Beware. monkeypox But this new viral outbreak may dampen holiday excitement for those traveling to Europe and America. So, get insurance if you are traveling to countries that have reported cases of monkeypox.
Most health insurance policies cover virus infection, and therefore you will get coverage for hospitalization expenses resulting from having monkeypox. However, such health insurance policies also do not cover medical expenses incurred outside India.
“Health insurance policies cover infectious diseases contracted outside India. However, the treatment should be taken in the Indian territory, subject to policy conditions,” said Raghavendra Rao, Chief Distribution Officer, Future Generali India Insurance.
Policyholders should note that health insurance policies do not cover medical costs if the disease is contracted within 30 days of purchasing the policy. You should check your policy exclusions to determine whether it covers expenses incurred overseas. If it does not, experts recommend that you purchase a comprehensive travel insurance policy with medical expense facility before your trip.
“There are some travel policies that only cover accidental death and accidental hospitalization, but not medical hospitalization. So, to make sure one is adequately covered, read about the policy features and exclusions in detail, and choose the right add-on cover for a stress-free journey,” says Rakesh Jain, CEO, Reliance General Insurance said.
He said that if a person is hospitalized in India after the completion of the journey, he/she will be covered under the individual health insurance policy and not the travel insurance policy.
A comprehensive travel policy would cover the cost of hospitalization and outpatient and cashless hospitalization during travel. “Any expenses incurred for isolation without any active line of treatment are not covered,” Rao said.
Another important inclusion to check is whether the travel insurance policy provides coverage for emergency medical evacuation in India.
“During unprecedented situations like the Covid-19 pandemic, this facility may not be applicable based on the country’s regulations. For example, if the insured is found to be COVID-19 positive abroad, the person will be asked to undergo treatment and recover before being allowed to enter any country. Similar conditions apply for monkeypox as well,” Jain said.