Travel Insurance
Travel has become an important part of life today. Travelling can be done for various purposes from leisure to work to studies or research. Every individual takes up travel for one purpose or another. With travel come lots of issues also if the trip is not very well planned. It is very difficult to fathom the unforeseen circumstances which awaits on travel. Hence, it is very important to buy a sound and reasonable travel insurance policy taking such a trip because it safeguards the interests of the policy holder on a trip. Having a good travel insurance policy takes care of many problems and issues arising on travel like loss of passports, loss of documents, loss of belongings, baggage loss, sickness or medical emergencies, trip cancellation or flight delays.
The Travel Policy or Overseas Mediclaim as You may like to term it but it’s an integral part of your Travel Plan. You should be particular with the policy not because it’s required for the purpose of Visa but also because accidents in life always come unattended. And should you get caught in a situation which requires some immediate attention or assistance the Policy comes handy. However, it is very important to understand the limitation the policy has as the expenses when incurred in foreign currency it can be very hard on your pocket. Your right knowledge towards the technicalities of the feature of the policy is important and it’s always better to be linked to you advisor for any emergency you may face in Foreign Land which indeed in unknown for most of us.
TYPE OF TRAVEL INSURANCE: Single Travel Policy Annual Travel Insurance Student Travel Guard
Single Travel Policy
You may travel abroad for holiday or business or for short education programme, you should buy a single travel policy, in all circumstances . This indeed is limited to your single trip and seizes as you return back to India which should be before the expiry of the policy. One buys for a limited period as per the length of the journey planned. It starts from the day you leave and ends on the day you return. One can buy for 7 days to 6 months where you have option of extending the policy if your stay is extended by sending a good health declaration to the insurance company. Needless, to mention that you have to go through us to do the needful as it involves the process of getting the policy extended and it should reach to you before the expiry of the policy. Moreover, the pricing differs with every region, you are travelling. The charges are maximum for travel to USA and Canada, slightly lower while travelling to Europe or UK and least incase of travelling to Asian Countries. You should bear in mind that countries other than countries do not insist for Insurance Policy before applying for VISA but one should not show negligence of not taking policy should one is planning a trip abroad because in an unknown country one could be in a difficult situation if you do not have a policy.
Annual Travel Insurance
Annual travel insurance(also known as multi-trip travel insurance) is an insurance policy that provides cover for those who travel more regularly, usually two or more holidays or business trips in 12 months. One doesn’t have to buy policy for every trip instead one pays once at the time of buying the Policy. It is best suited for the regular flyers that go for vacations, for business or otherwise to abroad. Thus, you must ensure that your travel is a safe one and you have a right cover to take care of any eventuality. Not only taking annual travel insurance in India gives you convenience of not buying policy each time when you travel but also better value compared to single trip policies. It is advisable that you invest in a suitable annual travel insurance policy now, rather than search for a policy last minute when you are about to travel. However, there is a certain limit on the number of days a person is travelling, according to which a maximum duration per trip will be 30 or 45 days. The features remain the same as of the single travel policy and it gives you a cover for a full year from the start date.
Student Travel Guard
It is a travel policy tailored specifically for students studying in a foreign university for academic courses. It is advisable to buy a student travel insurance if you plan to stay abroad for a certain time period to pursue education. A student travel plan offers great benefits and security for a student. Protection to a child ensures that a student secures total peace of mind in a foreign country. However, there are countries which have not made the concept of student travel insurance mandatory, they are advised to buy as it is extremely important and beneficial in terms of finance and medical safety. In terms of finance a student saves the hefty cost of medical services abroad and in terms of medical a student is more prone to get quick treatment as any hospital does not hesitate to take a patient who is insured under an accepted student travel insurance plan. The universities abroad though have made insurance as part of the fees package but the insurance is limited to facilities available within the university. Therefore, it’s always advisable to buy a annual student travel policy and should be renewed every year till the time your child is studying out of India.
EXCLUSION
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Pre-existing diseases: Any Pre-Existing Medical condition/Ailments declared or undeclared will be excluded from the policy except in case of Life saving unforeseen emergency.
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Dental Treatment: Insured person cannot file a claim for routine dental check-ups under travel insurance policy. It would only cover against acute dental pain or any dental injury resulting from an accident during your trip.
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Loss or Damage due to mental Disorders/Suicide Attempt: Any self-inflicted damage or suicide attempt by the insured person would not be covered.
