Are you like many others who assume their travel insurance covers them if they should die? Do you know what happens if you’re not? You family may have a nightmare to contend with.
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Do you assume your travel insurance covers your death?
When making your travel plans do you add travel insurance as part of your necessities? Many people are under the false impression that when they purchase travel insurance they will automatically covered in the event of a death. They never seem to ask “Does my travel insurance cover death?” They just assume that all the details will be taken care of. Not so.
Need more details on travel insurance? Read here
Medical travel insurance covers many things
Yes, travel insurance does take care of many things when people get sick or injured but if you were to pass away, your family or travel buddy is usually left on their own.
A policy can cover cancellation fees, medical expenses, lost luggage or personal items, travel delays and other unforeseen costs and death insurance if requested in advance.
But, make sure you read through the policy carefully to understand the extent of coverage offered in the case of death or injury.
Quite often there are strings attached to your travel insurance
Previous medical conditions can affect your claim. Some travel medical insurance only covers death if the person as been in an accident. At one of the worst times a surviving family member may be faced with a complicated and stressful situation. This could be compounded if the person who passed away is in a foreign country with a different language.
With proper travel insurance what can you expect?
With the proper travel insurance it will typically cover death or injury caused by illness, accidents, or other unexpected scenarios while you’re traveling. Benefits usually include covering medical and other related costs like transportation to a local hospital, repatriation back to your home country, and funeral expenses.
Once again we can’t stress enough that it’s important to read the policy carefully to understand what’s covered in the case of death while traveling.
When should you arrange for travel insurance?
It’s a really good idea to arrange travel insurance as soon as you book your trip, so you’re covered in the case of any unexpected medical costs arising from illness, accidents or other unforeseen circumstances as soon as you leave home. This is especially important if you’re traveling to a country with more expensive healthcare than your own.
Read our trip to Guatemala – we definitely had travel insurance.
Pre-planned Funeral Arrangements may be one answer
It’s possible when making pre-arrangement for a funeral to include travel insurance that will take care of all the details in the event of a death. This type of insurance covers the person anywhere in the world if death occurs a pre-determined distance from the legal primary residence. All it takes is one toll-free phone call by a family member to the funeral director and all arrangements to bring the deceased person home is taken care of.
You don’t need to have your funeral arranged in advance but you must have some kind of funeral plan in place with a funeral home.
Additional benefits of having travel insurance
Aside from the obvious financial protection in cases of death or injury, some travel insurance policies also have additional benefits which can be invaluable. These may include trip cancellation or interruption insurance, emergency medical evacuation coverage, and coverage for lost baggage.
Once again, you should research your chosen policy to make sure you know exactly what’s covered and what isn’t before signing on the dotted line.
What happens if your travel insurance doesn't cover death?
We hate to be doom and gloom but… There won’t be any help available when dealing with authorities, taking care of details such as contacting your embassy, finding a funeral home or looking after all of the bills associated with the death. After everything has been done and the exorbitant bills are submitted to the insurer for reimbursement travelers or their families may find they are not covered.
Ask yourself - "Does my travel insurance cover death?"
The next time you book a vacation in search of adventure or even just warmer weather, give some thought to having a policy in place to take care of the details in the event of your death. Once it’s planned, you’ll never have to give it another thought and surviving family members won’t have to content with the overwhelming details that can leave them devastated.
So ask yourself “Does my travel insurance cover death?”
