Travel Insurance Considerations For Those With Disabilities

If you have a disability and are planning your next big adventure, there are a few things to consider when buying travel insurance to make sure you have the right coverage.

You'll need a travel insurance plan with valuable benefits to protect your travel investment and cover medical bills and medical equipment while you travel.

Here, we highlight how the following types of travel insurance can provide a financial safety net and peace of mind as you embark on your next trip:

Travel medical and disability insurance

Travel medical insurance is important for anyone traveling outside of the United States, as home health plans may have little or no coverage abroad. Medicare coverage is also very limited abroad.

If you get sick or injured while traveling, travel medical insurance covers your medical expenses. Pay for medications, x-rays, lab tests, medical exams and hospital bills up to your policy limit.

Travel medical insurance errors and pre-existing conditions

Travel medical insurance generally does not cover pre-existing conditions, with no exclusions for pre-existing conditions.

But birth defects such as vision and hearing are not usually considered pre-existing conditions, nor are physical and motor disabilities such as muscular dystrophy or cerebral palsy.

"If the passenger is medically fit to travel at the time the package is purchased and meets the other itinerary requirements to cover the above medical conditions, the passenger's disability should not be excluded," said Generali global spokesman Mark Taber. Help:

However, when purchasing travel insurance, all travelers are advised to obtain pre-existing medical condition exclusions to ensure maximum coverage.

Travel insurance companies generally consider a pre-existing condition, such as an injury, illness or medical condition that has caused symptoms, treatment or medication, before purchasing travel insurance.

What is considered a pre-existing condition and the length of time it takes into account varies between travel insurance companies. For example, a company can go back 60 days and look back another 180 days to see if they received treatment for an illness during that time.

Some companies may not list a controlled drug condition as a pre-existing condition unless there have been prescription changes and you have not received treatment during the reporting period.

To get a pre-existing condition exemption, you generally need to:

Purchase your travel insurance plan when you make your first travel deposit, within 15-21 days of booking.

All non-reimbursable travel expenses.

You can travel medically by purchasing travel insurance.

Related: Benefits of taking out a travel insurance plan when booking your trip

24/7 support service

Travel insurance companies have a 24/7 travel helpline to help you in a number of ways, including sending you a medical exam.

“It is very important to have a 24/7 medical team that can help you find the right hospital, clinic or doctor. It's even more important to work with an experienced medical team to address disabilities that can create additional challenges in getting the right treatment,” said Scott Adamski, AIG travel representative.

Emergency medical evacuation and disability travel insurance

Medical evacuation travel insurance is worth considering, even if you're vacationing at home, where your health insurance plan will help cover your medical bills.

If you're away from home, medical evacuation service may be out of your network, which means you'll have to pay a large portion of your air travel bill. Even if the evacuation facility is in your health plan's network, you will have to pay a significant deductible.

If you become injured or ill while traveling, evacuation travel insurance can cover the cost of transportation to the nearest treatment facility when local hospital treatment does not meet your needs.

The most generous travel insurance plans offer an emergency medical evacuation allowance of up to $1 million per person, but you can find lower limits if you don't need them.

Chris Carnicelli, a spokesman for Generali Global Assistance, says evacuation can be very expensive, ranging from tens to hundreds of thousands of dollars depending on location and medical condition, so he always recommends that travelers of all levels get adequate coverage. . .

Travel insurance for medical equipment and personal effects

Baggage insurance is usually part of a comprehensive travel insurance policy and covers your personal belongings as well. If your luggage or belongings are lost or stolen, the baggage and personal effects travel insurance benefit will reimburse you for the depreciated value, up to your policy limit.

Travel insurance for wheelchairs and personal belongings

Baggage and personal effects insurance generally offers a very small benefit per item, which means you probably won't have to pay a lot to replace expensive medical equipment and supplies if they're lost or damaged during your trip.

"A good example is a wheelchair, which can be an important but expensive investment. Most travel insurance plans will limit you to $250 to $500 per item, which barely covers if the entire wheelchair is lost or damaged after repair,” Adamski said.

It is also important to note that travel insurance for luggage and belongings is often secondary to travel insurance plans. This means you must first file a claim with your airline or home or renters insurer before making a travel insurance claim.

Wheelchairs are generally covered by homeowner's or renter's personal property insurance policies, even if they are damaged or stolen outside the home. If you have an expensive motorized wheelchair, it is recommended that it be listed with other valuables on your homeowner's or renter's insurance policy as scheduled personal property to ensure adequate coverage.

