Repatriation is a term that means ‘return of mortal remains’ and it’s a must-have feature in any travel insurance plan. It’s heartbreaking to imagine the death of someone you love, but it’s even more devastating when you realize that the costs of recovering their body can be a huge financial burden. The cost of taking the mortal remains of a loved one back to the home country can be extremely expensive. So, for all practical purposes, it’s a good idea to purchase a plan that covers ‘Repatriation’.
It is hard to estimate the typical cost of repatriation because there are so many critical factors involved, but travel experts usually recommend having at least $10,000 in coverage. Of course, the costs involved are only one small part of a very tricky situation.
Travel Insurance Explained: Return of Mortal Remains from VisitorsCoverage on Vimeo.
How Travel Insurance Helps with Repatriation?
If someone dies while traveling in a foreign country, the repatriation coverage in their travel insurance plan means you won’t have to handle this difficult situation alone. The travel insurance assistance department would:
- Negotiate with customs agents and authorities in their language
- Navigate the health law and regulations to prepare the body for transport
- Make arrangements and find an airline who can ship the body home
- Handle the shipping costs, fees, customs requirements, and more (up to the plan limit)
The travel insurance company’s assistance department will make necessary arrangements, provide guidance and coordinate with foreign national authorities to help you during such unforeseen events. Travel insurance providers have multilingual experts who are fully experienced in the process of repatriation that will help get a body transported back home. Accidents or unfortunate situations do happen, and travelers are more at risk with health and safety issues. This is even more important if the traveler is old, or may have existing health conditions.
It’s wise to buy a good travel medical insurance plan which also covers for Return of Mortal Remains / Repatriation, even though you would hopefully not need to use it. Most comprehensive travel health insurance plans have Return of Mortal Remains / Repatriation coverage benefits even if the death is caused by a pre-existing condition.
When you consider that the expense of cremation, containers, and transportation fees to transport a body would cost several thousands of dollars, possessing travel insurance is cost-effective and smart protection for yourself and your family. If you have any additional questions about repatriation benefits or choosing the right plan, contact our Customer Success Team.
