Most travelers know travel insurance can cover them for common travel mishaps, such as a medical emergency, travel delay, or lost baggage. However, many more are unaware that their policy may cover a number of less common, but equally costly trip scenarios. If you’re traveling and hurt yourself is it covered by insurance if you’re outside the country? What about if your significant other hurts herself while abroad? What if the kids get sick? The travel insurance comparison site, Squaremouth, explains four surprising situations below that travel insurance can cover via a recent news release.
A Sick or Injured Travel Companion
A common misconception is that travelers need to experience a medical emergency themselves in order to be covered to cancel or return home early from their trip. The Trip Cancellation and Trip Interruption benefits within a travel insurance policy can cover travelers to cancel their trip if their travel companion experiences an illness or injury before or during their trip, even if they are not listed on the same policy, the release said.
Extreme Sports and Adventure Activities
While standard travel insurance policies usually limit coverage to more traditional adventure activities like hiking and snorkeling, some policies can provide coverage for a wide range of more extreme sports such as mountain climbing and scuba diving. Travelers who purchase adventure and sports travel insurance can be covered by the standard medical and cancellation benefits while participating in adventurous activities during their trip, the release said.
A Work Emergency or Layoff
Many travel insurance policies include the Cancel For Work Reasons benefit, which can cover a traveler to cancel a trip or return home early if their pre-approved vacation time is revoked due to an unforeseen work requirement, even if they are self-employed. Some policies can also cover a traveler to cancel their trip in the event they experience an involuntary layoff or termination of employment, the release said.
A Severely Damaged Home
If a hurricane or other natural disaster severely damages a traveler’s home while they are away, most cancellation policies can cover the cost for the traveler to return home early, as well as any unused trip expenses due to the early return. Some policies can also refund travelers if their place of work is rendered uninhabitable, the release said.
Wherever you might be vacationing — the beach, a cruise, around the world, or Europe — it’s important to be prepared in case an emergency arises for you or a member of your family. Knowing what your insurance will cover when you are not at home is something to learn about before you leave for your trip. Safe travels!
Source: Squaremouth
