[TRAVEL INSURANCE] HOW TO GET TRAVEL INSURANCE WITH COVID-19 COVERAGE

Travel is one of the activities that are normally planned for and looking forward to. However, the impact of the Covid-19 in the travel industry has set many boundaries. Such boundaries led to the cancellation of trips due to cancelled flights, border restrictions, stricter travel guidelines, and so on and so forth.  

 

These unforeseeable and foreseeable events can throw you off your vacation plans and may cost you more (even more expensive than your plane ticket!). Maybe you're asking right now how to avoid those ‘events’, the answer is travel insurance.

 

What is Travel Insurance?

A travel Insurance is an insurance product that covers unforeseen losses sustained during an international or domestic travel. Most of the basic policies cover emergency medical expenses while overseas but there are such policies that cover, trip cancellations, lost luggage, flight delays, public liability, and etc.  

 

Is Covid-19 covered by the travel insurance?

 

Take note that when Covid-19 becomes pandemic, this event becomes foreseeable and therefore not covered under standard travel insurance benefits. 

 

However, the continued impact of the Covid-19 made some of the insurance providers adapt to the worldwide health crisis. And one of them is Starr International Insurance Philippine Branch. 

An article published by money.com last July 2, 2020, showed a summary of the Best Travel Insurances of 2020, which responds to the new normal, an impact of COVID-19 in the travel industry.

STARR Insurance  

 

In the Philippines, Starr International Insurance Company (Philippine Branch), a travel insurance provider responded to the call of Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-MEID) Resolution No. 79 Series of 2020 dated October 15, 2020 concerning the lifting of non-essential outbound travel of Filipinos. Thus, including  Covid-19 as part of their policy coverage. 

 

Starr International Insurance Philippine Branch shall cover any medical expense in connection with or in any way involving or arising from any infectious disease, whether asymptomatic or not, severe acute respiratory syndrome Coronavirus disease (COVID-19), including variation thereof, or Pandemic or epidemic as declared as such by the World Health Organization or any government authority up to USD50,000 or Php2,500,000 whichever is lower.

 

Starr Insurance offers two medical expense coverage for Coronavirus Disease:

1.) Assist Card Plans - this travel insurance is valid for 1-year for any destination. The coverage of this plan is up to USD35,000 or up to USD50,000.

 

This plan can also be beneficial for frequent travelers, which could cover them while traveling throughout the year.   

 

2.) TraveLead International Plans - this travel insurance is valid for your intended travel duration. The coverage is up to Php1,000,000 or up to Php2,500,000.

 

These plans exclude the following:

1.) Denial of entry upon arrival within itinerary whether pre-departure from origin point, in-transit at connection points, or at final destination.

2.) Change of travel decision due to fear of COVID-19 infection during pre-departure, at connecting points, or at final destination.

 

*Information can be changed.

 

How to book these plans? 

 

Starr International Insurance Philippine Branch is partnered with Rakso Travel in selling their travel insurances which include coverage of COVID-19. You may call Rakso Travel at +63 (02) 8651 9000 or email support@raksotravel.com to book. You can also visit www.raksotravel.com and chat them live. 

 

Reminder

 

Please note that it is important to read carefully your insurance coverage, what covers and what not. Remember, claims will only be paid as specified on your policy. 

 

I hope this simple information had helped you. 

 

Stay tuned for more information. 

 

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