GLEN ALLEN, Va. (PRWEB) January 01, 2022
Though the pandemic has curbed travel and affected the tourism industry, it has encouraged people to purchase medical insurance with COVID coverage. Why? Travel insurance policies now treat COVID-19 and its variant as any other illness.
Carol Mueller, VP of Berkshire Hathaway Travel Protection, said ‘Consumers should know that most travel insurance plans with medical benefits now treat COVID like any other illness that you could contract while traveling or that could prohibit you from going on your trip.’
‘If you become ill before your trip, you’ll need a doctor’s note confirming your illness and that you are unable to travel to be eligible for benefits. The benefits are the same regardless of whether you contract omicron, another variant of COVID, or any illness for that matter,’ she further adds.
With the recent news of Omicron variant, travel insurance is playing a pivotal role in protecting a trip. Travelers may have additional concern how this can affect their trip and what they can do about it. It is advisable to get a medical insurance plan that comes with wide benefits like, trip cancellation, cancel for any reason, travel delay or interruption, baggage or personal belongings loss, medical expenses of COVID-19, emergency medical evacuation and repatriation, and more.
To the most common client question, “What if I get Covid-19 during travel?”, Chiranth Nataraj, CEO and President of Visitor Guard® responded: “If you are travelling abroad without a visitor medical insurance, your medical costs could run into thousands of dollars. Now, the new and highly transmittable variant, has created a broader awareness for protection and the procuring visitor insurance is simply a no brainer.”
Buyers should read the policies to understand what is excluded during the pandemic. You need to buy a medical coverage plan before you fall sick, or meet with an accident, or go through some medical emergencies.
Cancel for any Reason would allow you to claim some of your non-refundable costs in case you wish to cancel the trip for any reason- especially in the fear of contracting the virus or spending your vacation in quarantine.
Sarah Groen, the Bell and Bly Travel agency’s owner, said, ‘Most travel insurance policies do not cover you for wanting to cancel out of fear of COVID. We say this 10 times a week. We’ve become like therapists.’
Some destinations require visitors to carry health insurance in the event of quarantine and COVID-19 treatment. For instance, Singapore requires visitors to carry medical insurance of minimum $22,000. Anguilla, Bermuda, Israel, Jordan, Thailand, and other destinations require tourists to have health coverage of at least $50,000.
Travel medical coverage during COVID-19 times comes with two benefits- covers medical expenses in a foreign country and offers medical evacuation to a qualified hospital. Even if the travelers are fully vaccinated, it’s wise to purchase a comprehensive travel insurance package. Without a travel insurance policy, travelers need to pay from their own pockets for their health treatments, which isn’t a smart choice.
As there are different plans catering to various travel and medical needs, travelers need to find an appropriate one that includes coronavirus treatment and Medevac services. Plus, tourists receive constant assistance and guidance from insurance executives that can make their trip more enjoyable and less stressful.