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Complications due to Pregnancy and Childbirth: During your travel, any health problems associated with pregnancy and childbirth are not covered.
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Natural Adversities that Begin before your Policy purchase: Travel insurance provides insurance cover for natural calamities like earthquakes, hurricanes, storm etc. during the travel but does not covered if it occurs immediately before the start of travelling.
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Adventure Sports and Activities: Most of the travel insurance policies do not cover any adventure sports like rafting, mountaineering, skiing, bungee jumping, scuba diving. You will be performing these activities at your own risk.
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Bad Weather Conditions: Due to excessive rain and bad weather conditions, if you suddenly have to cancel you curtail your trip, you are not eligible to be compensated from your travel insurance company. If it leads to cancellation of your flight, only then would it be covered.
ELIGBILITY
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Indian students between 16 to 35 years, enrolled and attending college as a full time student outside India are eligible.
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Student must be physically located in India at the time of purchase of the student insurance policy.
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Only one policy must be bought for a particular period of time.
COVERAGE
* Accidental Death and Dismemberment * Flight Delay
* Accident & Sickness Medical Expe. * Trip Cancellation
* Delay Flight * Bounced Booking of Hotel and Airline
* Delay Loss of Passport * Burglary
* Baggage
You are advised to carry the policy along with you while traveling as it
would come handy at the time of claim.
You would need to contact insurers third party administrator (TPA) as
they would arrange for the cashless claims for the medical treatment. In case
cashless facility is denied for whatsoever reason may be, you can still apply
for the reimbursement of your medical bills.
The insurance covers you only for accidents or sickness which happen
unexpectedly and unintentionally while you are traveling abroad. This is to
ensure that you have sufficient peace of mind during your overseas trip. This
policy does not cover planned Medical Expenses / Treatment overseas.
TPA has to be contacted to register the claim. You will have to submit
the loss baggage claim form along with the supporting documents from the
airline.
You can either choose a Single Trip or Multiple Trip policy. If you
choose a Single Trip policy, the cover will be valid for the duration of the
specific trip, (as selected by you). If you choose a Multiple Trip policy, the
cover will be valid for one year from the start date of the policy. The maximum
duration per trip under this option can be 30, 45, 60, days or 90 days (as selected
by you, which may vary from company to company).
There
are two major reasons for travelling abroad- a pleasure trip or a business trip. Nobody wants to spoil the holiday
or a business meeting but there are some unexpected accidents that can ruin your
perfect planning, for example, baggage loss, passport loss and medical
emergency. This helps you to enjoy a safe and secure while you are travelling.
The policyholder is eligible to file the claim from anywhere in the world.
Yes, it is available in case if you are not satisfied with the product you can return and get it refunded.
The Insurance Cover commences on the day specified in the Policy
Schedule or the time you board the aircraft to leave for onward overseas
journey or the Contracted Departure Date as per the policy, whichever is later.
If the Third Party Administrator advises that the continued treatment in
the republic of India is appropriate, then the company will pay the medical
expenses incurred in India for the same illness/injury contracted abroad
following the transportation to India, for a maximum period of time vary from
company to company from the date of return to the Republic of India, provided
that the illness/injury is sustained or contracted within the period of
insurance during the trip abroad.
As soon as the policy is active the coverage
begins and you are eligible to file the claim.
There are two different modes of premium payment available in travel insurance namely cheque payment and time-saving mode is online payment which can be paid by means of credit card, debit card and Net Banking.
Yes, it is allowed to cancel the policy between the policy tenure. It will be canceled in the case only when the policyholder has not undertaken the journey. Proofs are also required at the time when applying for cancellation, for example, a passport is required.
If recommended by the claims administrator and subject to medical sum
assured remaining, the company will also indemnify the insured in respect of
the medical expenses incurred by him within India to continue medical treatment
commenced by the insured outside India, immediately prior to any medical
Evacuation. The company’s liability to make payments hereunder shall be limited
to a period of time vary from company to company.
There are so common documents that are essentially required for filing the claim, read below in detail:
· Claim form
· Bill, voucher, prescription, discharge summary with details like name, treatment done and expenses incurred.
· The price and names of the medicines should be mentioned in the prescription.
TPA stands for Third Party Administrator who provides essential service as
they provide is cashless medical services. Moreover, they also provide the
necessary information to deal with any problem regarding claims.
Insurance Cover shall terminate with the end of Insurance Period i.e. the period for which the premium has been paid or when the insured person first disembarks on return to India although insurance companies provide the benefit of Automatic Extension of the Policy if the completion of the insured journey is delayed solely because of a failure of public transportation or other services upon which the insured was reliant.
