As a responsible traveler, you know that having an international
insurance plan that covers you outside of your home country is essential
in case you get sick
or injured during your travels. But, even responsible travelers might
not know how their insurance plan is affected when travel advisories are
issued for
their destination countries. Recent events, like the Ebola outbreak in
West Africa, have brought the issue to the forefront and have gotten
many travelers
thinking,
“Under what circumstances am I covered or not covered?”
As travel advisories can be issued for many different reasons, at
many different levels, you should first understand what a travel
advisory is and what it
means. Generally, travel advisories are issued by a government agency or
organization, such as the United States or the United Nations, advising
caution and
providing safety information for those traveling to or visiting a
specific country, region, or destination. In the United States, travel
advisories are
issued by the
Department of State in response to safety and security
matters. The
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issue advisories due to health concerns. The
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) issues advisories due to inclement weather.
Most governments and organizations distinguish between long- and
short-term travel advisories. A travel advisory issued by the Department
of State can be
issued in two levels: as a travel alert or as a travel warning. The CDC
issues alerts, warnings, and watches.
- Travel Watch (Level 1) – A travel watch is issued
by the CDC to indicate the baseline or slightly above baseline health
risks of
traveling to a certain destination. A watch is a reminder to follow
usual precautions for this destination, like receiving recommended
vaccinations and
immunizations.
- Travel Alert (Level 2) - A travel alert is issued
for a short-term event that might make your travel or visit unsafe or
even dangerous.
Examples of these types of events include strikes, demonstrations, or
disturbances; a short-term health risk or disease outbreak; a forecasted
weather
event; or an elevated risk of terrorist attacks. Travel alerts are
cancelled after the short-term event is over. You should practice
enhanced precaution
when traveling to the specified destination.
- Travel Warning (Level 3) - A travel warning is
issued when a long-term or serious situation puts travelers and visitors
at risk, and
non-essential travel to this destination should be avoided. Some
examples of conditions that might result in a travel warning include
civil war, unstable
government, significant crime or violence, or frequent acts of
terrorism. An imminent natural disaster or weather condition is issued
as a warning.
Travel Warnings are only cancelled after the situation has been
resolved. Many travel warnings remain in effect for years.
Ultimately you are traveling at your own risk, so neither a travel
warning nor a travel advisory can legally keep you from traveling to
your desired
destination. It is simply an advisory to help you evaluate your own
risk. Your travel insurance policy is there to minimize your risk, so
how does a travel
warning or alert affect your insurance? What are some examples of these
in popular insurance plans? Moreover, how does a travel warning or alert
affect your
overall decision to travel?
Benefits To Look For
Travel advisories can affect certain aspects of your insurance
coverage, depending on your insurance company and the details of your
plan. Some benefits are
triggered by these advisories (as long as you meet certain conditions),
while others are null and void if you choose to continue your travel in
places with
effective advisories. All plans will list these details in their master
policy. Here is a list of insurance benefits that could be affected by a
travel
advisory:
1. Medical Benefits - Your travel medical plan is
designed to cover you in case you get sick or injured. Some illnesses
and injuries may be
excluded under the policy wording (like pre-existing illnesses and
injuries resulting from organized sports, for example). However, in
special cases
involving travel advisories, insurance companies have been making
special announcements to make their coverage terms in these types of
cases clear.
HCC Medical Insurance Services (HCCMIS), the plan administrator of our
Atlas
Travel plan, issued this statement to explain how their
long-standing travel medical plan covers illnesses related to travel
advisories, like the
ongoing Ebola epidemic:
“The Atlas Travel policy offered by HCCMIS provides travel
medical insurance and emergency travel assistance to members traveling
outside of their
home country and covers illnesses contracted while abroad, including but
not limited to, the Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) or Ebola Hemorrhagic
Fever
(EHF).
