• Trip cancellation insurance will reimburse you for prepaid, non-refundable trip costs if you cancel your trip due to illness.

• Pre-existing conditions may affect coverage, but waivers or additional policies can cover existing health issues.

• Coverage includes acute and unforeseen health conditions that arise suddenly before or during your trip with medical documentation.

Trip cancellation due to illness is one of the most common reasons people buy travel insurance but also one of the most misunderstood. So, let’s go into the details of how travel insurance with cancellation coverage can help when illness ruins your trip. From what constitutes a “covered illness” to the claims process, learn everything cancellation due to illness so you can feel confident before you travel.

What is Trip Cancellation Insurance?

Trip Cancellation Insurance is a type of travel insurance that covers you if you need to cancel your trip before you go. This will reimburse non-refundable costs like flights, hotels, tours, and other pre-paid travel costs if the trip is canceled for a reason covered by the policy.

The main feature of trip cancellation insurance is that it applies before you go, so it’s especially good for those who book expensive or non-refundable trips well in advance.

Trip cancellation covers a range of unexpected events that might force you to cancel your trip. These include illness or injury to you, a travel companion, or a close family member; death of the insured, a travel companion, or a family member.

Natural disasters like hurricanes or earthquakes that make your destination uninhabitable can also be a reason. Being called for jury duty, having an unavoidable legal obligation, or even job loss could be a valid reason. These are usually eligible for reimbursement of non-refundable expenses under a trip cancellation policy.

Please note that coverage details may vary significantly between different travel insurance plans, so it's essential to review the specific terms and conditions of your travel insurance .

What is Covered (and Not Covered) Under Trip Cancellation Insurance?

Let’s learn about some key areas of coverage and the common exclusions you should be aware of when considering trip cancellation insurance.

Generally Covered Events

Trip cancellation insurance provides coverage for a range of unforeseen events that could force you to cancel your trip and help you cover non-refundable travel expenses. One of the primary covered events is illness or injury.

If you, a travel companion, or a close family member suddenly falls ill or is injured in a way that prevents you from traveling, your trip cancellation insurance will typically reimburse you for any prepaid, non-refundable costs. This coverage can be crucial when dealing with unexpected medical issues that arise close to your departure date.

Another significant covered event is the death of the insured, a travel companion, or a close family member. If you need to cancel your trip due to a death, most policies will cover the non-refundable expenses, allowing you to focus on more important matters during such a difficult time.

Similarly, if a natural disaster occurs at your destination, making it unsafe or uninhabitable, your trip cancellation insurance will usually allow you to cancel your trip and recover the costs. This can include events like hurricanes, earthquakes, or other severe weather incidents.

Legal obligations can also be a reason for coverage. If you are summoned for jury duty or another legal obligation that cannot be rescheduled, your policy may cover the costs of canceling your trip. Additionally, some trip cancellation policies offer coverage if you lose your job unexpectedly after booking your trip, particularly if the job loss affects your ability to afford the trip.

Excluded Events

While trip cancellation insurance covers many unexpected situations, it’s also important to know what’s not covered.

Most policies exclude cancellations due to pre-existing medical conditions unless you’ve purchased a waiver. A pre-existing condition is usually defined as any illness, injury, or medical condition for which you received treatment or had symptoms within a certain time frame before you purchased the travel insurance. If your trip is canceled due to such a condition without a waiver, you won’t be covered.

Another exclusion is a change of mind. If you decide not to travel for personal reasons such as a change of plans, a breakup, or just feeling uneasy about the trip, this is not covered by trip cancellation insurance. Similarly, events that were foreseeable at the time of purchasing the trip cancellation insurance, such as a known illness or an anticipated natural disaster, are generally not covered. Insurers assume you wouldn’t book a trip under such circumstances, or if you do, you accept the risks.