Prostheses and travel insurance

Many travel insurance plans exclude or limit coverage for loss of prosthetic devices, all types of glasses and hearing aids, said Carol Mueller, spokeswoman for Berkshire Hathaway Travel Protection.

"A traveler concerned about baggage and personal effects coverage should contact their travel insurer in advance to find out what is and is not included in the trip," he said.

Like wheelchairs, prosthetics are generally insured for both home owners and renters.

Prescription drugs and travel insurance.

Prescription drugs are also partially covered by travel insurance for baggage and personal effects.

Your benefit will only cover the cost of replacing lost, damaged or stolen medicines, up to your policy limit.

Travel insurance considerations for disability travel cancellations

Trip cancellation insurance refunds 100% of your non-refundable advance if you decide to travel, provided you cancel for reasons specified in the policy. Acceptable reasons vary by travel insurance company, but generally include the death of a close family member, your own illness or injury, a friend or relative traveling, bad weather and other issues.

But what if you change your mind due to an issue not covered by your travel insurance plan? For example, you find that one of the main tours you have booked does not have suitable accommodation for your disability and you want to cancel the trip. You will not be able to receive cancellation requests under the trip cancellation benefits.

"Cancellation for any reason" coverage.

To give yourself the freedom to cancel your trip for any reason, consider purchasing cancellation for any reason (CFAR) travel insurance. This optional upgrade generally provides a non-refundable 75% refund of the pre-paid trip fare if canceled 48 hours prior to scheduled departure.

Remember that CFAR travel insurance adds 50% to the average cost of travel insurance. In general, you must purchase CFAR coverage within 14 to 21 days of your first trip.

Travel insurance for trip interruption

A trip interruption travel insurance benefit covers related expenses if you end your vacation early due to an insured emergency.

Trip interruption allowance is paid for late return flights. This coverage can also cover unused travel expenses, such as hotel stays and pre-booked tours, if your trip is cut short due to unforeseen circumstances.

"Interruption for any reason" coverage.

For maximum flexibility to end your trip early, consider Interruption for Any Reason (IFAR) travel insurance. This optional new version adds an average of 3% to 10% to the cost of travel insurance, but allows you to leave your trip early for any reason.

IFAR travel insurance covers up to 75% of the cost of the trip, as long as it is done within a few hours of the start of the trip. The number of hours will depend on your plan.

As a CFAR, you are generally required to purchase IFAR coverage within 15 to 21 days of your initial travel deposit.

How travel delay insurance benefits can help

Travel delay insurance provides financial compensation for delays caused by unforeseen events, such as bad weather or mechanical problems with the aircraft. Reimbursable expenses may include meals, hotel rooms, and transportation expenses, up to your policy limit.

If your bags don't arrive on time, baggage delay insurance can help pay for the need to carry your bags until your gear arrives, again with your policy amount.

Trip delay insurance and baggage delay insurance have a waiting period before coverage starts, so make sure you check your policy for that period.

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Medical and evacuation restrictions per person

$250,000 / $1 million

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$500,000 / $500,000

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Medical and evacuation restrictions per person

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Disability Travel Insurance FAQs Are there special travel insurance plans for disabled travelers?

In general, travel insurance policies aren't specifically designed or tailored for people with disabilities, Adamski said.

For example, AIG offers travel insurance plans to eligible US residents and does not offer a single policy for any class. "But since travelers can customize their insurance policy to some extent, taking the time to review the product's benefits, limitations and exclusions will provide the best guidance on which plan best suits their needs," he said.

However, you can avail a travel insurance package through the concierge service. If you need help finding activities, tours, activities and cheap accommodation, your travel insurance company's concierge can help.

Will my travel insurance cover the accompanying health care provider or caregiver?

If you're traveling with a companion or caregiver, Adamski of AIG Travel recommends purchasing travel insurance for your travel companion.

In certain situations, Adamksi says, there may be scenarios where a policy can cover more than one passenger, but it's usually a larger group and there can be many variables at play, especially depending on the insurance company.

"The easiest and safest approach is to buy a separate policy for each passenger," he said.

Is there any disability insurance that is not covered by a travel insurance company?

While travel insurance plans typically don't address disability coverage, travelers should note that claims stemming from mental and psychological disorders are excluded from coverage, says Generali Global Assistance's Taber.

"In addition to these exceptions, if a traveler is concerned that their disability may be considered a pre-existing medical condition based on their medical history, they may be able to purchase travel health insurance," Taber said.

As long as you buy your travel insurance policy and meet other requirements to cover pre-existing medical conditions, your disability should not be ignored, he said.

But when shopping for travel insurance, it's a good idea to get pre-existing medical condition exclusions to ensure you get the most comprehensive coverage.

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