Travel Insurance Extension of Coverage

What is Extension Of Coverage?

Extension of Coverage is a travel insurance benefit that extends your insurance coverage if your return date is delayed or pushed back for reasons outside of your control. Most travel insurance policies can be extended for a short amount of time if you’re unexpectedly stuck at your destination and can’t travel home as scheduled.

Travel insurance providers will typically extend all coverage, except for Trip Cancellation, for a predetermined period of time. This includes any delay, baggage, interruption, and health benefits your plan may include.

Extension of Coverage can be useful if a medical emergency or severe weather prevents you from returning home as planned. With that said, there are a variety of other covered scenarios in which your travel insurance can be extended.

FAQs: Extension Of Coverage

What Are Covered Reasons to Extend a Policy?

Many travel insurance companies that offer Extension of Coverage will allow policyholders to extend their policy for a variety of different reasons.

While eligibility requirements often vary by policy, most plans will allow coverage extensions if the follow scenarios apply:

• Unexpected medical emergency
• Inclement weather or natural disaster
• Significant flight delays
• Terrorism at your destination
• Illness or injury to a travel companion or family member
• Financial default of a common carrier

You can reference a policy’s Certificate of Insurance at any time to learn more about a specific plan’s Extension of Coverage limitations and exclusions.

How Long Can A Policy be Extended For?

Depending on the travel insurance policy, coverage can typically be extended for 5-10 days, or until the traveler is fit to return home, whichever comes first. Select policies have more generous coverage, and can be extended 30 days or more.

Most single-trip travel insurance plans will extend automatically. Since this is a standard benefit, extended coverage is unlikely to impact your premium if your reason for the extension is covered by your policy.

If you exceed your extension period, or you choose to extend your trip voluntarily, you may need to purchase additional coverage. If you are currently traveling and have questions about coverage extensions, we recommend contacting your travel insurance provider directly through their 24 Hour Assistance Service number.

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