Overseas travel Insurance policy covers the insured against several unforeseen eventualities while traveling abroad. Overseas mediclaim insurance for parents, senior citizens and other Indians offers coverage against personal accident, medical expenses and repatriation, loss of checked baggage, passport etc.
The most common risks that are covered by overseas travel insurance are:
Overseas Travel insurance India is perhaps the best idea for an International Traveller. While current data suggests that travel health insurance for overseas travel is the last thing on the travellers mind when they plan a trip to foreign shores, it is imperative that the discerning traveller gives way more importance to Overseas travel health insurance than what is it currently being given. Experts would argue that having an insurance policy is as important as booking a hotel or a land tour package and that insurance should never be looked upon as an expense but as a mandatory investment. The purpose of overseas mediclaim insurance is to safeguard the financial status of the insured in the unfortunate and unforseen event of a claim – be it a medical expense or for any non medical cover like Baggage Loss or Delay, Trip Delay, Bounced Hotel, Missed Connection etc.
Ask a traveller who has lost his baggage or passport, or had a flight delayed and spent 12-18 hours at the airport, or someone who didn’t have a room to check into since the hotel had overbooked their customers, ask a traveller who has had to pay for his / her medical treatment through their personal savings and all of them will say that India travel insurance for overseas travel should ideally be amongst the first few boxes to tick off when planning an International holiday.
For a quick perusal, we have listed the best overseas mediclaim insurance reviews and the Sum Insured options that each Insurance partner offers:
Travel Insurers | Age Criteria / Maximum Duration of cover | Plans Offered | Sum Insured Options (Emergency Accident & Sickness) |
TATA AIG General Insurance Co Ltd |
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Bajaj Allianz General Insurance |
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Religare Health Insurance Company Limited |
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Reliance General Insurance Co Ltd |
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Apollo Munich Health Insurance |
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Cholamandalam Travel Insurance |
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Future Generali India Insurance Co Ltd |
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HDFC Ergo General Insurance Co Ltd |
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GO Digit General Insurance Limited |
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Royal Sundaram General Insurace Co Ltd |
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Universal Sompo General Insurance |
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Star Travel Insurance |
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SBI Travel Insurance |
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IFFCO Tokio |
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New India |
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Travelers must be aware that while visiting a foreign country it is important to have adequate overseas travel insurance. There are many prominent insurance companies in India who offer overseas travel insurance at affordable premium rates and with effective medical benefits. Once the travel dates are confirmed, travelers can purchase overseas travel insurance by getting free quotes at Eindiainsurance. Indian travelers must be aware of the common factors for overseas mediclaim rejection.
At Eindiainsurance, travelers visiting foreign countries can get free quotes of overseas travel insurance plans. Select the plan online as per the insurance requirements of travelers and purchase online. Comparison of overseas travel insurance will be useful for travelers to understand the coverage details of several plans on a single page. After choosing a plan using the compare tool, travelers can buy it using credit/debit card or cheque payment facility.
When you are travelling internationally there are many things that one can overlook while planning for the journey. Here are some travel tips for Indian parents and visitors going abroad for a known short period of time.
As soon as the international travel is confirmed apply for the passport (for those who do not have) or check for the expiry date of the passport (those who have already). The passport should be valid till the traveler is back in the home country. Make several photocopies and keep ready to use it for documentation. A few days is required for the Indian embassy to issue the new passport therefore apply well in advance before the planned overseas travel date.
This is one of the important documents for overseas visitors and it is issued by the destination country depending on the nature of visit of the traveler. Learn the type of visa relevant for traveling abroad as per the purpose of visit of the traveler and apply. Attach photo of the traveler on the application as per the visa application requirements made by the country one is visiting (the size of the photo can vary). There will be visa application fee while submitting to the embassy which shall not be refunded even in case the application is rejected.
Once the visa is received by the consulate, the traveler will be sure of traveling internationally. The next important document is the insurance coverage for travelers while overseas. Health care costs abroad is very expensive and travelers from India need overseas travel insurance to get medical coverage to pay medical bills at hospitals or doctors in foreign countries.
Those who are under medication for certain ailments must carry the medicine prescribed by Indian doctors. Once the traveler is abroad, the drug stores in foreign countries will not give medicines without prescription or the required tablet/medicine may not be available. Even to go for alternative medicine/tablet a prescription is required from the foreign doctor and the traveler have to spend for doctor's visit.
Travelers must be aware of the change in food habits, lifestyle, weather conditions... Learn these details of any country using the internet or by speaking to any of the relative or friends already living there. Take precautions to stay healthy and fit while staying abroad. Go for walk, stick to healthy diet, keep away from allergic elements... and shield yourself from the chances of facing medical emergencies.
