Things to Know About Natural Disaster Coverage in Travel Insurance

Posted on: Feb 18, 2019 | | Written by:

Things to Know About Natural Disaster Coverage in Travel Insurance

We all excitedly wait for the trip date to arrive; every little thing is very nicely planned. Be it the flight booking process, choosing best rated hotels and chalking out the most talked about places to see. Each and every aspect is meticulously planned, to ensure a smooth travel experience. However many of us fail to add travel insurance to our checklist. Whereas travelling without a travel insurance may jeopardize your plan and impact your finances, if you land in an emergency situation. Most importantly, natural disasters are unpredictable and may not come with a prior intimation. You have to be prepared to deal with it and take necessary safety measures.

God forbid, if natural disasters affect your health and well-being, it’s important to get quality medical attention at the foreign destination. Medical expenses at overseas destination are quite high as compared to that in India. Paying off heavy bills may create financial deficit or you may have to bear with substantial medical treatment. To deal effectively against these emergencies, travel insurance plans are conceptualized. Travel Insurance Plans are designed to offer a wide range of benefits and ensure a glitch free travel experience. Be it a delay in receiving checked in baggage, loss of passport or documents or flight delays, each of these difficulties can turn on the panic mode. However, these issues can be dealt in a much better way if your travel insurance is in place.

Does Travel Insurance Covers Natural Disaster?

Travel insurance is meant for covering all types of uncertainties that might come your way and interrupt your well planned vacation. Similarly, travel insurance offer natural disaster coverage. Be it a flood scenario or earthquake impact, due to which you might have faced injuries, under such circumstances travel insurance covers natural disaster impacts. Your flight might get delayed due to a natural disaster, whatever expenses you incur during the interim duration your travel insurance offers coverage. Many insurance companies offer cover for medical evacuation and repatriation.

What Does it Include?

Several unpleasant situations can arise when a natural disaster strikes during your trip. A travel insurance policy covers you against a lot of these situations. Take a look at what is covered under the natural disaster cover of travel insurance below:

1. Emergency Hospitalization:

You may have to get hospitalized if you face any injury due to a natural disaster during your overseas trip. An international travel insurance policy covers the cost of emergency medical treatment at the hospital during your trip abroad.

2. Daily Hospital Allowance:

When you have to be hospitalized for a few days, you may incur miscellaneous expenditures on a day-to-day basis. To cover these expenses, your travel insurer will pay a daily hospital allowance to you. However, this allowance will only be applicable if you are hospitalized for more than a certain number of days.

3. Catastrophe Evacuation

Sometimes when a natural disaster strikes in the country you are visiting, it may not be safe to continue your vacation due to the worsening conditions. However, leaving the country and returning to India immediately may be extremely difficult and expensive. But with travel insurance, you don’t have to worry about it as your insurer will arrange your evacuation to India or a nearby destination and pay for the expenses incurred.

4. Personal Accident

Natural disasters can sometimes cause severe injuries, which can even be fatal. If you face a natural calamity during your trip abroad and get injured, it can result in death or permanent disability. At such time, your travel insurer will compensate you in case of total or partial disability of yourself.

5. Medical Evacuation & Repatriation

When a natural disaster strikes during your trip, you may have to be in a nearby hospital to avail timely treatment. In addition, you may have to take a road ambulance or air ambulance service depending on the situation, which can get very costly. However, your insurer will pay you for these expenses if you have a travel insurance policy. Moreover, the insurer willbear the cost of repatriating the mortal remains back to your family in India in case of death.

What is Excluded?

• Choosing not to travel:

If you simply choose not to travel because of a travel warning, the insurer will not provide coverage. Your insurance company will only pay out if your destination is classed as "uninhabitable" or your transportation is "significantly delayed".

• Claiming on known events:

An avalanche becomes a known event after its news is out in the media. This means that any policy you purchase after the event will not cover you for any costs incurred as a result.

• Ignoring travel warnings:

If you ignore travel warnings, particularly governmental ones, you are effectively straying into a dangerous area of your own accord. Insurance companies generally do not give coverage if you travel to a particular region despite known travel warnings.

Conclusion

Buying a travel insurance that covers natural disaster will provide a sigh of relief and keep your travel worries at bay. It will also protect your finances and help you reach home safely. In case you lose your passport while travelling, many travel insurance companies such as HDFC ERGO helps you in recovering your lost passport. Hence, if you are still thinking which travel insurance covers natural disasters? Then, choose HDFC ERGO Travel insurance and enjoy a risk free vacation.

Disclaimer: The above information is for illustrative purpose only. For more details, please refer to policy wordings and prospectus before concluding the sales.

Know natural disasters cover in travel insurance

Does Travel Insurance Cover Terrorism?

Difference between Trip Cancellation and Cancel for any Reason Coverage