Rejseforsikring, Pandemics, & Covid: Hvad du har brug for at vide

Sendt: 5/4/21 | 4. maj 2021

Coronavirus har givet os alle et vågne opkald om, hvad rejseforsikring gør-og ikke-dækker.

En masse mennesker antog, at rejseforsikring dækkede alt, og ved dråbet af en hat ville flyve dig hjem i en nødsituation. Den forkerte antagelse kom som et chok for dem, der for første gang faktisk måtte læse deres politik.

Mens adskillige rejseforsikringsselskaber tilbyder evakueringsdækning, hvis du bliver såret i udlandet (hvis du opfylder planforholdene), er de typisk ikke der for at få dig hjem, medmindre der er en bestemt klausul i din politik, der garanterer en sådan handling og en læge bestiller det.

Og som adskillige hurtigt lærte, er pandemier typisk udelukket fra forsikringspolicer.

Mange af de e -mails, jeg fik fra folk, der skrigede om deres forsikringspolice, da pandemien begyndte, var spørgsmål, der var relateret til sådanne politiske misforståelser.

Jeg ved, at rejseforsikring er et kompliceret (og kedeligt) emne. Jeg forstår, at det ikke er sjovt at læse om eller undersøge.

Og at læse en faktisk politik kan sætte dig i søvn. Mange mennesker glanser over det, som vi glanser over iTunes -brugeraftaler.

Men hvis Covid-19 har lært os rejsende noget, er det, at vi er nødt til at være meget mere fortrolige med, hvad vores rejseforsikringspolitik nøjagtigt dækker. Det er bogstaveligt talt af liv-og-død betydning.

I dag vil jeg tilbyde et meget mere komplet billede af, hvad rejseforsikring faktisk er – og hvilke scenarier du måske eller måske ikke er dækket til. Men brug kun dette som generelle råd: Vilkår og betingelser vil variere afhængigt af rejseforsikringspolitikken og udbyderen.

Jeg ved, at vi har behandlet dette i fortiden, men det er altid et godt tidspunkt for en opdatering, især på grund af Covid-19, og når folk begynder at begynde at tænke på rejser igen.

Lad os se på nogle almindelige spørgsmål:

Hvad er nøjagtigt rejseforsikring?
For det første er rejseforsikring nøddækning. Det er der, hvis du får problemer og har brug for hjælp. Afhængig af din politik tilbyder det støtte (og refusion), hvis du bryder en knogle, mens du vandrer, hvis du mister din bagage, hvis du bliver røvet, eller hvis du har brug for at vende hjem på grund af en død i din nærmeste familie. Kort sagt, det er et økonomisk sikkerhedsnet for nødsituationer i udlandet.

Det er dog ikke en erstatning for sundhedsforsikring i dit hjemland. (Det er heller ikke en licens at være tåbelig, fordi skader, mens stum eller beruset heller ikke dækker.)

Det er din nødsituationsliv, der burde noget dårligt ske uventet under dine rejser.

Hvad er virkelig dækket, hvis jeg er syg?
Lider af en tilbagevendende, forudgående allergi eller anden tilstand? Du er på egen hånd. Få noget medicin fra et apotek og kør det ud. Forebyggende eller rutinemæssig pleje, der er resultatet af en forudgående betingelse, er ikke dækket.

Uventet og/eller nødsituation? Brug for at gå på hospitalet? Det er her rejseforsikring sparker ind. Ring til din forsikringsudbyders nødsupportlinje og fortæl dem (når du kan). De vil være i stand til at hjælpe dig med bureaukratiet og sørge for, at du er taget hånd om.

Du har muligvis også brug for forhåndsgodkendelse af behandling eller udbydere. Af den grund skal du sørge for at have forsikringsselskabets nødsituation 24-timers hotline gemt på din telefon, før du rejser. På den måde kan du eller nogen med dig kalde dem burde det værste ske.

Da du muligvis skal betale for alt foran og derefter fremsætte en forsikringskrav for at blive godtgjort, skal du holde dine kvitteringer.

Hvad er dækket, hvis jeg er røvet?
Hvis du er frarøvet under din rejse, kan du få kompensation for de stjålne genstande (normalt ikke inklusive kontanter og visse andre varer), op til et bestemt beløb pr. ganske lav).

Du skal udfylde en politirapport og tilbyde det såvel som dokumentation for de stjålne varer til dit forsikringsselskab. (Hvis du har kvitteringer, skal du sende dem ind. Jeg kan også godt lide at tage billeder af mine varer, før jeg rejser for at vise, at jeg tog dem med.)

Forvent dog ikke, at rejseforsikring giver dig penge til den seneste iPhone – du får enten en tilsvarende udskiftning eller får refunderet for den afskrækkede værdi af din stjålne vare. Det vil sige, hvis du har købt et videokamera for fem år siden for $ 1.000, men det er kun værd $ 100 nu, får du $ 100.

Da det tager et stykke tid, før krav bliver behandlet, bliver du sandsynligvis nødt til at udskifte dine varer ud af lommen og derefter fremsætte et krav om refusion. Men hvis du ikke kan foretage nogen køb, fordi din pung og pas blev stjålet, skal du kontakte din forsikringsudbyders nødsituation såvel som den nærmeste ambassade eller konsulat.

Mit [indsæt firma] gik konkurs. Hvad er dækket?
Hvis dit flyselskab/tur/uanset hvad firma går konkurs, mens du rejser, kan du muligvis få refunderet under “Trip Annullering” eller “Trip -afbrydelse” af din plan, afhængigt af tidspunktet for, hvornår du købte din politik ogwhen the bankruptcy occurred. Some insurance policies only reimburse if the travel company has completely ceased services; if there are alternative arrangements available, it may only pay for change fees.

