The coronavirus has given us all a warning call about what travel insurance does — and doesn't — cover.

A lot of individuals assumed that travel insurance covered everything and, at the drop of a hat, would fly you range in an emergency. That incorrect assumption came as a shock to those that , for the primary time, are literally reading their policies.

While many travel insurance companies provide evacuation coverage if you get injured overseas (if you meet the plan conditions), they typically aren't there to urge you home unless there's a selected clause in your policy that warrants such action and a doctor orders it.

And, as many folks have quickly learned, pandemics are often excluded from insurance policies.

Many of the emails I got from people screaming about their policy when the pandemic began were issues associated with such policy misunderstandings.

I know travel insurance may be a complicated (and boring) topic. I understand it’s not fun to examine or research.

And reading an actual policy can put you to sleep. most of the people gloss over it the way we gloss over iTunes user agreements.

But if COVID-19 has taught us travelers anything, it’s that we'd like to be more conversant in what exactly our travel policy covers. it's literally of life-and-death importance.

Today, i would like to supply a more complete picture of what travel insurance actually is — and what scenarios you'll or might not be covered for. But use this only as general advice: terms and conditions will differ consistent with the travel policy and therefore the provider.

I know we’ve addressed this within the past, but it’s always an honest time for a refresher, especially in light of COVID-19 and as people begin to start out brooding about travel again.

Let’s check out some common questions:

What exactly is travel insurance?

First, travel insurance is emergency coverage. It’s there if you get in trouble and wish assistance. counting on your policy, it provides support (and reimbursement) if you break a bone while hiking, if you lose your luggage, if you get robbed, or if you would like to return home thanks to a death in your immediate family. In short, it’s a financial safety net for emergencies abroad.

However, it's not a substitute for insurance in your home country. (It’s also not a license to be foolish either, because injuries while stupid or drunk aren’t cover either.)

It’s your emergency lifeline should something bad happen unexpectedly during your travels.

What’s really covered if I’m sick?

Suffering from a recurring, preexisting allergy, or other condition? You’re on your own. Grab some medicine from a pharmacy and ride it out. Preventive or routine care resulting from a preexisting condition isn't covered.

Unexpected and/or emergency situations are. got to attend the hospital? That’s where travel insurance kicks in. Call your insurance provider’s emergency support line and allow them to know (when you can). They’ll be ready to assist you with the bureaucratic procedure and confirm you’re taken care of.

You may also need pre-approval of treatment or providers. For that reason, confirm you've got the insurance company’s emergency 24-hour hotline saved on your phone before you travel. That way, you or someone with you'll call them should the worst happen.

Since you'll need to buy everything upfront then make an claim to urge reimbursed, keep your receipts.

What is covered if i'm robbed?

If you’re robbed during your trip, you’ll be ready to get compensation for the stolen items (usually not including cash and certain other items), up to a particular per-item amount and total maximum amount. You’ll got to fill out a police report and supply that, also as documentation for the stolen items, to your insurance firm . (If you've got any receipts, send those in. I also wish to take pictures of my items before I visit prove I took them along.)

However, don’t expect travel insurance to offer you money for the newest iPhone — you’ll either get the same replacement or get reimbursed for the depreciated value of your stolen item. That is, if you purchased a camera five years ago for $1000 but it’s only worth $100 now, you’ll get $100.

Since it takes a short time for claims to be processed, you’ll likely got to replace your items out of pocket then make a claim for reimbursement. However, if you can't make any purchases because your wallet and passport were stolen, you’ll got to contact your insurance provider’s emergency support, also because the nearest embassy or consulate.

My [insert company] went bankrupt. What’s covered?

If your airline/tour/whatever company goes bankrupt while traveling, you'll be ready to get reimbursed under the “trip cancellation” or “trip interruption” clause of your plan, counting on the timing of once you purchased your policy and when the bankruptcy occurred. Some insurance policies only reimburse if the travel company has completely ceased services; if there are alternative arrangements available, it's going to only buy change fees.

However, within the case of airline bankruptcies, you'll got to arrange alternative transportation yourself and buy it upfront. Then you'll submit a claim to possess that quantity reimbursed.

If you've got not yet departed, your “trip cancellation” coverage would inherit effect, and you'd be reimbursed for what you spent.

While this all seems helpful, confine mind that there likely are limits on what you'll claim. Read the Schedule of advantages for max amounts covered (and specifically for trip interruption and trip cancellation). From my experience, these claims usually reimburse up to the trip, cost with a max of around $5,000–10,000 USD (be bound to check the specifics in your policy), so if you've got spent plenty of cash on accommodation and new flights, you would possibly not be ready to get all of it back. But something is far better than nothing!

