Updated: 11/26/21 | November 26th, 2021
Travel insurance is probably the most boring topic when it comes to planning a trip. nobody wants to focus on the worst-case scenario before they even leave home.
Plus, researching insurance is just plain tedious. There is a lot of fine print to scour, requiring you to read over the minutiae of each insurance plan before you pick the one that’s best for you. It’s a hassle.
But it’s also the most important thing you can do before a trip too. should something terrible happen while you’re on the road, you want to have the confidence that your insurance plan will cover you.
While none of us want to imagine getting hurt or robbed or having to cancel our plans, the fact of the matter is that these things happen. It’s rare, but things you don’t expect does happen when you travel.
I never expected to break my camera in Italy.
I never expected to rupture my eardrum scuba diving in Thailand.
I never expected to get stabbed in Colombia.
And while these unfortunate events are few and far between, it’s always better to be safe than sorry (trust me!). medical bills aren’t cheap. emergency evacuations cost tens of thousands of dollars. Unless you have a stockpile of disposable income, chances are you’ll want to buy travel insurance for your next trip.
There are a lot of misconceptions about travel insurance, so you’ll also want to learn everything you can about your plan and the company that is covering you.
Will your plan cover pre-existing conditions?
Is there an age limit or a limit on how long you can be out of your home country?
Will you be able to see doctors for non-emergency visits? What about dental coverage?
There is a lot to learn if travel insurance is new to you.
To help you make sense of it all, I’ll go over what is actually covered by trusted travel insurance plans, so you know what to look for.
Sommario
What travel insurance DOES Cover
What travel insurance DOES NOT Cover
Our suggested insurance Companies
What travel insurance DOES Cover
Emergenze mediche
Chances are when you think of travel insurance, you’re picturing a medical emergency.
While accidents or serious illnesses while traveling abroad are rare, here’s what you can expect to be covered by a trusted insurance company:
Your hospitalization fees
Surgery costs
Outpatient treatment costs
Visits to registered medical practitioners (relating to your emergency injury)
Prescribed medicines (relating to the injury)
Medical evacuation (usually this is just to a local medical facility unless you have a more comprehensive plan from a company like Medjet. See below for more on evacuation.)
Evacuazione di emergenza
Medical evacuations due to accidents or natural disasters can cost upwards of $500,000 USD. Naturally, this is where having a solid insurance plan comes in handy. most insurance plans will evacuate you to “the nearest acceptable facility” in case of injury or natural disaster. contrary to popular belief, they don’t have to send you home.
In some cases, you will be repatriated back to your home country if your doctor thinks it necessary though this is rare and usually only occurs in cases where local medical staff can’t provide the assistance you need. That’s why companies like Medjet exist as they ensure you get home and not just to a nearby “acceptable” facility.
Dental Emergencies
As with other medical emergencies, what’s covered here is accidental injury and sudden pain. For example, chipped teeth or a sudden infection.
General checkups are not covered, nor is major dental work that doesn’t relate to an injury or accident sustained abroad. If you just want your teeth cleaned or a new filling, you’ll have to pay for that out of pocket.
Most policies have limited dental coverage when compared to the rest of your medical emergency coverage (usually, it’s under $1,000 USD).
Death Overseas
I know it’s never fun thinking about something like this happening, but knowing that you’re covered will give you and your loved ones’ peace of mind.
Should the worst happen, most insurance plans will cover the costs of a family member coming to get your body to take it home. Some policies will also include cremation services or burial overseas, should that be preferred.
Common exclusions would include death from alcohol or illicit narcotics, suicide, or pre-existing conditions not covered by the plan.
Policies usually offer between $5,000-50,000 USD in death/dismemberment coverage. However, many companies also include no coverage for this. If it’s a priority for you, be sure to purchase a policy from a company that includes death and dismemberment coverage.
Flight Delays and Cancellations
If your flight gets delayed or canceled, you can apply for compensation from your travel insurance provider (assuming the airline doesn’t provide coverage for you). As long as the cancellation or delay is not your fault, you can apply for reimbursement. However, if you miss your flight because you slept in, that doesn’t count as a valid reason!
