Buying Travel Insurance in a Pandemic

See our COVID-19 Travel Insurance Guide

What’s the first big purchase you plan to make when the worst of the COVID-19 pandemic is past us? A recent survey by GlobalWebIndex shows that travelers are anxious to venture out -- “vacations are the top priority for post-outbreak purchasing.”

That same survey showed that a personal feeling of safety is by far the number one thing needed to give travelers the confidence to go out again.

In the post-pandemic travel world, we’ll all want better control over what could possibly happen –whether that’s protecting our physical health or our financial health. That is what makes a travel protection plan with insurance and travel assistance services so well-suited to help people vacation safely and confidently again.

Expert Talk: Our Medical Team Discusses the State of the Pandemic

Our plans do provide coverage if you, a family member, or a traveling companion contract COVID-19 and plan requirements are met. Let’s be perfectly clear though: Travel insurance will not cover you if you cancel or interrupt a trip out of fear of getting sick or for government imposed travel bans or restrictions – even in the case of a pandemic like COVID-19.

You shouldn’t take that to mean that travel insurance should be ignored when we all start to venture out and travel again. Actually, quite the contrary; most travel experts agree that travel insurance will be more valuable now than ever in a post-COVID world.

Why? Many hazards still exist around travel. Let’s look at them one at a time.

A Generali study found that more than one-quarter of all travelers have had medical problems when they travel.

In a world where viruses persist and multiply with stunning rapidity, it’s important to have enough health insurance and health insurance that travels everywhere you travel. It might not surprise you that 29% of us are underinsured when it comes to our health insurance coverage. That means that high deductibles and out-of-pocket costs can cripple our finances, even for those with job-based health plans. If you can relate, travel insurance like ours may help recoup those additional costs not covered by your insurance.

Traveling internationally? Remember most medical plans (including Medicare) don’t cover you when you travel abroad. In those cases, you need emergency medical insurance specifically designed for travel.

Generali travel protection plans come with Medical and Dental coverage – and if you buy a Generali Premium plan within 24 hours of making your final trip payment, pre-existing medical conditions can be covered.

All it takes is one slip on a wet stone path for a travel insurance plan to look like an incredible bargain.

Also read: Need to Go to the Hospital on a Trip Abroad? Here's What to Do

As mentioned at the top, fear of illness is not a covered reason for cancelling your trip under virtually any travel insurance plan you can buy. Most plans only cover specific reasons or “named perils” that can cause you to cancel. For example, our plans cover expenses or losses for around 20 different types of events that commonly cause travelers to cancel their travel plans. Those covered reasons are just as important to consider in a post-pandemic travel world.

If you’re forced to cancel your trip, how much of that nonrefundable, prepaid trip cost could you get back? Potentially all of it. With the average cost of a two-week European vacation starting at around $4,000 and escalating rapidly from there, travel insurance is a prudent way of protecting an investment that looks more precious as the days go by.

Also read: Why You Still Need Travel Insurance, Even with Flexible Cancellation Policies

One of the biggest concerns travelers are expressing about vacationing again is that they might get stranded at their destination and not able to get back home quickly. In the post-pandemic world, you should make sure your travel insurance plans include coverages and assistance services that will help you get back home, advocate for you and reimburse associated costs.

Trip Interruption coverage, included with all Generali plans, can reimburse you for the unused portion of your trip if you need to get back home for a covered reason, and it can also help if a family member gets sick back home and you have to cut short your trip to care for them. (Think that rarely happens? That same Generali study found that happened to 15% of all travelers.)

In addition, the travel assistance that comes with every Generali plan can help find and arrange transportation home, even during a pandemic. If the event is a covered reason under the travel insurance plan, you can even be reimbursed for the costs.

Also read: Trip Interruptions Can Be Expensive

We all hope to travel safely wherever we may go – and that’s why our plans include Emergency Assistance and Transportation coverage, which is one of the core benefits of our plans – assurance that you have experienced support when you need it most.

If you’re struck down by illness or injury on your trip you may need to be evacuated. Emergency evacuation can cost thousands of dollars from an accessible location. Evacuations from remote locations can easily cost you five or even six figures – and many evacuation services require up-front payment.

Travel insurance can help pay for emergency medical evacuations, but more importantly, the travel experts at Generali have been through the evacuation process many times before, and know what to do to get you safely transported to the closest adequate medical facility.

Also read: Why you might need coverage for medical evacuation and repatriation

These days, there’s no telling what you might need help with when you start to travel again. In many ways, it will be like going on vacation for the very first time, into a different world than the one you’ve been accustomed to.

That’s a big reason why it’s more important than ever to have travel insurance that comes with 24/7 emergency travel assistance. With one call, we can provide live help with almost any issue while you are traveling.

It’s going to be important to have travel pros on your side – pros who have seen just about everything and are prepared to help when you need it most.

Whatever emergencies travelers might face, or the reasons that they may call for assistance, Generali is here and ready to help. From distress to relief, anytime, anywhere.

See the travel assistance and concierge services you get with all Generali plans

Video: Tips to Stay Healthy and Avoid Getting Sick Before a Vacation

This is not the first pandemic humans have faced, and it won’t be the last global emergency. As the world recovers, we are here to support our travelers, stay vigilant against the travel emergencies we have always helped protect, and guard against new travel problems that will arise.  When you’re ready to vacation again, Generali will be there with the tools and support needed so you can travel confidently.

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