It’s one of those things that could be the difference between a trip that you’ll never forget and a travel nightmare. Of course, you want Instagrammable memories, not images you want to forget.
But why is having traveler’s insurance so crucial when abroad?
Even though the majority of people ponder whether or not travel insurance is worthwhile, it is essential, and several nations won’t even permit travelers to cross their borders without the appropriate coverage.
Let’s clear this confusion once and for all. Here are the benefits, coverages, exclusions, and other aspects of getting travel insurance.
What are The Benefits of Travel Insurance?
You should get yourself travel insured:
- If you want to safeguard your possessions against theft, loss, or damage
- If you think you may need assistance during any medical emergencies while traveling
- If you are worried that you may have to postpone your trip due to unforeseen circumstances
In case you are lost, misplace your documents, or have an emergency, travel insurance ensures that you are not left without any support.
What Does a Traveler’s Insurance Cover?
Travel insurance policies typically cover medical crises, medical evacuation, misplaced, damaged, or stolen luggage, trip cancellation, delay, and cancellations. What exactly entails a travel insurance plan totally depends on the insurance company and its policies. There are a few common situations that travel insurances cover on a general note.
Let’s find out how travel insurance can protect the three main concerns you will have as a traveler: you, your belongings, and your experiences.
1Travel Health Insurance
When you opt for a travel insurance plan, It’s worth understanding if your travel health insurance is a primary or secondary priority. If that is your primary concern, all travel-related medical expenditures are paid from your health plan first. How do you choose the priority level? It depends on what triggers your health risks (if you are going to the snow-capped mountains, it could trigger sinus infections in some people). Make a list of susceptible health issues you may have and then decide if travel health insurance is a priority or not.
What is a Visitor’s Health Insurance?
Visitor medical or health insurance is a form of travel health insurance policy that allows you to avail coverage for illness, sickness, or accidental injuries during your stay in a foreign country. It’s only valid as long as you are vacationing in the host country and includes repatriation and medical evacuation benefits.
Visitor health insurance excludes the following:
- Dental work not related to an emergency or accident.
- Cosmetic procedures.
- Prescription eye exams.
- Preventative care (such as physical exams, regular check-ups, immunizations, etc.).
- Childbirth.
- Maternity care.
- Pre-existing conditions.
The Look-back Period of Pre-existing Conditions
Most travel health insurance policies impose restrictions on how they treat pre-existing diseases. Some insurance policies contain a “look-back” period where they examine your medical history to determine if a sickness first manifested itself within a time frame (three months to a year). You should be aware of how your insurance plan defines and addresses these “pre-existing conditions” before you get coverage.
What is Acute Onset Coverage?
The majority of insurance providers don’t cover pre-existing conditions, but some do with age and other exclusions. When it comes to the acute onset clause, there may be exceptions but most consider an acute-onset relapse or recurrence of pre-existing diseases when the insured seeks medical assistance within a 12- to 24-hour window after the onset of the initial symptoms.
2Keeps Your Baggage Safe
If your luggage is stolen or lost, travel insurance might be used to cover the cost of replacing your products. A list of your lost trip items, along with the original receipts, may be required before some luggage claims are fully compensated. Some policies do not, however, demand receipts and will reimburse you for delayed or missing luggage. Some travel insurers might even reimburse you for your return ticket home if a calamity or fire damages your home while you’re away from home.
Travel credit cards or even the airline you flew with will be able to help you with lost baggage even if you don’t have travel insurance. Check the airline policies for details on such issues (some even compensate for such mishaps on their part).
3Protects You During Cancellations and Flight Delays
Extreme weather events, delayed arrival of aircraft, delays in connecting flights, and mechanical problems are just a few of the causes of flight delays. In this case, your travel insurance policy will save the day by paying for any unforeseen costs incurred. Such costs can include transportation, meals, and lodging.
Airlines and your destination rules are also liable to help you with these issues. Say, your flight (international or domestic) was landing and/or taking off at a U.S. airport and getting canceled, you will be covered by the regulations set by the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT). Your travel insurance will not cover (we mean refund) your flight booking charges but will only reimburse you for the refreshments and meals you take while waiting for the delay to be fixed.
4Assists You If You Lose Your Passport
Overseas travel means you keep your passport in person wherever you go: right from the airport to wherever you are applying or registering in that foreign country. Losing those important papers is every traveler’s nightmare but when you have got yourself travel insured, the travel insurance company provides you with a copy of your passport; irrespective of whether it is lost, stolen, or damaged you are secured! Additionally, it will speed up the process and give you financial support for getting a duplicate copy of the passport.
Note: Most travel insurance policies include travel assistance which is not traveler’s insurance. So what does travel assistance imply, then? If you get stranded, experience a medical emergency, or misplace your paperwork, you may call a support team at a 24-hour hotline that will guide you through your emergency.
