel insurance problem. We booked a trip to Cancun through Orbitz last year, and when we got to the last screen of the reservation, it offered us a travel insurance policy through Access America. We thought it would be a good idea to have insurance, so we bought it.

Afterward, we received a document with the specifics of our policy. I didn't read it because I didn't anticipate having to make a claim. But I was wrong.

Shortly before our trip, my mother died unexpectedly. I called Orbitz, which referred me to the insurance company. An Access America representative told me to cancel the trip and suggested that I reschedule it. They promised they would "take care" of the claim.

– Cheryl Ellis, Lee's Summit, Mo.

My condolences on the loss of your mother. I agree with you that a "natural cause" isn't a pre-existing condition, and I think Access America should have honored your claim.

But this misunderstanding might have been avoided. When you bought your insurance policy, you didn't read the terms before buying it and made the decision to insure your vacation as an afterthought.

There's nothing wrong with buying travel insurance from your agent, but I always recommend doing a little research before purchasing any policy.

It's as simple as clicking on a site like InsureMyTrip.com (www.insuremytrip.com) or SquareMouth (www.squaremouth.com) and reviewing the terms and costs. Typically, travel insurance is a good idea for big-ticket purchases over $10,000, but in your case, a $951 vacation was definitely was worth insuring.

At the very least, you should have reviewed the terms of your insurance policy carefully before buying it. You might have seen some of the limits about pre-existing medical conditions and had second thoughts, and taken an opportunity to shop around before buying the Access America policy.

Then again, no one expects a sudden death in the family, so you couldn't have known what was about to happen and it's unlikely you would have done anything differently. That's the thing about travel insurance: You don't know what kind of coverage you'll need until you need it.

I contacted Access America on your behalf and asked it to take another look at your claim. "Due to the extenuating circumstances, we have made a consideration in this case and have paid the Ellis claim in full," a representative said.

© Copyright The Sacramento Bee. All rights reserved.

Christopher Elliott is the ombudsman for National Geographic Traveler magazine and the co-founder of the Consumer Travel Alliance, a nonprofit organization that advocates for travelers. You can read more travel tips on his blog, elliott.org or e-mail him at celliott@ngs.org.

• Read more articles by Christopher Elliott