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Travel Insurance 101 Round-Up

Travel Insurance 101 Round-Up
Allianz - Travel Insurance 101 Round-Up

When you’re traveling, a near-infinite number of things can go wrong, from the inconvenient (like a delayed suitcase) to the catastrophic (like a tsunami slamming into your destination). How does travel insurance protect you? We’ve collected some of the travel insurance questions we hear most frequently.

How does travel insurance cover hurricanes?

Powerful hurricanes are mighty, destructive and hard to predict. When you’re traveling to coastal areas or Caribbean islands during hurricane season, travel insurance is a must. If your destination is rendered uninhabitable by a hurricane, or if your airline, cruise line or other carrier ceases services for at least 24 consecutive hours because of severe weather, these can be considered covered reasons for canceling your trip. If your flight is delayed more than six hours by a hurricane, travel insurance may be able to reimburse you for the cost of a hotel room, meals or other essentials.

For more information: When a Hurricane Hits, What Does Travel Insurance Cover? » 

Does travel insurance cover terrorist attacks?

Travelers are understandably anxious about the recent uptick in terrorist incidents, particularly in Europe. While the chances of being harmed by an act of terrorism remains very low, it’s wise to check the U.S. State Department’s travel alerts and warnings for your destination and remain alert while traveling.

Travel insurance does address terrorist incidents in a few important ways. Some plans — like the OneTrip Prime Plan — can consider terrorism to be a covered reason for trip cancellation if a terrorist event happens at your U.S. or foreign destination within 30 days of the day you’re scheduled to arrive. (One exception: You won’t be covered if there has been a terrorist event at your international destination generally within the 30 days before your plan's effective date.) Or, if a terrorist attack causes your airline or common carrier to cease services for 24 hours, that may be considered a covered reason for trip cancellation or interruption. If you cancel a trip only because you’re afraid a terrorist attack might occur, that cancellation wouldn’t be covered.

For more information: Does Travel Insurance Cover Terrorism? »

Will travel insurance cover me if I have an existing medical condition?

Many travelers think that if they have a pre-existing condition, travel insurance won’t cover losses related to that condition. That’s not the case! Certain travel insurance products from Allianz Global Assistance can cover existing medical conditions if you meet certain criteria, such as insuring the full cost of your trip within 14 days of paying your first trip deposit, and making sure you're medically able to travel when you do so. Certain existing medical conditions are excluded from Allianz Global Assistance’s travel insurance coverage, such as mental and nervous health conditions, bipolar disorder, and Alzheimer's disease. Be sure to read your plan documents carefully, so that you understand what’s covered, and contact us with any questions.

For more information: When Does Travel Insurance Cover Existing Medical Conditions? »

Does travel insurance cover pregnancy?

“Can I cancel a trip because I’m pregnant?” We get this question all the time, and the answer is: Only in certain circumstances. A normal pregnancy is listed as a covered reason for trip cancellation, in some travel insurance plans, if the pregnancy occurs after the effective date of coverage. Travel insurance may also cover losses during your trip resulting from unforeseen pregnancy complications, such as pre-eclampsia or gestational diabetes. So if you have to cancel or interrupt your trip because of covered pregnancy complications, your nonrefundable, pre-paid trip costs may be reimbursed. Or, if you require emergency medical care for covered pregnancy complications while traveling, travel insurance may cover those costs.

For more information: Travel During Pregnancy: What Does Travel Insurance Cover? »

What is a “covered reason,” anyway?

When you read your travel insurance plan documents, one term comes up over and over: “covered reason.” Covered reasons are certain situations and events that, when they occur, mean you may be eligible to make a claim. Travel insurance can’t cover every possible scenario, but we do our best to protect our customers from the most common mishaps that happen while traveling. There are up to 26 covered reasons for interrupting or canceling your trip, depending on which plan you choose.

For more information: Trip Cancellation Insurance: Covered Reasons Explained »

Why should I buy rental car insurance ahead of time?

How many times have you initialed forms at the rental car office without even knowing a) if you really need all this extra coverage and b) how much it’s going to cost? You can skip the upsell with our OneTrip Rental Car Protector, which costs just $11 per day. This rental car insurance covers up to $50,000 in costs if the car you’re renting is stolen or damaged in a covered accident or while it’s left unattended.

For more information: The Four Types of Rental Car Insurance, Explained »

Do I really need $500,000 in emergency medical transportation benefits?

When you’re looking at your travel insurance plan, the biggest number you see is usually the emergency medical transportation benefit. This benefit can pay for you to be transported to the nearest appropriate medical facility if a covered illness or injury occurs during your trip and our medical assistance team determines that the local medical facilities can’t provide appropriate medical treatment. The OneTrip Prime Plan includes up to $500,000 in emergency medical transportation benefits; the OneTrip Premier Plan doubles that limit to $1 million. Why are these limits so high? Because emergency medical transportation overseas can be extremely expensive — as high as $100,000 in developed nations in Europe, or more than $200,000 in parts of Asia, Australia, and the Middle East. The cost of getting you home following a covered injury or illness can add even more to that total.

For more information: The Real Cost of Emergency Medical Transportation »

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