It doesn’t matter if you will go on a vacation of a lifetime or make a cross-country trip for your cousin’s wedding; you may wonder when or if it’s worthwhile to buy travel insurance. People are familiar with the car, home, and health insurance, but not everyone knows how travel insurance works. Having a good understanding of what travel insurance covers will allow you to make the best decision about whether to purchase it. This guide explains what travel insurance is, what it covers, how it works, etc.
What Is Travel Insurance?
A travel insurance policy protects you from monetary losses and risks that may occur while traveling. Among these risks are inconveniences such as missed airline connections and delayed luggage, and more severe issues, including illness or injury.
What Does Travel Insurance Cover?
A variety of possible damages and losses can be covered by travel insurance, depending on the type of coverage you choose:
Injury Or Sickness
Your health insurance typically does not cover medical expenses abroad. Travel insurance can help protect you. Unlike many other health plans, most health insurance providers do not cover foreign countries in total. You can supplement healthcare costs if you become ill or injured while traveling with travel insurance in addition to your regular health insurance.
Lost Luggage
A travel insurance policy can help cover the costs of lost or stolen luggage. It can be beneficial when an airline loses your bags since it can be challenging to pay.
Last-minute Cancellations
Travel insurance can help cover the costs of canceled trips. Typically, resorts and cruise lines won’t refund your total amount in the event of a cancellation. Most resorts and cruise lines will charge you a cancellation fee if you cancel two weeks or more before your trip. Many cruise lines will only give you a 25% refund or provide you with partial credit for another cruise.
Coverage Beyond Your Credit Card
Certain credit cards offer limited coverage, with restrictions for cancellations and interruptions (if the card covers such events at all). Travel insurance, however, can cover the most expensive risks associated with travel: medical expenses or emergency evacuations.
How Does Travel Insurance Work?
Travel insurance will typically reimburse you for your covered financial losses after submitting and approving a claim. To file a claim, you must provide proof of your failure to your insurer so that they can verify what happened and reimburse you for covered losses. If, for instance, you purchased the OneTrip Prime Plan, which includes cancellation benefits, for your upcoming trip to Barbados, then you would be covered. During the two days before your departure, you suffer from a high fever and chest pain. The doctor diagnoses you with bacterial pneumonia, so you must cancel your trip. Upon contacting the cruise line, they inform you that it is too late to receive a refund. If you don’t have travel insurance, you’ll lose the money you spent on your vacation. In a severe and disabling illness, you can reimburse your non-refundable and prepaid trips. When you feel better, gather all necessary documents – such as your airfare and cruise line receipts – and file an insurance claim.
