10 Things Your Travel Insurance Policy Won’t Cover

1. Pre-Existing Illnesses or Circumstances

Your travel insurer will not process your claim for any pre-existing medical condition. There is a look-back period, which ranges from 60-180 days before the commencement of the insurance policy. During this period you can declare any pre-existing illness to your travel insurer. If a natural calamity strikes the country you are travelling to, then you would be travelling at your own risk.

Simply put, any condition with which you were diagnosed or treated during the look-back period will not be given a cover. Though you can buy an add-on cover for this illness without it, your policy would only compensate for any loss or damage arising due to sudden illnesses, medical emergencies due to accidental injuries, and any unforeseen disasters that are mentioned in the plan.

2. Dental Treatment

You cannot file a claim for routine dental check-ups under your travel insurance policy. It would only cover against acute dental pain or any dental injury resulting from an accident during your trip. Treatment is possible only for real teeth.

3. Loss or Damage due to Mental Disorders/ Suicide Attempt

Any self-inflicted damage or suicide attempt by the insured person would not be covered.  Any loss or injury due to psychiatric or mental disorders like depression, emotional breakdown, schizophrenia and bipolar disorder will not be processed for a claim. In certain policies, emergency hospitalization expenses are sometimes given a cover.

4. Travel for Medical Treatment

Most travel insurance plans do not provide coverage if you are travelling to seek medical treatment abroad. But only for treatment which is not available in India, but is only available overseas.  

5. Complications due to Pregnancy and Childbirth

During your travel, any health problems associated with pregnancy and childbirth are not given a cover.   Hospitalization involving childbirth complications like abortion, miscarriage will not be given a cover. You must check your health condition before travelling during pregnancy.

6. Natural Adversities that Begin before your Policy Purchase

Travel insurance provides insurance cover for natural calamities like earthquake, hurricanes, storm etc. But if you have taken travel insurance after a volcano started erupting and the government released the notice of the calamity, then you will not be eligible to claim for any loss or damage.

7. Adventure Sports and Activities

This one is often mistaken by travellers. Most of the travel insurance policies do not cover any adventure sports like rafting, mountaineering, skiing, bungee jumping, scuba diving. You will be performing these activities at your own risk. Before planning a vacation, remember that any involvement in life-threatening activities will not be covered.

8. Bad Weather Conditions

Due to excessive rain and bad weather conditions, if you suddenly have to cancel your curtail your trip, you are not eligible to be compensated from your travel insurance company. If it leads to cancellation of your flight, only then would it be covered. You can’t cancel your holidays just because the weather prediction shows heavy rainfall at your destination.

9. If you do not Provide Necessary Documents or Bills to the Insurer

At the time of processing the claim, you need to present all the claim-related documents in order to get the required compensation. If you do not present all the required documents and bills, the chances are the claim will be rejected. Keep all the payment records because your claim depends on it.

10. If your Claim is Beyond the Policy Inclusions

It is imperative to note the policy benefits and limitations. Insurance policies provide coverage as mentioned in the policy documents. If your travel concerns are not listed in the policy fine print, you should check with your insurer if there is any specific add-on for the same.

Conclusion 

If you have clarity regarding the conditions that will not be covered under your travel insurance policy, you will not make any miscalculation. If you skip on policy exclusions, it might affect the entire vacation. Hopefully, with the pointers mentioned above, you will make an informed decision and enjoy your travel in a hassle-free manner.