Trip Cancellation Coverage for COVID-19 Sickness

Key Takeaways

• The COVID pandemic appears to be behind us, but travel insurance policies can still offer coverage for this virus.
• Many policies offer Cancellation protection if you need to cancel your trip due to catching COVID.
• This coverage inclusion can trigger both pre-trip cancellation benefits and mid-trip interruption benefits to reimburse the full cost of your trip.
• Not all policies offer this coverage, so we recommend using our quote tool to find policies that offer this protection.

What is Cancel for Covid-19 Sickness Coverage?

Cancel for Covid-19 Sickness can financially protect travelers who contract Covid-19 and need to cancel their trip. This coverage can provide reimbursement for prepaid and non-refundable trip payments if a trip is canceled or interrupted due to a traveler contracting the virus.

Cancel for Covid-19 Sickness is included within some policies under the Trip Cancellation and Trip Interruption benefits. In order for coverage to be available, the traveler must be healthy when they purchase their policy.

What does Cancel for Covid-19 Sickness cover?

In the event a traveler contracts Covid-19 before their scheduled departure date, this benefit can reimburse travelers for 100% of their prepaid, non-refundable trip expenses, including flights, hotel accommodations, tours, tickets, and excursions.

If the traveler contracts the virus during their trip, this benefit can trigger trip interruption coverage to reimburse their unused trip expenses, as well as additional transportation expenses they incur to return home.

Do All Travel Insurance Plans Cover Covid-19 Cancellations?

Coverage to Cancel for Covid-19 Sickness may not be available within all Trip Cancellation policies.

When this benefit is not available, we recommend a policy with the Cancel For Any Reason upgrade. Cancel For Any Reason can cover travelers who cancel their trip for a reason that is not covered by their policy. Visit our Cancel For Any Reason benefit page for more information about this coverage.

For more information about coverage related to Covid-19, view Squaremouth’s Covid-19 Travel Insurance resource.

FAQs: Cancel for Covid-19 Sickness Coverage

What information do I need to provide if I file a claim for Covid-19 sickness?

In order to be covered, travelers will need to show proof that they contracted Covid-19 and had to cancel their trip in its entirety. A PCR test with the date, results, and doctor’s information is typically sufficient to activate this benefit. In some cases, travelers will also need to provide a letter from a physician showing that they tested positive for Covid-19.

Travelers also need to provide proof of cancellation and receipts for all of their financial losses.

Can I cancel my trip if I’m exposed to Covid-19?

Trip Cancellation coverage does not provide reimbursement for canceling a trip because of exposure to Covid-19. Only travelers who have a positive Covid-19 test before departure can be covered by this benefit to cancel their trip. If travelers are concerned about being exposed to Covid-19, a policy with Cancel For Any Reason can provide coverage for most reasons that are not otherwise covered. These reasons can include exposure to Covid-19, as well as other reasons such as fear of traveling or a border closure. Cancel For Any Reason offers the most possible flexibility for travelers.

What happens if I catch Covid-19 after I’ve left for my trip?

Most comprehensive cancellation policies offer both the Trip Cancellation and Trip Interruption benefits. Once a traveler departs their home, Trip Cancellation coverage no longer applies, however Trip Interruption can provide similar coverage for travelers during their trip.

If a traveler contracts Covid-19 after they depart, the Trip Interruption benefit can reimburse travelers between 100-200% of their unused prepaid, non-refundable trip costs, depending on the policy. In addition to unused trip costs, this benefit can also include coverage for additional transportation expenses a traveler incurs to return home.

Please be aware that coverage and eligibility requirements for this benefit differ by policy.