You have purchased a travel medical insurance plan or visitors insurance assuming it will extend all-around protection for health conditions, injuries, and travel-related nitty-gritty. And your assumption is correct. However, like any other insurance product, a travel health insurance policy also has its share of inclusions and exclusions.
What does that mean? It means that your insurance plan will cover you against many unseen medical and travel-related scenarios that may arise during your foreign trip, but not all. Therefore, when buying travel medical insurance, it is necessary to understand the inclusions and exclusions alike. Do not get stressed. This blog will take you through the complete picture of travel medical insurance. It will help you save yourself stress and time and be an informed traveler from the beginning. Let’s read on!
Situations that your travel health insurance is unlikely to cover
- Your medical bills arise from a pre-existing health condition!
Many visitors, when traveling abroad for a vacation or whatever reasons, think that their travel medical policy will cover similar expenses as their usual health insurance product. However, there are many outlays that travel health insurance does not cover. Bills stemming from any pre-existing medical condition are one of them. Probably, this exclusion surrounding an already-existing illness differentiates visitor insurance from a regular health protection plan.
You will never want to visit a foreign country and seek healthcare for a pre-existing health condition only to find out that your policy does not cover the same, and you will have to bear the entire cost – a hefty chunk of money. So, make it a point to read between the lines to understand what your policy covers and excludes. A customer-oriented insurance broker like Visitors Guru will always remind you of crucial things you are likely to miss out on.
- Your medical expenses are because of the acute onset of a pre-existing illness!
Most reputable travel health insurance providers cover the acute onset of an ongoing (pre-existing) illness for both international and USA-based travelers. However, you can avail of this benefit (inclusion) only if you fit into the following criteria:
- The acute surfacing of the symptoms of a pre-existing disease is not related to a long-term or congenital medical condition – directly or indirectly.
- You have received the treatment within 24 hours of the unanticipated onset of symptoms or reoccurrence.
- Your age is below 80 years.
- You must be traveling with the recommendations of your doctor (registered). If you go against the medical advice of your doctor and travel, you will not get this benefit.
- The purpose of your traveling must not be seeking treatment for an already-existing health problem.
- You must be visiting a foreign country.
- You are looking for a trip cancellation benefit.
Unlike fixed benefit travel health insurance, a comprehensive policy covers benefits such as trip delay and interruption apart from qualified medical costs. However, most visitor insurance does not offer trip cancellation benefits. This feature pays off for the expenses of a trip canceled by you. So, know your coverage options well before buying a plan just like that. If you need trip cancellation coverage, you have other insurance products to consider that offer such benefits. For more information on trip-related benefits a travel medical insurance offers, you can visit a reliable insurance broking portal like Visitors Guru and research your options.
- Your medical expenses are due to pregnancy-related scenarios.
Most travel medical insurance policies are less likely to extend coverage for childbirth or pregnancy when traveling to a foreign country. Are you pregnant and flying abroad? Perhaps, the expenses you may incur for the following situations will not be covered by a typical travel medical insurance policy:
- Regular prenatal care
- Birth of your child
- Postnatal care
- Pregnancy termination
- Medical costs involving the baby (smaller than 14 days old)
- Your expenses are from mental health problems.
Your visitor insurance plan is less likely to cover medical costs stemming from mental health issues. These include – bipolar disorder, anxiety, depression, schizophrenia, psychosis, PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder), and similar health conditions. If your travel health insurance does not cover mental illnesses, you are unlikely to get the following benefits:
- Anxiety medication refills
- Visits to a psychiatrist’s clinic during your trip
- Medical costs from anxiety attacks
- Your illness or injury is a result of using alcohol or drugs.
If you have been injured or acquired a disease due to alcohol or drug use during your overseas trip, your travel medical insurance will not cover you. What if you are on a prescription drug? Well! If you are taking medications prescribed by your doctor, this clause does not apply to you. However, do remember to carry the relevant and valid prescription as proof.
- Your trip includes adventure sports.
Are you planning an adventure trip abroad involving recreational activities and extreme sports? Make sure to learn if or not your potential travel medical insurance plan covers it. Some insurance does cover adventure sports. However, they come with limitations and cover certain types of activities. So, confirm what is included and what is not beforehand. If you have any kind of confusion that you are not able to clear just by reading your policy wordings, get in touch with your insurance broking partner. They are experienced and deal with similar situations almost always.
Avoid assuming, seek assistance
Make it a thumb rule to understand your policy benefits and exclusions before buying a travel medical insurance plan. Making assumptions about your visitors’ insurance – inclusions and exclusions – may land you in rough waters – down the line. Most importantly, you may end up buying a wrong policy. Therefore, before you assume, ask. Most people, often overlook this pointer considering it unimportant, and repent later on.
If you are unable to understand any clause or guideline written in your policy, go to www.visitorsguru.com for seamless assistance. They have an impeccable team of customer care professionals that work beyond their call of duty to extend their support and assistance to the customers.