Traveling in the Age of Covid: What You Need To Know About Travel Insurance

It’s always been there. That little box you can check at the bottom of the screen, whether you’re booking airline tickets, a hotel room, or a rental car. - “Do you want to insure this trip?” - has always been the question. But these days, in the age of Covid-19, that question is more loaded than ever before. Does the insurance cover you if you get Covid before the trip? During the trip? What if you’re in a foreign country – does it cover you if you need to quarantine?

Plus, there are more coverage options than ever before. Do you take the regular trip insurance, or the one that says you can “cancel for any reason”?

Below, we outline a few coverage trends, and what they mean for you and your travel plans.

1. “Cancel for any reason” (CFAR) coverage will continue to maintain momentum.
   
   Many traditional coverages have strict parameters around when you can actually collect on a cancelled trip. “Cancel for any reason,” just like it sounds, eliminates that risk. Usually, it’s an upgrade available on current policies that expands your ability to make a trip cancellation claim. This is a superior coverage, although it does come at an increased cost, to have during Covid times, because it can apply to situations that aren’t usually covered by a base travel insurance policy. Sales of CFAR went up 147% from 2020 to 2021.
   
   
2. Trip Cancellation Insurance become more popular 
   
   This insurance reimburses you for the pre-paid, non-refundable deposits if you cancel for a reason that’s listed on your policy – such as an illness or family emergency. This has always been one of the most popular policies available. However, you may want to check to see if Covid-related issues are covered by the base policy. If they’re not, you may want to opt for CFAR.
   
   
3. Covid-specific coverage will become more common
   
   It took a few years into the pandemic, but many travel insurance companies are now including Covid-specific policies as part of standard travel medical insurance and trip cancellation benefits. And as new pandemic-travel concerns pop up, the industry is responding. In some cases, policies may cover for border closures or specific travel warnings issued by government entities. 
   
   
4. Trip delay benefits become more of a priority
   
   While trip cancellation coverage is usually the top priority for travelers, perhaps it’s time to consider trip delay policies. If you do find yourself needing to quarantine while on vacation, this coverage can compensate you for meals, an extended hotel stay, and other extra costs associated with you or a travel partner contracting Covid while on vacation.  

As always, we welcome you to contact a friendly Ansay & Associates advisor to help you navigate the world of travel insurance. Give us a call at 1-888-262-6729 and speak with someone today.