[Smart Living@Kenneth] Suffered an accident or illness while travelling? Discover the travel insurance coverage!
Lifestyle2024-04-10
6 Mins Read
With travel activity on the rise and captivating destinations beckoning travellers with their scenic wonders, it's essential to get well prepared before embarking on your next adventure. Securing travel insurance for yourself and your companions is a crucial step in ensuring a worry-free journey. While safeguarding personal belongings against travel delays and lost baggage is important, comprehensive medical coverage holds equal importance.
As our desire to explore the world grows, it's crucial to acknowledge the risks that come along with it. In the event of an accident, particularly in unfamiliar territories, language barriers and steep medical expenses can further complicate the situation. That’s why understanding the medical coverage provided by your travel insurance is crucial for ensuring swift assistance in emergencies, enabling you to explore the globe with peace of mind. Allow me, Kenneth, to shed light on this topic and provide you with valuable insights.
Medical coverage in travel insurance: What to consider?
When evaluating the medical coverage offered by travel insurance, it's essential to focus on the following aspects:
1. Medical care expenses: In the event of an accident or illness during your travels, comprehensive medical insurance typically covers related expenses such as doctor's fees, hospitalisation costs, surgical fees, and more.
2. Emergency services: Travel emergencies may necessitate immediate medical attention. A reliable insurance plan should cover expenses for emergency services, including treatment in emergency rooms and ambulance fees.
3. Medical evacuation: In situations where local medical facilities are inadequate, or if no medical services are available, and evacuation is required due to a medical condition, insurance should provide compensation for related expenses, including air ambulance transport to a suitable hospital or medical facility.
4. Prescription drug costs: If medication is prescribed by a doctor for treatment, reputable travel insurance usually covers the associated prescription drug expenses.
5. Ancillary medical services: When hospitalised abroad due to accidental injury or illness, individuals may require the aid of local translators or interpreters to overcome language barriers. Depending on specific conditions, insurance coverage should compensate for the expenses incurred in availing such services.
6. Medical follow-up: If follow-up treatments such as hospitalisation and physiotherapy are necessary for injuries sustained or illnesses contracted during the trip, your travel insurance provider should cover the corresponding medical expenses within a specified period after you return to Hong Kong. Additionally, in the event of contracting an infectious disease^ during your journey, with a diagnosis confirming that the contraction occurred outside Hong Kong and is confirmed within 7 days of returning, your travel insurance provider shall provide coverage for the medical treatment of the infectious disease, even if you have not incurred any medical expenses overseas.
By opting for AXA SmartTraveller Plus, you can benefit from comprehensive medical coverage of up to HKD1 million, including follow-up treatments within 90 days of return from abroad, providing you with enhanced peace of mind.
Moreover, to address the challenges associated with seeking medical assistance in unfamiliar locations, we have introduced additional features to our insurance plans. For annual cover customers, what included are free virtual medical consultation and coverage for medicine delivery to your door twice per policy year, effectively alleviating concerns related to language barriers and the need for lengthy journeys.
Frequently asked questions about medical coverage
Does medical coverage include pre-existing conditions?
In general, travel insurance does not provide coverage for pre-existing medical conditions. This means if the insured person has a pre-existing illness like high blood pressure, heart disease, or diabetes prior to the trip, they may not be eligible for insurance coverage. It's advisable to consult with your insurance provider before purchasing a policy to understand any exceptions.
Is dental treatment covered by medical coverage?
While some travel insurance plans may include emergency dental treatment, not all offer this coverage. It's recommended to confirm with your insurer before purchasing a policy. With AXA SmartTraveller Plus, if the insured is accidentally injured during the trip and requires dental treatment within three months after returning to Hong Kong, a certain amount of compensation will be provided.
Does medical coverage include trauma counseling?
Certain travel insurance plans only cover physical health issues, excluding mental health issues. It's prudent to confirm this before purchasing. With AXA SmartTraveller Plus, if the insured requires trauma counseling due to witnessing or experiencing a traumatic event during the trip, the recommended treatment by a qualified and licensed doctor will be covered, including trauma counseling costs.
