Travel insurance, explained

Two different problems can ruin a trip: getting sick or hurt far from home, and losing money you've already spent because the trip gets disrupted. Travel insurance is really a bundle of coverages aimed at those two problems, and not every policy includes every type — so it pays to know what you're buying rather than assuming a single "travel insurance" purchase covers everything.

• Emergency medical. Covers doctor visits, hospital stays, and treatment abroad. This matters because most domestic U.S. health plans provide little or no coverage outside the country.
• Medical evacuation. Covers transport to the nearest adequate hospital, or back to the U.S., if you need care beyond what's locally available. Evacuation from a remote area or a country with limited medical infrastructure can be extremely costly without this coverage.
• Trip cancellation and interruption. Reimburses prepaid, non-refundable trip costs if you have to cancel or cut a trip short for a covered reason — illness, a death in the family, or a covered event listed in the policy.
• Trip delay. Covers reasonable expenses (meals, lodging) if your trip is delayed past a policy's waiting period due to a covered reason like a missed connection or weather.
• Baggage and personal effects. Reimburses lost, stolen, or damaged luggage and belongings, usually with per-item limits.

Standard trip cancellation coverage only pays out for a specific, listed set of reasons. Cancel For Any Reason is an optional upgrade — usually added within a short window after your initial trip deposit — that lets you cancel for a reason not otherwise covered and still recover a portion of your prepaid costs (commonly well under the full amount, and specifics vary by insurer). It typically costs more than a standard policy and has its own eligibility rules, so read the policy's exact terms rather than assuming "any reason" means unconditional.

Many travel rewards credit cards include some built-in trip protection, which is genuinely useful — but it's rarely a full substitute for a standalone policy. Common gaps include:

• Lower medical coverage limits, or none at all for emergency medical treatment.
• Little or no medical evacuation coverage.
• A requirement that the entire trip be booked and paid for with that specific card.
• Narrower lists of covered cancellation reasons than a dedicated policy.

Read your card's guide to benefits (not just the marketing page) before deciding it's "enough" coverage for an international trip.

• Buy trip cancellation coverage and CFAR add-ons within the insurer's early purchase window after your first deposit, if you want that option available.
• Compare medical and evacuation limits, not just headline price — a cheap policy with low medical limits can leave you badly exposed.
• Check whether pre-existing conditions are covered or excluded, and whether a waiver is available if purchased promptly.
• Confirm the policy covers your specific destination — some exclude countries under the highest State Department advisory level.
• Keep your policy documents and the insurer's emergency assistance number accessible offline, not just in an email you might not be able to access.