Mukesh Kumar Executive Director, HDFC ERGO General Insurance.
The number of Indians travelling overseas increases every year. As per a recent survey by travel website Trip Advisor, the number of Indians travelling abroad went up by 21 % in the first half of this year compared to the same period last year. It is believed that this is due to India's evolving and burgeoning middle class from smaller cities who are opting for overseas travel as a result of higher disposable income. According to estimates, the number of Indians traveling overseas is set to rise to 50 million by 2020.
Whether you are travelling for business or leisure, you are invariably exposed to risks – some avoidable and some unavoidable. Things can go wrong in spite of all the precautions. There can be emergency situations while travelling overseas. There can be medical emergencies, accidents, flight delays, loss of baggage or any other situation that can put your travel in jeopardy. So, before leaving for your travel, little planning certainly helps you making your trip trouble-free. Amid uncertainties, the best thing one can do before travelling overseas is to get insured in time. A Travel Insurance is your financial cover when you are away from home. You must protect your travel investment against any kind of untoward happening.
Travel Insurance enables you to explore and enjoy new destinations with heartiness. With its wide range of travel insurance plans that encompasses both business and leisure travel, we always have a plan that will best suit your travelling purpose and that too at a cost that is soft on your budget. So, be rest assured and enjoy your travelling abroad without worries.
General covers available across most Travel Insurance plans are:
Emergency Medical Expenses: Covers medical costs incurred due to illness or accident including medically necessary and prescribed emergency evacuation. It covers outpatient, in-patient, medical aid, therapies and diagnostic tests as described in the policy schedule.
Emergency Medical Evacuation: Evacuation to the home country is covered up to the medical sum insured chosen.
Repatriation of remains: Covers the funeral expenses or expenses of repatriating the remains back to India, in case of death of the insured overseas
Emergency Dental Expenses: Covers acute anesthetic treatment of natural teeth.
Hospital Cash: Pays a daily allowance as stated in the policy schedule in the event of hospitalization either due to sickness or accidents.
Accidental Death and Permanent Total Disability Common Carrier: The company will pay the sum insured specified in the schedule in addition to the sum insured specified under the Personal Accident section, if the insured sustains Accidental Bodily Injury during the course of the journey while travelling in a common carrier such as rail, bus, tram, or aircraft; and such bodily injury results in death or permanent total disability.
Personal accident: Compensation paid in case of death or permanent total disability caused due to an accident.
Flight delay: Compensation if the aircraft is delayed for more than 12 hours than the original scheduled departure time.
Loss of Baggage and Personal Documents: Pays for expenses incurred in replacing lost documents and belongings.
Loss of Checked Baggage: Compensation for the permanent loss of checked-in baggage.
Delay of Checked Baggage: Compensation for reasonable expenses incurred for the purchase of toiletries, clothing and medication due to delay of checked-in baggage for more than 12 hours
Personal Liability: Compensation of damages to be paid to a third party, resulting from death, injury or damage to health or property caused involuntarily by the insured.
Financial Emergency Assistance: Insurance cover is provided in the event of the Insured Person getting into a financial emergency due to theft, pilferage, robbery or dacoity of his/her travel funds. A fixed sum is paid as emergency assistance up to the limits specified under the Policy.
Contingency Travel Benefits: Pays for the cost of hotel accommodation, if the Insured Person sustains Bodily Injury or Sickness which directly and independently of all other causes results in a hospital stay as an in-patient and misses his/her flight back to the country of residence.
Hijack Distress Allowance: Insurance cover is provided in the event of the hijack of the air or sea common carrier in which the Insured Person is traveling whilst on the trip abroad during the Period of Insurance. An allowance will be paid for each day of the hijack up to the limits specified under the Policy.