Things to keep in mind while getting travel insurance for foreign trips

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Overseas travel is gradually picking up with many countries finally allowing international passengers as the Covid-19 impact subsides worldwide. One of the most preferred tourist destinations for Indian tourists, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) began issuing tourist visas at the end of last month. With the festival season and winter set to kick in, many more countries are expected to gradually lift the ban that was imposed on Indian tourists, the Business Standard reported.

The Covid-19 pandemic is still not over yet and many countries are still grappling under its pressure. Keeping this in mind, it is advisable to purchase sufficient insurance if anyone is planning to travel to a foreign country. Ravi Vishwanath, President, Accident and Health Business of HDFC ERGO General Insurance told the publication that undertaking travel during these extraordinary times could lead to significant stress and apprehension and buying sufficient insurance would ensure security and peace of mind.

The majority of travel insurance policies come with the basic list of features such as coverage for loss of passport, expenses due to trip cancellations or delays and baggage loss in addition to medical emergencies. In addition, make sure the policy covers you against personal accidents leading to injuries or accidental death. The policy should pay a lump-sum benefit if such an eventuality arises. Also, given the current scenario, it must cover you for Covid-19, the BS reported quoting Amit Chhabra, Head of Health and Travel Insurance at Policybazaar.com.

How to tackle exorbitant medical treatment in a foreign land

As medical treatment is highly expensive in several parts of the world as compared to India, it is always advisable to be equipped with sufficient insurance cover before commencing with the travel. The medical expenses in developed countries are very high and getting a high sum insurance cover could be helpful. As per Chhabra, the minimum cover should be of $100,000 (approx Rs 73 lakhs), the report added.

In addition to this, the BS report also highlights the importance of carefully reading the terms and conditions before getting the travel insurance plan. On this, Vishwanath added that a person should be well-informed about matters related to policy exclusions. For example, most companies do not cover accidents that happen during adventure sports. Mistakes made while purchasing insurance could potentially lead to rejections in claims and eventually defeat the entire purpose of buying insurance. Apart from all this, a person has to be very meticulous while filing a claim and retain all the necessary documents and bills pertaining to treatments and submit them to the insurer.