Normal pregnancy is also excluded unless there are unforeseen complications that make travel unsafe. So, if you cancel your trip because you’re pregnant and no longer feel comfortable traveling, your policy won’t cover the cancellation costs. Financial issues such as a travel provider going bankrupt may also not be covered unless you’ve specifically added this to your policy. Many policies also exclude cancellations due to war, civil unrest, or acts of war unless this is specifically mentioned in the coverage.
 

Medical Reasons Generally Accepted for Cancellation

Travel plans can be ruined by many medical issues, from sudden illnesses to unexpected injuries. Below are some common medical situations that are considered valid reasons to cancel a trip.

Acute Illness: Sudden and severe medical conditions that arise can make travel impossible, and these are usually covered by travel insurance. For example, if you come down with flu pneumonia or have an appendicitis attack that requires emergency surgery, you would likely be covered for trip cancellation. You need to have a doctor’s note that you can’t travel, as insurers usually require medical documentation to process claims.

Chronic Conditions Worsening Unexpectedly: If you have a chronic condition such as asthma, diabetes, or heart disease and it was stable at the time of booking your trip, you may be covered if the condition worsens. For example, if someone with controlled asthma has a sudden and severe attack that requires hospitalization, trip cancellation is usually covered. The condition must have been stable and under control when the trip was booked, and the exacerbation must be unexpected.

Injury: Injuries that occur after the purchase of travel insurance and before the trip begins can also be valid reasons to cancel. If you break a bone, sprain a severe injury, or any injury that a doctor certifies as preventing travel, your travel insurance should cover the cancellation. Documentation from a healthcare provider is usually required to support the claim, so it’s important to seek medical attention immediately after the injury.

Mental Health: Mental health conditions can be a reason to cancel, but coverage varies greatly between policies. If you have a severe episode of depression, anxiety, or another mental health condition that a healthcare provider certifies as incapacitating, some travel insurance policies may allow trip cancellation. However, coverage for mental health reasons usually requires specific documentation and sometimes a prior history of treatment to validate the condition. Check if your policy explicitly covers mental health, as this area is more nuanced and less universally covered.

Family Member Illness: Most travel insurance policies cover the illness or injury of a close family member. If a parent, child, spouse, or other close relative falls ill or is injured and needs your immediate attention and care, you may be able to cancel your trip and get reimbursement for non-refundable expenses. The definition of a “close family member” varies between policies so it’s important to know who is covered under this provision. Insurers also usually require medical documentation to validate the condition of the family member.

Pregnancy Complications: Normal pregnancy is usually excluded from coverage, but unexpected complications during pregnancy can be a reason to cancel. For example, if a pregnant traveler develops preeclampsia or is advised by a doctor not to travel due to health risks, this may be covered under some policies. Check your policy details to learn the specific travel insurance for pregnancy .
 

Key Conditions for Trip Cancellation Coverage Due to Illness

When you need to cancel your trip due to illness, travel insurance policies have specific criteria that must be met for the cancellation to be covered. For example, a “covered illness” is generally an acute, severe and unforeseen medical condition that prevents you from safely continuing with your trip.

Here are the main factors that determine if your illness will be covered under travel insurance policies for canceling a trip:

Sudden and Unforeseen Illness

The illness must be unexpected and occur after you’ve booked your trip and purchased travel insurance. This means if you were aware of or could have reasonably predicted the condition at the time of booking, it may not be covered unless you have specific coverage for pre-existing conditions. For example, an unexpected case of pneumonia would be covered, but complications from a known chronic condition like diabetes may not be covered unless you have a pre-existing condition waiver.

Severity of the Illness:

The illness must be severe enough to warrant canceling your trip. Typically this means the condition requires hospitalization, bed rest or is high risk if you travel. For example, a severe case of the flu that requires medical treatment and rest would be covered, but a mild cold wouldn’t meet the severity threshold.

