Trip cover and Travel medical insurance – 2 key components of Comprehensive Cover

In this article, we explain how travel insurance is made up of two key components which we call travel medical insurance and trip cover. Learn how what makes up the best comprehensive insurance cover for your trip. Understand what you need to know before you buy and what influences the cost of cover.

Learn what the two types of insurance offer you, how to they protect you financially and how you can choose the best cover for your needs.

What is Travel insurance?

According to Wikipedia, “Travel insurance is an insurance product for covering unforeseen losses incurred while travelling, either internationally or domestically. Basic policies generally only cover emergency medical expenses while overseas, while comprehensive policies typically include coverage for trip cancellation, lost luggage, flight delays, public liability, and other expenses.”

TRAVELINSURE TIP! Basic policies mentioned by Wikipedia can also be referred to as travel medical insurance. Trip cover refers to the insurance benefits that cover you for mishaps in your travels such as flight delay and cancellation. Combine these two and you get a comprehensive plan or policy.

The cost of Travel Insurance

This depends on several factors:

• Reason for travel (Business or Leisure) – Maybe you like to participate in adventure sports (leisure) or you will be drinking coffee safely in business meetings all day.
• Your Age – Senior citizens have higher risk of health conditions developing during a trip and premiums tend to be higher.
• Length and number of trips (multi trips or a single trip) – premiums are often calculated according to the number of days on a trip.
• Your destination – The cost of health cover is more in the USA than in India for example, hence travel to the USA will attract higher premiums than India.
• Who is travelling – individual, group, or family can get discounts.
• What level of cover is important for you – For example, do you want the cost of your dog in the kennel covered in case your return is delayed or do you just want to keep it simple?
• Tailor/upgrade your trip cover – Our online system allows you to add on extras for your trip cover. (Read more below).

TRAVELINSURE TIP! Read more here about how you can select the best travel insurance cover suitable for your needs at the best price.

What you need to know before you buy

Most insurance plans will only allow you to purchase your travel insurance before you travel. If you forget and want to buy after you have departed on your journey, the options for cover become limited and those companies that will cover you are likely to charge higher premiums.

You need to state your country of residence before you purchase your cover and in the event of a medical emergency you will be returned to that country once you are deemed medically fit to fly or travel.

If Your health or the health of anyone listed on the certificate of insurance changes before You depart on Your Journey, you must contact your medical
practitioner and get written confirmation that you are fit to travel.

TRAVELINSURE TIP! Our international policies cover citizens of South Africa citizens traveling out of South Africa. Our South African travel policies have an inbound policy for non-South African citizens traveling inbound to South Africa and a Local travel Policy for South African citizens traveling within South Africa.

Is the country you are traveling to safe to travel?

This means any country where the British Foreign Commonwealth Office or South African Department of Foreign Affairs has issued a travel warning advising caution in travelling to specified destination/s due to reasons such as armed violence, civil or political unrest, high incidence of crime, natural disaster or outbreak of one or more contagious diseases. The Foreign and Commonwealth Development Office (FCDO) provides foreign travel advice to check before making Your booking. If you travel to the country or the specific area of a country that the travel warning has been issued you will not be covered.

TRAVELINSURE TIP! Check the FCDO website for any travel warnings for the specific area of the country you are travelling to. If there is a warning for the area you are travelling to you will not be covered. Other Links: http://www.sacoronavirus.co.za/,

How Does Trip Cover work?

A trip cover plan will cover you if your trip is interrupted or cancelled for a reason that is covered in your travel policy. You will be reimbursed for the pre-paid and non-refundable portions of your trip that are eligible up to the limits stated in the schedule of benefits of your policy. A typical example is a delay or cancellation due an accident, illness, or death of either yourself or a travel companion, or a family member. 

Trip cover policies typically cover you for costs resulting from unexpected travel delays and inconveniences and lost, or stolen luggage. Some specialist benefits even cover you in the event your travel provider becomes insolvent, leaving you stranded.

In short, any sort of travel delay, cancellation of curtailment (cutting short of your journey) that will not be rectified or reimbursed for by your travel provider is often covered in travel insurance policies. Other inconveniences such as loss of baggage, delayed baggage will cover you up to the limit stated on the policy schedule of benefits.

What Should I Look for in a Trip cover Policy?

Essential coverage:

According to citizens advice UK and Investopedia the following are an important part of a trip coverplan:

• cover for lost or damaged items.
• cover for lost or delayed baggage.
• cover for cancellation or missed departure.
• Trip interruption (curtailment)

TRAVELINSURE TIP! Check the FCDO website for any travel warnings for the specific area of the country you are travelling to. If there is a warning for the area you are travelling to you will not be covered. Other Links: http://www.sacoronavirus.co.za/,

Comprehensive Coverage

A comprehensive policy will also include coverage for the following:

• Adventure sports 
• Trip cancellation for any or named reason.  
• Trip interruption for any or named reason.  
• Travel supplier insolvency cover.
• Excess Waivers
• Natural disaster cover
• Legal liability and related expenses

TRAVELINSURE TIP! If you want to participate in adventure sports this article provides a list of the “adventure “activities and the policies that cover you. This article will also help you check what exclusions will leave you not covered. For example, rock climbing with ropes you are covered but rock climbing without ropes you will not be covered!

What is Travel Medical Insurance?

Travel medical insurance, is designed to cover medical costs incurred whilst traveling outside your country of residence. Essential coverage should include the costs of emergency medical, surgical, hospital, ambulance, prescription medication and nursing charges incurred up to the limit stated in the schedule of benefits of your policy. The insurer is bound to pay the costs up until the patient is fit to fly and is repatriated back to their country of residence.

A travel medical insurance plan can help you avoid unnecessary financial risk. It can also save your life by giving guaranteed access to best medical care, travel assistance, and financial assistance in the event of an unforeseen accident or illness.

What are the benefits of a comprehensive and quality travel medical insurance policy?

In addition to the above essential coverage a quality comprehensive travel medical insurance policy will include the following:

• Reasonable additional accommodation expenses (three-star room only) to extend Your stay until You are medically fit to return to Your Country of Residence. Including your children or insured travel companion.
• Burial, Cremation, or return of Your mortal remains to your country of residence.
• Medical transportation (evacuation) to the nearest most appropriate medical facility to obtain necessary treatment and/or repatriation to Your Country of Residence.
• Additional transport costs incurred (including qualified attendants), to repatriate You to Your Country of Residence
• Dental and Optical emergency treatment.
• Hospital cash benefit
• Medical Quarantine Accommodation Expenses, for example Covid 19.
• Terrorism cover
• Natural disaster cover

How much travel medical insurance is enough?

Your travel medical insurance cover lasts for the duration of your stated trip. During your trip if there are situations that are beyond your control such as delays and cancellation you will be covered according to the schedule of benefits of your policy. If you have an incident that requires hospitalization or medical care the insurance underwriter will cover the cost of your care according to limit of cover on the schedule of benefits

There is no easy answer to this question as different countries can offer expensive or cheap health care as described above. However, The recommended minimum amount of medical coverage for international travel is $100,000 USD. This amount should cover the cost of medical treatment, emergency medical evacuation, and repatriation of remains in case of a medical emergency or accident.

TRAVELINSURE TIP! You can read more about this topic in an article already published here.

What travel insurance is right for me?

All our policies provide a range of the trip cover and travel medical insurance for citizens of South Africa traveling abroad. You can see our great policies that cater for diverse requirements from students to senior citizens over 70, over 80 and over 85, to Business travelers, schengen visa applications and more.

TRAVELINSURE TIP! Choose from our range of 10 quality and comprehensive travel insurance policies here.