Travelling helps you have a refreshing experience of the culture, food, people, heritage, and developments of a particular place. While this is true for domestic travels, it is even more of a prominent experience when it comes to international travels. But when it comes to international travels, the slightest of inconveniences can have repercussions for the entire duration of the trip. It can be loss of baggage, travel documents and even sickness. All these would mean your trip gets curtailed or requires you to incur heavy financial costs. At such times, a travel insurance policy comes to the rescue.
Medical treatments in a foreign land mean you need to shell out huge sums of money for the treatment. But when you have a travel policy that covers medical costs, you can be stress-free, even for health emergencies.
What is covered under medical insurance coverage for international travel?
A travel insurance plan that has insurance coverage for medical treatments generally covers bone fractures, heart attacks, emergency dental procedures, evacuations required for medical reasons, emergency transport and repatriation, ambulance service, doctor’s consultation fees, hospital and operating room charges, cost of x-rays, medical examinations and treatments, lab tests and anaesthesia, cost of drugs and medicines, and more. However, you must verify with your insurer for the coverage based on the policy which you have sought.
When you choose an international travel insurance plan, there are two types of health insurance policies that you can choose:
- Standalone health insurance policies for international travels
A standalone travel plan is one that only looks after the medical treatment costs that may be required abroad. This plan does not offer any coverage for other expenses that you may incur during your travels such as loss of baggage, passport, and other documents, etc. *
- Comprehensive travel insurance policies
Comprehensive travel plans are those that not only cover medical treatments in a foreign land, but also other events like cancellation of a trip, trip delay, emergency medical evacuation, loss of baggage, etc.
Depending on your requirements, you can choose a policy that fits you best. But make sure to buy a policy that has inclusion for medical treatments, especially when an elderly individual is travelling with you. *
Are there any exclusions when it comes to insuring medical ailments in your travel insurance policy?
Every insurance policy has a specific list of exclusions when it comes to providing medical coverage. These are specified in your policy document. Moreover, every insurance company has a specified limit up to which the medical treatments may be covered, and they differ among insurance companies. Thus, it must be verified with your insurer. Some other exclusions are:
- Pre-existing diseases
The coverage for medical treatments for already existing conditions varies among insurance companies. Some may provide coverage for a high premium whereas some may totally exclude it from the policy’s scope. Some insurance companies may check your medical history and only then offer insurance cover. *
- Abuse of alcohol, drugs and other substances
Any medical treatment required due to consumption of alcohol, drugs or abuse of other substances is not covered by an insurance claim. These form a part of the standard list of exclusions to your policy. *
- High-risk activities
Some insurance companies specify high-risk activities as a part of their exclusion list. Rock climbing, skydiving, bungee jumping, and parasailing are some of the many high-risk activities that are excluded by the insurance company. *
* Standard T&C Apply
When travelling abroad, make sure to avail a travel policy based on your requirement. But it is important to ensure medical treatments are included in your policy’s scope.
Insurance is the subject matter of solicitation. For more details on benefits, exclusions, limitations, terms, and conditions, please read the sales brochure/policy wording carefully before concluding a sale.
