In the last decade, “babymoons” have increasingly become the norm, as expectant couples enjoy one last getaway together, as they prepare for their family life to change forever. Expectant parents have the added pressures of weighing their desire to travel against safety concerns. Our goal is to help you make an informed travel decision; so, here are 5 things you should know about travel insurance, for pregnant women who are planning to travel abroad for a babymoon.
1. Review your babymoon travel insurance policy’s terms and conditions
Terms and conditions are standard among Canadian insurance companies, so it’s important to review and understand your travel insurance policy—its benefits, covered risks and exclusions—before leaving on your pre-baby vacation.
For example, under TuGo’s Traveller Emergency Medical Insurance, you’ll be covered for emergency medical expenses for pregnancy, delivery and any related complications, as long as these expenses do not arise within 9 weeks before your expected delivery date or within the 9 weeks after.
2. What’s covered for premature birth by travel insurance
Going into premature labour would be terrifying in any situation; but being far away from the comforts of home, your trusted birthing team and hospital will likely exacerbate the stress of the situation. Your travel insurance provider will want the best for you and your baby, doing what can be done to alleviate those concerns by ensuring both of you are the priority in this unfortunate circumstance. So, with that in mind, if you go into labour while abroad, do what’s needed to get to the hospital safely. Then, contact your travel insurance provider as soon as you can. They’ll ensure your care and treatment is coordinated.
In this scenario, under our Traveller policy, you would be covered for the medical expenses of the premature birth (again, as long as the birth does not occur within the 9 weeks before your expected delivery date or within the 9 weeks after). We’ll also cover up to $25,000 for medical expenses incurred by your newborn child following the unexpected birth. Coverage ends for the newborn upon release from the hospital or when the maximum limit has been reached, whichever first occurs.
3. What’s covered during pregnancy not related to premature birth
Coverage may be provided under Emergency Medical Insurance exactly as it would if you weren’t pregnant (keeping the terms and conditions listed under #1 in mind, of course). Plus, you may be relieved to know that pregnancy doesn’t increase travel insurance premiums either!
Expenses that arise from an unexpected medical emergency not related to pregnancy, such as COVID-19, food poisoning or a broken ankle, would be covered. However, it’s important to note that routine pre-natal (or post-natal) care isn’t considered a travel medical emergency eligible for coverage.
4. Pre-existing medical conditions related to pregnancy can impact coverage
A pregnancy complication that exists before leaving on your trip, such as gestational diabetes, is considered a pre-existing medical condition. This means that treatment of the complication while travelling will only be covered if pre-existing medical condition stability requirements have been met. Stability requirements can vary per policy, and it’s important to understand how an unstable pre-existing medical condition can impact a claim, if you have to make one.
5. Trip Cancellation Insurance has benefits for expectant couples planning travel
If you purchased Trip Cancellation & Trip Interruption Insurance but found out you were pregnant after the date the trip was booked or after the date the insurance was purchased (whichever occurs later), and your trip was scheduled to take place within 9 weeks before or after the expected date of delivery, you may be covered if you chose to cancel your trip. You may also be covered if you needed to cancel your trip due to complications within the first 31 weeks of your pregnancy.
Trip cancellation in the event of an adoption
If you purchased Trip Cancellation & Trip Interruption Insurance after you booked your trip and was then notified that the legal adoption of your child was scheduled to take place during your trip , you would be covered if you chose to cancel your trip.
In closing, expecting a child is very exciting! But travelling pregnant may cause you some concern if you aren’t prepared, so we hope this information about travel insurance for pregnant women helps alleviate your concerns. If we didn’t cover all your questions, please leave your comments below and we’ll get you the answers you need to feel confident to travel while pregnant.
Happy babymooning ahead,
Melissa
Editor’s Note: This post was originally published in November 2021 and has been updated for freshness and/or accuracy.
We took a babymoon with my first! It was at the very end of my 2nd trimester; I was too worried to travel during the 3rd. What does the term ‘stability requirement’ mean?
Hi there,
A stability requirement is the number of days that a medical condition needs to be stable (for instance, no changes in medication or treatment) prior to leaving on your trip. The stability requirement may depend on the person’s age and trip length, and can vary from policy to policy.
Hope that clears things up for you! Happy travels! 🙂
I could be missing where you said this, but where did you say costs attributed to the newborn are NOT covered
This to me is the crux of the whole situation
How can a woman even entertain travel in the third trimester , with the risk that if an unexpected birth nothing attibuted with the childs costs will be covered
Hi Martin,
You’re correct, costs attributed to the newborn are not covered once the baby is born. You can also take a look at this more recent blog post: http://blog.tugo.com/en/blog/travel-medical-insurance-pregnancy-and-premature-birth/.
Emergency Medical Insurance doesn’t typically provide a specific maternity benefit. However, coverage may be provided for unexpected emergency expenses related to pregnancy except during the 9 weeks before or after the expected delivery date.
The Financial Post also published a helpful article over the weekend that may help shed further light on this: http://business.financialpost.com/2014/11/22/avoid-having-your-own-million-dollar-baby-what-pregnant-moms-need-to-know-about-travel-insurance/.
If we can help answer anything else, please let us know!
Cheers,
Melissa