In India, it is often seen that it is mostly a conversation that happens between you and the agent and then you finally agree on buying
travel insurance. While fulfilling the necessary formalities like paper work, documentation work, we hardly read the entire policy form. It is highly advisable to read it thoroughly as it informs us about what all things are included and are not included in the policy.
There are some insurance companies which do not provide any cover for medical expenses or any other expenses related to certain things. There are a lot of exclusions in any kind of insurance; it is all a matter of few minutes to read it properly. If there is something you wish to get covered for and is not included in your existing travel policy, you can get in touch with the insurance company and talk about it. You may have to pay a little extra premium to get coverage in exceptional situations.
Most of us usually pay attention on what the policy includes and leave out the point of what the policy does not include. Here are some of the common exclusions in travel insurance –
When your tour operator cancels the trip
There are times when the tour operating company suddenly cancels the entire trip leaving you frustrated. You may have made a lot of reservations on the destination which are totally waste if you do not travel. In such cases, you will not get any cover from the insurance company as it was the tour operator who cancelled the trip and not you.
Warfare/Mass chaos
Most insurance companies cover you against terrorist acts. However, acts of war are usually excluded in a travel insurance policy. You must check if it is included in your policy. For instance, if all the outbound flights from a city are cancelled due to a war like situation, the travel insurance company cannot help you out.
Pre-existing ailments
This is quite a common thing which is excluded out of almost all travel insurance policies. If you are suffering from a major ailment before your trip, you will not be provided cover if there is any problem related to the particular ailment.
Baggage delay
Most insurance companies do not reimburse your claim until your baggage has been indefinitely delayed. If it is delayed for less than a day, you will not get any claim.
Invalid reasons for cancellation
There are people who file a claim assuming that the company will provide cover in case of cancelling a trip. However, the reasons for cancelling a trip must be valid. Some reasons like death of your pet animal or separation from your spouse are some of the reasons which will not be considered valid.
Sporting injuries
Injuries caused by indulging in sporting activities like bungee jumping, paragliding etc. will not be covered by travel insurance company.
Pregnancy
No insurance company will provide cover for delivery charges of a pregnant woman. However, pregnant women can make use of the policy if they are in the early stages of their pregnancy.
