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Travelers had hoped for smooth sailing by now, but the spread of the Omicron variant of the Covid virus has been disrupting travel plans. Fortunately there are travel insurance plans that address the specific concerns of travelers who have to deal with Omicron uncertainties.
No matter what your vaccination status is, if you plan to travel you may want to have a financial safeguard in place for pandemic-related trip problems. This is especially true if you’re traveling abroad, where your U.S. health plan may have limited global coverage. Travel insurance can provide that safety net.
Not all travel insurance plans cover Covid-related problems. To help you find the best pandemic travel insurance we evaluated 50 plans using data from Squaremouth, a travel insurance comparison provider.
Platinum
Yes
$250,000/$1 million
per person
AXA’s Platinum plan hits all the high points for coverage for the pandemic-era traveler, with ample medical and evacuation coverage and the option to add “cancel for any reason” coverage.
Adding a “cancel for any reason” upgrade will increase plan costs by an average of 50%.
Travel Plan
Yes
$500,000/$500,000
per person
Cat 70’s Travel Plan has high levels of medical and evacuation coverage that can financially protect you if Covid forces you to cancel your trip or seek medical care during your trip.
Adding a “cancel for any reason” upgrade will increase plan costs by an average of 50%.
TripProtector Preferred
Yes
$500,000/$1 million
per person
HTH’s TripProtector Preferred Plan has luxury-level benefits at a good price. If you’re looking for the gold standard in medical and evacuation coverage, this plan provides it.
Adding a “cancel for any reason” upgrade will increase plan costs by an average of 50%.
RoundTrip Choice
Yes
$500,000/$1 million
per person
Seven Corners’ RoundTrip Choice plan has superior benefits across the board, including its medical and evacuation coverage.
Adding a “cancel for any reason” upgrade will increase plan costs by an average of 42%.
Gold plan
Yes
$500,000/$500,000
per person
Tin Leg’s Gold plan provides ample levels of medical and evacuation coverage to give you solid protection if you contract Covid, or experience other medical issues, during your trip.
Adding a “cancel for any reason” upgrade will increase plan costs by an average of 50%.
Diamond
Yes
$500,000/$1 million
per person
While the cost is higher than most other top plans, USI’s Diamond plan provides a variety of top-level benefits. This includes its coverage for medical and evacuation expenses.
Adding a “cancel for any reason” upgrade will increase plan costs by an average of 55%.
Gold
Yes
$250,000/$1 million
per person
John Hancock’s Gold plan has superior coverage but it also comes with a high average price.
Adding a “cancel for any reason” upgrade will increase plan costs by an average of 50%.
Prime
Yes
$150,000 accident, $150,000 sickness/$1 million
per person
While you can get much more than $150,000 in coverage for medical expenses from other companies, this plan offers an array of other very good benefits for a good price.
Adding a “cancel for any reason” upgrade will increase plan costs by an average of 49%.
Safe Travels First Class
Yes
$150,000/$1 million
per person
The very competitive pricing for a good range of benefits makes the Safe Travels First Class plan worth consideration.
Adding a “cancel for any reason” upgrade will increase plan costs by an average of 70%.
