Travel Insurance for Pregnant Women

Did you know that the safest time to travel is between 18 and 24 weeks in the second trimester? In fact, many airlines restrict travel in late stages of pregnancy or may require a written confirmation from a physician. It’s important to note that most insurers generally do not consider a normal pregnancy to be an “illness” or a “sickness.” Instead, they consider it to be a condition that you chose to have. This means that for the most part, the normal consequences of a pregnancy are not going to be covered.

Let’s look at the exclusions from some top Canadian insurers as they relate to pregnant women.

Travel Underwriters: Pregnancy, routine pre-natal care, a child born during your trip, childbirth, or complications thereof occurring within the nine weeks immediately before or after the expected date of delivery.

Manulife Financial: Routine pre-natal care, pregnancy, or childbirth, and complications of pregnancy or childbirth when they happen in the nine weeks before or after the expected date of delivery.

Travel Guard: They do not cover routine pre-natal care, a child born during your trip, childbirth or complications of childbirth, or pregnancy or complications thereof within the nine weeks before or any time after the expected date of delivery

Travel Insurance Coordinators: Routine or elective treatment for pregnancy within the first 32 weeks of the pregnancy. Pregnancy within eight weeks of the expected delivery date.

Some additional travel tips to keep in mind if you’re pregnant:

• Get checked out by your doctor to find out which holiday destinations are likely to require vaccinations or malaria medications so you can factor this in when booking.
• Consider avoiding foreign travel in the latter half of the third trimester, as the risk of complications increases, and as we noted above, you are unlikely to be covered by your insurance.
• When travelling pregnant, you should be prepared. Carry a copy of your travel insurance documents, medical records, and an emergency contact number on you at all times.
• Always review your insurance policy prior to departing. Watch out for the small print and know what you’re covered for. Contact your insurance carrier if you have any questions, and if possible, get their response in writing.
   

For more details, please contact us at 1-866-899-4849 or visit our Travel Insurance Quote Page.