Author: ewilmw

Definitions of travel insurance terms used in policy language and throughout the site. Jump to a specific letter below.

• A
• B
• C
• D
• E
• F
• G
• H
• I
• J
• K
• L
• M
• N
• O
• P
• Q
• R
• S
• T
• U
• V
• W
• X
• Y
• Z

A

Accident

A sudden, unexpected, unusual, specific event that occurs at an identifiable
time and place, and may include exposure resulting from a mishap to a
transport in which you are traveling.

Accidental Injury

Bodily injury to a covered person as a direct result of an accident.

Accommodation

Accommodation.

Actual Cash Value

The purchase price of an item, less depreciation since purchase.

Back to top

B

Baggage

Personal property you take on your trip and the containers used to carry it.

Bankruptcy

The filing of a petition for voluntary or involuntary bankruptcy in a court
of competent jurisdiction under Chapter 7 or Chapter 11 of the U.S. Bankruptcy Code.

Bodily Injury

Identifiable physical injury caused by an accident, independent of disease or infirmity.

Business Partner

An individual in a legal partnership and/or actively involved in day-to-day management.

Back to top

C

Common Carrier

Any land, sea, or air conveyance operating under a valid license for the transportation of passengers for hire.

Covered Reasons

The specific situations and events that are covered by a specific coverage or policy.

Back to top

D

Deductible

The dollar amount you must contribute to the loss.

Default

A material failure or inability to provide contracted services due to financial insolvency.

Dependent

Your lawful spouse or unmarried children under 19 years of age.

Destination

A place more than 100 miles from your primary residence where you spend more than 24 hours of your trip.

Domestic Partner

A person who is at least eighteen years of age and you can show: 1) evidence of financial interdependence, such as joint bank accounts or credit cards, jointly owned property, and mutual life insurance or pension beneficiary designations; 2) evidence of cohabitation for at least the previous 6 months; and 3) an affidavit of domestic partnership if recognized by the jurisdiction within which they reside.

Back to top

E

Economy Fare

The lowest published rate for an economy ticket.

Effective Date

The date and time your travel insurance coverage begins. This varies based on the type of plan purchased.

Elective Treatment and Procedures

Any medical treatment or surgical procedure that is not medically necessary including any service, treatment, or supplies that are deemed by the federal, or a state or local government authority, or by us to be research or experimental or that is not recognized as a generally accepted medical practice.

Epidemic

An outbreak of a contagious disease that spreads rapidly and widely and that is identified as an epidemic by The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Exotic Vehicles

Expensive cars that may not be covered by a policy, including cars such as Alfa Romeo, Aston Martin, Auburn, Avanti, Bentley, Bertone, BMC/Leyland, BMW M Series, Bradley, Bricklin, Cosworth, Citroen, Clenet, De Lorean, Excalibre, Ferrari, Fiat, Iso, Jaguar, Jensen Healy, Lamborghini, Lancia, Lotus, Maserati, Morgan, Pantera, Panther, Pininfarina, Rolls Royce, Rover, Stutz, Sterling, Triumph, TVR, Yugo, Corvette, Mercedes Benz, Porsche, and MG. If you are renting a car on this list or similar to cars on this list, you should contact the provider before purchasing the policy.

Back to top

F

Family Member

Your dependent, son or daughter (including adopted and those who are in the process of becoming adopted, foster, step or in-law), domestic partner’s son or daughter (including adopted and those who are in the process of becoming adopted, foster, step or in-law), brother or sister (including step or in-law), parent (including step or in-law), grandparent (including step or in-law), grandchild (including adopted and those who are in the process of becoming adopted, foster or step), aunt, uncle, niece, nephew, guardian, or ward.

Financial Insolvency

The total cessation or complete suspension of operations due to insolvency, with or without the filing of a bankruptcy petition, whether voluntary or involuntary, by a tour operator, cruise line, airline, rental car company, hotel, condominium, railroad, motor coach company, or other supplier of travel services which is duly licensed in the state(s) of operation other than the entity or the person, organization, agency or firm from whom you directly purchased or paid for your covered trip. There is no coverage for the total cessation or complete suspension of operations for losses caused by fraud or negligent misrepresentation by the supplier of travel services.

Back to top

H

Hazard

(a) Any delay of a common carrier (including inclement weather); (b) any delay by a traffic accident en route to a departure, in which you or a traveling companion is not directly involved; (c) any delay due to lost or stolen passports, travel documents or money, quarantine, hijacking, unannounced strike, natural disaster, civil commotion or riot; (d) a closed roadway causing cessation of travel to the destination of the trip (substantiated by the department of transportation, state police, etc.).

Hospital

A facility that (a) holds a valid license if it is required by the law; (b) operates primarily for the care and treatment of sick or injured persons as in-patients; (c) has a staff of one or more physicians available at all times; (d) provides twenty-four (24)-hour nursing service and has at least one registered professional nurse on duty or call; (e) has organized diagnostic and surgical facilities, either on the premises or in facilities available to the hospital on a prearranged basis; and (f) is not, except incidentally, a clinic, nursing home, rest home, or convalescent home for the aged, or similar institution.

