Travel Health Insurance

What is Travel Health Insurance?

International travel and health insurance is a type of travel insurance policy that is helpful during medical emergencies whenever you are outside India. It is a no-brainer that overseas healthcare costs abroad are much higher than those in India. If you get hospitalised abroad for something as common as viral fever, it can cause a big dent in your trip budget.

In short, an international medical insurance policy takes care of your medical expenses, ensuring stress-free travel. You can buy international travel medical insurance from India, depending on your trip requirements or purpose. They are available in the following types:

• Single trip travel insurance
• Multi-trip travel insurance
• Family travel insurance
• Student travel insurance
• Senior citizen travel insurance

Some travel insurance companies in India also provide specific overseas travel medical insurance for employment abroad. Regardless of age and purpose of travelling, you can easily buy foreign travel medical insurance in India for your trips.

Why Buy a Travel and Health Insurance Plan?

Overseas medical insurance is essential for all kinds of travellers, no matter their trip duration or destination. International health insurance is ideal for people who want to safeguard themselves primarily from emergency healthcare expenses during their trip. 

Ideally, if you plan to go overseas, then you should buy a comprehensive travel and health insurance policy. This is because most overseas travel medical insurance with health coverage only provides security during medical and accidental emergencies. It is good to buy comprehensive overseas travel and medical insurance with coverage for travel-related emergencies like trip delays, baggage insurance, missed connection flights, etc.

For people who only wish to be covered for any medical emergency expenses, and other trip-related coverage is not their priority, medical insurance for foreign travel works best. It also makes sense if they are already covered for travel and flight-related adversities by other means, such as credit card travel insurance or another policy like corporate insurance. However, it is always wise to buy travel insurance online with comprehensive coverage for any overseas trip.

Travel Health Insurance Coverage

An international trip health insurance policy financially protects you in case of several adversities. Some of its key benefits are mentioned below:

1. Medical Illness Treatment

   Any emergency medical expenses that you may incur because of a treatment during the trip will be covered under the overseas medical insurance policy. This includes hospitalisation because of an illness or an injury due to an accident. Some foreign travel health insurance may also cover pre- and post-hospitalisation expenses up to a fixed number of days.

2. Personal Accident

   Accidents are an unfortunate part of life, and if you meet with an accident while you are abroad, your medical travel insurance policy will bear the treatment expenses. It will also compensate you in case you suffer from any partial or permanent disability due to that accidental injury. In case of death, a lump sum amount is provided to the nominee.

3. Emergency Medical Evacuation

   Your international trip health insurance policy will help rescue you in case you are in a remote area or region where you can’t get the necessary medical treatment during an emergency. It will cover the costs of your medical evacuation urgently to the nearest medical help. This covers the transportation costs involved, i.e., ambulance or air ambulance charges, depending on the coverage provided by your insurer.

4. Repatriation

   In case of an accident or illness that may lead to your demise, your international health insurance will cover the costs of transporting the mortal remains to your home country. It also covers the burial/cremation costs of the insured person in the foreign country if required.

5. Emergency Dental Treatment

   If you have an acute pain and need treatment for emergency dental pain relief during your trip abroad, then it will be covered by the medical travel insurance policy. However, not all insurers offer this benefit, and you must choose a plan carefully. Routine dental procedures or pre-existing dental conditions are not covered.

Additional Coverage of Travel Health Insurance

A handful of travel insurers in India also offer other kinds of coverage under travel medical insurance. While some insurers may offer these covers under basic coverage, other travel insurance companies may provide these covers on the payment of an additional premium amount. Take a look at some of the additional covers or add-ons available under an international trip health insurance policy:

• Pre-Existing Diseases CoverIf you suffer from a medical condition (PED) and take medical treatment for any pre-existing diseases or medical conditions, it is generally not covered by insurers. However, with this add-on, your medical insurance for international travel will cover the treatment expenses for your declared PED.
• Flight DelaysIf your scheduled flight gets delayed for more than a specified number of hours, then the insurer will compensate you for losses incurred. These usually include emergency hotel extension and other reasonable expenses as per the policy. 
• Personal LiabilityIn case a legal liability is imposed on you for causing injuries or damages to a third party, overseas travel and medical insurance will help pay compensation on your behalf. However, this benefit is only applicable if the damage was unintentional. 

