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Injury and Illness Coverage

21 April 2011
Injury and Illness Coverage

This coverage provides reimbursement for your pre-paid travel expenses (up to the policy limit) in the event you, a traveling companion, a family member, or (in some plans) a business partner are seriously ill or injured prior to or during your trip. This is a listed covered reason under trip cancellation coverage and trip interruption coverage.

Contents (click to jump down)
What does Injury and Illness cover?
Important notes about this coverage
What type of policy covers this?
How much coverage does each company provide?
Summary

Let us tell you a story

Terry and her sister, June, were planning a week of biking and exploring the wineries of Sonoma. They purchased a travel package and found trip insurance in case they had a biking accident along the way.

A week before the trip, June, was hit while riding her bike and suffered a broken hip and concussion. June’s doctor advised travel would be dangerous, and Terry wasn’t about to go without her sister. So, Terry contacted their travel insurance company. With the physician’s report, the sisters received a full refund for their pre-paid travel costs by check and Terry got on a plane to take care of her sister. They could take their trip next summer. Right now, June needed to get better.

What does Injury and Illness cover?

This coverage is included in the covered reasons for pre-trip cancellation, and in some cases for trip interruptions, missed connections, and travel delays, in the event you or a traveling companion become seriously ill or injured and are advised by a physician not to travel. Some plans also allow for cancellations and interruptions in the event a family member or business partner are seriously ill or injured and you cannot start or continue your trip.

Specific requirements for this coverage include the following:

  • The injury, illness or serious medical condition must be disabling enough (i.e., not simply a bout of flu) to make a reasonable person cancel, delay or interrupt their trip. The medical condition must be verified by a medical doctor.
  • For pre-trip cancellation benefits, a physician must advise the cancellation of your trip on or before the scheduled departure date.
  • For travel interruption benefits, the medical condition must result in medically imposed restrictions certified by a physician at the time of loss and preventing your continued participation in the trip.
  • The injury or illness of a business partner must be certified by a physician and disabling enough to reasonably cause the insured to cancel or interrupt their trip to assume daily management of the business.

Travel insurance plans additionally provide coverage for situations when the insured or their traveling companion cannot be examined by a medical doctor before the trip is canceled or interrupted; however, an examination must be accomplished within 72 hours of your cancellation or interruption for benefits to be paid.

In addition, this coverage allows the insured to cancel their trip before their scheduled departure in the event a family member becomes seriously ill or injured. For example, if the insured’s parent suffers a heart attack and is hospitalized, a trip may be canceled for a full refund as long as family members are included as a covered reason for cancellation in the plan certificate. The family member’s medical condition must be verified by a physician’s report.

Important notes about this coverage

  • This coverage is included as a covered reason for pre-trip cancellation and trip interruption benefits and sometimes for travel delays and missed connections
  • This coverage provides reimbursement for pre-paid, non refundable travel expenses like plane fare, travel packages, even tickets and passes
  • This coverage becomes effective at 12:01 a.m. on the date the policy is fully paid
  • This coverage typically allows for canceling or interrupting a trip if you, your traveling companion, or a family member are severely injured or ill
  • Some plans also include business partners in the list of covered reasons to cancel or interrupt a trip

What type of policy covers this?

This coverage is available in package plans that include coverage for pre-trip cancellations and post-departure trip interruptions. This coverage is not available in travel medical plans.

How much coverage does each company provide?

Each of the plans in the following table allow for trip cancellation and trip interruption (except where noted) if you or a traveling companion are seriously ill or injured. Some plans also allow for trip cancellations or interruptions of a family member or business partner are seriously ill or injured; and some plans allow injury and illness as a covered reason for missed connection coverage or trip delays.

PlanCompanyFamily MemberBusiness PartnerIncludes Missed ConnectionsIncludes Travel Delays
FamilyTravelSafeYesYesYesYes
PremierTravelSafeYesYesYesYes
ElementsTravelSafeYesYesYesYes
Custom *TravelSafeYesYesYesYes
VacationTravelSafeYesYesYesYes
Worldwide Trip ProtectorTravel InsuredYesYes
Trip Protector Lite ExpandedTravel InsuredYesYes
Trip Protector LiteTravel InsuredYesYes
Worldwide Trip Protector GoldTravel InsuredYesYes
BasicTravel InsuranceYesYes
EliteTravel InsuranceYesYes
PlusTravel InsuranceYesYes
Tee, Tour, and TravelTravel GuardYesYesYes
Pack 'n Go **Travel GuardYesYes
Sportsman's TravelTravel GuardYesYesYes
PlatinumTravel GuardYesYesYes
GoldTravel GuardYesYesYes
SilverTravel GuardYesYes
BasicTravel GuardYesYes
My Travel GuardTravel GuardYesYes
Savvy TravelerTravel Guard
Adventure TravelTravel GuardYesYesYes
Business TravelerTravel GuardYesYesYes
Travel Rite AnnualTravel GuardYesYes
Travel PlusTravelex Insurance
Travel LiteTravelex Insurance
Travel MaxTravelex InsuranceYes
Select AdvantageTravelex InsuranceYes
BasicTravelex InsuranceYes
SelectTravelex InsuranceYes
RoundTrip ChoiceSeven CornersYesYes
RoundTrip EliteSeven CornersYesYes
RoundTrip EconomySeven CornersYesYes
BridgeMH RossYesYesYesYes
CompleteMH RossYesYesYesYes
AssetMH RossYesYesYesYes
Trip ProtectorHTH WorldwideYesYes
Trip Protector e-Saver ***HTH WorldwideYes
Trip Protector PreferredHTH WorldwideYesYes
No coverageGlobal Underwriters
Preferred PlusGlobal AlertYesYes
PreferredGlobal AlertYesYes
EssentialGlobal AlertYesYes
TravMed Abroad *FrontierMEDEXYes
TravMed Global *FrontierMEDEXYesYes
CustomCSAYesYes
Custom LuxeCSAYesYes
Classic (Comprehensive)AllianzYes
Deluxe (Comprehensive)AllianzYes
BasicAllianzYes

* Available as an optional upgrade
** This plan does not include trip cancellation coverage
*** This plan does not include trip interruption coverage

Summary

  • The injury or illness must be disabling enough to cause a reasonable person to cancel or interrupt their travel either for their own health or to care for a family member
  • A business partner’s illness or injury must be disabling enough to require the insured to cancel or interrupt their trip in order to maintain business operations
  • The injury or illness must be certified by a medical doctor before the trip is canceled or interrupted
  • This coverage is included in travel insurance package plans, not in travel medical plans
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Damian Tysdal
Author
DamianTysdal

Damian Tysdal is the founder of CoverTrip, and is a licensed agent for travel insurance (MA 1883287). He believes travel insurance should be easier to understand, and started the first travel insurance blog in 2006.

Damian Tysdal is the founder of CoverTrip, and is a licensed agent for travel insurance (MA 1883287). He believes travel insurance should be easier to understand, and started the first travel insurance blog in 2006.