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Accidental Death and Dismemberment:
A percentage of the Principal Sum Insured is paid as the Policy Schedule or the Schedule of Benefit if injury occurs under the circumstances described in the Schedule of benefits during an insured journey while this Policy is in effect.
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Bounced Booking of Hotel and Airline:
To claim this benefit under non-availability of accommodation on account of over booking by the hotels or airlines, the insured should have reconfirmed the booking in advance and should have written proof of the same. Wait listed booking will not be compensated for. For airline overbooking, an option of a free replacement flight within 6 hours from the departure of the original overbooked original flight must not be available to you and you must cancel your originally booked flight and purchase a new flight at the same class of service of no more than 10% greater fares than your original overbooked flight.
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Accident & Sickness Medical Expenses:
If any Insured person sustain an Injury or Sickness which is not due to Pre-existing Condition and under the circumstances described in the policy wording, will reimburse the Reasonable and Customary Covered Medical Expenses.
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Burglary:
Company will pay you for the loss and damage caused by Burglary and/or attempted Burglary, during your trip to the Contents of Your Home up to the Benefit Sum Insured.
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Baggage Delay:
Insurance Company will reimburse you for the expense of necessary personal effects, up to the maximum stated in the Policy Schedule or the Schedule of Benefits.
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Loss of Passport:
If insured lose his/her passport and incur necessary and reasonable expenses in connection with obtaining a duplicate or new passport up to the limited stated in the Policy Schedule or the Schedule of Benefits.
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Flight Delay:
Company will reimburse reasonable additional expenses for trip Delay, subject to the limit shown in the Policy Schedule, if insured Trip is delayed for more than 12 hours due to a covered Hazard.
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Trip Cancellation:
Insurance company will pay loss of deposits up to the maximum amount stated in the Policy Schedule, if prior to the Contracted Departure Date insured Trip is canceled and insured is prevented from taking the trip due to a Sickness, Injury or death to: Insured person; Insured Travelling Companion; Insured Immediate Family Member; or Insured Traveling Companions’ Immediate Family Member under the circumstances described in a Hazard during the course of an Insured Journey.
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CLAIMS PROCEDURES INCASE OF TRAVEL INSURANCE INCASE OF ACCIDENT OR ILLHEALTH :
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Inform Insurance Company/ TPA as early as possible. Early notice allows the insurance company/ TPA to assist you with the initial admission in the hospital through their network.
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Claim Form can be obtained at the time of Intimation.
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Based on severity of illness or treatment required you may get the cashless treatment or on reimbursement.
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DOCUMENTS REQUIRED FOR REIMBURSEMENT OF CLAIM:
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Claim form (Overseas)
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Doctors report
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Original Admission/discharge card
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Original Bills / Receipts/Prescription
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Original X-ray reports / Pathological / Investigative reports
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Copy of passport / Visa with Entry & exit stamp.
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NEFT Details along with cancelled cheque.
You may asked for any other document as required by the claim team for processing of the claim
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Claim procedure in case of baggage loss:
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Intimate the airline about your loss and lodge complaint; obtain the PIR Property Irregularity report.
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Claim Form can be obtained at the time of Intimation.
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Fill in the Claim Form and send below mentioned documents to Insurance Company.
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NOTE: Damage to the luggage or partial loss of its contents are not covered under the policy.
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REQUIRED DOCUMENTS:
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Duly filled in claim form
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Property Irregularity Report (obtained from Airline)
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Copies of Correspondence with the Airline authorities/others confirming the loss and details of compensation.
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Individual list of items in each baggage with approximate cost of each item.
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Copy of the passport/Visa with Entry & exit stamp.
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CLAIM PROCEDURE IN CASE OF DELAY FLIGHT:
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Inform Insurance Company.
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Claim form obtained at the time of Intimation.
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Collect all the following documents related to this claim.
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REQUIRED DOCUMENTS:
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Duly filled claim Form
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Original Bills of purchases made/ Expenses incurred during the period of delay
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Copy of Ticket & Boarding Pass
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Copies of Correspondence with the Airline authorities certifying about the delay
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Copy of passport with entry/ exit
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CLAIMS PROCEDURE INCASE OF PERSONAL BELONGINGS
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Inform Insurance Company.
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Claim form obtained at the time of Intimation.
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Collect following documents required documents related to this claim.
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