What Travel Insurance Covers During Medical Emergency Abroad

The last thing on your mind should be falling sick or getting injured when planning a trip. However, unexpected medical emergencies can result in stress on your dream vacation. This is where the notion of travel insurance steps in to ease this. Insurers like ACKO offer plans that cover a range of medical expenses. This is from hospitalisation and doctor visits to emergency evacuations.

This article will aim to break down what travel insurance typically covers during such medical emergencies, along with why it is mandatory for any traveller.

Here's a list of 11 Medical Emergencies That Travel Insurance Covers

Travel insurance covers these 11 medical emergencies, which one can encounter while travelling abroad:

1. Accidental Emergency

Accidents can occur at any time while travelling, though unpleasant. There can be a situation where a policyholder suffers an accidental injury while travelling. Then, he/she may need medical treatment leading to hospitalisation. The travel medical insurance tends to cover the expenses up to the maximum limit of the policy in such cases. Various insurers also have the option of cashless hospitalisation that the policyholders can opt for.

2. Hospitalisation Allowance

A traveller may catch an illness or face an injury during their trip and need hospitalisation. This is another situation where travel insurance companies provide a daily allowance for a specific number of days in these cases. This aspect is based on the terms as well as limits of the policy.

3. OPD Expenses

Outpatient Department (OPD) refers to instances of doctor consultations followed by diagnostic tests for prescribing medications and/or minor procedures done outside of the hospital setting. Therefore, if a person needs a visit from a doctor while travelling, they can depend on their insurer. Insurers provide reimbursement for the OPD costs incurred within the policy period.

4. Medical Emergency Evacuation

Your travel insurance takes responsibility for costs related to evacuation in the event of a severe medical emergency like COVID-19. The insurance company reimburses the expenses for evacuating you by air or land to a medical facility during your trip for this.

5. Permanent Disability

Consider the scenario where an overseas accident results in the partial or total permanent disability of a traveller within a year after they return home. This happens due to any incident that impacted your health while you were travelling. Your travel insurance will offer compensation according to the provisions of the policy in these cases.

6. Emergency Stay and Extension

There can be a situation where a medical emergency requires the traveller to extend their hotel stay. Here, travel insurance pays for the extension of accommodation expenses up to the specified policy limit.

7. Repatriation of Mortal Remains

A traveller passing away due to an illness or injury during their trip is a very rare scenario. In these cases, their travel insurance covers the cost of returning their mortal remains to their home country. All of the procedures involved in this happen in line with the policy conditions.

8. Accidental Death

Travel insurance also covers the unfortunate demise of the traveller. This coverage is given if they die within 365 days of the date of an accident that occurred during their travel. The travel insurance provides coverage as per the policy terms for this.

9. Compassionate Visits

The insurer also covers family visits in case a traveller faces hospitalisation while travelling. Travel insurance generally covers the cost of round-trip tickets for one family member to visit the hospitalised traveller during their treatment.

10. Physiotherapy Expenses

Physiotherapy includes exercises along with manual therapy and modalities like heat, cold, and electrotherapy. The insurer will cover its expenses when a traveller incurs an injury during travel and requires physiotherapy. The coverage will include the cost of treatment according to the terms outlined in your policy.

11. Illness Expenses

Travelling often exposes a person to new environments that can lead to illness. So, their travel insurance reimburses the hospitalisation costs up to the policy limit if a policyholder falls seriously ill and requires hospitalisation.

Few Medical Exclusions of Travel Insurance

There are a few medical exclusions in travel insurance as well. They are as follows:

• The insurers do not cover if a traveller has any pre-existing disease or similar medical issues.
• Travel insurance is not bound to cover any pregnancy-related concerns during travel.
• Injuries due to participating in an adventurous sport are also not covered most of the time. However, one can purchase this coverage as an add-on.

Medical emergencies while you are on a trip can be unpredictable and expensive. However, you are not alone in handling them with the right travel insurance. Travel insurance covers several medical emergencies, but you also need to keep in mind the exclusions of your policy plan for your financial and emotional peace of mind. Therefore, take time to understand your policy before you take off.

(This article is from the Brand Desk. User discretion is advised.)