Travel insurance: Everything you need to know before departing

Turnberry Management Risk Solutions and Travel Insurance have answered three commonly asked questions about all things travel insurance. 

1. So, what is travel insurance? It’s basically your medical aid while exploring the world. Travel insurance covers emergency medical and related expenses when traveling abroad. In cases where ongoing medical treatment is required, the travel insurance scheme will ensure that the patient is repatriated to their country of residence where their medical aid and Gap Cover will kick in. Also remember that travel insurance does not give you the go ahead to go wild on medical procedures overseas. Travelers are advised to obtain authorisation before any medical procedures are carried out abroad. 
2.  Will travel insurance cover Covid-19 related problems while I’m abroad? You want to make sure that your travel insurance contains a quarantine cover (should you test positive abroad) and Covid-19 benefits. These products provide cover should you get Covid-19 while traveling, fully covering all medical and related expenses. It is important to remember that COVID-19 benefits do not extend to cancellations of travel booking and additional expenses incurred due to COVID-19. Read the fine print here! 
3. How do I apply? Before you apply, check what your medical aid and gap cover takes care of so that you know what type of travel insurance benefits you need. Travel insurance obtained as an added benefit through Gap Cover can provide R5 million for emergency medical expenses and can be increased to R50 million with the purchase of a top-up.