Erica Lamberg is a personal finance and travel writer based in suburban Philadelphia. She is a regular contributor to USA Today and her writing credits include NBC News, U.S. News & World Report, Business Insider, Oprah Magazine and Creditcards.c.
Erica Lamberg ContributorErica Lamberg is a personal finance and travel writer based in suburban Philadelphia. She is a regular contributor to USA Today and her writing credits include NBC News, U.S. News & World Report, Business Insider, Oprah Magazine and Creditcards.c.
Written By Erica Lamberg ContributorErica Lamberg is a personal finance and travel writer based in suburban Philadelphia. She is a regular contributor to USA Today and her writing credits include NBC News, U.S. News & World Report, Business Insider, Oprah Magazine and Creditcards.c.
Erica Lamberg ContributorErica Lamberg is a personal finance and travel writer based in suburban Philadelphia. She is a regular contributor to USA Today and her writing credits include NBC News, U.S. News & World Report, Business Insider, Oprah Magazine and Creditcards.c.
Contributor Michelle Megna Lead Editor, InsuranceMichelle is a lead editor at Forbes Advisor. She has been a journalist for over 35 years, writing about insurance for consumers for the last decade. Prior to covering insurance, Michelle was a lifestyle reporter at the New York Daily News, a magazine.
Michelle Megna Lead Editor, InsuranceMichelle is a lead editor at Forbes Advisor. She has been a journalist for over 35 years, writing about insurance for consumers for the last decade. Prior to covering insurance, Michelle was a lifestyle reporter at the New York Daily News, a magazine.
Michelle Megna Lead Editor, InsuranceMichelle is a lead editor at Forbes Advisor. She has been a journalist for over 35 years, writing about insurance for consumers for the last decade. Prior to covering insurance, Michelle was a lifestyle reporter at the New York Daily News, a magazine.
Michelle Megna Lead Editor, InsuranceMichelle is a lead editor at Forbes Advisor. She has been a journalist for over 35 years, writing about insurance for consumers for the last decade. Prior to covering insurance, Michelle was a lifestyle reporter at the New York Daily News, a magazine.
| Lead Editor, Insurance
Updated: Jul 4, 2022, 12:40pm
Editorial Note: We earn a commission from partner links on Forbes Advisor. Commissions do not affect our editors' opinions or evaluations.
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If you’re planning a trip and are pregnant or think you may be soon, you might consider buying a comprehensive travel insurance plan. It can help pay for emergency medical expenses related to unforeseen complications while traveling and protect the money you’ve invested in your upcoming mom-to-be adventure.
“Expecting moms planning a trip should seriously consider coverage to be better prepared for unplanned medical concerns while away from home,” says Christine Buggy, a spokesperson for Travelex Insurance Services.
While there are some exclusions and special considerations, learning about pregnancy and travel insurance is likely easier than assembling a new crib. Here are the key takeaways:
The sooner you buy travel insurance, the better. The best travel insurance plans package together valuable benefits that cover unexpected events both before and during your trip.
When you purchase travel insurance right after making your first trip deposits, you gain the longest window of protection if you need to cancel for a reason listed in the policy.
You also meet early-purchase requirements for cancellation upgrades that are worth considering if you’re traveling while pregnant.
Buying travel medical insurance for a trip outside of the country is a smart move, regardless of whether you’re pregnant or not.
Travel medical insurance pays for hospital and doctor bills, X-rays, lab work, ambulance service and medicine if you’re injured or become ill during your trip. Reimbursement is up to the medical limits listed in your policy. Your U.S. health plan will cover you if you travel within the U.S., but if you go abroad, you may have limited or no coverage. Be sure to check on what kind of global coverage you already have.
Travel medical insurance can help you recoup costs for unforeseen pregnancy complications, but not for medical expenses relating to a normal pregnancy. Travel insurance companies use different definitions for “complications of pregnancy,” so be sure to ask for details when choosing a travel insurance plan.
The most generous travel insurance plans provide $500,000 per person in medical expenses, but you can find coverage amounts of $250,000, $100,000 or less.
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Travel medical insurance doesn’t cover pre-existing conditions—unless you have an exclusion waiver. A pre-existing condition generally refers to injury, illness or medical condition that caused you to experience symptoms, seek treatment or take medication in the 60 to 180 days before you bought the policy. A pre-existing medical condition exclusion waiver allows you to use your travel medical benefits for these conditions.
Medical expenses related to normal pregnancy and childbirth often aren’t covered under travel medical insurance, even with a pre-existing medical condition exclusion waiver, says Beth Godlin, president of Aon Affinity Travel Practice.
However, some complications of pregnancy may fall under a pre-existing medical condition exclusion waiver. The best bet is to ask your travel insurance company whether you should get a waiver and what types of pregnancy complications are covered.
You usually must request a pre-existing medical condition exclusion waiver within 14 to 21 days of making your first trip deposit. If you qualify, this waiver is available at no additional cost.
In addition to buying travel medical insurance, Godlin recommends researching your destination, including nearby medical facilities.
“You’ll also want to plan for every situation that you can,” says Godlin. “Ask yourself, if you were to go into early labor or have pregnancy-related complications during your trip, where’s the closest medical facility?”
Part of planning for any potential scenario may mean buying emergency medical evacuation insurance. It can reimburse you if you’re injured or become ill on your trip and need medical care beyond what’s available locally. Emergency medical evacuation benefits help pay medevac costs to transport you to the nearest adequate treatment facility—or even back home if necessary. The most generous travel insurance plans provide $1 million in emergency medical evacuation coverage, per person.
“Research hospitals, pharmacies and doctors and take advantage of any services provided by your travel protection plan because many provide assistance with services available at your destination,” Godlin says.
She also recommends meeting with your doctor before your departure to be sure you’re cleared to travel.
Trip cancellation insurance reimburses you for prepaid and nonrefundable trip deposits you lose if you cancel due to unforeseeable events listed in your policy. These reasons can include severe weather, injury or a medical emergency.
Issues related to a normal pregnancy are typically not covered under trip cancellation insurance. However, cancellations due to pregnancy-related medical emergencies are generally covered.
For example, let’s say you were already pregnant when you bought your travel insurance plan. Then, a week before your trip, you’re diagnosed with a pregnancy complication listed in your travel insurance policy. You would be eligible to file a claim under trip cancellation benefits.
You would not be covered under trip cancellation insurance if you backed out because you have routine morning sickness or are too uncomfortable.
Also, you’re not eligible to file a claim for a complication or issue that might happen. For instance, a doctor may advise you not to travel because your due date is soon and you have a history of delivering babies prematurely. That wouldn’t be covered because it is a potential complication but not a current issue.
Here are some examples of what may be considered pregnancy complications in some travel insurance policies:
Here are examples of what may not be considered a complication in some travel insurance plans:
Acceptable complications for a travel insurance claim can vary significantly among travel insurance companies, so be sure to check the details of your policy. For example, hyperemesis gravidarum, or severe morning sickness, may be covered at one travel insurance company but not another.
If you want the freedom to cancel for reasons beyond those listed in your travel insurance plan, consider adding “cancel for any reason” coverage. It’s an optional upgrade that generally provides 75% reimbursement of your non-refundable trip costs, as long as you cancel at least 48 hours before your scheduled departure.
“Cancel for any reason” coverage typically adds an average of 50% to the cost of your travel insurance. You usually must buy the upgrade within 14 days of making your first trip deposit.
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