COMMON TRAVEL INSURANCE QUESTIONS AND MISCONCEPTIONS ANSWERED
Travel insurance is a must but since it is a confusing topic. Here are some common questions about travel insurance.
Note: These tips are not universal answers; they are intended to help guide you. Make sure to read the fine print of your policy to find out the specifics of what is and isn’t covered. The below answers are no substitute for checking your actual policy! Policy wordings and conditions vary greatly from country to country, state to state, and company to company. So read them and be sure to go with the company that gives you what you need.
What the heck is travel insurance?
It’s emergency care when things unexpectedly go wrong. Depending on the policy you buy, it can be there for when your luggage is lost by the airline, when you fall hiking, pop an eardrum scuba diving, get a parasite overseas, or need to cancel or cut your trip short because someone died. It’s designed to be there for accidents (both health and non-health related) and unexpected events you never thought could happen to you. It’s not a substitute for health insurance back home, an open checkbook to supplement your trip expenses, or a license to be foolish.
Is travel insurance just health insurance?
No, it’s so much more than that. While there is a medical component for sudden illnesses and accidental injuries, it can also cover you for trip cancellation, trip interruptions, loss or theft of your gear, and emergency transportation should you need to get to the nearest hospital fast.
Okay, but it’s like health insurance too, right? I can go see a doctor when I want?
Travel insurance is not a replacement for health insurance and should not be treated as such. It’s there for unexpected emergencies. Break a leg? Pop an eardrum? Get food poisoning or dengue? Travel insurance has you covered. Want to go see a doctor for a physical or get a new crown on your tooth? You’re on your own!
Can I get treated for an illness I already have?
Most travel insurance plans don’t cover pre-existing conditions. If you get sick on the road, yes, travel insurance is there for you. But if you need medication for an ongoing chronic disease or a medical condition you knew of before you bought the policy, you could be out of luck. Moreover, if you get sick under one policy and then you extend it or start a new policy, most insurers will consider your illness a pre-existing condition and won’t cover it under your new policy.
My credit card offers some protection. Isn’t that good enough?
Even the best credit cards offer very limited protection. Some offer coverage for lost or stolen items, medical expenses, and trip cancellation if you booked your trip with the card, but they may not cover you being airlifted home or anything else (always check. You may also not be covered unless you activate the policy before your trip.) Bottom line: don’t rely on credit card coverage for any more than lost or stolen items, and maybe not even that.
How does the insurance actually work? Do they mail me a card I can show the doctor?
If it’s a major medical emergency needing overnight hospitalization, then you (or someone else) would contact the emergency assistance team and they can help make arrangements and approve costs. For all other situations, including day admission to hospital, you need to claim reimbursement from your insurer. You pay out of pocket and then submit documentation to the insurance company after the fact (so no need for a card to show the doctor). Be sure to keep all documentation, file any necessary police reports, and save all receipts. Companies don’t reimburse you based on your word.
What about Obamacare? How does that affect everything?
For Americans, the ACA, or “Obamacare,” covers you only in the United States and travel insurance is not a replacement for health insurance nor does it get you out of its requirements. But if you are away from the United States for 330 days or more, you don’t need to get US-based health insurance. You also get a three-month grace period each year before you get charged a penalty. Be sure to contact a tax accountant or the ACA hotline number for more information.
I read reviews online. All these companies suck. What’s up with that?
Most people don’t write good reviews when they are helped. On the Internet, we love to scream our displeasure but rarely our pleasure. Most people don’t read the fine print of their policy. People buy it, don’t read the exact wording, and make assumptions about coverage. So, when something goes wrong, they scream bloody murder when something isn’t covered, or when lacking supporting documents to support their claim and write a nasty review online.
Take online user reviews of insurance companies with a grain of salt. Reviews by users who didn’t read their policy doesn’t mean insurance is a bad idea. It just means people don’t follow instructions.
I got drunk and hurt myself. Will I be covered?
Possibly not. If you are doing something foolish (whether you’re drinking or not), insurance companies will want to know if putting yourself at unnecessary risk led to the injury. If, after investigating, they find you did, they can deny your claim. That’s not to say that they expect you to be sober your entire trip, but let’s just say you’re unlikely to get reimbursed if you’re tanked and decide that it would be a good idea to stand in the middle of the road and play chicken.
So don’t be foolish!
Does travel insurance cover me in my home country?
Some travel insurance can cover you at home. It depends on your policy, and there are always conditions on when the coverage starts and ends and where you can travel to, so check this carefully first.
We hope you never have to use your plan but, if you need to, you’ll be happy you bought it. Don’t avoid it because you read a bad review or think you’ll be OK. Travel insurance is a safeguard against the unexpected. Nobody ever expects the Spanish Inquisition — and no expects to get hit by a drunk backpacker driving a scooter in Thailand!
Like a responsible adult, be prepared. It’s worth it.