However, in the case of airline bankruptcies, you may need to organize alternative transportation yourself and pay for it upfront. then you can submit a claim to have that amount reimbursed.

If you have not yet departed, your “trip cancellation” coverage would come into effect, and you would be reimbursed for what you spent.

While this all seems helpful, keep in mind that there likely are limits on what you can claim. read the schedule of benefits for maximum amounts covered (and specifically for trip interruption and trip cancellation). From my experience, these claims typically reimburse up to the trip, cost with a max of around $5,000–10,000 USD (be sure to check the specifics in your policy), so if you have spent a ton of money on accommodation and new flights, you might not be able to get all of it back. but something is much better than nothing!

My trip was canceled. Can I get a refund on my policy if I didn’t use it?
If you haven’t started your policy or made a claim, you might be able to get a refund. numerous companies also offer a “review period” (usually 7–14 days from purchase) during which you can cancel your plan without penalty, though some states don’t have one. If you pay for six months of insurance and need to cancel after one or two months, you’re typically out of luck.

However, if you’re outside of that review period, chances are you won’t be able to cancel your plan. Some companies may be making exceptions due to COVID-19, but you shouldn’t take that as a given. Hvorfor? This is just an industry practice. because travel insurance works in retrospect (you go on your trip, you come home, file a claim, and then get paid) and they have to pay the full amount, you have to pay the full amount of the policy.

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

But, a caveat: depending on how preexisting conditions work on your policy, you may not want to do this. For example, say you’re not feeling well during one policy. You go to get a COVID test, and while waiting for the results, your policy lapses and you purchase a new plan. because you showed signs of the disease in a prior policy, it may be considered a preexisting condition in the new policy and thus not be covered.

So keep that in mind when you are purchasing policies. It’s a risk I personally take — but it might not be good for you.

There’s a pandemic, so I’ve chose to come home to play it safe. Do I get anything?
To be eligible for coverage, your claim has to be based on a covered reason. If you had a policy without a pandemic exclusion, then trip interruption could come into play. but you’ll need to read the fine print before making claim. getting sick from the pandemic may be covered, but if, say, you chose to rearrange your trip because you’d feel safer at home, that wouldn’t be.

Before you file a claim, you’ll want to first contact the trip companies, hotels, and airlines directly for a refund. only after that would I make a claim to the insurance company.

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

If filing a claim, you’ll need to gather all your supporting files 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 is a major crisis, like the COVID-19 pandemic). That implies your change of plans will have to be paid out of pocket.

But the government urged citizens to come home and I did!
Depending on your policy, you may be entitled to some benefits. If you have a policy that includes trip interruption, you might be able to submit a claim to cover any nonrefundable purchases (such as flights and tours).

However, the reason why you need to return home is important. natural disasters, terrorism, political upheaval, and pandemics are all covered differently, so the fine print of your policy is really essential here.

Your government saying, “I think you ought to come home because of XYZ” is not the same as a government forcing you to return home (which does not exist*). If you’re making the choice to come home in that situation, travel insurance plans aren’t going to cover you. (This was a big issue during COVID and the source of many complaints.)

Circumstances that are not discussed (outside the exclusion section) are typically not covered.

So it’s essential to look at the specifics of your policy to see what is covered.

* Unless there’s you’re being extradited or have been declared personality non grata, but those are unlikely scenarios. check your policy!

I had to come home and couldn’t reach the airline, so I purchased a new ticket.This was another issue during COVID as people scrambled to get home because of government warnings and border shutdowns. As airlines became overwhelmed and people couldn’t get through, numerous people purchased a second ticket, thinking (incorrectly) it would automatically be covered.

Travel insurance makes you whole; it doesn’t give you extra money. If you’re already traveling, flights can be reimbursed under the trip interruption section of the policy if going home early is a covered event, which typically includes unexpected illnesses, strikes, etc.

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

Moreover, “not feeling safe” isn’t a covered reason, and the new flight would not be reimbursed.

Can I get any coverage related COVID-19?
As numerous found out the hard way, many travel insurance companies do not cover pandemics. While that has slowly been changing, numerous companies still do not include pandemic coverage.

Fortunately, some companies, such as world Nomads, Allianz, and safety Wing, now cover some pandemic-related costs.

However, that coverage is limited to medical care and related costs (though some policies also cover trip cancellation and trip interruption costs if you contract COVID). Be sure to read the specifics in your plan, as there are numerous caveats and exemptions and you’ll want complete clarity from your provider.

Additionally, Medjet now provides carry for members hospitalized with COVID-19 if they are traveling in the contiguous 48 United States, Canada, Mexico, and the Caribbean, to their home hospital.

For blanket coverage and “cancel for any reason” policies, you’ll need to check out Insure My Trip.

What about my credit report card coverage?
Travel credit report cards offer limited protection — even the very best ones. Usually, cards offer coverage for items that are lost or stolen; very, very limited medical expenses; and trip cancellation. but there is a big caveat here: these only apply if you booked your trip with that particular card.

I’ve had dozens of travel credit report cards over the years. even if your card does offer some coverage, the limit is typically very low. That implies you’ll have to pay the difference out of pocket (and you’ll be amazed at just how expensive that can be!).

While it’s good to have credit report card protection as a backup, I wouldn’t rely on it for my primary coverage when abroad.

***
Travel insurance is a complicated (and boring) topic. But, as we’ve learned during the pandemic, it’s worth taking the time to understand — and it’s worth spending the money investing in a plan with a variety of coverage options that keeps you safe and offers you with peace of mind.

I never leave home without travel insurance. You shouldn’t either.

Just be sure to always read the print of the policy you’re buying.

You can use the widget below to get a quote today:

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