Travel Health Insurance or Travel Medical Insurance provides coverage to overseas travellers from any medical contingencies or emergency evacuations abroad. It is also referred to as international travel insurance, international medical insurance or worldwide medical insurance across the globe.
A medical emergency can occur at any point of your overseas trip. It is no brainer that cost of healthcare abroad is way more than that in India. If you get hospitalised abroad for something as common as viral fever, it can cause a big dent on your trip budget. This is where Travel Health Insurance comes in.
Travel Medical Insurance is a variant of travel insurance policy that covers the insured traveller against any medical contingencies during their trip. It will protect you from any unforeseen medical emergencies, such as hospitalization due to accident or illness that may create a financial burden. It will also assist you in accessing healthcare services if you get stuck somewhere during your trip.
In short, a Travel Health Insurance takes care of your safety and makes sure that you travel stress-free. Regardless of your age and whether you are travelling for vacationing or for business, you can buy the best travel medical insurance in India.
Broadly, a Travel Health Insurance policy can be divided into two types:
If a traveller purchases Travel Medical Insurance for a single trip, then it can be referred to as a Single Trip Travel Health Insurance. This type of insurance begins with the commencement of the trip and ends as soon as the traveller returns back home.
A Multi-Trip Travel Health Insurance policy provides coverage to the insured traveller for multiple trips. This type of insurance is usually taken for a policy term of one year. However, the duration of each trip is limited to 30/ 45/ 60 days as per the insurance company.
A travel medical insurance policy protects overseas travellers against the following adversities:
Any emergency medical expenses that the insured traveller may incur on the treatment of a sudden illness during his trip will be covered under the travel medical insurance policy. It will include both daycare expenses as well as hospitalization expenses.
If the insured meets with an accident during his trip, this insurance policy will bear the treatment expenses. It will also provide compensation in case the insured suffers from any partial or permanent disability due to the accident injury.
A travel health insurance policy will come to the rescue of the insured traveller in case he needs to be evacuated urgently to a nearby hospital and covers the transportation cost involved.
If the insured traveller takes any treatment for emergency dental pain relief during his trip, then he will be covered by the insurance provider.
In case the insured traveller gets hospitalized for more than a certain number of days, he will be eligible to receive an allowance to cover day-to-day expenses in the hospital.
If the check-in baggage of the insured is delayed or misplaced by the scheduled airline, the insurance provider will reimburse the expenses incurred and provide compensation for the losses incurred.
A handful of insurance companies in India offer other kinds of coverage under Travel Medical Insurance. While some insurers may offer these cover under basic coverage, other insurance companies may provide these covers on the payment of the additional premium amount. Take a look at some of the additional covers under a Travel Health Insurance policy:
In case the insured traveller takes medical treatment for any pre-existing diseases or medical condition, the treatment expenses will be incurred by the insurance provider under this cover.
If the scheduled flight of the insured traveller gets delayed for more than a specified number of hours, then the insurer will compensate him for any losses incurred under the Travel Health Insurance policy.
In case a legal liability is imposed on the insured traveller during his trip, this cover will enable the insurance company to pay for it on behalf of the insured.
Most Travel Medical Insurance policies do not cover the following events or situations:
Travelling can be quite uncertain. With the change in climate and exertion involved, the chances of the traveller getting ill increases leaps and bounds. Travel Health Insurance benefit travellers who unexpectedly fall sick or meet with an accident during their trip. Here are some of the ways through which a Travel Medical Insurance policy can benefit a traveller:
If the insured travellers get ill or meet with an accident and require hospitalization, his Travel Health Insurance policy will cover all the expenses incurred on his treatment. It covers both pre and post hospitalization expenses as well as the cost of transporting the patient to the hospital by reimbursing the ambulance charges. Moreover, Travel Medical Insurance provides compensation if the insured suffers from temporary or permanent disability.
This type of insurance can turn out to be quite useful if you are travelling to a remote area with poor healthcare services. Your insurer will evacuate you to the nearest hospital in case you require emergency medical assistance.
No matter where a traveller is going and for what purpose, a Travel Health Insurance covers all kinds of travellers. From individuals to families and senior citizens to students, every traveller can opt for protection under this travel insurance policy. Even people who travel frequently to different places are protected.
Travelling can get quite stressful if someone gets ill or injured in an accident. However, people with Travel Medical Insurance can travel without a worry as they are covered for any unforeseen medical emergency under the policy.
Travel insurance and health insurance are booming sectors in India. There are various public and private companies providing travel insurance, health insurance as well as Travel Medical Insurance. Various companies providing Travel Health Insurance are rolling out competitive plans with a range of coverage to attract new customers. Take a look at the list of some of the leading travel insurance providers in the country.
A Travel Health Insurance policy can be purchased both online and offline. People who want to buy travel insurance offline can visit the nearest branch of the insurance company or contact one of its agents. People who want to buy travel health insurance online can follow the steps given below:
The claim procedure for buying the best Travel Health Insurance policy is similar to that of a travel insurance policy. Follow the steps given below to register a claim under your Travel Medical Health insurance policy:
Cashless claims can only be made if the insured gets hospitalized at one of the network hospitals of the insurance company. After receiving the treatment, the insurer will settle the bill directly with the network hospital.
A Travel Health Insurance policy comes with renewability option. In case the insured decides to extend his trip and wishes to stay covered against any unforeseen medical expenses, he/ she can renew his policy. Just make sure to renew the existing policy before it gets expired.
The insured traveller can renew a Travel Medical Insurance policy both online and offline. Offline policy renewal would need him to visit the nearest office of his insurance provider or contact his insurance agent.
People who want to renew their Travel Health Insurance online can follow the steps given below:
It can get very difficult for an individual to select the best Travel Health Insurance plan as there are lots of options available in the market. Therefore, the best way to find the most suitable Travel Medical Insurance is by comparing various plans offered by different companies. This will help you to find an ideal plan for yourself which will provide the best coverage at an economical rate. You can compare different travel health insurance policies at websites such as Policybazaar.
1. Aditya Birla Travel Insurance
2. Bajaj Allianz Travel Insurance
3. Bharti AXA Travel Insurance
4. Cholamandalam Travel Insurance
5. Digit Travel Insurance
6. Future Generali Travel Insurance
7. HDFC ERGO General Travel Insurance
8. HDFC ERGO Health Travel Insurance
9. IFFCO Tokio Travel Insurance
10. National Insurance Travel Insurance
11. New India Assurance Travel Insurance
12. Oriental Travel Insurance
13. Reliance Travel Insurance
14. Religare Travel Insurance
15. Royal Sundaram Travel Insurance
16. SBI Travel Insurance
17. Shriram Travel Insurance
18. Star Travel Insurance
19. Tata AIG Travel Insurance
20. United India Travel Insurance
21. Universal Sompo Travel Insurance
Disclaimer : *Policybazaar does not endorse, rate or recommend any particular insurer or insurance product offered by an insurer.