Timing of Diagnosis:

Coverage is often dependent on the timing of the diagnosis. The condition must be diagnosed after you’ve booked your trip and purchased your travel insurance. If you were diagnosed with the condition before you purchased the policy or before you booked the trip, coverage may be denied unless your policy has a pre-existing condition waiver.

AXA's Trip Cancellation Coverage for Illness

If unexpected health issues arise, AXA’s trip cancellation insurance is tailored to cover you so you can change your travel plans if needed. Here’s how AXA can help with illness-related trip cancellations.

Health Related Cancellations: AXA can cover you if you fall ill, have an accident or a tragic event occurs resulting in death. If a doctor certifies that your medical condition means you need to cancel your trip, AXA will support you in making that decision. This medical advice must be given on or before your departure date so the decision to cancel is medically justified and timely.

Family and Travel Companion Health: Your travel plans don’t just depend on you, they also depend on the health of your family and travel companions. If a family member or travel companion booked to travel with you falls ill, has an accident or needs urgent medical attention that results in the trip being canceled, AXA’s cover extends to these situations, too. So you can put the health and wellbeing of those close to you first without the stress of continuing the trip under difficult circumstances.

Non-Traveling Family Member: AXA knows that sometimes the health of those not traveling with you can still affect your ability to travel. If a non-traveling family member falls ill, has an accident or even passes away and this means you need to cancel your trip, AXA’s travel protection will support you. This part of the policy is especially useful for those with family members who may not be traveling with you but whose wellbeing is important to you.

Host at Destination: If the host at your destination passes away or is hospitalized within 30 days of your trip start date, AXA’s cover will help you change your plans. This part of the policy acknowledges the importance of the relationships and arrangements you have with hosts who are part of your travel experience.
 

AXA's Travel Protection Plans:

AXA offers three levels of trip cancellation coverage, all of which provide a maximum benefit of 100% of the insured trip cost and more.

• Silver Plan : Provides coverage for situations involving health-related cancellations and airline reissue or cancellation fees up to $100.
   

• Gold Plan : Offers the same level of protection as the Silver Plan, including coverage for airline reissue or cancellation fees, making it a solid choice for more extensive travel plans.
   

• Platinum Plan : In addition to the full range of protection and coverage for airline reissue or cancellation fees, the Platinum Plan also includes additional support for reinstating frequent traveler awards, offering extra benefits for frequent flyers.

A standout feature of the Platinum Plan is the Cancel For Any Reason (CFAR) option, which provides you with the ultimate flexibility. With CFAR, you can cancel your trip for any reason that might arise, even those not typically covered by standard travel insurance policies, such as simply changing your mind or feeling uneasy about traveling. This option is particularly valuable for those who want the highest level of control over their travel decisions, ensuring that no matter what happens, you have the freedom to adjust your plans as needed.

The Claims Process

Filing a claim for illness related trip cancellation with AXA is a few simple steps. Follow each step carefully to ensure your claim is processed smoothly.

1. Notify AXA ASAP:
As soon as you know you need to cancel your trip due to illness, notify AXA. Most policies require you to notify them within a certain timeframe, usually 24 to 72 hours of diagnosis or decision to cancel. You can contact AXA through their toll-free customer service hotline ((888) 957-5015) or online portal .

2. Gather Required Documents:

Collect all documents to support your claim:

• A medical certificate or doctor’s note stating the diagnosis, date of diagnosis and medical advice not to travel.

• Proof of travel, such as booking confirmations, receipts for prepaid travel expenses and your travel itinerary.

• Your travel insurance policy documents, including the relevant terms and conditions for illness and trip cancellations.

3. Complete the Claim Form:
Fill in the claim form on AXA’s website. The form will ask for details of your trip, the illness and the circumstances of the cancellation. Make sure you answer accurately and thoroughly to avoid delays.

4. Submit Your Claim:

Submit the completed claim form and all supporting documents through AXA’s online claims portal. Keep a copy of everything you submit for your records. Once submitted you can track your claim through AXA’s online portal.
 

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