3 Types of Travel Insurance
Generally, people think travel insurance means they get reimbursed for every mishap during their travels. That’s not the case, there are exclusions varying on the type of travel insurance company you opt for. Again, there are different types of travel insurance that focus on specific mishaps. Here, take a look:
1Vacation
Travel insurance for vacations is also known as Trip Insurance, Trip Cancellation Insurance, Travel Insurance, or Package Plans. About 94% of travelers choose this policy as it promises to protect them from the woes of
- Postponed or canceled trips.
- Urgent medical needs.
- Delayed trips or luggage.
- Emergency evacuations.
- Lost items, and others.
2Medical Travel
Regular health insurance plans offer either little to no coverage while you are traveling outside of your own country. This is where travel medical insurance policies make their mark. In addition to health insurance provided by healthcare providers, you are protected by travel health insurance too. You may opt for this if you are not worried about cancellations, delays, or lost luggage.
3Others (Such as Emergency Evacuations)
These are unique situations where you would be otherwise helpless. Evacuations, accidents, medical emergencies, cancellations, extended delays, and any kind of adverse scenes you can imagine. But since vacation plans offer the maximum coverage, most travelers opt for that policy.
A Traveler’s Insurance Does Not Cover
- Extreme sports with a high risk of harm or death.
- Professional sports participation.
- Medical travel.
- Pandemic circumstances.
- Taking flight lessons.
- Mishaps due to substance abuse.
This isn’t the end of this list. Make sure you refer to the travel insurance company’s terms and conditions agreement to find what they specifically exclude.
The perfect time to purchase travel insurance is within 15 days of placing your first trip deposit. You may be eligible for various extra coverages at this time. Now comes the question of if you really need to get travel insurance in the first place. Well, that totally depends on your needs and what you think you might need at your destination. If the airline has a history of misplaced baggage (which you booked nevertheless for its affordability), you need to get travel insurance. If you are prone to health risks, you need to get travel health insurance. In case you will be on a busy schedule (too swamped to keep a travel checklist and go through it one by one), get yourself travel insured. They’ve got your back if you lose your important docs.
Travel With Hoken!
Packed your bags yet? If not, don’t worry because hotels booked with Hoken guarantee your money back for your next vacation. How, right?
Hotels booked with Hoken are eligible to be sold at an online marketplace called Roomfolio. Every hotel room you book on Hoken is shown in the Roomfolio section. Drops show varying prices for these rooms and you can opt to sell your booked rooms at your convenience.Simply book the room from the official website, use it, and sell it on Roomfolio!
It’s one of those things that could be the difference between a trip that you’ll never forget and a travel nightmare. Of course, you want Instagrammable memories, not images you want to forget.
But why is having traveler’s insurance so crucial when abroad?
Even though the majority of people ponder whether or not travel insurance is worthwhile, it is essential, and several nations won’t even permit travelers to cross their borders without the appropriate coverage.
Let’s clear this confusion once and for all. Here are the benefits, coverages, exclusions, and other aspects of getting travel insurance.
What are The Benefits of Travel Insurance?
You should get yourself travel insured:
- If you want to safeguard your possessions against theft, loss, or damage
- If you think you may need assistance during any medical emergencies while traveling
- If you are worried that you may have to postpone your trip due to unforeseen circumstances
In case you are lost, misplace your documents, or have an emergency, travel insurance ensures that you are not left without any support.
What Does a Traveler’s Insurance Cover?
Travel insurance policies typically cover medical crises, medical evacuation, misplaced, damaged, or stolen luggage, trip cancellation, delay, and cancellations. What exactly entails a travel insurance plan totally depends on the insurance company and its policies. There are a few common situations that travel insurances cover on a general note.
Let’s find out how travel insurance can protect the three main concerns you will have as a traveler: you, your belongings, and your experiences.
- Travel Health Insurance
When you opt for a travel insurance plan, It’s worth understanding if your travel health insurance is a primary or secondary priority. If that is your primary concern, all travel-related medical expenditures are paid from your health plan first. How do you choose the priority level? It depends on what triggers your health risks (if you are going to the snow-capped mountains, it could trigger sinus infections in some people). Make a list of susceptible health issues you may have and then decide if travel health insurance is a priority or not.
What is a Visitor’s Health Insurance?
Visitor medical or health insurance is a form of travel health insurance policy that allows you to avail coverage for illness, sickness, or accidental injuries during your stay in a foreign country. It’s only valid as long as you are vacationing in the host country and includes repatriation and medical evacuation benefits.
Visitor health insurance excludes the following:
- Dental work not related to an emergency or accident
- Cosmetic procedures
- Prescription eye exams
- Preventative care (such as physical exams, regular check-ups, immunizations, etc.)
- Childbirth
- Maternity care
- Pre-existing conditions
The Look-back Period of Pre-existing Conditions
Most travel health insurance policies impose restrictions on how they treat pre-existing diseases. Some insurance policies contain a “look-back” period where they examine your medical history to determine if a sickness first manifested itself within a time frame (three months to a year). You should be aware of how your insurance plan defines and addresses these “pre-existing conditions” before you get coverage.