My trip was canceled. am i able to get a refund on my policy if I didn’t use it?

If you haven’t started your policy or made a claim, you would possibly be ready to get a refund. Many companies also offer a “review period” (usually 7–14 days from purchase) during which you'll cancel your plan without penalty, though some states don’t have one. If you buy six months of insurance and wish to cancel after one or two months, you’re usually out of luck.

However, if you’re outside of that review period, likelihood is that you won’t be ready to cancel your plan. Some companies could also be making exceptions thanks to COVID-19, but you shouldn’t take that as a given. Why? this is often just an industry practice. Since travel insurance works on reflection (you continue your trip, you click , file a claim, then get paid) and that they need to pay the complete amount, you've got to pay the complete amount of the policy.

I tend to shop for my insurance in three-month chunks. That way, I can extend my coverage or let it expire supported how things are going.

But, a caveat: counting on how preexisting conditions work on your policy, you'll not want to try to to this. for instance , you’re not feeling well during one policy. You attend get a COVID test, and while expecting the results, your policy lapses and you buy a replacement plan. Because you showed signs of the disease during a prior policy, it's going to be considered a preexisting condition within the new policy and thus not be covered.

So keep that in mind once you are buying policies. It’s a risk I personally take — but it'd not be good for you.

There’s an epidemic , so I’ve decided to return home to play it safe. Do i buy anything?

To be eligible for coverage, your claim has got to be supported a covered reason. If you had a policy without an epidemic exclusion, then trip interruption could inherit play. But you’ll got to read the fine print before making claim. Getting sick from the pandemic could also be covered, but if, say, you made the decision to rearrange your trip because you’d feel safer reception , that wouldn’t be.

Before you file a claim, you’ll want to first contact the tour companies, hotels, and airlines directly for a refund. Only then would I make a claim to the insurance firm .

Remember, these payouts usually only apply to prepaid, nonrefundable purchases (and additionally , may include one-way airfare home).

If filing a claim, you’ll got to gather all of your supporting documents and receipts and submit them for review. It can take weeks (or months) for a claim to be processed, so be prepared for a wait (especially if there's a serious crisis, just like the COVID-19 pandemic). meaning your change of plans will need to be paid out of pocket.

But the govt urged citizens to return home and that i did!

Depending on your policy, you'll be entitled to some benefits. If you've got a policy that has trip interruption, you would possibly be ready to submit a claim to hide any nonrefundable purchases (such as flights and tours).

However, the rationale why you would like to return house is important. Natural disasters, terrorism, political upheaval, and pandemics are all covered differently, therefore the fine print of your policy is basically important here.

Your government saying “I think you ought to click due to XYZ” isn't an equivalent as a government forcing you to return home (which doesn't exist*). If you’re making the selection to return range in that situation, travel insurance plans aren’t getting to cover you. (This was an enormous issue during COVID and therefore the source of most complaints.)

Circumstances that aren't mentioned (outside the exclusion section) are usually not covered.

So it’s important to ascertain m at the specifics of your policy to see what's covered.

* Unless there’s you’re being extradited or are declared persona non grata, but those are unlikely scenarios. Check your policy!

I had to return home and couldn’t reach the airline, so I bought a replacement ticket.

This was another issue during COVID as people scrambled to urge home due to government warnings and border shutdowns. As airlines became overwhelmed and other people couldn’t get through, many of us bought a second ticket, thinking (incorrectly) it might automatically be covered.

Travel insurance causes you to whole; it doesn’t offer you extra cash . If you’re already traveling, flights are often reimbursed under the trip interruption section of the policy if going home early may be a covered event, which usually includes unexpected illnesses, strikes, etc.

However, if your flight is canceled, then the airline is liable for rescheduling and rebooking. If you purchase a second ticket then submit it for reimbursement through your policy, you’ll be denied.

Moreover, not feeling safe isn’t a covered reason, and therefore the new flight wouldn't be reimbursed.

Can I get ANY coverage related COVID-19?

As many acknowledged the hard way back in March, many travel insurance companies don't cover pandemics. they need been — and still be — written out of policies. You won’t get any reimbursement if you opt to cancel your trip thanks to a government warning due to an epidemic . the sole policies that give that sort of blanket coverage are “cancel for any reason” policies. (Insure My Trip may be a good place to seek out those.)

However, some companies, like World Nomads, Allianz, and Safety Wing, do cover some medical costs. they're going to assist you out if you get COVID or get quarantined by a physician and wish medical aid associated with that.