Planning an American holiday is thrilling, but don't let all the excitement make you overlook getting comprehensive travel insurance, especially as an Indian citizen.
From New York City's bright lights to California's glittering beaches, the USA's vibrant cities and diverse landscapes make it a coveted travel destination. As an Indian globetrotter, getting a comprehensive travel insurance policy should be vital to your USA trip preparations.
While you may consider travel insurance an avoidable add-on, you realise why it is an invaluable investment when you look at the protections offered. Robust overseas travel insurance plans can protect you from huge financial losses and provide indispensable assistance in difficult situations abroad.
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As a USA visitor, here are some of the key covers that your travel policy must include:
What is International Travel Insurance?
International travel insurance refers to travel insurance policies specifically designed for overseas trips. They provide all the usual covers like flight delays, trip cancellations, etc., which are offered in standard domestic travel plans.
Additionally, they also include a slew of extra protections tailored to safeguard you on foreign soils where risks are higher. Key value-adds in international visitor insurance plans include:
- Higher medical expense limits as treatment costs abroad are steep
- Emergency medical evacuation to fly you back home for treatment
- Higher baggage loss caps as replacing abroad is pricey
- Cover for passport loss while overseas
- Personal liability covers third-party damages
- Emergency assistance services like global coordination for hospitalisation, ticket booking, etc.
When you look at these enhanced protections and assistance offered, you realise why buying dedicated overseas visitor insurance, like policies for the USA, is a smart move before International travel.
What are the 10 Key Benefits to Look for in Your Travel Insurance for the USA?
Planning an American holiday is thrilling, but don't let all the excitement make you overlook getting comprehensive travel insurance, especially as an Indian citizen. This can protect you financially by covering massive overseas medical bills and sizable cancellation losses and provide invaluable assistance when abroad.
When choosing travel insurance for USA plans, here are some vital protections to look for:
1. Extensive Medical Treatment Cover
Given the extraordinarily high medical costs in the USA, having sufficient coverage for hospital expenses due to injury or illnesses is invaluable. For instance, an average 3-day hospital stay can cost you lakhs of rupees! Hence, opt for policies with high medical expense limits based on your trip duration and needs. Also, check if outpatient expenses for doctor visits, diagnostic tests, prescription drugs, etc., are covered and not just inpatient.
2. Trip Cancellation And Interruption Cover
You lose huge prepaid deposits on flights if you have to unwillingly cancel trips prior to departure due to covered reasons like accidents or serious illnesses. And you lose further money if trips get cut short midway by such incidents requiring early return back. Opt for plans providing sufficient coverage for reimbursement towards such financial losses under their trip cancellation and interruption benefits based on your planned trip costs.
3. Flight Delay Allowance
Despite airline efforts to maintain schedules, flight delays can still occur owing to bad weather in the region or unexpected aircraft repairs. When stuck, causing lengthy groundings, having coverage towards reasonable expenses gives much-needed relief. You can opt for travel plans that offer a standard fee covering costs incurred for delays.
4. Missed Connections Cover
Missing pre-booked ongoing connections due to previous flight delays can exacerbate travel woes. This forces you to same-day rebooking on alternate flights to continue your journey. Hence, having coverage towards additional costs incurred in catching the next available flight is wise. So, you must look for plans that reimburse expenses like new flight tickets, adding to costs and inconvenience.
5. Checked Baggage Loss Cover
Despite stringent tracking procedures by airlines, permanent loss of checked-in luggage can still rarely happen for various reasons. When you are travelling overseas, not having basic essentials and key personal belongings can totally dampen your holiday mood. Hence, having travel insurance coverage that offers a standard fee for such emergencies is prudent.
6. Checked Baggage Delay Cover
Even when temporary delays to check-in baggage delivery occur, not having your personal belongings and key essentials with you causes inconvenience. Having a coverage cushion for such emergencies during the interim baggage delay period gives greater peace of mind.
7. Personal Accident Cover
If you fail to withstand stringent protocols and safety best practices, fate can play unfortunate hands. History shows accidents on roads, air, and water still remain hard to rule out, even in modern times, leading to disabilities or deaths. When such misfortunes affect families who lose their loved ones, rebuilding lives impactfully requires substantial financial aid. Opting for policies providing such contingency funds through personal accident cover by paying lump-sum amounts certainly can help grieving families recover, recoup, and gradually get back on their feet again. Hence, having adequate personal accident sums insured is usually wise, especially on overseas trips where risk factors may be higher.
8. Hijack Cover
You must opt for plans that offer financial relief to cope with livelihood losses and trauma in the unfortunate event of kidnapping or hijacking during overseas travels. This gives much-needed support during very distressing times.
9. Journey Rescheduling Cover
When pre-booked flights get rescheduled owing to airline-driven causes just prior to journeys, modifying your plans inconveniently beyond acceptable time periods and having coverage for additional costs incurred due to rescheduling gives peace. You must opt for plans that cover expenses incurred under such circumstances.
10. COVID-19 Medical Expenses Cover
Although the pandemic is showing signs of slowing down, contracting coronavirus still remains likely for some. Check if COVID-19 hospitalisation is explicitly included in your policy so that you save yourself from paying massive treatment bills in the US if infected.
Conclusion
Planning an international trip involves not just an exciting itinerary but also practical preparations like getting comprehensive travel insurance, especially for destinations like the USA with high medical costs.
While comparing travel insurance USA policies, scrutinise all the fine print in detail. Ensure you thoroughly understand policy definitions, exclusions, claims processes, etc. Ultimately, choose the plan that provides maximum value aligning with your specific trip duration, planned activities, and budget.
Bon Voyage! Stay insured and Stay Worry-free!
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