What will travel insurance cover, and what won't cover?

It’s comforting to know that your travel insurance plan will be there for you when you need it. Whether it’s a vacation, a business trip, or a weekend shopping spree, you can rely on valuable travel insurance benefits so you can enjoy a worry-free get away. And if something sudden and unforeseen does occur, you’ll know exactly how your benefits work.

When it comes to educating yourself about travel insurance, it’s helpful to understand and differentiate between the key benefits that are typically included in travel insurance plans. This will allow you to consider which risks are important to you so you can choose the right coverage for your travel needs.

Depending on which travel insurance plan you choose, options will generally include either one, a combination of, or all of the benefits below.

Note that the benefits described reflect those offered by Allianz Global Assistance on this site and do not represent all travel insurance offerings in general. 

In case you become sick or injured on your trip… 

• Emergency Medical and Dental: Beyond helping with unexpected costs related to medical emergencies, this benefit provides coverage for emergency medical transportation to get you to the nearest appropriate medical facility or back to Canada or your home country. If you are hospitalized, there are also benefits to bring a friend or family member to your bedside, help return your dependents back home, and for meals and accommodations if you are stuck in hospital beyond your original return date.
  
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• Plans offered by Allianz Global Assistance with benefits for Emergency Medical and Dental include: 
  
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• Comprehensive travel insurance plans
• Emergency travel insurance plans
• Annual comprehensive travel insurance plans
• Visitors to Canada travel insurance plans

In case you need to cancel your trip before you leave…

• Trip Cancellation: If you need to cancel your trip due to a Covered Reason before your scheduled departure date, Trip Cancellation benefits provide reimbursement for non-refundable trip payments and deposits you paid for in advance of your departure date. 
  
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• In case you need to return early or get delayed beyond your original return date
  
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• Trip Interruption/Delay: Sometimes trips start on time but then end prematurely. This benefit is activated when you are on your trip and need to come home early due to unexpected illness, forces of nature or other Covered Reasons as listed in your policy. The benefit provides reimbursement for transportation costs to return home as well as unused, pre-paid trip arrangements. Additionally, if your return from your trip is delayed due to a covered reason, this benefit provides coverage for commercial accommodation and meals, essential telephone calls, internet usage fees, and taxi fares up to the benefit dollar limit. 
  
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• In case your bags are lost or stolen…
  
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• Lost or Stolen Baggage: If your baggage is lost or stolen during your trip, this benefit reimburses you for the value of your personal items you’ve lost up to a specified dollar limit. 
  
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• In case your bags are delayed…
  
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• Baggage Delay: When you make it to your destination but your luggage doesn’t, this benefit includes reimbursement of your out-of-pocket expenses for purchasing reasonable necessities, such as clothing and toiletries, until your bag arrives. 
  
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• In case you need help while travelling…
  
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• 24-Hour Emergency Assistance: Getting real-time help when you’re in a jam is invaluable, especially if you don’t speak the local language. This support can include arranging for hospital care, evacuations for medical emergencies, help with replacing lost or stolen documents, and more.
  

Plans offered by Allianz Global Assistance with benefits for Trip Cancellation, Interruption and Delay, as well as Lost, Stolen or Delayed Baggage, include:

• Comprehensive travel insurance plans
• Non-medical travel insurance plans

This list is by no means exhaustive, and each benefit type described will have its own unique conditions that outline which situations are covered, and which are not. As always, the best way to fully appreciate how a travel insurance plan can help you is by reading the policy wording for the plan that is most suitable to your travel needs. 

• Being clear on the benefits and exclusions of your travel insurance policy can be empowering. Not only does it provide you with the advantage of making thoughtful, informed decisions about your travel insurance purchase, it also ensures there are no surprises if you need to file a claim. 
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• In the simplest of terms, the intent of travel insurance is to cover events that are completely unexpected or unforeseen. 
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• However, like all types of insurance, travel insurance policies include descriptions of what exactly is and isn’t covered.
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• Every travel insurance policy will contain wording that outlines exclusions – the situations that won’t be covered by your policy. These exclusions are just as important to understand as the eligible coverages, because travel insurance won’t cover every situation. 
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• Within your policy, each benefit type will include exclusions specific to that benefit. For policies offered by Allianz Global Assistance on this site, the following is an example of a General Exclusion specific to our Emergency Medical Plan: 
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• An exclusion is something that is not covered by this policy, and therefore no payment would be available. This policy does not provide coverage for any loss that results directly or indirectly from any of the following general exclusions if they afect you, a travelling companion, or a family member:
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• The following pregnancy related conditions: 
  
•  a) Routine pre-natal or post-natal care; or
   b) Pregnancy, childbirth, or related complications after the 31st week of pregnancy; or
   c) High-risk pregnancy. High-risk pregnancy means a pregnancy involving a medical condition that puts the mother, the developing fetus or both at a higher than normal risk of developing medical complications during or after the pregnancy and birth. These medical conditions include, but are not limited to, preeclampsia, eclampsia, hypertension, Rh incompatibility, gestational diabetes, or placenta previa. 
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• Pre-Existing Condition Exclusions
  
  
• A common exclusion in travel insurance plans is for pre-existing medical conditions. This exclusion relates to medical conditions that existed before the effective date of your policy. Exclusions such as these are in place because an incident while on holiday that is related to a medical condition you had previously, isn’t considered unexpected, sudden or unforeseen.
  
  Depending on your age and the length of your trip, the pre-existing condition exclusion will require that any previous medical conditions you have must be stable for a specified period of time before the effective date of your policy, for example, 90 or 150 days.
  
  To be considered stable during your stability period, your pre-existing medical condition or related conditions must not have resulted in any of the following:

1. New treatment (including new prescriptions),
   
2. Change in treatment including frequency, dosage or type (including prescriptions),
   
3. Signs or symptoms, Pre -existing medical conditions that are stable for 90 days before the efective date qualify for coverage, up to the Sum Insured shown on your Confrmation of Coverage.
   
4. A new diagnosis,
   
5. Test results showing your condition is worsening,
   
6. Hospitalization,
   
7. A referral to a specialist, received or recommended, or
   
8. Waiting for any test results, further investigation, or surgery. 

The following are considered stable:

1. Diabetic Insulin users - Routine insulin adjustment not prescribed by your physician, as long as insulin was not frst prescribed during your stability period,
   
2. Coumadin, Warfarin users - Routine adjustment of these medications, as long as Coumadin or Warfarin were not frst prescribed during your stability period,
   
3. A change from a brand name medication to a generic medication, or
   
4. Minor Ailments - a sickness or injury that ended more than 30 days prior to your efective date and did not require:
      a) treatment (including prescriptions) for more than 30 consecutive days, or
      b) more than one (1) follow-up with a physician. 

Still have questions about how pre-existing condition exclusions work? Simply call Allianz Global Assistance at 1-844-310-1578 and we’ll be happy to assist with any questions you have.
 

• Notification of Treatment
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• Beyond benefit-specific and general exclusions, it’s also important to be aware of the notification periods outlined in the travel insurance policy. Travellers may be required to notify their travel insurance provider immediately if they need to seek medical treatment, or within 24 hours in the case of an emergency. Failure to do so could lead to only a portion of the claim being payable, typically limited to 80% of the eligibile claim.
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• Reading your travel insurance policy is the best way to familiarize yourself with what is and isn’t covered. If you have an existing medical condition and you're concerned how it might affect your coverage, or if you have questions about the benefits and limitations described in your policy, you can call Allianz Global Assistance at 1-844-310-1578 and one of our licensed associates will be happy to help.