US agent begins offering cover for Covid-19

The policies now cover individuals, students, families and groups of international travellers for Covid-19. In addition to Covid-19 testing and treatment, other featured benefits among the portfolio of different Covid-19 plans available on VisitorsCoverage include free telemedicine consultations, coverage in areas with travel advisories, family plans, pre-existing conditions coverage and more.

Rajeev Shrivastava, CEO and founder of VisitorsCoverage, explained: “One of the founding principles of VisitorsCoverage was to do away with the one-size-fits-all approach that once dominated the travel insurance market.

“We recognised, in normal times, that the needs of travellers, and travel situations, vary. That variance has only increased as a result of the Covid-19 crisis, where health risks and requirements are vastly different from one region or country to another. Catering to the diverse array of present-day needs, we’ve met the moment with a highly curated and comprehensive offering of policies to meet the imperatives of any traveller during this uniquely challenging time.”

Meanwhile, findings from GlobalData’s 2019 UK Insurance Consumer Survey indicate that the most common reason for claiming on travel insurance has been for costs related to medical expenses, with 30 per cent of individuals who made a claim stating this reason. Given that some providers have started to offer policies to new customers again, and in some cases providing elements of protection for costs relating to Covid-19 medical treatment, such as the one mentioned above, prospective travellers will feel somewhat at ease knowing they are covered.

GlobalData Senior Insurance Analyst Daniel Pearce commented: “The latest developments in the travel insurance market include the resumption of travel insurance sales from Admiral, with modifications to include protection against coronavirus-related repatriation and medical expenses. With Admiral being the fourth-largest provider of travel insurance in 2019 according to GlobalData research, such policy changes indicate the approach that should be expected across the market as providers begin to open up new policy sales.”