What is Acute Onset Coverage?
The majority of insurance providers don’t cover pre-existing conditions, but some do with age and other exclusions. When it comes to the acute onset clause, there may be exceptions but most consider an acute-onset relapse or recurrence of pre-existing diseases when the insured seeks medical assistance within a 12- to 24-hour window after the onset of the initial symptoms.
- Keeps Your Baggage Safe
If your luggage is stolen or lost, travel insurance might be used to cover the cost of replacing your products. A list of your lost trip items, along with the original receipts, may be required before some luggage claims are fully compensated. Some policies do not, however, demand receipts and will reimburse you for delayed or missing luggage. Some travel insurers might even reimburse you for your return ticket home if a calamity or fire damages your home while you’re away from home.
Travel credit cards or even the airline you flew with will be able to help you with lost baggage even if you don’t have travel insurance. Check the airline policies for details on such issues (some even compensate for such mishaps on their part).
- Protects You During Cancellations and Flight Delays
Extreme weather events, delayed arrival of aircraft, delays in connecting flights, and mechanical problems are just a few of the causes of flight delays. In this case, your travel insurance policy will save the day by paying for any unforeseen costs incurred. Such costs can include transportation, meals, and lodging.
Airlines and your destination rules are also liable to help you with these issues. Say, your flight (international or domestic) was landing and/or taking off at a U.S. airport and getting canceled, you will be covered by the regulations set by the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT). Your travel insurance will not cover (we mean refund) your flight booking charges but will only reimburse you for the refreshments and meals you take while waiting for the delay to be fixed.
- Assists You If You Lose Your Passport
Overseas travel means you keep your passport in person wherever you go: right from the airport to wherever you are applying or registering in that foreign country. Losing those important papers is every traveler’s nightmare but when you have got yourself travel insured, the travel insurance company provides you with a copy of your passport; irrespective of whether it is lost, stolen, or damaged you are secured! Additionally, it will speed up the process and give you financial support for getting a duplicate copy of the passport.
Note: Most travel insurance policies include travel assistance which is not traveler’s insurance. So what does travel assistance imply, then? If you get stranded, experience a medical emergency, or misplace your paperwork, you may call a support team at a 24-hour hotline that will guide you through your emergency.
3 Types of Travel Insurance
Generally, people think travel insurance means they get reimbursed for every mishap during their travels. That’s not the case, there are exclusions varying on the type of travel insurance company you opt for. Again, there are different types of travel insurance that focus on specific mishaps. Here, take a look:
- Vacation
Travel insurance for vacations is also known as Trip Insurance, Trip Cancellation Insurance, Travel Insurance, or Package Plans. About 94% of travelers choose this policy as it promises to protect them from the woes of
- Postponed or canceled trips
- Urgent medical needs
- Delayed trips or luggage
- Emergency evacuations
- Lost items, and others
- Medical Travel
Regular health insurance plans offer either little to no coverage while you are traveling outside of your own country. This is where travel medical insurance policies make their mark. In addition to health insurance provided by healthcare providers, you are protected by travel health insurance too. You may opt for this if you are not worried about cancellations, delays, or lost luggage.
- Others (Such as Emergency Evacuations)
These are unique situations where you would be otherwise helpless. Evacuations, accidents, medical emergencies, cancellations, extended delays, and any kind of adverse scenes you can imagine. But since vacation plans offer the maximum coverage, most travelers opt for that policy.
A Traveler’s Insurance Does Not Cover
- Extreme sports with a high risk of harm or death
- Professional sports participation
- Medical travel
- Pandemic circumstances
- Taking flight lessons
- Mishaps due to substance abuse
This isn’t the end of this list. Make sure you refer to the travel insurance company’s terms and conditions agreement to find what they specifically exclude.
When Should You Get Travel Insurance?
The perfect time to purchase travel insurance is within 15 days of placing your first trip deposit. You may be eligible for various extra coverages at this time. Now comes the question of if you really need to get travel insurance in the first place. Well, that totally depends on your needs and what you think you might need at your destination. If the airline has a history of misplaced baggage (which you booked nevertheless for its affordability), you need to get travel insurance. If you are prone to health risks, you need to get travel health insurance. In case you will be on a busy schedule (too swamped to keep a travel checklist and go through it one by one), get yourself travel insured. They’ve got your back if you lose your important docs.
Travel With Hoken!
Packed your bags yet? If not, don’t worry because hotels booked with Hoken guarantee your money back for your next vacation. How, right?
Hotels booked with Hoken are eligible to be sold at an online marketplace called Roomfolio. Every hotel room you book on Hoken is shown in the Roomfolio section. Drops show varying prices for these rooms and you can opt to sell your booked rooms at your convenience.Simply book the room from the official website, use it, and sell it on Roomfolio!