Company | Company - Logo | Forbes Advisor Rating | Starting price | Best pandemic plan | Covers Covid? | Medical & evacuation limits per person | Learn More CTA text | Learn more CTA below text | LEARN MORE |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
AXA Assistance USA | ![]() | 5.0 | ![]() | Platinum | Yes | $250,000/$1 million | Learn More | Via Squaremouth's Website | |
Cat 70 | ![]() | 5.0 | ![]() | Travel Plan | Yes | $500,000/$500,000 | Learn More | Via Squaremouth's Website | |
HTH Worldwide | ![]() | 5.0 | ![]() | TripProtector Preferred | Yes | $500,000/$1 million | Learn More | Via Squaremouth's Website | |
Seven Corners | ![]() | 5.0 | ![]() | RoundTrip Choice | Yes | $500,000/$1 million | Learn More | Via Squaremouth's Website | |
Tin leg | ![]() | 5.0 | ![]() | Gold plan | Yes | $500,000/$500,000 | Learn More | Via Squaremouth's Website | |
USI Affinity Travel Insurance | ![]() | 5.0 | ![]() | Diamond | Yes | $500,000/$1 million | Learn More | Via Squaremouth's Website | |
John Hancock Insurance Agency | ![]() | 4.5 | ![]() | Gold | Yes | $250,000/$1 million | Learn More | Via Squaremouth's Website | |
Nationwide | ![]() | 4.5 | ![]() | Prime | Yes | $150,000 accident, $150,000 sickness/$1 million | Learn More | Via Squaremouth's Website | |
Trawick International | ![]() | 4.5 | ![]() | Safe Travels First Class | Yes | $150,000/$1 million | Learn More | Via Squaremouth's Website |
Many travel insurance policies offer good medical coverage, but not all cover Covid-related problems. If that’s important to you, make sure to verify that the plan you’re buying specifically covers you in case you contract Covid. To find the best Covid-19 travel insurance plans, we evaluated only plans with at least $150,000 per person for medical coverage.
Sudden travel bans and unexpected quarantine requirements can also derail your trip, but standard travel insurance won’t generally cover these problems. Buying “cancel for any reason” (CFAR) coverage will give you some reimbursement no matter what your reason for canceling.
Add “cancel for any reason” coverage shortly after your first trip deposit if you want it. You may have only a couple weeks before the option expires for your plan.
Also, some destinations abroad have medical coverage requirements for incoming travelers. Confirm the medical coverage requirements you’ll need for your destination, if any, before you buy a travel insurance plan.
Related: Best home Covid tests
There are travel insurance policies that can cover unexpected expenses if you have to quarantine in another country. But in order for any benefits to apply for most of these plans, you must test positive for Covid-19 and your travel insurance plan must cover Covid-related expenses.
If you get sick abroad from the virus, a plan’s travel medical benefits can also kick in if it’s travel insurance that covers Covid-19.
“Travel insurance policies that provide benefits if a traveler contracts Covid-19 can also extend their coverage past the original return date, typically up to seven days,” says Steven Benna, a spokesperson for Squaremouth, a travel insurance comparison provider.
Related: When should I use a home Covid test?
The following travel insurance benefits can offer coverage for the costs of quarantining, assuming the plan covers Covid-19 expenses.
This benefit can cover the cost of your accommodations and meals during quarantine if you have contracted the virus. If you are forced to stay beyond your return date due to a positive test, this coverage can be extended for up to seven days.
“Policies with this benefit provide a range of total coverage between $100 and $2,000 per person, with a daily limit that ranges from $50 to $300,” Benna says.
This coverage will reimburse you for missed portions of your trip if you’re forced into quarantine due to a positive Covid test. It can cover 100% to 200% of your prepaid and non-refundable trip costs, depending on the policy, says Benna.
For example, Trawick International’s Safe Travels Voyager Plan covers expenses if you’re forced to quarantine domestically or abroad due to a positive Covid test. “These plans may also provide reimbursement for medical expenses and emergency medical evacuation expenses incurred if you are injured or sick while traveling on your trip,” says Bailey Foster, a spokesperson for Trawick International.
Consider a plan that lets you upgrade to “cancel for any reason” coverage. This upgrade usually adds 50% to your travel insurance cost, but it will allow you to cancel your trip for any reason and get some reimbursement (often 75%) of lost trip costs. Your reason could be Covid-related, such as finding out that there’s a spike of Covid at your destination. Or your reason could be unrelated—for example, you could make a CFAR claim because you don’t like the rainy outlook at your beach resort.
If you want CFAR coverage, make sure to buy a travel insurance plan and add CFAR soon after you make your first trip deposit. There’s usually a purchase deadline for CFAR, such as two weeks.
