You’re in the first trimester of your pregnancy and feeling well – until a week before your business trip to New York, you start feeling severely nauseated. Your doctor diagnoses you with hyperemesis gravidarum, a severe and life-threatening form of morning sickness, and you wind up in the hospital the day before your departure. Is it possible to get reimbursed for a canceled vacation if you have travel insurance?
Yes. Pre-eclampsia, gestational diabetes, and hyperemesis gravidarum are examples of pregnancy conditions that can be covered by Allianz Global Assistance travel insurance. That implies that if you have to cancel or curtail your vacation due to pregnancy issues, your travel insurance may pay you for nonrefundable trip costs. Your disease, accident, or medical condition must be severe enough to cause a reasonable person to cancel their vacation, and a doctor must advise you to do so. Normal morning sickness, for example, would not be a covered reason for a trip cancellation. You’ll need evidence from your doctor if you’re filing a claim for trip cancellation/interruption due to a pregnancy problem.
Allianz Global Assistance’s travel insurance options feature access to 24-hour emergency assistance. If you have a medical emergency or any other problem while traveling, call our hotline or use the TravelSmartTM app to get immediate help. If your plan covers emergency medical care, your insurance company may reimburse you for the cost of emergency medical care you got while traveling for covered pregnancy problems.
Please keep in mind that travel insurance does not cover the possibility of a problem. If you delivered preterm with your first two pregnancies, your doctor may urge you to postpone your planned trip to Paris in the sixth month of your third pregnancy. However, because no complications have been identified, this pregnancy is still considered normal. The trip cancellation would not be covered by travel insurance.
Is pregnancy covered under travel insurance?
Normal pregnancy is generally excluded from all travel insurance coverage, including exclusion language such as “normal pregnancy or consequent childbirth, aside from pregnancy problems.” So, how can travel insurance cover cancellation due to pregnancy if normal pregnancy is clearly excluded from coverage?
Most travel insurance policies expressly state that pregnancy is not a covered reason for cancellation. After all, many women travel without incident during their pregnancies. However, travel cancellation and interruption owing to normal pregnancy difficulties are covered (medical treatment is too).
What’s a ‘complication of normal pregnancy’?
Every travel insurance plan defines this differently, but in general, a complication of pregnancy is any ailment whose diagnosis is unrelated to pregnancy but is adversely affected or caused by it.
This implies that, while the pregnancy itself isn’t covered, you’ll be reimbursed for medical expenses, trip cancellations, and travel disruptions caused by difficulties (up to the plan’s limits) as long as the plan you choose includes ‘complications of pregnancy’ as a covered event.
Here are a few examples of where travel insurance benefits will be paid, depending on the plan:
- You’re admitted to the hospital the day before your vacation to treat acute dehydration induced by morning sickness vomiting.
- You have acute dizziness, fall, and break your wrist while on your ‘babymoon’ in the Bahamas.
These circumstances arose as a result of pregnancy problems and have nothing to do with the pregnancy itself.
Limitations on travel insurance cover for pregnancy
An existing pregnancy is treated as a pre-existing condition by your travel insurance provider in the same way that it is treated as a pre-existing condition by your health insurance provider. Consider the timing: if the insured traveler becomes pregnant before the policy’s effective date, it’s a pre-existing condition.
If you need to make a claim on your travel insurance plan for medical care or cancellation the travel insurance provider will review your medical records to see if the claim was made because of a pre-existing condition. If you’re already pregnant when you get travel insurance and want to be able to file a claim for cancellation or medical care while traveling, you’ll need to get a plan that covers pre-existing conditions.
If a travel insurance plan is purchased within a specified number of days of the traveler’s initial trip purchase, it may automatically cover pre-existing conditions. Otherwise, you can add pre-existing coverage to your standard plan as an upgrade.
How do travelers cover trip cancellations due to pregnancy?
If you’re planning on getting pregnant or suspect you might be, find out before you buy travel insurance. If you need to file a claim and the travel insurance company discovers you were pregnant before your plan began, your claim will be denied due to a pre-existing condition.
Is pregnancy considered a preexisting condition for travel insurance?
To make sure you’ve done everything you can to protect yourself and your trip, do your research, tell your travel insurance company about any conditions you think might apply, buy your travel insurance plan as soon as possible after paying your initial trip deposit, and familiarize yourself with all the details of your plan before you leave. Understand that this is a complicated aspect of travel insurance, and don’t be scared to ask questions! Here are some frequently asked questions by tourists just like you.
Absolutely! Travelers with pre-existing conditions, as previously stated, will be particularly interested in plans that feature Pre-Existing Condition Waivers. Travelers who require the waiver must act quickly when acquiring their insurance, as all Pre-Existing Condition Waivers are only accessible for a limited time after the first payment is made. There may still be solutions if you are not inside the deadline to be eligible for the waiver. If your last diagnostic test or prescription adjustment was 90 days ago, for example, we might be able to locate a plan that only looks back 60 days.
No, is the quick response. Other parts of the travel insurance plan, such as the quantity of medical coverage available or the policy price, may be affected by age, but the pre-existing condition exclusion is not affected. The travel insurance company will look over the person’s medical records to see if their health issues are stable. It’s possible that these have nothing to do with your age.
