Surprising (and little known) exclusions in many travel insurance policies

So you read our blog post from Nov. 25th and you understand the need for travel insurance, but what you may not know is that your policy may not cover you in all situations. For example, are you covered if you’re injured while scuba diving or bungee-jumping? Can you be reimbursed for that elective dental work or surgery you have planned? People are often surprised by some of the things they assume will be covered, but actually aren’t.

• One of the biggest surprises tends to be the alcohol, drugs or medication exclusion - if you happen to have a few too many drinks, stumble off a curb and break your ankle, your hospital costs will probably not be covered. Specifically, the wording states that there will be no payment for injury directly or indirectly caused by an insured person’s abuse of or intoxication due to the above substances.
• And what if you’re injured while scuba-diving – does your insurance cover you? Well, it depends. If you’ve been properly trained and are certified by an internationally recognized and accepted program (like NAUI or PADI), then you most likely will be covered. If you’re not certified though, don’t count on having any related medical costs paid for by your travel medical insurance. 

I’ll touch on bungee-jumping and other scenarios in the next article. Any other specific situations you’re wondering about? Leave a comment below and we’ll respond in future posts. Stay tuned for more in this series...

Written by Derek F.
Insurance Services Manager, New Westminster London Drugs