Coverage for Covid

[elklemi]

Cruise company is recommending we have covid insurance in case we test positive on cruise.  Any help on policy that covers medical and hotel if quarantine is required?

[klfrodo]

almost all of the travel insurance policies have a quarantine definition under Trip Interruption.

[Babr]

1 hour ago, elklemi said:

Cruise company is recommending we have covid insurance in case we test positive on cruise.  Any help on policy that covers medical and hotel if quarantine is required?

Many comprehensive travel policies cover COVID as any other illness, in fact, most. The claim requires a confirmation of diagnosis.

 

The Travel Delay provision pays for hotel and meals if you are delayed by quarantine returning from your trip. Look for a policy with generous benefits in this part of the policy. It is usually expressed as a limit per person per day with a maximum limit.

 

The Trip Interruption provision will reimburse prepaid nonrefundable costs if you have to leave the trip early. It also pays for return transportation if you can’t make your scheduled return flight.

 

The medical provision will cover any costs related to medical care if it is necessary such as doctor visits or prescriptions.

 

Be prepared to pay out of pocket and file for reimbursement. That is the way travel insurance works.

Your question makes me think you are not familiar with travel insurance. In that case, the simplest thing to do is to work with a professional who can help you find the right policy for your needs. It does not cost any extra to do this so call Trip Insurance Store, and let them advise you.

 

[klfrodo]

1 hour ago, Babr said:

 

 

The Trip Interruption provision will reimburse prepaid nonrefundable costs if you have to leave the trip early. It also pays for return transportation if you can’t make your scheduled return flight.

 

 

I "THINK" Trip Interruption also pays (up to 150% of trip costs on most policies) if one is quarantined to their cabin on a cruise. Of course, documentation from the medical officer requiring this forced quarantine would be required.

If I'm mistaken, hopefully @iamtrustworthy can shed better information.

 

After thinking about this, maybe the OP is concerned about a trip into some place where the operator is being very specific about "Covid" insurance. Maybe OP can come back and be a little bit more specific.

Edited October 6, 2022 by klfrodo

[Babr]

You may be right, but I don’t know.
 

The language in most policies says something like “rejoin your trip from the point where you were interrupted or transportation to rejoin.”  Being isolated in one’s cabin might be interpreted to mean your participation in the trip has been interrupted, but you have not actually left the ship.  Some cruise lines describe those days as “unused” in their COVID assistance plans, but I’m not sure insurance does because you are still receiving services of the ship.

 

I will leave it to Steve to explain it to us.

[JHLH821]

Our experience contracting covid on ship: we cruised on Oceania in September, we are both on Medicare and are Kaiser members. Husband contracted covid 3 days in, me at 6 days- both of us in strict quarantine and were administered paxlovid.

we had trip insurance through AMEX

once we returned home, we started submitting claims:

1st to Kaiser: they reimbursed us in full for the $1600.00, no questions asked.

2. submitted claim to Amex, we did not have specific covid insurance but under the terms of trip interruption we decided it was worth it to ask: we decided to fly home a day earlier than planned and paid hefty change fees. Amex paid us in full for the change fees and pre booked tours we were not able to cancel.

3. Cruise line gave us FCC for 90% of the fare so we rebooked.

our recommendation: submit claims as soon as you return home, keep extensive copies of all trip related documents and include a cover letter explaining why you are submitting a claim. we researched Kaiser coverage abroad and even on Medicare, medical costs are covered though we know this is not the case with all providers. Overall, we were pleased with how this was handled.

 

 

[Babr]

1 hour ago, JHLH821 said:

Our experience contracting covid on ship: we cruised on Oceania in September, we are both on Medicare and are Kaiser members. Husband contracted covid 3 days in, me at 6 days- both of us in strict quarantine and were administered paxlovid.

we had trip insurance through AMEX

once we returned home, we started submitting claims:

1st to Kaiser: they reimbursed us in full for the $1600.00, no questions asked.

2. submitted claim to Amex, we did not have specific covid insurance but under the terms of trip interruption we decided it was worth it to ask: we decided to fly home a day earlier than planned and paid hefty change fees. Amex paid us in full for the change fees and pre booked tours we were not able to cancel.

3. Cruise line gave us FCC for 90% of the fare so we rebooked.

our recommendation: submit claims as soon as you return home, keep extensive copies of all trip related documents and include a cover letter explaining why you are submitting a claim. we researched Kaiser coverage abroad and even on Medicare, medical costs are covered though we know this is not the case with all providers. Overall, we were pleased with how this was handled.

 

 

 

That worked as expected. The question remains whether travel insurance will reimburse in cash for days spent in quarantine on the ship. Some may do that. It depends on the policy. 

[JHLH821]

1 hour ago, Babr said:

 

That worked as expected. The question remains whether travel insurance will reimburse in cash for days spent in quarantine on the ship. Some may do that. It depends on the policy. 
the most important document is the actual covid medical test result, not just the form that states you are in quarantine. We did not request quarantine reimbursement from Amex as we knew the cruise line would. I would expecf that most cruise lines will offer FCC, not cash refunds.

 

[Babr]

31 minutes ago, JHLH821 said:

 

Yes, that is the issue. Once the cruise line reimburses for quarantine, insurance is out of the question for confinement on the ship.