Be sure to keep all emails, receipts, and correspondence from your airline regarding the delay or cancellation, as you’ll need them to verify your claim and get reimbursed.
Trip Cancellation
If you need to cancel your trip — either before you depart or during your trip — for a verified medical reason, the death of a close relative, or the death of your travel partner, you can apply to get reimbursed from your insurance company.
To verify your claim, be sure to get a note from your doctor if you’re canceling due to illness. If you’re canceling due to a death, you’ll need to submit a copy of the death certificate (as well as other supporting documentation).
Coverage is usually limited to a couple thousand dollars — unless you have a premium plan. For example, world Nomad’s Explorer plan offers upwards of $10,000 USD in trip cancelation coverage while their standard plan offers $2,500 USD.
Lost or Stolen Property
If your bags get stolen while you’re traveling, most travel insurance companies will reimburse you for some or all of the items (there are usually limits on gear like laptops and cameras unless you buy a comprehensive plan with additional coverage). Be sure to file a police report as it will be necessary for making a claim.
Coverage will usually include compensation for delayed baggage or baggage that’s damaged in transit as well.
If your wallet or passport is stolen, some plans will cover the cost of having a new passport or credit card mailed to you (this usually will depend on your residency). If your wallet is stolen with cash in it, you won’t be able to claim the missing cash.
Damaged or Stolen Gear
Most travel insurance plans include coverage for lost or stolen gear, such as laptops, cameras, and mobile phones. However, these high-ticket items usually have a cap on how much you’ll get back (usually under $500 USD per item).
If you’re traveling with expensive gear, you’ll want to pay for supplementary coverage to make sure it’s sufficiently covered. Be sure you have receipts for all your gear as well. keep copies of them in your inbox so if something happens, you can file your claim without having to track down copies.
What travel insurance Does NOT Cover
While every plan is different, here is a list of the most common things that will not usually be covered by your standard or basic travel insurance plan:
Accidents sustained while participating in extreme activities, like hang gliding, paragliding, or bungee jumping (though you can often upgrade to plans that do cover those activities)
Technical climbing or alpine hiking (again, some plans can be upgraded to cover these activities)
Alcohol- or drug-related incidents (including death)
Carelessness in handling your possessions/baggage
Condizioni pre esistenti. For example, if you have diabetes and need to buy more insulin, you won’t be covered
General checkups for non-emergencies
Stolen cash
Missed flights or connections for reasons under your control
A few other notes about standard policies:
If civil unrest makes your destination unsafe but your government hasn’t called for an evacuation, most insurance companies won’t evacuate you. (Medjet is the exception here. They have the best evacuation coverage.)
Changing your mind about your trip, unfriending or breaking up with your travel partner, and pre-existing medical conditions don’t qualify for most trip cancellation plans
If your visa is refused, you likely won’t be reimbursed if you decide to cancel your trip
A note on COVID-19 (and other Pandemics)
As many travelers learned the hard way, most travel insurance policies do not cover pandemics. until now, that really hasn’t been a concern for most travelers. Heck, prior to this year I never really gave the “pandemic clause” much thought when reading my insurance policies.
However, these days pandemic coverage is at the forefront of every traveler’s mind (and rightly so).
Fortunately, as insurance companies adapt to our new reality, some companies now provide limited coverage for COVID-19 (or other pandemics). This limited coverage usually includes trip cancelation or delay (as is the case with world Nomads, though they also provide some medical coverage as well) or transportation home (as is the case with Medjet). SafetyWing also offers basic COVID coverage as well.
Before you buy a plan anywhere, be sure to read the fine print regarding pandemics and COVID-19. Make sure you fully understand what is and is not included so you can take appropriate action should a situation arise. When in doubt, call them and speak to a representative. Don’t risk your health on assumptions!
Suggested Companies
To help you stay safe on your next trip, here’s a list of the best travel insurance companies:
My favorite travel insurance company is safety Wing. safety Wing offers convenient and economical plans tailoredai nomadi digitali e ai viaggiatori a lungo termine. Hanno piani mensili economici, ottimo servizio clienti e un processo di reclamo di facile utilizzo che lo rende perfetto per coloro che sono in viaggio.
