I was feeling very bold this week with what I wanted to write. It took some reflecting but I constantly see questions about safety in this Covid-19 environment. Your health is very important and you deserve to know if you are/can be protected. Travel insurance can put your mind at ease. However, the big question is, does travel insurance cover Covid-19?
Is a Travel Insurance Policy possible right now?
In short, yes it is. You need to keep in mind that all travel insurance providers have different policies. My travel agent has always recommended Allianz to me and I have had great success with them. I’ve used them for travel interruptions, medical bills, and a stolen cell phone. Their process is very simple and I’ve always had my returns processed within 7-10 business days. Here is what their current policies are for Covid-19:
- You should NOT buy travel insurance to cover a new potentially impacted trip. This is because Covid-19 has been declared a worldwide pandemic.
- Travel Supplier (Airline, Cruise, Hotel, etc) cancellations due to Covid-19 are NOT covered by travel insurance policies. However, you can move your purchased policy to another date within 770 days.
- Travel Insurance will not cover your trip cancellation fees that are due to fear of traveling.
What is Covered by Travel Insurance?
- Temporarily Covered: Emergency medical care for policy holders who becomes ill with COVID-19 while on their trip.
- Temporarily Covered: Trip cancellation and trip interruption if a policy holder becomes ill with COVID-19 either before or during their trip.
Does travel insurance cover Covid-19? In the medical sense, yes while on your trip. It will also cover you if you become ill with Covid-19 prior to your trip. If you are looking for more guarantees with trip cancellation, you need to review the policies of all of your travel partners (airlines, hotels, cruise lines, tours, etc). Most travel suppliers are extending the length of their credits and offering refunds if needed.
I hope this article has helped answer the core basics of your travel insurance Covid-19 coverage. It is always best to ask a travel agent and insurance provider for further details. I purchased travel insurance on my trip to Mexico in August and thankfully didn’t have to use it for medical reasons.
Great advice Halee.
There are many misleading claims out there that on the first read might sound like COVID is taken care of entirely with travel insurance but in reality, it is not. Sort of. Some travel insurance policies (new ones) that are built for COVID do cover certain symptoms and their treatment (just like any other symptom or disease) but not when it is declared COVID.
Thanks for clarifying.
Thank you Mani. It is a bit tricky!