Many travel insurance policies offer good medical coverage, but not all cover Covid-related problems. If that\u2019s important to you, make sure to verify that the policy you\u2019re buying specifically covers you in case you contract Covid. To find the best Covid-19 travel insurance policies, we evaluated only plans with at least $150,000 per person for medical coverage.<\/p>\n
Sudden travel bans and unexpected quarantine requirements can also derail your trip, but standard travel insurance won\u2019t generally cover these problems. Buying\u00a0\u201ccancel for any reason\u201d (CFAR) coverage<\/a>\u00a0will give you some reimbursement no matter what your reason for canceling.<\/p>\n Add \u201ccancel for any reason\u201d coverage shortly after your first trip deposit if you want it. You may have only a couple weeks before the option expires for your plan.<\/p>\n Also, some destinations abroad have medical coverage requirements for incoming travelers. Confirm the medical coverage requirements you\u2019ll need for your destination, if any, before you buy a travel insurance policy.<\/p>\n Related:<\/strong>\u00a0Best home Covid tests<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n Most travel insurance policies provide trip cancellation and trip interruption benefits if you test positive for Covid and need to cancel or are required by a doctor to quarantine. That means if your trip is canceled or interrupted because you test positive for Covid, you can be reimbursed for pre-paid, non-refundable trip costs.<\/p>\n Most medical travel insurance covers you if you contract the virus during your trip and need medical attention. You can be reimbursed up to the limits in your policy for doctor and hospital bills, lab work and medicine, among other types of treatment.<\/p>\n Generally, travel insurance companies are treating Covid-19 like any other illness, but not all do. Epidemics and pandemics can be considered \u201cforeseeable events\u201d once declared by federal or international health agencies, which means in some cases travel insurance benefits may not apply. That\u2019s why it\u2019s imperative to review your policy for any possible exclusions.<\/p>\n There are travel insurance policies that can cover unexpected expenses if you have to quarantine in another country. But in order for any benefits to apply for most of these plans,\u00a0you must test positive for Covid-19 and your\u00a0travel insurance plan<\/a>\u00a0must cover Covid-related expenses.<\/strong><\/p>\n If you get sick abroad from the virus, a plan\u2019s travel medical benefits can also kick in if it\u2019s travel insurance that covers Covid-19.<\/p>\n \u201cTravel insurance policies that provide benefits if a traveler contracts Covid-19 can also extend their coverage past the original return date, typically up to seven days,\u201d says Steven Benna, a spokesperson for Squaremouth, a travel insurance comparison provider.<\/p>\n Related:<\/strong>\u00a0When should I use a home Covid test?<\/a><\/p>\n The following travel insurance benefits can offer coverage for the costs of quarantining, assuming the plan covers Covid-19 expenses.<\/p>\n This benefit can cover the cost of your accommodations and meals during quarantine if you have contracted the virus. If you are forced to stay beyond your return date due to a positive test, this coverage can be extended for up to seven days.<\/p>\n \u201cPolicies with this benefit provide a range of total coverage between $100 and $2,000 per person, with a daily limit that ranges from $50 to $300,\u201d Benna says.<\/p>\n This coverage will reimburse you for missed portions of your trip if you\u2019re forced into quarantine due to a positive Covid test. It can cover 100% to 200% of your prepaid and non-refundable trip costs, depending on the policy, says Benna.<\/p>\n For example, Trawick International\u2019s Safe Travels Voyager Plan covers expenses if you\u2019re forced to quarantine domestically or abroad due to a positive Covid test. \u201cThese plans may also provide reimbursement for medical expenses and emergency medical evacuation expenses incurred if you are injured or sick while traveling on your trip,\u201d says Bailey Foster, a spokesperson for Trawick International.<\/p>\n Consider a plan that lets you upgrade to \u201ccancel for any reason\u201d coverage. This upgrade usually adds 50% to your travel insurance cost, but it will allow you to cancel your trip for any reason and get some reimbursement (often 75%) of lost trip costs. Your reason could be Covid-related, such as finding out that there\u2019s a spike of Covid at your destination. Or your reason could be unrelated\u2014for example, you could make a CFAR claim because you don\u2019t like the rainy outlook at your beach resort.<\/p>\n If you want CFAR coverage, make sure to buy a travel insurance plan and add CFAR soon after you make your first trip deposit. There\u2019s usually a purchase deadline for CFAR, such as two weeks.<\/p>\n If you\u2019re concerned about being forced into a quarantine while on your trip\u00a0due to a positive Covid test<\/strong>, standard trip interruption insurance can reimburse you for parts of your trip that you miss\u2014if your plan has coverage for Covid. For instance, you can file a claim under trip interruption benefits if you paid in advance for non-refundable hotel stays, tours or entertainment and can\u2019t participate because you have the virus and have to quarantine.<\/p>\n But what if you don\u2019t have Covid and are required to comply with a mandatory quarantine? That\u2019s where \u201cinterruption for any reason\u201d would help. \u201cInterruption for any reason\u201d coverage is offered as an upgrade from a small number of travel insurance companies. If you have this upgrade, you can be reimbursed for portions of your trip that you miss if you have to quarantine but don\u2019t have Covid. It can also pay for transportation expenses to get you caught up to your planned itinerary.<\/p>\n \u201cInterruption for any reason\u201d isn\u2019t a common benefit, but the following companies offer it on some plans: iTravelInsured, Nationwide, Seven Corners and Travel Insured International.<\/p>\n A comprehensive travel insurance plan will also include coverage for:<\/p>\n You may be wondering if there are travel restrictions in place for your dream destination. Some countries have lifted restrictions, some have eased up and some have eliminated entry requirements. Be sure to check the travel requirements for any country you plan to visit so you have the most current information.<\/p>\n Related:<\/strong>\u00a0Here are the current travel restrictions for Americans traveling to Europe<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n If you need to make a travel insurance claim related to a Covid quarantine, be prepared to have these documents:<\/p>\n Using data provided by Squaremouth, a travel insurance comparison provider, we scored plans based on:<\/p>\n Covid medical coverage:<\/strong>\u00a0Up to 70 points. Plans earned points based on their levels of medical coverage. Only plans that provide Covid-related medical coverage and at least $150,000 per person in coverage were considered.<\/p>\n Cost of plan:<\/strong>\u00a0Up to 50 points. We analyzed quotes for a variety of traveler ages and trip costs in order to develop an average price for each plan.<\/p>\n Cost to add \u201ccancel for any reason\u201d (CFAR) coverage:<\/strong>\u00a0Up to 30 points. We calculated the cost difference between the base plan and the plan with \u201ccancel for any reason\u201d coverage added. Only plans with a CFAR option were considered.<\/p>\n
\nHow to Buy a Covid Travel Insurance Plan<\/h2>\n
Does travel insurance cover Covid-19?<\/h3>\n
Does travel insurance cover quarantine?<\/h3>\n
Quarantine-related travel insurance coverage<\/h3>\n
Travel delay coverage<\/h4>\n
Trip interruption coverage<\/h4>\n
\u201cCancel for any reason\u201d coverage (CFAR)<\/h4>\n
\u201cInterruption for any reason\u201d coverage (IFAR)<\/h4>\n
Other plan benefits to look for<\/h3>\n
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\nCovid-19 Travel Restrictions by Destination<\/h2>\n
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\nHow to Get Quarantine Reimbursement from Travel Insurance<\/h2>\n
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\nMethodology<\/h2>\n