What is H1N1 Influenza (Swine Flu)?
2009 H1N1 (sometimes called “swine flu”) is a new influenza virus causing illness in people. This new virus was first detected in people in the United States in April 2009. This virus is spreading from person-to-person worldwide, probably in much the same way that regular seasonal influenza viruses spread. On June 11, 2009, the World Health Organization (WHO) signaled that a pandemic of 2009 H1N1 flu was underway.
Resources
World Health Organization (WHO) H1N1 Page
CDC H1N1 and the 2009 Flu
Swine Flu and Travel: 6 Tips
How does H1N1 affect Travel Insurance?
Since each company is handling the coverage of H1N1 differently, it depends on which travel insurance company you purchased (or will purchase) your plan from.
Here is a summary of how each company is handling H1N1. Keep in mind this is merely a summary of information, and you should always read and understand your specific policy language:
Scroll down to view each company’s H1N1 information (information courtesy of InsureMyTrip.com)
Trip Cancellation/Trip Interruption– For claims incurred through December 31, 2010, Access America (now Allianz Travel Insurance) will provide coverage if you must cancel or interrupt your trip because you, your traveling companion or family member become ill with the H1N1 swine flu virus. All other terms and conditions of the certificate/policy apply.
All claims involving fear, quarantine of healthy travelers, or other government prohibition are excluded.
Medical Coverage– For claims incurred through December 31, 2010, Access America will provide coverage if you become ill with the H1N1 swine flu virus and require medical care while traveling.
Medical Evacuation– For claims incurred through December 31, 2010, Access America will provide coverage if you become ill with the H1N1 swine flu virus and require medical evacuation. Medical evacuations must be coordinated by Access America assistance personnel to qualify for coverage
Read a full review of Access America here.
Trip Cancellation/Trip Interruption– CSA plans include Trip Interruption benefits that provide coverage for unused land or water arrangements and additional transportation expenses to return home due to covered illnesses that commence while on the trip.
Quarantine prior to, or while on, the trip: CSA’s plans will generally cover losses if you are quarantined before or during a trip, under Trip Cancellation, Trip Interruption and/or Travel Delay coverage, depending upon the circumstances.
CSA’s plans do not exclude coverage if this event is heightened from an outbreak to a pandemic or epidemic.
Medical Coverage– CSA plans include Medical Expense coverage in excess of your standard coverage for illnesses incurred while on the covered trip.
CSA’s plans do not exclude coverage if this event is heightened from an outbreak to a pandemic or epidemic.
Medical Evacuation– CSA plans include Medical Evacuation Expense coverage in excess of your standard coverage for illnesses incurred while on the covered trip.
CSA’s plans do not exclude coverage if this event is heightened from an outbreak to a pandemic or epidemic
Visit CSA’s website for more notices, or read a full review of CSA here.
Trip Cancellation/Trip Interruption– Canceling or interrupting a trip due to the fear of contracting the swine flu is not covered. However, if the “Cancel For Any Reason” Benefit is in effect you may cancel for the swine flu outbreak two days or more prior to departure.
If you become ill while on your trip and must interrupt your trip, benefits are available up to the amount provided by the plan to reimburse your unused land and water travel arrangements and additional transportation expenses as outlined.
NOTE: If this swine flu outbreak is officially declared to be an epidemic or pandemic, then coverage from that time forward will not provide benefits as there is a specific exclusion for epidemics and pandemics in Global Alert policies.
Medical Coverage– Medical Expense and Emergency Assistance:
If you are on a trip and contract the swine flu, you are covered up to the plan limits for medical expense incurred as the result of their illness, subject to the plan provisions and exclusions.
NOTE: If this swine flu outbreak is officially declared to be an epidemic or pandemic, then coverage from that time forward will not provide benefits as there is a specific exclusion for epidemics and pandemics in Global Alert policies.
Medical Evacuation– Medical Expense and Emergency Assistance:
If you are on a trip and contract the swine flu, you are covered up to the plan limits for medical expense incurred as the result of their illness, subject to the plan provisions and exclusions.
NOTE: If this swine flu outbreak is officially declared to be an epidemic or pandemic, then coverage from that time forward will not provide benefits as there is a specific exclusion for epidemics and pandemics in Global Alert policies
Trip Cancellation/Trip Interruption– HTH policy holders can still file a claim in regards to any “new” sickness.
