It’s comforting to know that your travel insurance plan will be there for you when you need it. Whether it’s a vacation, a business trip, or a weekend shopping spree, you can rely on valuable travel insurance benefits so you can enjoy a worry-free get away. And if something sudden and unforeseen does occur, you’ll know exactly how your benefits work.
The coverage you may need
and the comfort you deserve
When it comes to educating yourself about travel insurance, it’s helpful to understand and differentiate between the key benefits that are typically included in travel insurance plans. This will allow you to consider which risks are important to you so you can choose the right coverage for your travel needs.
Depending on which travel insurance plan you choose, options will generally include either one, a combination of, or all of the benefits below.
Note that the benefits described reflect those offered by Allianz Global Assistance on this site and do not represent all travel insurance offerings in general.
In case you become sick or injured on your trip…
- Emergency Medical and Dental: Beyond helping with unexpected costs related to medical emergencies, this benefit provides coverage for emergency medical transportation to get you to the nearest appropriate medical facility or back to Canada or your home country. If you are hospitalized, there are also benefits to bring a friend or family member to your bedside, help return your dependents back home, and for meals and accommodations if you are stuck in hospital beyond your original return date.
- Plans offered by Allianz Global Assistance with benefits for Emergency Medical and Dental include:
- Medical + Cancellation Plan
- Medical Plan
- Annual Medical Plan (10 or 30 Day)
- Visitors to Canada Plan
In case you need to cancel your trip before you leave…
- Trip Cancellation: If you need to cancel your trip due to a Covered Reason before your scheduled departure date, Trip Cancellation benefits provide reimbursement for non-refundable trip payments and deposits you paid for in advance of your departure date.
- In case you need to return early or get delayed beyond your original return date
- Trip Interruption/Delay: Sometimes trips start on time but then end prematurely. This benefit is activated when you are on your trip and need to come home early due to unexpected illness, forces of nature or other Covered Reasons as listed in your policy. The benefit provides reimbursement for transportation costs to return home as well as unused, pre-paid trip arrangements. Additionally, if your return from your trip is delayed due to a covered reason, this benefit provides coverage for commercial accommodation and meals, essential telephone calls, internet usage fees, and taxi fares up to the benefit dollar limit.
- In case your bags are lost or stolen…
- Lost or Stolen Baggage: If your baggage is lost or stolen during your trip, this benefit reimburses you for the value of your personal items you’ve lost up to a specified dollar limit.
- In case your bags are delayed…
- Baggage Delay: When you make it to your destination but your luggage doesn’t, this benefit includes reimbursement of your out-of-pocket expenses for purchasing reasonable necessities, such as clothing and toiletries, until your bag arrives.
- In case you need help while travelling…
- 24-Hour Emergency Assistance: Getting real-time help when you’re in a jam is invaluable, especially if you don’t speak the local language. This support can include arranging for hospital care, evacuations for medical emergencies, help with replacing lost or stolen documents, and more.
Plans offered by Allianz Global Assistance with benefits for Trip Cancellation, Interruption and Delay, as well as Lost, Stolen or Delayed Baggage, include:
This list is by no means exhaustive, and each benefit type described will have its own unique conditions that outline which situations are covered, and which are not. As always, the best way to fully appreciate how a travel insurance plan can help you is by reading the policy wording for the plan that is most suitable to your travel needs.
Still have questions about what travel insurance covers and how benefits work? Simply call Allianz Global Assistance at 1-844-310-1578 and we’ll be happy to assist with any questions you have.
- Being clear on the benefits and exclusions of your travel insurance policy can be empowering. Not only does it provide you with the advantage of making thoughtful, informed decisions about your travel insurance purchase, it also ensures there are no surprises if you need to file a claim.
- In the simplest of terms, the intent of travel insurance is to cover events that are completely unexpected or unforeseen.
- However, like all types of insurance, travel insurance policies include descriptions of what exactly is and isn’t covered.
- Every travel insurance policy will contain wording that outlines exclusions – the situations that won’t be covered by your policy. These exclusions are just as important to understand as the eligible coverages, because travel insurance won’t cover every situation.
- Within your policy, each benefit type will include exclusions specific to that benefit.
- For policies offered by Allianz Global Assistance on this site, the following is an example of an exclusion specific to Medical benefits:
- Benefits are not payable for costs incurred due to, contributed to by, or resulting from:
- a) routine pre-natal or post-natal care; or
b) pregnancy, childbirth, or complications thereof after the 31st week of pregnancy; or
c) high-risk pregnancy. - Your policy will also include General Exclusions that apply to every benefit in your policy.
- The following is an example of a General Exclusion that would apply to all benefits within in the Medical + Cancellation Plan offered by Allianz Global Assistance:
- Benefits are not payable for loss or costs incurred due to, contributed to by, or resulting from injury as a result of training for, competing or participating in:
- a) motorized speed contests; or
- b) stunt activities; or
c) high-risk activities; or
d) mountain climbing; or
e) rock climbing. - It’s important to review both benefit-specific and general exclusions when reviewing your benefits.
- Still have questions about what travel insurance doesn’t cover and how policy exclusions work? Simply call Allianz Global Assistance at 1-844-310-1578 and we’ll be happy to assist with any questions you have.
- Pre-Existing Condition Exclusions
- A common exclusion in travel insurance plans is for pre-existing medical conditions. This exclusion relates to medical conditions that existed before the effective date of your policy. Exclusions such as these are in place because an incident while on holiday that is related to a medical condition you had previously, isn’t considered unexpected, sudden or unforeseen.
- Depending on your age and the length of your trip, the pre-existing condition exclusion will require that any previous medical conditions you have must be stable for a specified period of time before the effective date of your policy, for example, 90 or 180 days.
In the travel insurance policies offered by Allianz Global Assistance through this site, the defined term “stable” describes any medical condition or related condition, including any heart condition or lung/respiratory condition, for which:
a) there has been no new treatment; and
b) there has been no change in treatment or change in treatment frequency or type; and
c) there have been no signs or symptoms or new diagnosis; and
d) there have been no test results showing deterioration; and
e) there has been no hospitalization; and
f) there has been no referral to a specialist (made or recommended) and you are not awaiting surgery or the results of investigations performed by any medical professional.- If a medical condition is not stable within the specified period, and you need to file a claim for something related to that same medical condition before or during your trip, your claim will not be covered.
- Still have questions about how pre-existing condition exclusions work? Simply call Allianz Global Assistance at 1-844-310-1578 and we’ll be happy to assist with any questions you have.
- Notification of Treatment
- Beyond benefit-specific and general exclusions, it’s also important to be aware of the notification periods outlined in the travel insurance policy. Travellers may be required to notify their travel insurance provider immediately if they need to seek medical treatment, or within 24 hours in the case of an emergency. Failure to do so could lead to only a portion of the claim being payable, typically limited to 70-80% of the claim.
- Reading your travel insurance policy is the best way to familiarize yourself with what is and isn’t covered. If you have an existing medical condition and you're concerned how it might affect your coverage, or if you have questions about the benefits and limitations described in your policy, you can call Allianz Global Assistance at 1-844-310-1578 and one of our licensed associates will be happy to help.