COVID-19 Travel Insurance: How to Stay Safe on Your Travels

Travel insurance is designed to protect travelers when the unexpected happens. It doesn’t cover preventative care, like physicals and vaccinations. Since the Covid vaccine is designed to prevent travelers from contracting the virus, it’s not something travel insurance would cover.

Typically, your domestic health insurance covers immunizations, which does include the Covid vaccination. But travel insurance is shorter-term coverage and doesn’t cover preventative care. This is a universal standard across the travel industry.

There are a number of travel insurance plans that cover travelers for Covid. If you need to buy a new plan, check out this list of plans that cover Covid.

If you already have an existing policy, you should carefully review the policy documents. Some policies include Covid coverage, while others don’t. If you contract Covid after your policy begins and the policy does include Covid coverage, then your insurance policy may cover treatment and services like any new medical condition.

Vaccine passports are certificates, digital or otherwise, that offer border officials proof that the traveler has been vaccinated from Covid. Airlines might also require travelers to show proof of Covid vaccination before boarding their plans. If the Covid vaccine does become mandatory to visit a specific country, will travel insurance cover it? For the foreseeable future, the answer is no. Most vaccines are categorized as preventative care.

We know travel insurance coverage can be confusing. If you have any other questions on Covid coverage, or any other benefit, our Customer Success Team is here to help.

In the midst of the pandemic, many people who haven’t been able to receive the COVID-19 vaccine in their own country have turned to other countries. Vaccine tourism, as it’s been called, refers to people traveling to foreign countries hoping to get vaccinated there. This has led many such travelers to ask if travel insurance covers Covid vaccination. Unfortunately, the answer is no.

While many travel insurance plans do offer Covid coverage, the Covid vaccine itself is not covered by travel insurance.

Visitors insurance will not cover any illness or condition that existed prior to the purchase of the insurance. This includes Covid. If you don’t have the virus but want to purchase a visitors insurance plan as a precaution, then the insurance plan may cover you (though it’s not guaranteed). Check policy documents carefully before purchasing.

Covid treatment and services may be covered if you extend your visitors insurance plan. There should be no lapse in coverage between extensions and the policyholder must not have contracted Covid prior to the policy start date. Here are some plans that cover Covid.

Pricing for visitors insurance has not increased due to the Covid pandemic. Pricing for travel insurance is regulated by the Department of Insurance.

Have a question that isn’t listed here? We realize that this is a difficult time and want to do all we can to answer your questions. Check out more information on Covid or reach out to our Customer Success Team.

If you’re visiting the U.S and looking for a comprehensive travel medical insurance plan with various Covid benefits, CoverAmerica-Gold is a great option.

CoverAmerica-Gold offers the following Covid related benefits:

• Treatment and services related to Covid-19 if the virus was contracted after the policy effective date
• One-time Covid-19 test under the Public Health Emergency Benefit (Review the description of coverage for any limits or exclusions)
• Quarantine Indemnity benefit
• Telehealth services

If you’re a U.S. resident looking for a trip cancellation insurance plan with Covid benefits, Safe Travels Voyager is a great option.

Safe Travels Voyager offers the following Covid related benefits:

• Treatment and services related to Covid-19 if the virus was contracted after the policy effective date
• Travel Delay: Up to $2,000 (Quarantine and lodging coverage if Covid-19 was contracted within the policy effective period)
• Optional: Cancel For Any Reason (CFAR) benefit

With the vaccine rollout, many countries are allowing travel again. If you decide to travel, be sure to take necessary precautions to protect yourself and your loved ones from the virus. Some countries are now requiring all visitors to purchase travel insurance. Please refer to your local government’s regulations and advisories.

Some travel medical and trip insurance plans do provide coverage for emergency medical evacuation. The coverage and limitations on the emergency medical evacuation will depend on the plan purchased. The evacuation will either be to the nearest hospital or back to the insured’s home country for additional treatment. Be sure to read the policy details carefully before purchasing.

Many people may not know that their domestic healthcare most likely will not provide coverage outside of their home country. This is why it’s important to have a travel insurance plan while traveling abroad.

Cancel For Any Reason (CFAR) offers the most flexibility for cancellations. With CFAR coverage you can get reimbursed between 50% to 70% of the prepaid non-refundable trip costs.

It is important to note that it is an optional or an add-on coverage, so not all travelers will meet the eligibility requirements. We recommend talking to our Customer Success Team to understand the eligibility criteria and exclusions.

In these uncertain times, this is a very relevant question. Countries are constantly imposing travel restrictions and flight bans are regularly being implemented.

The travel insurance plans available on VisitorsCoverage are generally cancellable before the policy takes effect. However, most travel insurance plans are non-refundable after the review period listed on the policy. Refund and cancellation eligibility differ depending on the company and policy. Please read the policy document on cancellation before sending in the request.