While Atlas Travel coverage includes these illnesses, it is
highly recommended that you check for any travel or health advisories
that might be active for
the region or countries that you may be visiting and take necessary
precautions. In countries for which the U.S. Centers for Disease Control
(CDC) has
issued a Warning Level 3 (avoid nonessential travel), the medical
condition that prompted the CDC warning is excluded. All other eligible
medical
expenses are covered as usual. For members in-country at the time of the
CDC warning, 10 days are allowed for departure before the condition
becomes
excluded.”
Seven Corners, a reputable insurance provider and administrator of the
Roundtrip
series of emergency medical and trip cancellation insurance plans,
also released a statement in light of the Ebola epidemic. Emergency
medical care
and medical evacuation would be available if the illness first manifests
itself during your travels if it was considered an acute and serious
emergency .
However, they urge you to carefully review your policy coverage terms
and conditions
2. Terrorism – Many travel medical insurance plans
include coverage for injuries and illnesses that result from an Act of
Terrorism. However,
many of these plans also include conditions that void this benefit if a
travel advisory has been issued.
For example, HCCMIS takes travel advisories very seriously and clearly states that the Terrorism benefit provided by their
Atlas Travel plan is only available if the following conditions are met:
“1) The Act of Terrorism is not in a country or location where the
United States government has issued a travel advisory that has been in
effect within
the 6 months prior to your date of arrival; and 2) You have not
unreasonably failed or refused to depart a country or location following
the date an
advisory to leave that country or location is issued by the United
States government.”
Similarly, the
Patriot Travel plan covers Terrorism, unless
“the
United States
Department of State, Bureau of Consular Affairs has issued a Travel
Warning on or within six months prior to the date of arrival, or if the
Warning is
becomes effective on or after arrival and the insured unreasonably fails
or refuses to heed such warning and thereafter remains in the area.”
Other terms and conditions may apply for this benefit to be provided and it is important to know how an
“Act of Terrorism”
is defined by your policy
terms. If an injury or illness occurs and it is not consistent with the
definition the company has provided, it may be covered under your
regular medical
benefit instead.
3. Natural Disaster – Nature can wreak havoc at any
time, so Natural Disaster coverage is a good benefit to have in a travel
medical
insurance plan. For example, in the event of natural disaster
(hurricane, flood, tornado, tsunami, etc.) both the Atlas Travel
insurance plan and the Patriot
Travel plan provide a benefit of up to $100 a day for 5 days if the
member is displaced from planned, paid accommodations due to evacuation
from a forecasted
disaster or following a disaster strike.
Double check to see if your insurance plan covers natural disasters or if it limits this
benefit in the event of a weather-driven travel advisory.
4. Political Evacuation – This benefit is most often
activated when a travel advisory goes into effect after your arrival in
your destination
country. It is designed to provide transportation to safety or even back
to your home country in some cases. HCCMIS allows you 10 days from the
issuance of a
travel warning to notify them to arrange for an evacuation under the
Atlas Travel plan.
In most cases, you are only eligible for this benefit if the travel
advisory is not in place when the plan goes into effect. The Patriot
Travel plan specifies
in their exclusions that a Political Evacuation will not be covered if
there is a travel advisory in effect on or within 6 months prior to the
insured’s date
of arrival in their destination country.
5. Trip Cancellation – Trip cancellation coverage
protects you from losing the cost of your trip in case you need to
cancel before you leave.
This type of coverage is usually not included in traditional travel
medical plans and is often purchased as a separate plan or optional
rider. Typical
covered reasons for cancellation include your own illness, injury or
death; or the injury or death of a family member or traveling companion.
Most travel insurance policies do not cover trip cancellations in response to a travel alert or travel warning. The
Patriot TRIP
is a trip cancellation plan available as a stand-alone
plan or as a rider to the Patriot Travel plan. This plan will not pay
for any illness or injury or loss caused by or as a result of
“[a]ny known,
expected or reasonably foreseeable events or conditions that would cause a loss or claim..” A travel advisory would indicate a foreseeable event or
condition.
