Are There Different Types of Travel Insurance As Per Needs?

How Do Travel Insurance Plans Differ?

Since the main objective of any travel insurance is to provide financial safety to the traveller, it makes perfect sense to let the traveller choose the plan that fits them perfectly. To make it easier, most travel insurance companies in India provide a set type of insurance policies so that not a lot of time is spent in picking one insurance. Most plans differ from each other based on their duration, benefits and coverage provided.

However, there are several factors that you should consider before any plan. All of these factors depend on the needs of the traveller. Varying degrees of needs based on the journey, the place you are going to travel, your age and many other factors will decide your travel health plan. Following are some of the most common factors affecting your travel insurance policy selection:

• The intent of travelling
• The frequency of travelling
• Time duration of the planned journey
• Location or country you are travelling to
• Age of the traveller as well as that of the family members
• Number of travellers the policy is for

Thus, there are different travel insurance plans for different people. While all of them offer similar protection, they are designed for different categories of travellers. For example, if you’re over 70 years of age then a senior citizen plan will be better suited to your needs. Similarly, a student going abroad for higher education can buy a student travel insurance policy that is of longer duration and provides unique benefits to the student. Furthermore, if your plan lacks something, you can always go for optional covers to customise your benefits by paying an additional premium.

Types of Travel Insurance As Per the Traveller’s Needs

You may be a frequent traveller used to hopping different countries or a person who waited all their life for their first international trip. No matter what your need or budget is, there is a plan for you. Take a look at different types of travel insurance policies:

Domestic Travel Insurance Policy

Many people make it a point to buy travel insurance for journeys abroad but often neglect their local travels. There are several insurers offering great domestic travel insurance plans with several benefits including medical expenses cover, flight/railway delay, loss of baggage and more. These policies can be purchased for a year or a single trip, depending on you. Under domestic trip insurance, you can travel anywhere in India and rest assured that any emergency will be covered. Many plans also cover journeys by car and trains other than flights.

International Travel Insurance Policy

Going overseas has always been an exciting thing for people. Going abroad brings a lot of thrill, hope for adventures and a novel experience. However, it also brings some legitimate fears, and often some unpleasant experiences such as missing a connecting flight or losing your passport while travelling. No matter what the concern is, most overseas travel insurance plans offer coverage against issues like flight cancellation, trip cancellation, baggage loss and more.

Individual Travel Insurance Policy

As the name suggests, these plans are designed for solo travellers or people who are travelling alone. Compared to other plans, these are pretty affordable and offer all the necessary benefits to the insured.

Family Travel Insurance Policy

These are plans made to protect the whole family under one insurance plan. It saves both time and money spent in buying an individual policy for all your family members. In most cases, this kind of plan covers the insured, their spouse, and their two children. However, don’t forget to confirm the age until the dependents will be covered; with most plans only offering coverage to children up to 21 years. Similarly, many insurers offer coverage for additional members such as aged parents or more than two children at an additional premium.

Senior Citizen Travel Insurance Policy

Why should only young people have all the fun? Senior citizens have a greater risk while travelling as compared to younger travellers, and that shouldn’t stop them from exploring the world. This also means that such travellers need the support of insurance more than ever and must be given options to travel stress-free.

Travel insurance plans for senior citizens are usually available for those between 61 and 71 years, however many insurers offer these plans to people as old as 91 years. Compared to other plans, these are a bit expensive and may require a medical checkup. However, these plans also consist of additional benefits such as travel assistance, dental expenses and more.

Student Travel Insurance Policy

These plans are made for Indian students aged 16 to 35 years who go abroad to study. Since the duration of their stay is longer, these plans usually range between 1-3 years and can be extended as per the requirements of the student. This kind of policy offers several unique benefits that aren’t offered by others, such as sponsor protection, laptop loss, study interruption and more.

Travel Health Insurance Policy

As the name suggests, this policy is specially designed to meet the health-related risks that one may face while travelling abroad. This type of policy covers expenses arising due to health-related concerns and other medical emergencies. However, the exact coverage varies with the insurer and it's important to know the exact benefits before purchasing this plan.

Single & Multi-Trip Travel Insurance Policy

For people who don’t travel more than once or twice a year, single-trip travel insurance plans are good for them. However, if travelling abroad more than twice annually, it is better to opt for a multi-trip insurance plan as it has a cheaper premium and offers protection for up to 365 days or as set by the insurer. It also eliminates the hassle of buying a policy every time before their trip.

Corporate Travel Insurance Policy

Also called annual-multi trip travel insurance, these are a popular choice among industries and corporations with a lot of business-related travels. These can be purchased for a group of employees who need to travel abroad frequently and often at short notice. Corporate travel insurance plans cost lower premiums and offer almost every necessary coverage to secure the trip of such frequent fliers.

Wrapping it up,

No matter what your purpose of travelling is, it should be as stress-free as possible. Travel insurance is a boon for people who don’t have a solid financial background or surplus money to tackle financial emergencies. In these situations, it helps to have affordable travel health plans so that exorbitant prices abroad don’t come in the way of your dreams.