NOTE: The following exclusion applies to the Medical Expense, Emergency Assistance, Trip Cancellation, Trip Interruption, and Travel Delay coverages:
We will not pay for any loss under the certificate, caused by, or resulting from pandemic and/or epidemic outbreaks.
Medical Coverage– HTH policy holders have the Medical Coverage available in the event that any new sickness should arise.
Injuries and Illnesses resulting from pandemics are covered as any other Injury or Illness. There is no pandemic exclusion clause related to medical treatment.
Medical Evacuation– HTH policy holders have the Medical Evacuation Coverage available in the event that any new sickness should arise.
HTH covers care from physician office visits to hospitalization to prescription drugs to medically necessary medical evaluations. There is no pandemic exclusion clause related to medical evacuation
Visit the HTH website here for more information, or read a full review of HTH here.
Trip Cancellation/Trip Interruption– Not applicable, because MEDEX insurance plans do not offer this benefit.
Medical Coverage– MEDEX insurance plans will cover emergency medical expenses related to swine flu if you require care during the covered trip dates. MEDEX can help you locate preferred providers and assist with direct billing. It’s important to remember that when epidemic concerns exist, many local hospitals and doctors may still expect patients to pay cash up front for services. With a higher influx of patients, cash payment is preferred and more expedient; this could be true for hospitals with which MEDEX already has billing arrangements.
Medical Evacuation– MEDEX can always assist with evacuation if it is permissible by both the local and U.S. governments. The evacuation will be reviewed by our medical team and would take place only if it is medically necessary
Trip Cancellation/Trip Interruption– Canceling or interrupting a trip due to the fear of contracting the swine flu is not covered. However, if the “Cancel For Any Reason” benefit is in effect you may cancel for the swine flu outbreak two days or more prior to departure. If you become ill while on your trip and must interrupt your trip, benefits are available up to the amount provided by the plan to reimburse the unused land and water travel arrangements and additional transportation expenses as outlined.
NOTE: MH Ross plans underwritten by United States Fire Insurance Company do not exclude coverage for pandemics or epidemics.
Medical Coverage– If you are on a trip and contract the swine flu, you are covered up to the plan limits for medical expense incurred as the result of your illness, subject to the plan provisions and exclusions.
NOTE: MH Ross plans underwritten by United States Fire Insurance Company do not exclude coverage for pandemics or epidemics.
Medical Evacuation– If you are on a trip and contract the swine flu, you are covered up to the plan limits for medical evacuation incurred as the result of your illness, subject to the plan provisions and exclusions.
NOTE: MH Ross plans underwritten by United States Fire Insurance Company do not exclude coverage for pandemics or epidemics
Trip Cancellation/Trip Interruption– If you are diagnosed with swine flu by a treating physician, there is coverage for Trip Cancellation and Trip Interruption, pending of course that all other Terms and Conditions fall in place and there is not a listed exclusion. However, you cannot just cancel a trip because you are scared of getting swine flu.
Quarantine is a covered reason under Trip Cancellation and Trip Interruption. There are no restrictions regarding if the quarantine is foreseen or unforeseen.
Medical Coverage– You have coverage for medical expenses incurred if you require medical treatment for swine flu while on a covered trip.
Medical Evacuation– You have coverage for medical evacuation expenses incurred if you require medical treatment for swine flu while on a covered trip
Trip Cancellation/Trip Interruption– If the insured is quarantined for only a portion of the trip and wants to continue on the trip, they could file a claim under Trip Interruption and may be reimbursed for any forfeited trip cost as well as additional transportation expenses incurred to rejoin their trip or return back home.
The quarantine must be unforeseen in order for coverage to apply.
If I am afraid to Travel to a specific area, because H1N1 Flu (swine flu) has been detected, will I have coverage for Trip Cancellation?
No, there is no coverage for fear of traveling to a specific region. Under Trip Cancellation, we provide coverage for reasons such as illness or injury, weather conditions, and traffic accidents. If you purchased the cancel for any reason option, you would have coverage for trip cancellation under the specific provisions of the policy.
Would I have coverage for Trip Interruption if I am quarantined?
Generally there is coverage under Trip Interruption, if you are specifically quarantined to an area because of having flu symptoms.
If I were to contract the H1N1 Flu (swine flu), would I be covered for cancellation?
