Will my health plan cover me if I get Covid while traveling abroad?
Coverage for medical problems outside the U.S. will vary by plan. Check with your U.S. health insurance provider to see what your health plan offers for global coverage. Some plans may have limited or no coverage, or a very high out-of-network deductible.
Once you know what your health plan covers you can select the right level of travel medical insurance.
Seniors should be aware that Medicare generally doesn’t have coverage outside the U.S.
Will travel insurance cover quarantine outside the U.S.?
Travel insurance plans that have Covid-related coverage will generally cover quarantine costs during your trip.
For example, if you contract Covid during your trip and have to stay an extra five days past your departure date, these plans can reimburse you for extra costs such as the hotel bill and meals. Coverage for a quarantine is only triggered if you actually get Covid.
Be aware that if a quarantine does not extend your travel time or result in extra costs, there may be no applicable coverage. For example, if you have to quarantine during the trip but leave to go home on your original return date, you have no monetary loss to claim. “Loss of enjoyment” because of a quarantine is a legitimate gripe but is not covered by travel insurance plans.
How much money can I get back with “cancel for any reason” coverage?
“Cancel for any reason” coverage will generally reimburse 50% or 75% of your pre-paid, non-refundable trip costs. This coverage allows you to get some reimbursement no matter what your reason is for canceling.
If your reason for cancellation is listed in your policy under standard trip cancellation benefits, you can get back 100%. These reasons can include sickness or injury of you or a travel companion, a hurricane, jury duty, job loss and more. Check the policy for the list of acceptable reasons. You may decide that you don’t need to spend the extra money for “cancel for any reason” coverage.
Will travel insurance cover trip cancellation due to Covid-19?
Many travel insurance plans include Covid as a reason for making a trip cancellation claim. If you were to contract Covid before your trip and be too sick to travel, a travel insurance policy that includes Covid coverage can reimburse you for 100% of your lost trip costs.
It’s wise to buy travel insurance shortly after you book a trip so that your trip cancellation coverage starts.