Do I Need Travel Insurance If I Already Have Health Insurance
If you are traveling outside of the U.S., consider buying travel medical insurance even if you have a U.S.-based health plan. Many health plans wont cover you outside the U.S. or provide only limited global coverage. If you get sick or injured, you could be stuck paying for your medical expenses out-of-pocket.
Senior travelers should definitely get travel medical insurance because Medicare isnt accepted outside the U.S., except in very limited cases.
What Is Travel Insurance And What Does It Cover
Whether its a vacation of a lifetime or a cross-country trip for a cousins wedding, you may be wondering when or if its worthwhile to buy travel insurance. Probably the best answer is that it depends on what you can afford to lose. By understanding what travel insurance is and what it covers, youll be able to make the best decision on whether to buy it.
Medical Expenses And Emergency
If you’re traveling within the U.S., your personal health insurance should cover any illness or injury you sustain while you are on a trip. But if you’re traveling to a foreign country, your U.S. based health plan will provide zero or very little coverage, and Medicare isn’t accepted abroad, so it’s good to sign up for additional coverage.
“Domestic health-care plans are usually not accepted outside the U.S., so it’s especially important to get travel insurance with medical coverage and emergency medical transportation when traveling internationally,” says Durazo. “If you do become ill or injured while traveling, these benefits can cover your medical costs including doctors’ fees and hospital costs.”
In addition, your travel carrier’s customer support hotline can help. “Allianz’s 24/7 assistance team can coordinate your care with the doctors treating you in your destination, as well as ensure you’re at an appropriate medical facility up to U.S. standards,” he says.
Even more expensive than medical treatment is an emergency medical evacuation, something the right travel insurance policy can arrange and cover. “Medical evacuation and transport costs range from $15,000 to $200,000+, depending on the traveler’s health condition and their location in the world,” says Durazo.
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Why Do I Need Travel Insurance
Like all insurance, travel insurance offers peace of mind in case something unexpected or unforeseen happens.
Having an accident, losing your passport or being delayed can be expensive and tricky to deal with if youre abroad. You might need legal help too, such as if youre injured during your trip and it wasnt your fault. Even if you simply fall ill while youre away, its reassuring to know that we cover emergency medical and dental treatment.
You might already have travel cover, for example, its included with some credit cards and current accounts. But before you travel, check exactly whats covered. Does it cover the places youre going and activities youll be doing?
Some cover is optional, like cover for your belongings or for travel disruption, so make sure that you have the cover that you need when making travel plans.
What our travel insurance doesnt cover you for is any event or incident that you knew about or could reasonably be expected to know about when taking out your policy or booking your trip. That could be something thats already happened, or is going to happen, and can be reasonably expected to affect your travel plans.
How Long Am I Covered For
TuGo Travel Insurances COVID-19 coverage is valid for the length of your WestJet trip as indicated on your travel itinerary, to a maximum of 21 days.
Coverage will either start on:
- The departure date as listed on the travel itinerary or
- The day of actual departure.
Coverage will end on the earliest of:
- The return date to your home province or home country or
- The return date as shown on the travel itinerary or
- 7 days from and including the day you left on your trip if you purchased a one-way ticket or,
- The 21st day of your trip
- At 11:59 PM on October 31, 2021.
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Additional Coverage With Travel Insurance
Travel insurance can also provides coverage for:
Life Insurance coverage for accidental death or dismemberment.
Hazardous Sports extends the medical coverage to cover activities like SCUBA.
Rental Car Collision replaces your personal insurance or the rental company policy.
Identity Theft provides services to help in the event of identity theft while traveling.
What Is Not Covered In Travel Insurancetop
Travel insurance is rather like buying a new car: if you want the added extras, like alloy wheels and leather trim, then you will have to pay for those separately.
When buying travel insurance, expect to be offered an array of add-ons, from gadget protection to cancellations arising from terrorism, for anything from a few pounds to tens of pounds.
Each travel insurance policy will have certain specific things it wont cover so read the terms and conditions carefully.
Citizens Advice recommends thinking about:
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Phone Assistance 24/7 Worldwide
This is about having a lifeline to call when something happens.
Medical emergencies, stolen baggage, lost passports, cancelled flights. Every travel insurance company provides 24/7 support for all of these needs.
This service is most important when you have a medical issue.
