Not many insurance carriers will pay for emergencies in foreign cities or while on a cruise. International travelers should be aware of what their insurance does and does not cover before they leave the country. Travel health insurance is available and covers not only medical accident expenses but also covers things you may not expect to happen while vacationing. There are a few things you should make sure are covered with your international health insurance provider before leaving your country.
Repatriation Coverage
No one ever expects the worst case scenario. However, if you are an adventurous traveller, during your vacation, you might get involved in an accident that could result in death or permanent disability. Your travel insurance provider should state whether or not they cover repatriation. Whether you are traveling by yourself, with friends, or with family, it’s important to remember that if a death occurs on any trip, your body is not automatically shipped back home for burial. In fact, it’s usually stored in the local morgue and local laws govern how long it may have to wait before being sent home.
Transporting a body can take a lot of money and coordination to properly prepare and ship it back home. Each country has their own laws and regulations governing how a body can be transported and generally this requires a good deal of paper work in the regional language. With repatriation coverage, you will have assistance from your travel insurance representative to coordinate and manage the paper work, as well as cover the costs associated with filings.
If you are an adventurous traveler travelling alone, these responsibilities are best left to a professional that can wade through international waters on your behalf rather than leaving it to surviving family members to solve and potentially pay for. In worst case scenarios like an accidental death, any cancellation fees associated with hotels and airlines are covered as well. Repatriation coverage is an important aspect of travel health insurance you should look into before leaving on your adventure vacation for your own protection as well as your loved ones.