Travel insurance is a protection offered to travellers, safeguarding them from monetary and health-related risks. While everyone is exposed to certain risks daily, these risks are compounded when they travel abroad. This is where having insurance shows its prowess in mitigating the additional expense and protecting you from suffering a loss.
In some instances, it also helps cover medical emergencies, allowing the policyholder to get the necessary treatment to recover fully. In others, several countries have mandated having insurance when visiting them. For example, all countries in the Schengen region require you to have travel insurance to approve your visa.
This guide will explore the essential coverages and the process of buying and claiming a travel insurance policy.
What all are covered under the travel insurance policy?
Any kind of insurance is as good as the coverages offered under it, so let us examine some of the common coverages that can protect you from potentially most types of scenarios.
1. Losing checked-in baggage
Losing your personal belongings, whether due to the airline’s fault or having them stolen by someone else, can result in financial loss and hamper your travel experience. Having this coverage can protect the traveller from having to bear this expense.
2. Missing connecting flight
Missing a connecting flight due to no fault of your own might sting. You have done everything right, but your travel is delayed due to the primary flight, resulting in additional expenses. This coverage can offer reimbursement for the additional costs.
3. Trip delay, interruption, or cancellation
Having your trip delayed, interrupted, or cancelled can cause significant financial loss due to losing non-refundable deposits. Having travel insurance for international travel can be beneficial here.
4. Medical emergency
Treatment outside India is often a lot more expensive than the one individuals can find in India. Requiring emergency medical treatment can thus be costly and result in financial loss.
5. Personal liability
This type of insurance protects you from any damage you might cause while travelling. This saves you from having to bear the cost of accidentally causing any damages or injuries while travelling.
How to buy travel insurance India?
2024 is a great time to avail insurance when travelling. That is because a boom in the industry has attracted new entrants in India, resulting in greater competition and, thus, higher value for a lower cost than anywhere else.
These are the steps you can follow to purchase insurance when travelling.
- Choose an insurance provider that will offer the best plans based on your needs. My recommendation will be the insurer I use for all of my travelling needs, Niva Bupa.
- Visit the ‘travel insurance’ page on the website of your preferred insurer.
- Fill in the details mentioned on the portal and continue to add the traveller’s details.
- Once the requested information is added, choose the right plan based on your needs and budget.
- Choose your preferred sum insured, choose add-ons if applicable, preview the premium price, and continue to fill in the required details such as medical history, etc.
- Purchase to receive the policy immediately.
How to claim settlement for travel insurance?
The process to claim settlement might differ for every insurance provider, so for the sake of this article, let us explore the process I followed to claim a settlement from Niva Bupa.
For context, my family and I were travelling to Vietnam during my children’s summer vacation. We enjoyed our time there, but after a few days, I noticed that my youngest daughter was showing signs of asthma. Not wanting to leave it unattended and with several days remaining for our return journey to India, we decided to get it checked there. Thankfully, it wasn’t anything major, and we realised she was sensitive to the pollution there.
When I was at the hospital, I showed my insurance policy and got it approved by the insurer. I then contacted the insurer and got my claim settled relatively quickly. However, there is some difference in claims depending on the type of coverage the claim is for and the destination country. This has an impact on the documents required and some impact on the process as well. Niva Bupa has Global TPAs for Europe and America and a way to apply for the claim once in India.
Conclusion
This guide can be a reference for when you decide to buy insurance when travelling and what to keep in mind when claiming settlement for it. Having those coverages when travelling is essential, and making the right choice can help you travel with confidence and peace of mind.