Pack all the essential things required while traveling abroad. Pack things like apparel, hair accessories, dental hygiene (tooth brush, toothpaste.), makeup, sweaters, scarf, caps, socks, shoes, sandals and any thing that you used while at home. Your baggage should not include things like sharp objects, flammable items, beverages from home, heavy tools, sports bats...
As we have seen in the earlier pages of this article, Travel has become a very integral part of our daily lives, be it Domestic or International, be it for Business or Leisure/Holidays. We have travellers across all age groups, across all social strata with higher disposable incomes aspiring to travel away from home for a quick getaway or for a long holiday. Most Tourism Development Boards of developing and developed nations are vying with each other for a share of the India outbound market. The United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) estimates that India will account for 50 million outbound tourists by 2020. Despite the slowdown due to rupee fluctuations, the Indian outbound numbers have been growing at an average annual growth rate of 10-12% over the last seven years. The market for travel and tourism in India is expected to grow at a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of around 7.23% during 2016-2021.
India, a growing, consumption-driven economy, a large and increasingly affluent middle class, and the ongoing liberalization of air transportation have contributed significantly to this growth in international outbound travel. Additional interest in niche tourism sectors such as medical, wellness, religious and adventure tourism has also contributed to this growth. Increased smartphone and internet penetration have also contributed to an increased number of online bookings. Indian spending outside the country while traveling abroad has doubled in the past 10 years, from $7.5 billion in 2005 to nearly $16 billion in 2015 and touching around $19 billion in 2018. Even through Domestic travels, Indians spend are estimated to spend almost $200 billion on trips within India.
With this growing Travel Market for both Domestic and International travel, the risks (both medical and non medical) associated with this growth is bound to catch up with the India traveller. And hence it is recommended to buy best overseas travel insurance so that every trip would be insured against unforeseen exigencies and can set you back emotionally and financially. Some of the important pointers on why Travel Insurance is a critical must have item on your "Things to carry on your trip list" are listed below:
There are two types of claims that an insured can file under a Travel Insurance policy. The first is a Cashless/Direct Settlement claim which is typically for Inpatient treatment for Accident & Sickness Medical expense claims.
The other type of claims are Reimbursement claims where the upfront expenses are incurred by the insured and then a reimbursement is sought from the Insurance company. Reimbursement claim are usually for Outpatient Medical Expense claims and for Non Medical claims like Passport Loss, Baggage Delay/Loss, Trip Delay, Missed Connection, Personal Accident etc. Here the insured is required to retain bills, receipts, documents pertaining to the expenses incurred and then submit the same to the insurance company on their return to India. The documents are submitted along with a claim form which narrates the type of loss incurred and other information including bank details, policy details etc. All insurance companies reimburse these claims against the documents submitted in a standard outer timeframe of 14 working days subject to policy terms and conditions.
It is important to understand the process for settling claims followed by the Assistance Company (TPA) and the Insurance Company while settling a claim. Claims are broadly classified into two 1) Inpatient Claims, where the insured is admitted to the hospital for either Accident or Sickness and 2) Outpatient Claims for Outpatient Treatment availed by the insured as well as for Non Medical claims.
A pictorial representation of the process is captured below…please note that this is the process followed as a standard practice. Some insurance partners may have a deviation to this process.
Know moreThe purpose of any Travel Insurance policy is to ensure peace of mind to the traveller when they leave home for a holiday or on business. It is also required to cover any unforeseen expense that may come up due to medical or non medical reasons during the trip.
Domestic travel insurance FAQ'sTips to find good and adequate international travel health insurance... Click here to read more
Comparison of overseas Healthcare cost and popular tourist destinations... Click here to read more
How to use Indian visitor insurance in case of sudden sickness and accidents... Click here to read more
Indian travel insurance for popular overseas tourist destinations... Click here to read more
You can buy insurance online by using a credit/debit card, direct funds transfer using NEFT or RTGS or by using a cheque.
Know more »Travelers who have already traveled from India and do not have insurance can buy travel medical insurance after approval.
Know more »Insurance customers can renew their existing policy online before the exipry date at any time.
In case of a claim or reimbursement of treatment expenses, notify by contacting them.
Are travel insurance directly billed or is it reimbursement basis, is there a hospital network.
Know more »How to use Indian visitor insurance in case of sudden sickness and accidents
Know more »Comparison of overseas Healthcare cost and popular tourist destinations
Know more »Tips to find good and adequate international travel health insurance
Know more »