Does travel insurance cover cases of COVID-19?

—Kaustubh

View the terms and conditions of the travel insurance policy. Some policies have a general exclusion for pandemic, which means they may not cover any loss or expenses incurred due to COVID-19. However, some insurers may have updated their policies to cover certain Covid-19 related expenses such as medical treatment, quarantine expenses, emergency evacuation, travel cancellation, interruption, or extension, etc.

If you have any questions or concerns about your policy, it is best to contact your insurer and ask all your relevant questions directly for any clarifications and they will be happy to oblige.

If your policy covers COVID-19 related expenses, it is important to understand the scope of the coverage. Some insurers may only cover COVID-19 medical expenses, but others may also cover quarantine expenses or if you are forced to cancel or postpone your trip due to travel restrictions or quarantine requirements.

Along with COVID-19 coverage, travel insurance policies also provide coverage for other risks such as trip cancellation, baggage loss and delay, personal accident, passport and mobile loss, and flight contingencies that may arise during your trip to Singapore. It would be beneficial to have a Covid-19 negative report along with a vaccination certificate before commencing your travel as some insurers may have specific requirements for such documents for claim settlement.

Tapan Singhal is the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Bajaj Allianz General Insurance.