My Best Travel Insurance
AXA travel insurance is the all-round ‘My Best Travel Insurance’ for your trips!
Are injuries from high-risk sports in a non-professional capacity covered?
While most travel insurance policies offer coverage for common sports and activities like gym workouts and swimming, coverage for higher-risk activities such as rock climbing and diving may vary. For comprehensive protection, consider AXA SmartTraveller Plus, which covers sports in a non-professional capacity like scuba diving, skiing, bungee jumping, and sightseeing or rides on a hot-air balloon, providing added peace of mind.
If I'm injured while traveling alone and hospitalised, can medical insurance cover expenses for relatives or friends to care for me locally?
Coverage varies among travel insurance providers. However, under AXA SmartTraveller Plus’ protection, if the insured requires a relative or friend to travel to or remain behind with them after being diagnosed by a professional doctor, their reasonable transportation and accommodation expenses are covered.
My Best Travel Insurance
AXA travel insurance is the all-round ‘My Best Travel Insurance’ for your trips!
How does AXA SmartTraveller Plus ensure your protection?
- Complete coverage for travel delays: Whether it's additional accommodation, transportation expenses, or unrecoverable event ticket fees due to your absence, our protection encompasses all these aspects.
- Peace of mind regarding medical expenses: Our coverage takes care of medical costs resulting from illness or accidental injury abroad, including follow-up treatments within 90 days of return from abroad.
- Assurance for long and short trips: Whether you're embarking on a single trip lasting up to 360 days or multiple trips within a year, each no longer than 90 days, our comprehensive strategies ensure that you have adequate protection.
- Safeguarding personal belongings: Accidental loss of personal items can be frustrating. That’s why our coverage extends to provide protection for baggage, clothing, wallet, documents, camera, mobile phone, watch, laptop computer, and more, providing you with peace of mind.
- One-way overseas travel with no age limit: We offer extensive one-way overseas travel protection for you and your family, with no upper age limit.
- Family coverage for ease of policy management and cost saving: Our annual protection offers a family plan, ensuring that parents and all their children* are covered under a single policy, requiring only one total premium payment.
- Introducing our newly added service: Our annual travel insurance now includes a newly introduced virtual medical consultation service. This feature is particularly beneficial when travelling to select overseas destinations in Japan, Thailand, Vietnam, Singapore, and the Philippines. It offers free virtual medical consultation and cover costs for medicine delivery to your door twice per policy year.
My Best Travel Insurance
AXA travel insurance is the all-round ‘My Best Travel Insurance’ for your trips!
Invest in comprehensive protection and create lasting memories
Whether you're a meticulous planner or someone who prefers going with the flow, comprehensive travel protection is an indispensable companion for your journey. As the largest general insurer in Hong Kong#, AXA takes pride in catering to your every need, leaving lasting footprints and creating unforgettable memories with you across the globe.
The above content is reviewed by Mr Kenneth Lai - Chief General Insurance Officer of AXA Hong Kong and Macau.
^Any kind of infectious disease which is publicly announced as such and requires quarantine by the government.
*Children must be between 30 days and under 18 years old, named in the same policy schedule as their parent(s), and travelling together with their parent(s) for the entire trip; the benefit limits on medical expenses and personal accident for them is lower under this coverage, however there is an option to upgrade if desired.
#Insurance Authority Provisional Statistics on Hong Kong General Insurance Business in 2021.
The plan is subject to the terms, conditions and exclusions of the relevant policy contract. AXA reserves the final right to approve any application. For detailed terms, conditions and exclusions of the plan, please refer to the relevant policy contract.
No warranty or responsibility is assumed by AXA Hong Kong and our related or holding companies regarding non-infringement, security, accuracy, completeness, adequacy, reasonableness, fitness for a purpose or free from computer viruses in connection with the information and materials provided. AXA Hong Kong and our related companies and holding companies do not accept any liability for any loss, damage, cost or other expense, whether wholly or partially, directly or indirectly, arising from any error, inaccuracy or omission of the information and materials to the extent that such liability is not excluded by law.
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