As long as the insurance was purchased before you contracted the disease, you would normally be covered for cancellation. We would require a note from the doctor as verification. If you buy a retail policy within the specified purchase window, there is coverage for pre-existing medical conditions, including the H1N1 virus. (Please confirm that policy has coverage for unforeseen illness.)
Medical Coverage- If I were to contract the H1N1 Flu (swine flu) while on my trip, would I have coverage for medical expenses?
As long as you have contracted the disease while on your trip, you would normally be covered. (Please confirm the coverage is available for the product.)
Medical Evacuation– If I were to contract the H1N1 Flu (swine flu) while on my trip, would I have coverage for medical expenses?
As long as you have contracted the disease while on your trip, you would normally be covered. (Please confirm the coverage is available for the product.
Trip Cancellation/Trip Interruption– Travel Insured International provides Trip Cancellation and Trip Interruption coverage for specific events listed in the Description of Coverage for our plans. Swine flu is not one of those events and it is not a reason supported by Trip Cancellation or Trip Interruption under any Travel Insured International plans.
At this time we are covering swine flu as any other sickness. However, cancellation or interruption due to the fear of contracting the swine flu is not covered. Cancellation or Interruption due to sickness requires documentation by the attending physician.
Travel Insured does provide Cancel for Any Reason coverage to travelers purchasing the Cancel for Any Reason option with their Travel Insured plan and canceling their trip two or more days prior to their scheduled trip departure date.
Quarantine is a covered reason under our Trip Cancellation, Trip Interruption and Travel Delay benefits. The quarantine must be unforeseen in order for coverage to apply.
Medical Coverage– Travel Insured plans provide Emergency Sickness Medical Expense and Emergency Medical Evacuation benefits for all necessary medical events, including those resulting from an insured traveler contracting swine flu.
Medical Evacuation– Travel Insured plans provide Emergency Sickness Medical Expense and Emergency Medical Evacuation benefits for all necessary medical events, including those resulting from an insured traveler contracting swine flu
Visit Travel Insured International for more information, or read a full review of Travel Insured here.
Trip Cancellation/Trip Interruption– Current insured travelers who become ill would be eligible for coverage under the trip interruption benefit of their plan up to the limits of the policy and subject to its general terms and conditions.
If a you are contemplating cancellation: Insured customers that are considering cancellation or have canceled arrangements due to travel restrictions, warnings or general fear of traveling, whether to Mexico or elsewhere, are not eligible for cash reimbursement under the provisions of the plan. Insureds who purchased the Cancel for Any Reason upgrade will be eligible for Trip Cancellation coverage under the provision of the plan if they cancel their trip for ANY REASON, up to 2 days prior to the departure and recover up to 80% of the trip cost.
Quarantine coverage is included under Trip Cancellation/Interruption and Trip Delay benefits in the event a physician quarantines the traveler/insured for any illness which prevents traveling.
Medical Coverage– Current insured travelers who become ill would be eligible for coverage under the medical expense of their plan up to the limits of the policy and subject to its general terms and conditions.
Medical Evacuation– Current insured travelers who become ill would be eligible for coverage under the medical evacuation benefit of their plan up to the limits of the policy and subject to its general terms and conditions
Trip Cancellation/Trip Interruption– Canceling or interrupting a trip due to the fear of contracting the swine flu is not covered. However, if the “Cancel For Any Reason” benefit is in effect you may cancel for the swine flu outbreak two days or more prior to departure. If you become ill while on your trip and must interrupt your trip, benefits are available up to the amount provided by the plan to reimburse the unused land and water travel arrangements and additional transportation expenses as outlined.
NOTE: TravelSafe plans underwritten by United States Fire Insurance Company do not exclude coverage for pandemics or epidemics.
Medical Coverage– If you are on a trip and contract the swine flu, you are covered up to the plan limits for medical expense incurred as the result of your illness, subject to the plan provisions and exclusions.
NOTE: TravelSafe plans underwritten by United States Fire Insurance Company do not exclude coverage for pandemics or epidemics.
Medical Evacuation– If you are on a trip and contract the swine flu, you are covered up to the plan limits for medical evacuation incurred as the result of your illness, subject to the plan provisions and exclusions.
NOTE: TravelSafe plans underwritten by United States Fire Insurance Company do not exclude coverage for pandemics or epidemics.