People have started traveling again post-COVID, and in fact, the numbers are nearing those observed before the pandemic. Goodness gracious! However, every trip comes with some risks that can’t be avoided, no matter how careful you are. There are various untoward incidents that can occur during a journey and lead to severe mental trauma and financial losses. Not to mention the different health issues and medical emergencies one can come across while traveling, whether internationally or domestically.
Travel insurance will not only cater to your baggage losses, thefts and robberies, flight delays, and trip cancellations but will also cover your expenses in case there’s any medical emergency that might burn a hole in your pocket, especially in a country/state wherein hospital expenses can be sky-high. In this article, we will understand whether travel insurance covers medical expenses or not.
What do Travel Insurance and Medical Expenses Cover?
Travel insurance is of primary importance if you’re going to travel abroad or even when you visit another state/city in India. While visiting a foreign country or some other Indian state other than where you live, you will always be exposed to vulnerabilities like trip delays or cancellations, unprecedented accidents, baggage loss, and so on. Under all of these circumstances, your only savior is going to be a travel insurance policy.
There are certain insurers that provide multiple features in a single plan itself, while some others offer separate policies for your mediclaim during travel.
Let’s dive right away into understanding the various medical emergencies and health issues that are going to be covered by your chosen travel insurance policy whenever you travel abroad or anywhere within India.
Medical Risks Covered by Travel Insurance
The majority of travel insurance plans pay for medical costs related to illnesses, injuries, and minor diseases that arise while traveling overseas. Pre-existing medical conditions are not usually covered by the majority of travel insurance plans, however, costs for diagnostic testing such as blood tests and x-rays are covered.
Travel insurance protects the policyholder from the various expenses incurred due to medical emergencies. It tends to cover costs such as ambulance charges, hospital bills, and so on, and in addition to that, beneficiaries can also file a claim for medical costs suffered in case of a disability or death.
Now, depending on the insurer’s network of hospitals and medical connections in your country/state of visit, you can also avail of various cashless hospitalization facilities.
Personal Liability Cover
A domestic travel insurance policy covers any injury or damage caused to a third party. This provides the policyholder some cover in case his/her actions cause injury, both fatal and non fatal, to some other person, or cause damage to a property.
If such an event occurs within the insurance term, the insured party will be indemnified by the insurance company for the amount of money that they are legally obligated to pay, up to the designated limitations.
Cover for Pre-existing Health conditions
When it comes to having a cover for pre-existing diseases or health conditions, which can also be life-threatening in some cases, it would be extremely irresponsible on your part to plan any trip abroad or in India without having sufficient coverage in your chosen travel insurance plan.
Travelling to High-Risk locations
Suppose you’re traveling to a high-risk location wherein there’s a decent likelihood of political upheaval, natural catastrophes, or health issues; a standalone travel insurance policy can provide better and more comprehensive protection against these risks when compared to a bundled travel insurance policy.
It may further include medical evacuation costs and emergency medical expenses depending on the potential health and safety hazards at that location.
Medical Evacuation facilities
On your travels abroad, you may visit places and absorb cultures and traditions that are far from your regular urban civilization, and while you seem to be enjoying the time of your life, medical emergencies can occur without prior notice.
An international travel insurance policy is certainly going to be your friend in these times of need.
If you require an emergency medical evacuation to the nearest available hospital or somewhere else, this policy will seamlessly take care of that.
Also, if you need to be evacuated and brought back to India for medical treatment, your international travel insurance plan will take care of that as well.
Some of the international travel insurance policies in India like Bajaj Allianz, Tata AIG, Policybazaar, ICICI Lombard, and so on, are created to cater to your emergency medical needs, and cover every possible health expense of yours without you having to empty your bank account.
Accidental Death and Repatriation
Nobody wishes to think about it, but it’s indeed possible that a medical emergency or accident abroad could end up being extremely fatal for you. This is where an international travel insurance policy provides your chosen nominee with the full sum insured amount and also takes care of the cost of repatriating your remains back to India.
Which Medical Conditions are not covered by a Travel Insurance Policy?
Now that you have an idea regarding what all is covered by a travel insurance policy, you should also be aware of which health conditions are excluded from coverage.
If you have any pre-existing health conditions, or you’re addicted to intoxicants or illegal drugs of different types, your travel insurance policy will not cover any medical expenses of yours whether you’re traveling abroad or within India.
Some of the other exclusions to travel insurance policies include organ or tissue transplants, obesity and weight modifications such as internal bypass surgery, vaccinations and immunizations, and corrective devices such as eyeglasses or contact lenses.
Final Words
Falling sick or coming across a hazardous incident while you’re on a trip abroad or some other state in India can not only prove to be a frightening experience but also an unforeseen expense as well. This is where the different travel insurance policies in India help you to deal with the various financial implications that come with falling sick or having a life-threatening accident on your trip.
