Many individuals buy travel insurance with the expectation that it will cover whatever could go awry on their trip. Unfortunately, there are a variety of scenarios in which your travel insurance may not provide you with the coverage you need. Make sure you read the fine print and keep an eye out for the following travel insurance loopholes.
Dental Issues
Most dental care won’t be covered under travel insurance. Dental is viewed as a completely different type of coverage than health insurance. But accidents that involve your mouth and teeth can certainly happen on vacations.
While some travel insurance policies may cover dental “trauma” there can be loopholes. In some cases, the trauma will only be covered if it occurred to natural teeth and in other cases, the teeth would need to be considered “sound” before the accident. This could mean that one filling may preclude you from using your travel insurance to cover your oral injury.
Extreme Sports and Risky Activities
Paragliding, zip-lining, and more are common vacation excursions. But losses that are due to extreme sports that are inherently risky are typically not part of your travel insurance coverage. This can be everything from snowboarding to scuba diving.
If you are traveling for a sports competition your coverage may not be as comprehensive as you think. Some policies won’t cover losses associated with sports that have bodily contact, like wrestling or football. You could find yourself needing an emergency loan. Thankfully these loans are easy to obtain even if you are abroad and cash is typically available same-day.
Natural Disasters Occurring Pre-Coverage
The timing of natural disasters is everything when it comes to travel insurance. If you were about to go to a resort that was wiped out by a hurricane or earthquake, you may be covered. However, this is usually only true if you purchased coverage before the storm was named.
On the contrary, if you purchase travel insurance during or after a recent natural disaster you probably won’t be covered. If you buy insurance for a trip where a volcano is actively erupting or they are being plagued by rising water levels you likely can’t count on reimbursement for any losses related to the ongoing natural disaster.
Pregnancy and Childbirth
Traveling while pregnant isn’t often the best idea. As a result, most travel insurance agencies won’t cover childbirth costs. If you experience costs due to pregnancy complications you may be able to rely on your travel insurance. However, policies vary greatly in this regard.
Mental or Emotional Disorders
Mental health and emotional disorders generally don’t fall under travel insurance coverage. If you claim losses due to things such as depression, schizophrenia, or bipolar disorder your travel insurance agency may deny them. The only loophole is hospitalization as a result of these issues is occasionally covered.
Pre-Existing Conditions
Pre-existing conditions aren’t covered by most forms of insurance, including travel insurance. But it can be difficult to determine what your insurance agency recognizes as pre-existing. Commonly, if symptoms or treatment occurred anywhere from 60 to 180 days before the purchase date of your insurance, the condition can be considered pre-existing.
However, should you have a condition in which your symptoms or treatment hasn’t changed for many years you likely don’t have to worry. Losses associated with stable conditions that happened to flare during a trip are usually covered.
A Health Crisis
If you purchase travel insurance during an ongoing pandemic, losses related to that crisis probably won’t be covered. As soon as the crisis is recognized as a “known event” travel insurance agencies won’t offer coverage to policyholders who purchase insurance thereafter.
These dates can change from company to company. On top of this, most agencies won’t cover cancellation losses due to fear or speculation of a crisis. For this reason, if you want the most comprehensive coverage you may want to purchase a “cancel for any reason” policy.
Overbooked Flights or Airport Delays
As frustrating as it may be if you miss a connection because you were denied a seat on an overbooked flight. Or, experienced delays due to long airport lines, your travel insurance agency may not cover these losses.
Bad Weather
If the weather is poor enough to cancel a flight or delay cruise embarkation then you are probably covered. However, if bad weather won’t allow you to go on your deep sea fishing excursion travel insurance generally won’t cover these losses. Unfortunately, canceling your tropical vacation due to unusually cold temperatures and rain isn’t commonly covered either.
Choose Your Insurance Wisely
Before selecting a policy, make sure you read the fine print and discuss a variety of possible scenarios with your agent. Thankfully, even if you do experience a situation that is not covered you may be able to secure an emergency loan to help pay your expenses.