How to Buy Travel Insurance for High-Risk Destinations?

Whether you’re planning to travel to the great Alps for trekking or cover the regions impacted by natural disasters or conflict as part of your work as a journalist or relief worker, it’s crucial to understand that standard travel insurance policies do not cover such high-risk destinations. 

Instead, you’ll need specialised travel insurance designed specifically for adventure tours and danger zones. Read on as we explain how to buy travel insurance for high-risk destinations.

What Are High-Risk Destinations?

A high-risk destination is a country or region that presents greater-than-usual dangers to travellers due to natural disasters, wars, terror and crime, and prevalent health concerns like Zika virus, malaria, etc. Regions famous for extreme sports and adventure trips are also considered high-risk travel zones. 

For people travelling to such destinations from India, the government regularly updates its list of “at-risk nations.” It currently includes China, Ghana, Hong Kong, Israel, Mauritius, South Africa, Tanzania, the United Kingdom, Zimbabwe, and a few other countries. 

Authorities advise tourists to exercise increased caution when travelling to these destinations. And the best way to protect yourself from mishaps in a risk-prone region is to buy a high-risk travel insurance plan. 

Coverages Offered Under High-Risk Travel Insurance

High-risk travel insurance is designed to help you protect yourself from the elevated threat of mishaps in designated high-risk regions and countries. It includes coverage like:

1. Baggage Loss or Delay

If you lose your baggage or if it is delayed, high-risk travel insurance reimburses you for the losses and covers the cost of your lost belongings. 

2. Hospital Benefit

In case you fall ill and need to be hospitalised, this plan covers the cost of emergency transport to the nearest hospital and hospitalisation expenses. 

3. Emergency Medical Evacuation

When travelling to a remote location, medical evacuation cover ensures immediate transportation to a healthcare facility in case of medical emergencies. It also covers the cost of medical escort services if you need to fly back home for treatment.

4. Medical Coverage

Medical coverage in travel insurance for high-risk journeys helps you cover the cost of treating injuries or diseases, including health checkups and medicines. 

5. Money and Passport Loss

If you lose your cash while travelling, high-risk travel protection plans reimburse you a specified amount to cover the loss of travel funds. Similarly, these plans also cover the cost of arranging a duplicate or temporary passport if you lose your original documents. 

6. Personal Accident

If you suffer bodily injuries due to an accident, travel accident insurance covers the cost of medical treatment. Coverage is usually offered for loss of limb, sight, speech, hearing, and life that results from an accident.

7. Personal Liability

The personal liability cover in travel insurance helps you cover the cost of legal liability that results from an accidental injury, death, or property damage caused to a third party. 

8. Repatriation of Mortal Remains

In the unfortunate event of an ensured tourist’s demise during their stay at a risk-prone destination, their high-risk travel insurance covers the cost of bringing their mortal remains back to their home country. 

9. Trip Cancellation and Curtailment

You may have to cancel your trip or need to cut it short due to health reasons or new government advisories. In such cases, travel insurance reimburses you for non-refundable expenses incurred. 

10. War and Terrorism Cover

If conflict, civil unrest, or terrorist attack near your travel destination disrupts your trip, high-risk travel insurance covers trip cancellations and interruptions.

How to Buy Travel Insurance with High-Risk Coverage?

Here is the step-by-step guide for buying high-risk travel insurance

Step 1. Review the Risk Status of Your Destination

Governments regularly monitor risk-prone regions and update risk status periodically. In extreme conditions, governments may completely ban travel to such destinations. So, before you plan your trip, make sure to check the region’s current risk status. 

Step 2. Consider Your Travel Coverage Requirement

The next step is to consider the nature of your trip. Are you travelling to take part in an adventure sport? Or are you travelling to a pandemic-infected or war-torn region? This will help you decide the ideal coverage for your journey. Also, consider the duration of your travel to ensure you can plan to protect yourself throughout your trip. 

Step 3. Find A Trusted Insurance Provider

Always purchase policies from renowned and credible insurance providers. Look at metrics like claim settlement ratio, amount settlement ratio, and volume of complaints to assess an insurer’s reliability. Also, read reviews and customer testimonials to assess the quality of their service.

Step 4. Read the Policy Wordings

High-risk travel insurance plans have many terms and conditions given certain regions’ volatility and danger levels. So, make sure to read the policy wordings to avoid surprises when filing claims in an emergency. 

Step 5. Pick a Suitable Plan  

Don’t settle for the first policy you come across. Instead, research your options and compare different plans on parameters like premium, sum assured, additional benefits, 24×7 support, and more to pick the best policy for your unique needs. 

Key Takeaways

Whether travelling to a country affected by natural disasters and conflict or going on an adventurous trip, remember to buy high-risk travel insurance before departure. Also, review the latest threat levels at the destination to get optimum coverage for a peaceful journey. 

Consider platforms like PhonePe for a seamless and hassle-free insurance purchase experience.