With active covid cases declining and several states gradually easing lockdown restrictions, the travel and tourist industry is hoping for a revival in domestic and international travel in India. However, the danger of the pandemic still lurks in the shadows, and apart from following social distancing guidelines, another way to mitigate that risk is to opt for travel insurance. It not only covers your emergency medical costs, but also your loss of baggage, personal accident and liabilities, trip delays/ cancellations and much more. However, with the myriad of travel insurance plans and companies available, it can get difficult to choose the right travel insurance plan that meets all your needs.
Here is our list of tips to help you choose the best travel insurance plan in India 2021:
Buy from the best travel insurance companies
It is a wise decision to buy travel insurance from the leading insurance companies in the industry, as they provide the best travel insurance plans along with excellent and prompt customer service. Travel insurance from the best companies offer greater coverage with lower premiums, making them more reliable and beneficial than other providers. To help you choose the right travel insurance company, we provide you with a list of the top 10 travel insurance companies in India.
Choose the right type of travel insurance plan
By choosing the travel insurance policy most suitable for your trips, you can not only get better coverage but also save on your insurance premium. There are customized travel insurance plans available to suit the different needs of each customer, such as for students, high-frequency travelers and occasional travelers. The most popular types of travel insurance are:
Group/Family travel insurance
These travel insurance plans are intended for a group or family travelling together. They provide the same coverage as other travel insurances but are much cheaper than buying travel insurance individually for each group or family member.
Multi-trip travel insurance
This type of travel insurance provides you with coverage throughout the year, and is very cost-efficient for frequent travelers.
Single trip travel insurance
This travel insurance insures the policyholder for only one trip, and is best for those who don’t travel very often.
Student travel insurance
Student travel insurance provides coverage to students travelling overseas to study at foreign institutes. It ensures their entire journey as well as any disruption to studies and loss of belongings abroad. It is a mandatory requirement for international students in many countries such as the US, UK and Canada.
Corporate travel insurance
This type of travel insurance is provided by employers to their employees who are travelling for business purposes. Generally, it is only valid till the employee works with the company, and covers only the employee and not their family members.
By selecting the right type of travel insurance plan for you, you can get the maximum coverage for yourself and your accompanying travelers, while saving on the insurance premium paid as well.
Look for additional features and add-ons
It is not enough to buy the travel insurance with the lowest premium, as it may not provide you with enough coverage for your travels. Instead, one must also focus on additional features and add-ons offered in the travel insurance by the chosen insurance provider. For example, Bajaj Allianz offers 12 optional add-ons with its travel insurance, allowing its customers to build a comprehensive travel insurance plan that meets their exact needs. Reliance General and Care Health cover medical expenses arising from pre-existing ailments, which is not covered in most other travel insurances.
Compare Premiums online
Without a doubt, it is very important to compare premiums between similar travel insurance plans to choose the policy that provides you with the best coverage at the most affordable price. Sites such as PolicyBazaar and Bankbazaar allow you to compare different travel insurance plans from several companies together, and doesn’t require you to depend on any travel agent to choose the best travel insurance policy.
Compare Claim Rejection Ratio
Another important factor to compare is the claim rejection ratio, as it shows the number of claims that the travel insurance company has rejected for various reasons. A higher claim rejection ratio indicates that the claims filed by many policyholders were rejected, which is a negative sign for prospective insurance buyers.
That concludes our tips for buying the best travel insurance plan in India 2021. When buying travel insurance, one must not only compare premiums, but also look at the additional features offered, the types of travel insurance available and the claim rejection ratio. Additionally, one must select the right company for travel insurance, which can be seen through user reviews, testimonials and the services being offered. We hope you found this article helpful. If so, please share and comment below.