Compagnie di assicurazione da viaggio da considerare
Meglio per le persone che vivono all’estero
La cosa più vicina alla normale assicurazione sanitaria
Disponibile per residenti non statunitensi
Numerosi piani tra cui scegliere
Visita il sito
Piani a breve e annuale
Estesa copertura dei trasporti medici
Disponibile per residenti di Stati Uniti, Canada e Messico
Copertura Covid-19
Visita il sito
Piani super economici
Opzioni di copertura di base
Copertura Covid-19
Può acquistare mentre all’estero
Visita il sito
Piani completi
Include la copertura per tutti i tipi di attività ed escursioni
Disponibile fino a 70 anni
Copertura Covid-19
Visita il sito
Confronta i piani di 23 fornitori
La migliore compagnia per i viaggiatori di età superiore ai 65 anni
“Anytime Advocates” Ottieni la tua richiesta una seconda occhiata se pensi che sia stato ingiustamente negato
Visita il sito
***
In questi giorni, non esco mai di casa senza un’assicurazione di viaggio. Avendo dovuto fare richieste di emergenza alcune volte nel corso degli anni, ho imparato nel modo più duro che è sempre meglio essere al sicuro che dispiaciuto.
Ricorda solo che l’assicurazione di viaggio è un settore a scopo di lucro, il che significa che devi davvero fare le tue ricerche prima di acquistare un piano. Leggi il tuo piano – e la stampa fine – così sai cosa è esattamente coperto e cosa si aspettano se provi a fare un reclamo.
Conserva qualsiasi ricevuta, e -mail e documentazione relative al tuo viaggio in una cartella separata nella tua casella di posta elettronica. In questo modo, puoi facilmente fare un reclamo se necessario.
Mentre il costo può sembrare molto in anticipo, quando lo si confronta con il potenziale costo di un’evacuazione di emergenza o di una pesante fattura medica, sono arachidi.
La maggior parte dei piani assicurativi costa solo pochi dollari al giorno, fornendo a te – e ai tuoi amici e familiari – nel processo. Se me lo chiedi, sono i soldi ben spesi. Usa il widget seguente per ottenere la copertura oggi:
Sicurezza-logo
Assicurazione che ti copre ovunque tu vada.
Età range0-39 anni 40-49 anni50-59 anni60-69 anni, incluso il viaggio negli Stati Uniti? Copertura che include viaggi negli Stati Uniti e negli Stati Uniti. Non applicabile ai cittadini statunitensi.
Date di viaggio specifiche? Quando scegli le date di viaggio impostato anziché un abbonamento, paghi per l’intero viaggio in anticipo. minimo 5 giorni, 364 giorni massimi.
Data d’inizio
Data di fine
$
36.96
/ 4 settimane (28 giorni)
Acquista ora
Come viaggiare per il mondo con $ 50 al giorno
La mia guida a bidoni tascabile più venduta del New York Times ti insegnerà come padroneggiare l’arte dei viaggi in modo da scendere dai sentieri battuti, risparmiare denaro e avere un’esperienza di viaggio più profonda. È la tua guida per la pianificazione A a z che la BBC ha chiamato la “Bibbia per i viaggiatori di bilancio”.
Clicca qui per saperne di più e inizia a leggerlo oggi!
Prenota il tuo viaggio: suggerimenti e trucchi logistici
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Trova un volo economico usando Skyscanner. È il mio motore di ricerca preferito perché cerca siti Web e compagnie aeree in tutto il mondo in modo da sapere che non viene lasciata nulla di nulla.
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Non dimenticare l’assicurazione di viaggio
L’assicurazione di viaggio ti proteggerà da malattie, lesioni, furti e cancellazioni. È una protezione completa nel caso in cui qualcosa vada storto. Non ho mai fatto un viaggio senza di essa perché ho dovuto usarlo molte volte in passato. Le mie aziende preferite che offrono il miglior servizio e valore sono:
Safetywing (migliore per tutti)
Assicura il mio viaggio (per quelli più di 70)
Medjet (per ulteriore copertura di evacuazione)
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