A common misconception when buying any sort of travel insurance is the idea that no matter what sort of travel or medical issue you may encounter, it will be covered. The simple fact is that no travel insurance policy can possibly cover everything for the modest price charged, so it’s up to you to understand what is and isn’t covered by the plan you purchase.
Luckily, travel insurance companies make this easy. They provide policy certificate wording that you can freely read prior to purchasing a plan. This wording will go over any and all exclusions from coverage in detail. We provide a link to this document for every plan we offer on this website.
However, as these documents can be quite involved, it’s helpful to know what to look out for ahead of time. The following items are by no means an exhaustive list of travel insurance exclusions. Rather, they’re just a few things to keep in mind as you’re reading over the policy documents. In all cases, the exact wording of the policy certificate will prevail.
Common Travel Insurance Exclusions
Trip Cancellation Benefits in Travel Medical Plans
Most travel medical insurance plans and visitors medical insurance plans do not offer trip cancellation coverage. You would need to purchase a travel insurance plan to receive this coverage. Some travel medical and visitor plans can offer certain travel insurance benefits such as trip interruption, but this is not the case with every plan, as travel medical and visitors insurance plans primarily focus on short-term medical coverage.
Alcohol-Related Medical Issues
The vast majority of travel insurance and international medical insurance plans have alcohol exclusions. Essentially, this means that if you are injured as a result of being intoxicated, it would not be covered. The exact details vary by plan, but it’s a good idea to drink responsibly.
Preventative Care
Travel medical, visitor, and travel insurance plans almost never cover preventative medical care such as checkups and vaccinations. These plans are designed to cover unexpected medical issues. If you need a checkup with your doctor, it is best to schedule it prior to your trip.
Dental and Vision Care
Although most plans can provide coverage for acute dental and vision injuries as described in their policy wording, they typically will not provide coverage for dental and vision checkups, dental procedures, corrective lenses, etc. Once again, schedule any routine dental and vision appointments prior to your trip.
You may also have the option to purchase a dental/vision discount plan to save money on routine dental and vision care.
Hazardous Sports
The vast majority of plans will not provide coverage for sports and/or activities that the insurance administrator deems high-risk such as skydiving, bungee jumping, mountain climbing above certain altitudes, etc. The exact activities that are excluded will depend on the plan and will be explained in the policy wording. Some plans offer add-on coverage for hazardous sports, and you may also have the option to purchase hazardous sports travel insurance.
Remember This
If it isn’t apparent already, it is absolutely crucial that you read the policy documents BEFORE purchasing coverage. This is the only way you will know exactly what is included and excluded from coverage. If you’re having trouble deciphering the policy wording or you’re not sure which plan suits your needs the best, please give us a call. Our licensed representatives would be happy to help you find the right international insurance or travel insurance coverage.