The main travel insurance policies available offer cover for Covid-19, but the guarantees vary from company to company. The range of cover is very varied, so it is important to check the information leaflets and exclusions carefully before choosing a policy. For example, even within the same policy only certain guarantees may be valid in the case of Covid-19.
Among the most common products, explains research by Facile.it, are those which offer medical assistance and cover health expenses incurred during the trip. For those who, due to illness, are forced to extend their stay in the holiday resort, some insurances also reimburse the extra costs incurred for the forced stay; the advice is to check carefully the maximum coverage limits because, often, there is a limit of days for which you are covered. And if the insured is a minor, in the event of hospitalisation for more than 48 hours, some companies provide a parent with airline tickets to reach him or her.
The survey revealed that the most common fear among future holidaymakers is that of another lockdown that could result in the cancellation of their trip. For this reason, almost 7 out of 10 Italians who are considering taking out travel insurance would like coverage to protect themselves against this eventuality.
There are many policies that intervene in case of holiday cancellation, but, as mentioned, reimbursement could only be granted if the insured contracts Covid-19 or another disease. If the trip is cancelled for other reasons – even if related to the pandemic – the insurance is not valid.
An exception to this rule are some policies that cover the cancellation of the trip even if a family member falls ill with Covid-19 and the insured is forced to spend a period of quarantine at home, even though he or she has not contracted the virus; however, these products are not very common and therefore it is advisable to check the information sheets carefully before purchasing the policy.
In terms of costs, again according to the analysis of Facile.it, if you want to take out a basic policy that covers medical and health expenses, the price starts from just under 7 euros per week if you are travelling in Italy, 11 euros if you are travelling in Europe. If, on the other hand, you would like to opt for a more comprehensive insurance policy, which also covers cancellation of your trip, then costs start at around 30 euros for a week’s holiday within Italy, and around 40 euros if you are travelling in Europe. If you choose a non-European destination, you should expect to pay at least 20 euros for a week of basic coverage, 60 euros for full coverage.
