Individual, group and family travel insurance policies are a must if you plan to travel. They are especially useful if external events force you to cancel your trip or if you need medical attention while abroad.
Ebola, however, presents a whole new ball game, especially since it has become widespread enough to warrant government intervention. Not surprisingly, providers react in different ways. The question, however, is to what extent will Ebola affect your basic family travel insurance policy? Here are some of the most notable aspects to consider.
Lack of inclination is not a plausible reason
Some family travel insurance providers offer packages that reimburse you if you decide to cancel your trip for any reason. Others will only reimburse your travel expenses if there is a plausible reason for you to cancel your trip. Fear of contracting Ebola is not a plausible reason, especially if you are traveling to destinations where the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) has not issued any travel advisories for your intended destinations. However, if the FCO has marked your destinations as unsafe after you have made arrangements while they were still safe, your provider is expected to cover the cancellation charges. This also applies if your airline decides to cancel services to your intended destination due to Ebola or some other outbreak.
Getting Ebola inside and outside of countries with travel warnings
If you ignore FCO advisories and enter countries you’ve marked as unsafe due to Ebola (Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leone at this time), don’t expect your provider to rescue you if you contract the dreaded disease. In short, you will have to be responsible for your own well-being if you travel against the advice of the FCO.
However, if you are infected by the virus in any other country, your provider is expected to cover the costs involved. It is extremely unlikely that this will happen outside of the aforementioned countries, but it is reassuring to know that the FCO will lean in the consumer’s favor if it does.
Delays due to Ebola testing
Suppliers are highly unlikely to reimburse you if you cannot make it on time for your flight due to enhanced screening at airports for the Ebola virus. However, such a situation is rare, as the strictest controls apply to airline passengers arriving from West African countries. However, it is a good idea to arrive a few hours before departure in case these delays spread and start to affect departing flights as well.
Contact local embassies or ministries of health
The effects of contagious diseases evolve over time and advisories are issued as the need arises. That’s why it’s always a good idea to contact the embassies or health ministries of the countries you’re visiting, especially those in West Africa, where the risk of Ebola infection is greatest. The information you can collect by doing so will help you better determine if the virus will present itself as a risk factor when applying for your family travel insurance.
Keep these tips in mind, and you can rest easy now that you know how to work better with your provider when it comes to Ebola and other infectious diseases.
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