Omicron and Travel: So Do I Need Travel Insurance Now?


Those in the industry may have spurred travel insurance as the pandemic puts pressure on travel.

President Jeremy Murchland said: “The biggest question we get from customers is: ‘What happens if I catch Covid while traveling and have to go into quarantine?’ Seven Corners, a travel insurance management company. “Covid has created a much broader awareness of travel insurance.”

But will it help you in light of the new Omicron variant, which has already led to new travel restrictions and requirements? In the early days of the epidemic, travel insurance was largely defective to protect travelers who want or need to cancel as the world closes. The following are answers to frequently asked questions about travel insurance now.

For the most part, yes, travel insurance policies now treat Covid-19 in all its variants, including Omicron, just like any other medical emergency.

“Consumers should be aware that most travel insurance plans with medical benefits now treat Covid like any other illness that you can catch while traveling or prevent you from traveling,” said Carol Mueller, vice president. Berkshire Hathaway Travel Protection. “If you become ill before your trip, you will need a doctor’s report confirming your illness and you will need proof of inability to travel in order to receive benefits. The benefits are the same whether you get Omicron, another type of Covid, or any disease for that matter.”

Buyers should read policies carefully and be mindful of those excluding pandemic, Covid-19 and derivatives. To make a claim, you must have travel insurance before you get sick.

“We always say, you can’t buy auto insurance after you’ve already had an accident,” said Meghan Walch, product manager. My InsuranceMy Travel, an insurance sales site. “It was designed for unforeseen problems. You need to purchase before an event. ”

No, most policies won’t cover you if your foreign destination closes its borders to visitors. As Israel has done recently. With a few exceptions, this also applies to a government-issued travel warning to a destination that is not usually covered for filing a claim.

The Cancellation for Any Reason or CFAR provisions allow you to claim a portion of your non-refundable expenses if you decide not to travel for any reason, including border closing or fear of contracting Covid. The problem is that this type of insurance – as well as being more expensive – must usually be purchased within a day or two of booking the trip and will only refund 50 to 75 percent of non-refundable travel costs.

“Most travel insurance policies do not cover you because you want to cancel out of fear of Covid. “We say that 10 times a week,” said Sarah Groen, owner of the agency. Bell and Bly Travel. He advises clients to consider their biggest fears (illness or quarantine, for example) when troubleshooting travel insurance issues. “We became like therapists,” he said.

Make sure the policy you choose covers them. In the case of health insurance, consult your regular health insurance; many policies will not cover you abroad; this is an additional reason to consider insurance coverage if you are traveling internationally.

“What travel insurance can do is cover additional hotel stays if you can self-quarantine and additional airfare when you can get home,” said Megan Moncrief, Marketing Director. square mouth, a travel insurance sales site. He added that most policies will extend up to seven days after your originally scheduled return date, effectively only covering about seven days in the event of quarantine.

Yes, primarily to cover medical care or quarantine stays in case a traveler tests positive for Covid-19. For example, Singapore Requires a minimum of S$30,000 or approximately $22,000 of health insurance coverage. Fiji Requires travel insurance to cover potential Covid-19 treatment, making it available from around $30. some destinations such as Anguillarecommend rather than request travel insurance. One of InsureMyTrip.com’s page divided into countries that require travel insurance.

It is useful to consider what it will cost to go home for treatment if you catch Covid-19 abroad. Thailand, for example, requirements passengers have health insurance with a minimum coverage of $50,000. “The evacuation from Thailand would have been higher,” said CEO Sasha Gainullin. war face, a travel insurance initiative that separates benefits. In the case of a trip to Thailand, it recommended health insurance of up to $100,000 for treatment locally and up to $500,000 for medical evacuation and repatriation.

Probably not, if you have hotel reservations that allow free cancellation 24 to 48 hours in advance. Likewise in flights; If your flight is variable and will provide a coupon or refund in case of cancellation, you are covered by insurance.

Yeah. Vacation rentals from Airbnb and the like can be treated like any other non-refundable accommodation. In this case, you may want to buy a policy for the amount you would lose if you had to cancel due to illness, for example. Again, fear of travel is not a veiled cause; you will need CFAR for this

Elaine Glusac is a Frugal Traveler columnist. Follow him on Instagram: @eglusac.


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