The coronavirus pandemic has greatly inconvenienced our travel holidays, especially with the current foreign travel restrictions that have bred significant losses for travel agencies and their customers.
Although the border restrictions were lifted in some parts of the world (of course, with precautionary measures put in place), they are now reinstated with the surge of a new kind of coronavirus worldwide.
Traveling is now a matter of necessity than want, from the baggage chore that never misses PPEs and sanitizers to the border restrictions and mandatory testing, which are the new norm. Today you can buy all your essential traveling items at open sky store at an affordable price. However, you have to go through the reviews to know the previous customers’ complaints, experiences, and feedback. They will help you know whether it is worth spending a dime on them.
The rise in coronavirus cases and the rapid increment in the death toll has made movement a nightmare, let alone foreign travel.
Consequently, many people have abandoned their travel plans and made hasty rearrangements on the same. Hefty losses have bombarded a good number of people due to travel cancellations. This is mainly because many travel insurance policies failed to cover pandemics/epidemics.
As a result, Covid-19 travel interruptions and cancellations were non-refundable, except if the cancellations were instigated by the travel operators or agencies (e.g., airlines, and cruise lines), then one would be eligible for a refund or a premium voucher for future travel.
However, such action primarily depends on your travel supplier’s generosity rather than company policy.
What has changed?
With more than a year into the pandemic (and possibly the better part of 2021), many travel insurance companies have readjusted their policies to cover the pandemic.
Even though the policies differ among insurers, travelers are now secure and protected should their travel getaways fail due to the pandemic or in case of any emergencies resulting to trip cancellations.
But this still raises many questions among travelers; Will their insurance cover them if they contract coronavirus or the extra expenses incurred if they must self-isolate? Or will the insurance cover medical evacuation cost in the event that the traveler tests positive and needs repatriation from overseas?
Well, all this calls into the question of whether getting travel insurance amidst the pandemic is advisable. Absolutely, yes!
However, it is crucial to deeply analyze and understand the cover policies before committing to any travel insurance agency. Moreover, you can seek additional insight from other travelers’ experiences from travel insurance reviews.
Below are some of the scenarios you should look for in the coverage:
The coronavirus insurance cover
1. Medical expenses coverage
Your insurance should cover Covid-19 testing expenses together with the corresponding treatment and hospitalization (if any). However, the majority offer coverage only when a medical professional prescribes testing in the event that you fall sick during a trip.
Some of the common conditions that come with coronavirus medical coverage include:
- More often than not, your travel insurance will not cover mandatory Covid-19 testing prior to departure, whose proof results are required on (almost) all international arrivals.
- Mandatory quarantine recommended for foreign travelers upon arrival is not insured unless prescribed by a medical professional.
2. Medical evacuation and repatriation
In case you fall sick during a trip, your travel insurance should cover any emergency evacuations required to access appropriate hospitals as well as necessary trips back home for recovery.
3. Trip cancellations
At a time when all travel warnings are in bold, getting coverage for trip cancellation due to the coronavirus pandemic can be quite problematic.
Nonetheless, it is not impossible. Some travel insurance companies, such as InsureMyTrip, have a Cancel For Any Reason plan that assures you of coverage in the case that your trip is subject to cancellation.
With finality, people who purchase travel insurance at the current times are certainly more than likely to be covered for coronavirus-related affairs (cancellations and other emergencies).
Although, those renewing their annual policies may not be able to partake in Covid-19 coverage if at all, annual renewals are still available as the policies may have changed.