Travel Insurance and Pregnancy: What You Need to Know

Does Travel Insurance Cover Pregnancy?

Travel insurance doesn't cover routine pregnancy-related care like prenatal check-ups or vaccines. But travel medical insurance policies usually do cover medical care for pregnancy-related complications, which is a necessity if you're traveling outside the U.S. That's because your health insurer in the U.S. may not cover medical treatment you receive abroad, and countries that have robust health care systems may not provide free care to noncitizens.

Not all travel insurance plans include a health insurance component, so you'll need to double-check what your policy covers. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) strongly advises pregnant travelers to get supplemental travel health insurance that provides coverage for pregnancy-related medical issues, newborn care in the case of emergency delivery and medical evacuation if you must be transported to a hospital or back home.

Is Pregnancy a Preexisting Condition for Travel Insurance?

Pregnancy itself typically isn't considered a preexisting condition for travel insurance. If you have other chronic health conditions separate from pregnancy, whether or not they qualify for coverage will depend on the particular policy. In some cases, for preexisting conditions to be covered, you must purchase add-on coverage—and buy the policy within a certain time frame, such as up to 14 to 21 days after booking a trip.

What Does Travel Insurance Cover for Pregnant Travelers?

Specific coverage can vary from plan to plan. But for a travel policy to cover pregnancy-related issues, it must include health insurance and not just function as trip cancellation or baggage loss insurance. The typical travel insurance policy with medical coverage will reimburse you for the following:

• Emergency medical care: If you experience a medical emergency while traveling, due to pregnancy complications, preterm labor or non-pregnancy-related medical issues, travel insurance can help cover medical bills that you initially pay for out of pocket in the place you're visiting. Plans may reimburse hospital stays, diagnostic tests, physician treatment and medications.
• Medical evacuation: If you need to be transported to a better-resourced hospital or back home for medical care, this will help cover the cost of your travel and care during the journey.
• Trip cancellation or interruption: Unforeseen pregnancy-related complications such as preeclampsia or gestational diabetes are typically qualifying reasons to cancel or cut short a trip, as is doctor-prescribed bed rest or premature birth. A pregnancy discovered after booking a trip may also be a covered reason to cancel a trip, depending on the plan.
• Emergency assistance: It's common for travel insurance companies to provide emergency assistance as part of the plan. You can call your insurer and get help in your native language to find medical care, organize transportation and alert your contacts back home about the medical emergency.

Learn more: Should You Buy Travel Insurance?

Common Travel Insurance Exclusions for Pregnancy

Travel medical insurance generally won't cover the following if you're pregnant:

• Routine medical care: Prenatal visits, ultrasounds, blood tests, vaccines and pregnancy comfort products aren't covered by travel insurance.
• Normal childbirth: If you give birth abroad and it's a normal, nonemergency delivery, travel insurance likely won't cover the cost of the birth in a medical facility. But emergency medical care for complications that occur during the delivery may qualify for coverage.
• Travel against a doctor's advice: If your doctor has advised you not to travel for a medical reason and you go anyway, travel insurance may not cover medical care you need.
• Trip cancellation due to average discomfort: Typical levels of discomfort, morning sickness and concerns about the inconvenience of travel won't qualify as reasons for trip cancellation or interruption.

How to Get Travel Insurance That Covers Pregnancy

You won't find a travel insurance policy that covers all aspects of pregnancy care outside the U.S. But to get travel insurance that covers as many pregnancy-related circumstances as possible, follow these guidelines:

• Ask your primary health insurer what it will cover. Check whether your U.S.-based health insurance plan covers routine or emergency medical care abroad. Medicaid and Medicare, for example, do not generally cover international health care.
• Read travel insurance policy details closely. There are several different types of travel insurance, from those focused solely on trip cancellation and interruption to comprehensive policies that cover medical care for a range of health problems, including preexisting conditions. Opt for a policy with at least emergency medical care, medical evacuation coverage and newborn care if you give birth unexpectedly. You can upgrade to a more expensive and comprehensive plan that offers higher amounts of medical coverage if you want more peace of mind when traveling. You can also look for policies that will pay providers directly, rather than requiring you to pay out of pocket and then apply for reimbursement.
• Consider a CFAR plan. Cancel for any reason (CFAR) plans provide the most latitude in what qualifies for trip cancellation. You generally must buy a CFAR plan soon after booking a trip, and you'll get 50% to 75% of the cost reimbursed if you must cancel for a reason that wouldn't otherwise be covered. This gives you more leeway to decide to cancel later if your pregnancy is uncomfortable but you haven't been diagnosed with a complication.
• Look beyond credit card travel insurance. While many credit cards offer travel insurance as a benefit, you'll need to book travel with that card to get coverage, and it may not offer enough medical insurance to cover pregnancy-related health issues. While credit cards may offer travel accident insurance, emergency evacuation or emergency assistance to find medical care, supplemental travel insurance independent from your credit card will likely provide a higher amount of emergency medical coverage, which you may need if pregnancy-related complications come up.
• Compare multiple options. As always when shopping for insurance, get quotes from multiple insurers to get the best deal. Depending on the insurance company, you can buy standalone travel health insurance or receive it as part of a policy that also includes trip cancellation insurance or other benefits. Pay particularly close attention to the total medical costs you could get reimbursed for and what reasons qualify for trip cancellation coverage.

How Much Does Travel Insurance Cost?

The cost of travel insurance depends on how much you've paid for your trip, how long you'll be traveling, where you're traveling to and the amount of coverage you need. You will also pay more for travel insurance as you get older. You can expect to pay 4% to 8% of the trip's total cost for a travel insurance policy, according to the U.S. Travel Insurance Association.

Learn more: Best Travel Credit Cards

The Bottom Line

Travel insurance is a must when you're pregnant and traveling outside the U.S., especially if your primary health insurance does not cover emergency medical care. Travel insurance plans can range from basic accident insurance to comprehensive coverage of up to hundreds of thousands of dollars in emergency medical expenses, and pregnant travelers need more travel health insurance than the most basic plans offer. It's key to compare policies carefully and choose one that provides the support you deserve.