24/7 Travel Assistance Services can help you:
- Locate the nearest adequate hospital if needed
- Organize medical transportation
- Arrange for treatment and overcome any language barriers
- Organize transportation home
Trip Cancellation Or Interruption Coverage
Trip cancellation insurance, sometimes known as trip interruption insurance or trip delay insurance, reimburses a traveler for prepaid, nonrefundable travel expenses. Providers vary on acceptable cancellation and interruption causes and the amount of reimbursement available. The most common acceptable reasons include illness, a death in the immediate family, sudden business conflicts, and weather-related issues.
Trip cancellation is beneficial when paying more upfront than what you’re comfortable losing. For example, if you pay $2,000 for a package tour and the tour’s cancellation policy stipulates that all but $100 is refundable upon cancellation, travel insurance will cover only the nonrefundable $100. Also, there is no need to protect a refundable airline ticket.
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Medical Situations Most Basic Policies Cover
- Emergency medical treatment.
- Patient transport to hospital by helicopter or ambulance.
- Medical evacuations back to Australia.
- Injuries and accidents, unless it’s from an excluded activity.
Be aware that you may not be covered if something happens to you as a result of an excluded activity. For example, most policies cover a broken bone. However, if you broke your leg skiing and your cover specifically excluded skiing, you won’t be covered.
It’s unlikely an insurer will cover you if you go to a destination where the advice level is ‘Do not travel’.
Does Travel Insurance Cover Gadgets
All Budget Direct travel insurance policies except Last Minute can cover the cost to repair or replace your damaged or lost gadgets and other valuables .
| Luggage and personal effects |
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If youre a Comprehensive or Annual Multi-Trip policyholder, you can get more cover for your luggage and personal effects
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Why Take Out Travel Insurance
Travel insurance can protect you against the following things going wrong:
- cancelling or cutting short your trip for reasons beyond your control
- missed transport or delayed departure for reasons beyond your control
- medical and other emergencies
- lost, stolen or damaged items, including baggage, passports and money
- accidental damage or injury caused by you.
If you don’t have travel insurance you will have to pay out of your own pocket to deal with a problem while you’re away. Or you may lose money if you have to cancel a trip and can’t get your money back. This could cost you thousands of pounds.
Before You Buy Holiday Insurance
It’s important to get the right type of cover for your needs. Think about:
- where you’re travelling to. For example, if you’re travelling to the United States you will need extra medical cover
- how old you are. Travel insurance can cost more if you’re over 65. There are special policies for older travellers which may be worth looking at
- how often you travel. If you go away several times a year, it may be better to buy an annual travel policy rather than several single-trip policies
- what you’ll be doing while you’re away. You may need extra cover if you’re taking part in dangerous sports, such as skiing or scuba diving
- whether you’re travelling independently or on a package holiday. Package holidays usually offer you greater protection if things go wrong with transport or accommodation so you may not need to make a claim on your travel insurance
- how you’re travelling. Cruises and budget airline flights may not be covered by some insurance policies.
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My Trip Was Canceled By My Travel Supplier Can My Travel Insurance Be Refunded
Unfortunately, travel insurance is non-refundable after the review period listed on the policy . In typical situations, however, many insurance providers will offer to transfer your policy to a future trip. You can use this Policy Change Request Form to request a transfer of your policy.
As the COVID-19 situation is continuing to evolve, some travel insurance companies are considering refunds for customers who can prove that their trip was canceled by their travel supplier. If your trip was canceled by your travel supplier, you can use this Cancellation/Refund Request Form to request a refund of your premium. Our Customer Care team will then reach out to your provider to see if they will allow it.
Medical Costs In Countries With A Reciprocal Healthcare Agreement
Australia has a reciprocal healthcare agreement with 11 countries. They are:
In these countries, Australian travellers can access medically necessary health services in an emergency and for illnesses and injuries that cant wait until you get home. Travellers from those countries also get help with their medical services when they visit Australia. For more information, visit servicesaustralia.gov.au. You still may have to pay some fees for treatment and medication. And its important to remember the agreement isnt a replacement for travel insurance.
For example, in New Zealand reciprocal health care doesnt cover you for free or subsidised care by a general practitioner or ambulance. Also, if you get seriously ill while overseas, medical repatriation is very expensive and only covered by travel insurance.
Remember to take your Medicare card with you. Youll need it, along with your passport, to prove that youre eligible.
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If I Get Into Trouble Overseas Will I Be Able To Get Help
Yes all Budget Directs international travel insurance policyholders get 24/7 access to a worldwide network of 75,000+ medical and emergency assistance providers.
These include multilingual medical and travel specialists, air ambulances and hospitals.