Travel Health Insurance Exclusions

Most travel medical insurance policies do not cover the following events or situations:

• Travelling Against Medical Advice - If you are travelling against the doctor’s advice, then the travel insurance with health coverage will not pay for any medical expenses incurred during the trip.
• Pre-existing Diseases - Most insurers do not provide coverage for any pre-existing medical condition or illness under travel health insurance plans unless purchased as an add-on cover for PED coverage.
• Consumption of Intoxicants - Any medical expenses incurred on the treatment of an illness or injury arising due to the consumption of intoxicants, such as alcohol and drugs, will not be covered.
• War or Civil Unrest - Any injury or illness of the insured traveller resulting due to events, such as war, an act of war, protest, strike, terrorism, etc., will not be covered under travel medical insurance policy.
• Cosmetic Treatment - No medical expenses incurred on cosmetic treatment and the insurance provider will cover surgery.
• Sexually Transmitted Diseases and HIV AIDS - If the insured traveller receives treatment for any sexually transmitted diseases or HIV AIDS while travelling, the expenses incurred will be excluded under this policy.
• Self-inflicted Injury - In case the insured traveller takes medical treatment for any self-inflicted injuries, such as suicide or attempt to suicide, it will not be covered by the travel health insurance policy.
• Alternative Treatment - If the insured traveller receives treatment through Ayurveda, Homeopathy, Siddha and Unani during the trip, your travel insurance for overseas trip will not cover the expenses incurred.
• Adventure Sports - Most insurance companies do not cover any expenses incurred on the treatment of any injury or illness arising due to participation in adventure sports activities, such as rafting and skiing, during the trip.
• Mental Disorders - If the insured travellers take treatment for any medical disorders during the trip, then the medical expenses incurred will not be covered under the travel medical insurance policy.

Benefits of Travel Health Insurance Policy

Travelling is full of uncertainties; with the change in climate and exertion involved, the chances of a traveller getting ill increase leaps and bounds. International travel health coverage benefits you in case of unexpected sickness or unfortunate accidents during your trip. Here are some of the ways in which a travel medical insurance policy can benefit you:

1. Emergency Medical Expenses

   If you get ill or meet with an accident that requires your hospitalisation, the overseas health insurance policy will cover the expenses incurred on the treatment. A lot of international health insurance plans cover pre and post-hospitalisation expenses as well as ambulance charges. Moreover, overseas medical insurance provides compensation if you suffer from temporary or permanent disability.

2. Medical Assistance in Remote Areas

   International health coverage is helpful if you plan to travel to a remote area with limited healthcare services. If, unfortunately, you fall sick or meet with an accident and you don’t get the necessary medical care in that area, your insurer will help you. It can help you get evacuated to the nearest hospital in case you require emergency medical assistance. Your overseas health insurance will also cover the associated costs.

3. Coverage for Each Traveller

   No matter where you plan to go and for what purpose, you can always find a travel health insurance policy to suit your needs. From individuals to families and senior citizens to students, every traveller can opt for protection under this medical travel insurance policy. Even people who travel frequently are protected under medical insurance for international travel.

4. Travel Stress-Free

   A trip can become quite stressful if someone gets ill or injured in an accident. However, with travel medical insurance, you can travel without worry as you will be covered for any unforeseen medical emergency under the policy. If the country you are travelling to has mandated health insurance for tourist visa, then you can easily find suitable plans for a stress-free visa issuance.

How to Buy Travel Health Insurance?

Travel insurance provides a layer of protection for your trip. Buying travel insurance is simple. Follow the steps below to get online travel insurance for your trip.

Claim Procedure for Travel Health Insurance

In case of a situation that requires you to raise a claim, you can do so by contacting Policybazaar.com or the insurer at the provided helpline. If you wish to register your claim through Policybazaar, here's what you need to do:

1. Register Claim

   You can get in touch with our claims support team in case of any emergency by clicking on the link which will be shared on your WhatsApp. You can also mail us at travelclaims@policybazaar.com or call us on 1800-258-5881.

2. Prepare Documents

   Depending on your claim type, you will have to provide some documents. Here are some documents that you must provide:

   • For Medical Claims: Claim forms, Original admission/discharge card, if applicable, Original Bills, Receipts, Prescriptions and Reports, Copy of passport/visa with entry & exit stamp, Personal ID Proof.
   • For Baggage Loss: Claim forms, Property Irregularity Report (obtained from the Airline), Copies of correspondence with the airlines confirming the loss, Approximate cost of lost items, Copy of the passport/visa with entry & exit stamp, Personal ID Proof
   • For Trip Cancellation: Claim forms, Medical reports of the insured, a companion or an immediate family member, Details of the amount refunded by the common carrier and Hotel, Copy of flight ticket, Copy of passport, Personal ID proof.
   • For Trip Delay: Claim forms, Original bills of expenses incurred during the period of delay, Copy of ticket & boarding Pass, Copies of Correspondence with the airline authorities certifying the delay, Copy of passport/visa with entry & exit stamp, Personal ID proof
   • For Other Claims: Claim Forms, Copy of the passport/visa with entry & exit stamp, Personal ID Proof, Policy Copy, Original bills and receipts and complaint copies, etc.