Traveling This Year? Here's Everything You Need to Know About Traveler's Insurance Post-COVID

Should you consider travel insurance coverage now?

According to the U.S. Travel Association, travel spending hit a new high in May, reaching $101 billion. Over the July 4 weekend, AAA predicts that there will be close to 50 million Americans traveling. This is 4% higher than 2021 levels and just 2% lower than 2019. With travel returning to pre-pandemic levels, here is what you need to know about traveler's insurance post-COVID.

What is travel insurance?

When you decide to travel, there can be many different risks you face. They range from getting injured or suffering an illness while traveling to missing an airline connection. Travel insurance helps protect against these types of risks and any financial losses you may incur as a result. While some travel credit cards provide a limited amount of insurance, it's often not enough to cover every situation. There are many different insurance options, and the most common coverage offered includes:

• Medical expenses from injury or sickness
• Lost or stolen luggage
• Last-minute trip cancellations, missed connections, or trip interruptions

COVID-19 coverage

Many travel insurance companies are now offering COVID travel insurance. You must select a plan with COVID coverage. Some benefits of this coverage are:

• COVID-related medical emergencies and medical evacuation. If you contract any strain of COVID after the policy's effective date, then your travel medical insurance can provide coverage.
• Insurance will also cover any trip cancellations if your trip is canceled due to COVID-19.
• Some policies cover the cost of COVID tests if you have symptoms and a physician orders it.
• Some policies also cover the costs of quarantine for COVID-19.

Each policy will have different requirements to qualify for this additional coverage. Travel insurance is used for protection in case the unexpected happens. It doesn't cover preventative care like physicals or vaccinations to prevent illness.

If you plan on traveling anytime soon, getting insurance coverage for COVID-19 may be worth it given the new risks of illness. As more variants spread and many countries implement travel restrictions, trip insurance can help you recoup your costs in case your trip is canceled. If you already have an existing travel insurance policy, you should review the policy documents to see if it will cover issues related to COVID-19. Some policies cover COVID-19, and others do not. If you do not have this type of travel coverage, contact your insurer to see what options are available to you. It's a smart move in these uncertain times.