Travel Insurance Explained
Understand the policy calmly at home, long before you might need it.
Get Free Trip QuotesTravel insurance is one of those things you hope you paid for and never used. Understanding it at home, calmly, is far better than reading a policy in an emergency room.
What Policies Usually Cover
| Coverage | What it is for |
|---|---|
| Trip cancellation | Reimburses prepaid, nonrefundable costs if you cancel for a covered reason before you leave |
| Trip interruption | Helps if you must cut a trip short for a covered reason |
| Travel delay | Pays for meals and lodging when a covered delay strands you |
| Emergency medical | Pays for care if you are ill or injured while traveling |
| Medical evacuation | Covers transport to adequate care or home, which can be very expensive |
| Baggage | Covers lost, stolen or delayed luggage up to set limits |
Every policy defines its own covered reasons, limits and exclusions. Pre-existing medical conditions, adventure sports and certain destinations are common areas where policies differ, so read those sections closely.
Who Needs It Most
- Travelers paying large deposits that cannot be refunded
- Anyone traveling outside the U.S. whose health plan does not cover care abroad
- Cruise passengers, since care on board and evacuation from a ship can be costly
- Older travelers and anyone with ongoing health conditions
- Trips during hurricane or winter-storm season
Medicare beneficiaries should note that Original Medicare generally does not cover health care outside the U.S., and Medicare itself suggests looking at travel medical coverage for broader protection.
How to Compare Policies
- List your prepaid, nonrefundable costs; that is the amount trip cancellation needs to protect.
- Compare medical and evacuation limits side by side, not just the price.
- Check how the policy treats pre-existing conditions and how soon after your first payment you must buy.
- Look for an optional upgrade that lets you cancel for reasons not otherwise covered, and read its conditions.
- Keep the policy number and the 24-hour assistance phone number with your documents.
For plain-English explanations of what each type of coverage does and when to buy it, see our sister site Cruise & Travel Insurance.
What Insurance Will Not Fix
A policy reimburses covered losses; it does not stop them happening. It will not get you on a plane without the right passport, and changing your mind about a trip is generally not a covered reason unless you bought an upgrade that allows it. Claims also need paperwork, so keep receipts, airline delay notices and medical reports, and contact the insurer’s assistance line as soon as something goes wrong rather than after you get home.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does my health insurance work abroad?
Often not fully. Original Medicare, for example, generally does not pay for care outside the United States except in a few narrow situations. Check your own plan before you travel and consider travel medical coverage.
When should I buy travel insurance?
Soon after your first trip payment is a sensible rule, because some benefits are only available if you buy within a set window after your initial deposit. The policy wording spells out the details.
Plan a Trip With the Right Protection
Tell us about your trip and who is traveling. A travel specialist can build the itinerary and point you to suitable coverage options with free quotes.
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