Some plans may cover a cancellation in the event of a terrorist
incident or a travel alert due to terrorism after your arrival. For
example, the
Roundtrip trip cancellation plans offered by Seven Corners covers a
cancellation due to Terrorism according to the following terms:
“A Terrorist Incident that occurs in a city
listed on your Trip itinerary and within 30 days prior to your Scheduled
Departure Date. This
same city must not have experienced a Terrorist Incident within the 90
days prior to the Terrorist Incident that is causing the cancellation of
your
Trip.”
Cancel for Any Reason is an enhanced benefit offered as a rider to a
trip cancellation plan that allows you to cancel your trip, usually up
to 48 hours before
your departure, and to recover from 50 – 100% of your pre-paid trip
expenses. This coverage is available on the
Roundtrip Choice
option, and allows you to change your mind about traveling in
the event of a travel advisory or other circumstance.Travelers who are
concerned about taking their trips in light of a travel advisory must
have purchased
their insurance prior to the alert being issued.
Remember, always be aware of exclusions in your policy wording that
could negate or void
your benefits in certain circumstances. For example, most travel medical
plans will exclude injuries or illnesses that occur due to war,
including nuclear,
chemical, and biological warfare. Your insurance plan will clearly
define any exclusions that apply, so be sure to read and understand
them.
Additional Considerations Before Traveling
Travel warnings and travel alerts are issued for many different
circumstances and situations. Each should be properly evaluated and
researched before allowing
it to inhibit or deter your travel choices. Some things to consider are:
- Identify whether or not the entire country is affected.
Sometimes, the reasons for travel advisories are confined to particular
areas of
a country while other regions are perfectly safe. For example, Mexico’s
recent advisories due to violence apply only to select states, while
many popular
tourist destinations remain safe. Another example includes advisories
against travel to the Gulf Coast states of the US during hurricane
season.
- Research the danger. Be sure to research and
evaluate the danger and determine if the situation is improving or
getting worse. If, for
example, the advisory is in response to violence, find out where and
what kind of violence is taking place. If the primary targets of attacks
are foreign
tourist as opposed to civil unrest amongst locals, you may have more
cause for concern.
- Check travel advisories from multiple sources. For a
more accurate perspective, check other government and organizational
advisories to
see what’s really happening in a country. Some advisories are said to be
influenced by politics, so it’s a good idea to view several sources
before
deciding on your travel plans.
- Identify your safety net. Some countries do not
have an effective embassy or presence to properly assist travelers if
they experience
problems. Check to see if your home country has the proper safety net in
place if you need help. The Bureau of Consular Affairs in the US
encourages US
citizens traveling to foreign countries to enroll in the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP). This
program provides:
- Notice of Travel Alerts and Warnings regarding your destination countries.
- A means for the US Embassy in your destination country to contact
you in case of an emergency, including natural disasters, civil unrest,
or
family emergency.
- Important information from the US Embassy about safety conditions in the area so that you can make informed travel plans.
Enrolling in STEP is free of charge. You can request email alerts for
several countries, if needed, and you can begin monitoring your
destination
countries far in advance of a trip.
In Conclusion
Travel advisories can have an impact on your travel insurance.
Carefully evaluate your benefits when purchasing a plan to make sure you
have the coverage you
need in case something unexpected happens. Consider getting ‘cancel for
any reason’ protection in case alerts are issued in the future and you
decide to
cancel your trip.
When a travel advisory is issued and you’ve already purchased a plan,
read your policy wording or contact your insurance company to see how
the advisory
affects your plan and your coverage. Carefully evaluate the travel
advisory to decide if it is serious enough to change your travel plans.
If you are already in country, check with your insurance company to
see what actions you should take, if any. This could include evacuating
the country
altogether.
For assistance finding a travel insurance plan for your upcoming trip, give us a call at 888-247-1387 or send us an email at
info@internationalstudentinsurance.com
Tip:
Unlike major medical or long term plans, short term insurance also
allows you to purchase the exact amount of days that you need, but
typically require you pay upfront for the period you need coverage.