Host at Destination

A person with whom you are sharing pre-arranged overnight accommodations at the host’s usual principal place of residence.

Back to top

I

Illness

Sickness, infirmity or disease. It doesn’t include conditions you already had or knew about when you purchased your plan.

Inclement Weather

Any severe weather condition that delays the scheduled arrival or departure of a common carrier.

Injury

Bodily harm caused by an accident which: 1) occurs while your coverage is in effect under the plan; and 2) requires examination and treatment by a physician. The Injury must be the direct cause of loss and must be independent of all other causes and must not be caused by, or result from, sickness.

Insured

An eligible person who arranges a covered trip, and pays any required plan payment.

Inpatient

Someone who receives medical or dental treatment while registered as a bed patient in a hospital or other licensed provider. Room and board is charged for the patient’s stay, in addition to charges for medical treatment and care.

Back to top

L

Land/Sea Arrangements

Any activities undertaken by you while in the individual coverage term.

Loss

Injury or damage sustained by you in consequence of happening of one or more of the occurrences against which the company has undertaken to indemnify you.

Back to top

M

Maximum Benefit

The largest total amount of covered expenses that the company will pay for your covered losses.

Medical Condition

A physical condition you have, or have symptoms of, that you have seen or been advised to see a doctor about; have symptoms of that would cause a prudent person to see a doctor; and/or are taking prescribed medication for.

Medically Necessary

Treatment that’s appropriate for your illness or injury, consistent with your symptoms, and that can safely be provided to you. It meets the standards of good medical practice and isn’t for your convenience or the provider’s convenience.

Back to top

N

Natural Disaster

A large-scale extreme weather or environmental event that damages property, disrupts transportation, or endangers people. Examples include: earthquake, fire, flood, hurricane or volcanic eruption.

Back to top

O

Outpatient

Someone who receives medical or dental treatment but doesn’t have to stay at a hospital for overnight care.

Back to top

P

Pandemic

An epidemic over a wide geographic area that affects a large portion of the population.

Physician

A licensed practitioner of medical, surgical or dental services acting within the scope of his or her license. The treating physician may not be you, a traveling companion, or a family member.

Pre-Existing Condition

Any injury, sickness or condition of you, or your traveling companion, your family member booked to travel with you for which within the 60-180 period prior to the effective date of Trip Cancellation coverage under the policy (a) first manifested itself or exhibited symptoms which would have caused one to seek diagnosis, care or treatment; (b) required taking prescribed drugs or medicine, unless the condition for which the prescribed drug or medicine is taken remains controlled without any change in the required prescription; or (c) required medical treatment or treatment was recommended by a physician. The Pre-Existing Conditions exclusion is waived for you if you enroll in the plan at the time you pay the deposit required for the trip (or within 10-30 days of the initial deposit) and you purchase the coverage under the plan for the full cost of the trip.

Back to top

Q

Quarantine

Mandatory isolation or restrictions on where you can go, intended to stop a contagious disease from spreading.

Back to top

R

Reasonable and Customary Costs

What customers would usually be charged for a specific service in a particular geographic area. The charges are appropriate to the availability of the service, and of skilled and licensed service providers.

Refund

Cash or a credit or voucher for future travel that you get from a travel agent, tour operator, airline, cruise line or other travel supplier, or any credit, recovery or reimbursement you get from your employer, another insurance company, a credit card issuer or any other entity.

Back to top

S

Scheduled Departure Date

The date on which you are originally scheduled to leave on the trip.

Scheduled Return Date

The date on which you are originally scheduled to return to the point of origin or to a different final destination.

Severe Weather

Hazardous weather conditions, like fog, a hailstorm or severe rainstorm, a blizzard, or an ice storm.

Sickness

An illness or disease which is diagnosed or treated by a physician after the effective date of insurance and while you are covered under the policy.

Strike

Any unannounced labor disagreement that interferes with the normal departure and arrival of a common carrier.

Subrogation

Steps the travel insurance company takes, after paying a claim, to collect from other available sources such as other insurance plans or travel suppliers.

Back to top

T

Travel Supplier

A tour operator, airline, cruise line or other travel service provider.

Traveling Companion

A person booked to accompany you on your trip. A group or tour leader is not considered a traveling companion unless you are sharing room accommodations with the group or tour leader.

Trip

Prepaid land or sea arrangements and shall include flight connections to join or depart such land or sea arrangements provided such flights are scheduled to commence within one day of the land or sea arrangements.

Back to top

U

Unlawful Acts

Felonies committed by you, a traveling companion, or a family member, even if the family member isn’t covered by your plan.

Uninhabitable

A natural disaster, fire, flood, burglary, or vandalism causes enough damage to make a reasonable person find their home unfit for use.

Back to top