Pregnancy is not a pre-existing condition; yet, it is a condition that can be expected. A normal, healthy pregnancy is never covered by a travel insurance policy, even if the pregnancy did not exist at the time the policy was purchased. You may be eligible for trip cancellation or trip interruption coverage if pregnancy issues prevent you from traveling on a doctor’s order.
Does travel insurance cover labor and delivery?
We’ve lately received some inquiries from readers who want to know if their travel insurance policy covers giving birth as part of the medical coverage.
Because the birth is an expected event, a pregnant traveler in an advanced stage of pregnancy is unlikely to get travel insurance coverage for a normal birth. Childbirth is not covered unless it is a unique medical scenario, as travel insurance only covers unforeseen events.
Pregnancy is specifically excluded from all travel insurance coverage, using excluding language such as:
“other than difficulties of pregnancy, pregnancy, labor, or elective abortion;”
It’s critical to realize that travel insurance coverage for pregnant women is contingent on the conditions. To begin, the pregnancy must occur after the effective date of the travel insurance policy, or it will be considered a pre-existing medical condition.
Premature labor is thus classified as a complication of pregnancy, which is normally covered by a travel insurance plan’s medical coverage, and so medical treatment is covered up to the plan’s limits. The following are the best guidelines to follow when purchasing travel insurance to cover childbirth:
- If the traveler finds out she’s pregnant after making plans and has already acquired travel insurance, she’ll need to study the plan’s pregnancy requirements as well as the coverage for medical problems.
- If the traveler is already pregnant and wants to buy travel insurance to cover any medical issues, she should make sure the policy covers pre-existing medical conditions (an upgrade may be necessary and there are timing restrictions involved).
- If the traveler becomes pregnant after the policy’s effective date, she should double-check that she has adequate medical coverage in case something goes wrong while she’s on the road.
To summarize, you can receive travel insurance coverage for emergency medical care related to pregnancy difficulties, but a normal pregnancy that is progressing normally even giving birth is not covered.
Do you have to tell airline you are pregnant?
The delivery of a baby on an Air France flight in first class, no less reminded us that while giving birth on a plane is an uncommon occurrence, it does happen: Every year, a few infants are born in the air. Even individuals who aren’t born in the front row of a plane can strike it rich. For being born in flight, some people have been given free flights for life or a million airline miles.
While flight attendants and crew are trained and equipped for the uncommon case of a woman giving birth in the air, most airlines naturally aim to avoid the situation. However, because there are no official norms governing pregnancy travel around the world, each airline has its own limits, schedules, and procedures. The rules range from “fly whenever you want” to “you must fly with an obstetrician” (no, seriously).
The vast majority of airlines require a medical certificate from a primary attending doctor or midwife certifying that the passenger is healthy and fit for travel during the final months of pregnancy, though this varies by airline, with US airlines typically providing more flexibility than international carriers.
How long can you fly pregnant Ryanair?
Mothers-to-be can fly up to 28 weeks pregnant. We need pregnant mothers to carry a ‘fit to fly’ letter produced by their midwife or doctor whenever an uncomplicated pregnancy reaches its 28th week.
When can you travel during pregnancy?
Traveling while pregnant is common, and many women do it. However, it’s critical to consider any issues that may arise during overseas travel. Consider how you’ll acquire quality medical care in the nations you’ll be visiting. Instead than waiting until you’re pregnant to obtain all of your immunizations, get them all before you are pregnant.
According to the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, the safest time for a woman to travel is between 14 and 28 weeks of pregnancy. This is when you will be at your most energetic. You also have the lowest chance of having a spontaneous abortion or going into labor early. Because of potential concerns like elevated blood pressure, phlebitis, and false or preterm labor, many healthcare experts and midwives suggest remaining within a 300-mile radius of home throughout the third trimester (25 to 40 weeks). Women are generally prohibited from flying after 36 weeks for domestic travel and 28 to 35 weeks for foreign travel. At any point during your pregnancy, you and your healthcare provider or midwife should discuss whether you should travel and how far you should travel.
Pregnant women with the following conditions may be recommended against going to countries that require pre-travel immunizations, according to the CDC. It’s possible that this list isn’t complete. So, before you go, talk to your doctor or midwife about your medical history:
It’s also possible that you’ll be told not to travel to dangerous areas. It’s possible that the list below isn’t complete. Before going on a trip, talk to your healthcare professional or midwife about your plans.
Can a 7 month pregnant woman fly?
Commercial plane travel before week 36 of pregnancy is generally regarded safe if you are in good health. Still, if you’re expecting a child, see your doctor before flying.
Can I travel at 32 weeks pregnant?
According to current recommendations, the safest time to fly during pregnancy is before 37 weeks or 32 weeks if carrying twins. Flying is not unsafe during a low-risk pregnancy, according to the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, although there may be adverse effects.
How much is 36 weeks pregnant in months?
You’re officially nine months pregnant at 36 weeks. That’s right, you read that correctly. While the term “nine months of pregnancy” is widely used, full term is closer to ten months (and sometimes a bit longer) when all is said and done.
Can I fly 8 months pregnant?
Is it safe to fly while pregnant? Traveling by plane is almost always safe for healthy pregnant women. Most airlines allow pregnant women to fly within the United States until they are roughly 36 weeks pregnant. If you require documentation of your due date, ask your ob-gyn or another health care provider.