If you’re concerned about being forced into a quarantine while on your trip due to a positive Covid test, standard trip interruption insurance can reimburse you for parts of your trip that you miss—if your plan has coverage for Covid. For instance, you can file a claim under trip interruption benefits if you paid in advance for non-refundable hotel stays, tours or entertainment and can’t participate because you have the virus and have to quarantine.
But what if you don’t have Covid and are required to comply with a mandatory quarantine? That’s where “interruption for any reason” would help. “Interruption for any reason” coverage is offered as an upgrade from a small number of travel insurance companies. If you have this upgrade, you can be reimbursed for portions of your trip that you miss if you have to quarantine but don’t have Covid. It can also pay for transportation expenses to get you caught up to your planned itinerary.
“Interruption for any reason” isn’t a common benefit, but the following companies offer it on some plans: iTravelInsured, Nationwide, Seven Corners and Travel Insured International.
A comprehensive travel insurance plan will also include coverage for:
If you need to make a travel insurance claim related to a Covid quarantine, be prepared to have these documents:
Using data provided by Squaremouth, a travel insurance comparison provider, we scored plans based on:
Covid medical coverage: Up to 70 points. Plans earned points based on their levels of medical coverage. Only plans that provide Covid-related medical coverage and at least $150,000 per person in coverage were considered.
Cost of plan: Up to 50 points. We analyzed quotes for a variety of traveler ages and trip costs in order to develop an average price for each plan.
Cost to add “cancel for any reason” (CFAR) coverage: Up to 30 points. We calculated the cost difference between the base plan and the plan with “cancel for any reason” coverage added. Only plans with a CFAR option were considered.
Coverage for medical problems outside the U.S. will vary by plan. Check with your U.S. health insurance provider to see what your health plan offers for global coverage. Some plans may have limited or no coverage, or a very high out-of-network deductible.
Once you know what your health plan covers you can select the right level of travel medical insurance.
Seniors should be aware that Medicare generally doesn’t have coverage outside the U.S.
Travel insurance plans that have Covid-related coverage will generally cover quarantine costs during your trip.
For example, if you contract Covid during your trip and have to stay an extra five days past your departure date, these plans can reimburse you for extra costs such as the hotel bill and meals. Coverage for a quarantine is only triggered if you actually get Covid.
Be aware that if a quarantine does not extend your travel time or result in extra costs, there may be no applicable coverage. For example, if you have to quarantine during the trip but leave to go home on your original return date, you have no monetary loss to claim. “Loss of enjoyment” because of a quarantine is a legitimate gripe but is not covered by travel insurance plans.
“Cancel for any reason” coverage will generally reimburse 50% or 75% of your pre-paid, non-refundable trip costs. This coverage allows you to get some reimbursement no matter what your reason is for canceling.
If your reason for cancellation is listed in your policy under standard trip cancellation benefits, you can get back 100%. These reasons can include sickness or injury of you or a travel companion, a hurricane, jury duty, job loss and more. Check the policy for the list of acceptable reasons. You may decide that you don’t need to spend the extra money for “cancel for any reason” coverage.
Many travel insurance plans include Covid as a reason for making a trip cancellation claim. If you were to contract Covid before your trip and be too sick to travel, a travel insurance policy that includes Covid coverage can reimburse you for 100% of your lost trip costs.
It’s wise to buy travel insurance shortly after you book a trip so that your trip cancellation coverage starts.
I’m the Insurance Analyst for Forbes Advisor. I’ve been writing about insurance for consumers for more than 20 years. Insurance intersects with many parts of our lives, yet it’s tough to untangle, and wrong choices can make a financial mess. I’m here to help you make sense of it. I’m especially interested in how data is affecting the price you pay for all insurance types.
Jason Metz is a writer who has worked in the insurance industry since 2007. As a former claims handler and fraud investigator, he’s seen a lot, and enjoys helping others navigate the complexities and opaqueness of insurance. He has a B.S. in Criminal Justice from Kutztown University and an M.F.A. in Creative Writing from the University of California Riverside, Palm Desert.