Will Travel Insurance Cover Trip Cancellation Due to Illness?
By Krista DeKuyper | April 16, 2025 |
Traveling is an unforgettable experience for many Canadians, but unforeseen circumstances can turn your dream trip into a nightmare without travel insurance. Even those with travel insurance must navigate detailed terms to guarantee coverage. One of the most frequently asked questions among travelers is whether their travel insurance will cover trip cancellation due to illness. Unfortunately, there is no straightforward answer. Many travel insurance providers put exclusions in place and require supplemental add-ons for increased coverage. This article explains coverage limitations for illnesses and what provisions are needed to safeguard your travel.
Understanding Trip Cancellation Coverage with Travel Insurance
Travel insurance is designed to provide financial protection against unforeseen events that affect your travel plans. Trip cancellation coverage, a crucial component of many travel insurance policies, offers reimbursement for nonrefundable expenses if you have to cancel your trip for a covered reason. This typically includes costs such as airline tickets, hotel deposits, and other pre-paid travel arrangements.
Whether your reason for cancellation is covered will depend on your policy. It’s best to review your own policy before making any decisions regarding your trip. Luckily, most travel insurance providers adhere to similar reasons for cancellation, especially those which are out of the travelers control, illness included. To ensure a successful claim, take the time to understand your policy’s eligibility criteria and requirements for filing claims.
When you book a trip, securing travel insurance should immediately follow. To qualify for full benefits, many insurers require you to obtain coverage within a certain timeframe. This is very prevalent for cancellation coverage.
When Illness is Covered by Your Travel Insurance
Illness receives extensive coverage from most insurance providers, as it’s one of the most common culprits behind trip cancellations. If an illness which requires treatment prevents you from traveling, this is almost always covered by travel insurance. The same goes for an illness in which a physician has formally recommended you not to travel. In these scenarios, the policyholder will qualify for reimbursement of any nonrefundable expenses.
Coverage is also applicable in cases of hospitalization or serious health issues like heart attacks, strokes, significant surgeries, and other medical conditions that arise unexpectedly before your trip.
To guarantee reimbursement, travelers should carefully document their illness. Obtain medical records that explain when you were diagnosed and the severity of the illness. Additionally, any recommendation from a doctor against traveling will be vital. Ask your healthcare provider about any documents you might need.
Type of Illnesses Excluded by Travel Insurance
Travel insurance covers a broad range of illnesses, but exclusions still apply. Refer to your travel insurance policy for specifics. For the most part, insurers will not cover:
- Pre-Existing Conditions: Any health issues that existed before you obtained insurance will not be eligible. There is a timeline for eligibility, which depends on when the health issue was diagnosed or treated. If you have a pre-existing condition, seek out a travel insurance plan that includes a pre-existing conditions waiver.
- Minor Illnesses: Policies typically exclude minor ailments such as colds, flu, or allergies. Conditions which do not incapacitate you or require medical intervention will have a hard time receiving reimbursement.
- Self-Inflicted Injuries: If you were responsible for contracting the illness due to intentional harm, substance abuse, or reckless behaviour, coverage will not apply.
- Epidemics and Pandemics: Some travel insurance providers will exclude global epidemics or pandemics from coverage. Although less common than other exclusions, always read the fine print and inquire about the current terms of coverage during a health crisis.
- Injuries or Illnesses from Unapproved Activities: Doe your plan outline actions that violate your policy? Common examples are extreme sports or taking part in illegal activities. Any accidents or illnesses that occur from these activities are not eligible for coverage.
The Role of “Cancel For Any Reason” (CFAR) Coverage
For illnesses which don’t fall under standard travel insurance coverage, cancel for any reason travel insurance is your pathway to securing coverage. As the name implies, cancel for any reason travel insurance allows financial reimbursement no matter the reason for cancellation (yes, even if you cancel due to travel anxiety). Moreover, it provides reimbursement for minor illnesses or pre-existing conditions which aren’t included in standard plans.
Ask a HealthQuotes Insurance Agent about “Cancel For Any Reason” (CFAR) Travel Insurance.
