Travel insurance generally covers a range of potential losses and inconveniences that can occur while traveling. Here’s a breakdown of the most common coverage types:
Core Protections
- Trip Cancellation: Reimburses you for prepaid, non-refundable trip costs (flights, hotels, tours) if you need to cancel for covered reasons. These reasons typically include:
- Sickness or injury (your own, a family member’s, or traveling companion’s)
- Natural disasters that prevent travel
- Severe weather
- Unexpected jury duty or job loss
- Trip Interruption: Covers expenses if you need to cut your trip short and return home early due to a covered reason (similar to the reasons listed above).
- Medical Expenses: Pays for treatment, hospitalization, and prescriptions if you get sick or injured while traveling. This is especially important if your regular health insurance doesn’t offer good international coverage.
- Emergency Medical Evacuation: Provides for transportation to a suitable medical facility if the local options are inadequate and you require urgent care.
Common Additional Coverages
- Lost, Stolen, or Damaged Baggage: Offers reimbursement for lost, stolen, or damaged personal belongings. May have a per-item limit and overall limit.
- Baggage Delay: Helps cover the cost of essential purchases if your luggage is delayed by a certain amount of time (like more than 12 hours).
- Travel Delays: Compensates you for extra expenses like meals or hotels if your trip is significantly delayed due to covered issues like weather events or airline problems.
- Missed Connections: Helps pay for rebooking costs if you miss a connecting flight due to covered delays.
Optional or Specialized Coverage
- “Cancel for Any Reason” upgrade: Lets you cancel for reasons not normally covered, but usually provides a partial reimbursement (like 50-75% of costs).
- Adventure Sports: If you plan on activities like scuba diving or skiing, you might need this added coverage.
- Pre-existing Medical Conditions: Some plans require additional coverage for pre-existing conditions.
Important Notes:
- Always read the policy details: Specific coverages, limits, and exclusions vary between policies.
- Consider your needs: The best policy for you depends on your trip (domestic vs. international), risk tolerance, and health status.