Whether you get sick or injured, lose your travel documents or credit cards, or are robbed, assaulted or arrested, we can get you the help you need.
Note that, if you suffer an illness or injury that requires emergency transportation, hospitalisation or repatriation and/or is likely to cost more than A$500 to treat, you must as soon as possible.
Do I Need Private Health Care Coverage When Travelling Outside Canada
Yes, we always recommend travel medical insurance when travelling abroad.
Health care prices and standards can be very different while travelling. Some public provincial plans offer some coverage, but it may be insufficient. Your provincial plan covers may only pay what the cost would be back at home, not the actual price at your destination. Even then, you likely have to pay out-of-pocket and request reimbursement later.
In other countries, like the neighbouring United States, treatment is exceedingly expensive. The average overnight in a hospital there costs around $14,000 CAD! Imagine having to pay that out-of-pocket.
In some countries, healthcare facilities may request treatment upfront. They may refuse treatment if you are unable to pay. This alone makes emergency medical insurance extremely valuable.
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What You Should Know About Covid
When it comes to Covid coverage, travel insurance plans can vary from one another, so you should read your policy carefully and ask your insurance provider if you have questions, says Godlin.
Also, regulations around travel have evolved during the pandemic, with some countries requiring specific travel insurance coverage for entry. “As a result, we’re seeing new policies emerge to directly meet those needs,” she says.
Shop Around And Choose What’s Right For You
There’s plenty of insurers with a range of travel insurance policies for you to choose from. The most important thing is that you choose a policy that covers what you need for you and your trip.
- Read the CHOICE travel insurance buyers guide. Check out their reviews.
- Narrow down your options to policies with the features you need.
- Read the PDS for your shortlisted policies. You’ll be surprised what situations and items some policies specifically exclude.
- Choose and buy the policy that’s right for you. Always declare everything upfront when you buy your policy. If you don’t, you may void it anyway.
Resist the temptation to just get the cheapest option without checking that it suits your needs. This also applies to free credit card travel insurance. Consider your unique needs and read the PDS. If it’s not a match, it’s not good value.
See more advice on choosing the right travel insurance policy for you. Read the CHOICE travel insurance buyers guide.
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How Is Domestic Travel Affected By The Covid
As of April 2, 2021, people who are fully vaccinated with an FDA-authorized vaccine can travel safely within the United States. Refer to the CDC Guidelines on Domestic Travel for more information.
For unvaccinated domestic travelers, the CDC recommends taking the following steps to protect yourself and others from COVID-19:
- Get tested 1-3 days before your trip, and do not travel if you are positive for COVID-19
- Wear a mask, avoid crowds, and wash your hands often while traveling
- Get tested 3-5 days after travel and quarantine a full 7 days after traveling, even if the test is negative.
For all travelers, states have different guidelines and restrictions. Be sure to refer to InsureMyTrips guide to Pandemic Travel Restrictions By State.
Does Travel Insurance Cover Cruises
All of our international travel insurance policies automatically cover cruises in international, Australian and other territorial waters.
This cover includes overseas emergency medical and hospital expenses which, once your ship leaves Australian shores, are not covered by either Medicare or your private health insurer.
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What Should A Basic Travel Policy Covertop
With a new car, you wont get anywhere without an engine or wheels. There are certain must-haves and should-haves, and the same is true with a good policy for your travel insurance. So look out for:
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Whats Not Covered By Travel Medical Insurance
Whats covered and excluded by a travel medical insurance plan will depend on the travel insurance company. Here are some common exclusions.
Pre-existing conditions. How pre-existing conditions are covered will vary by travel insurance company, and one insurer might define a pre-existing condition differently than the next. Some insurance companies will take a look at your past medical history to determine if a condition was present during a period that could range from 90 days to one year ago, depending on the policy.
Travel insurance plans will generally cover pre-existing conditions as long as you buy your plan within a couple of weeks after you make your first trip deposit. Buying your plan right away lets you lock in a pre-existing condition exclusion waiver. For example, Allianz Travel requires you to meet the following requirements before it will cover expenses due to a pre-existing medical condition:
- Your policy was purchased within the timeframe specified by your plan .
- You were a U.S. resident when you purchased the policy.
- You were medically able to travel when you purchased the policy.
- On the policy purchase date, you insured the full nonrefundable cost of your trip with Allianz Global Assistance. Any subsequent nonrefundable costs must be insured within 14 days of their purchase. If you fail to do so, those expenses will be excluded under the pre-existing medical condition exclusion.
Other typical exclusions to travel medical insurance include: