If you are travelling while pregnant or travelling with a child it can be a very different experience to travelling alone as you are responsible for more than just one life. Those who are travelling with a child have an increased risk of acquiring some sort of financial liability during their trip. It also means double the expense if they are forced to evacuate or if both the adult and child are injured in an accident.

These are just a few of the reasons why it is important to know what your travel insurance provider’s policy is if you are pregnant or travelling with your child.

Travelling while pregnant

The most important thing that you need to know is most companies have one of three different policies:

1. The best policy will pay for your hospital expenses if you give birth or have related complications while on a trip; however, most will not cover the baby’s expenses. For example, your hospital stay and labour expenses (epidural, equipment, etc.) will be paid for, but the baby’s hospital stay and related expenses (shots, exams, etc.) will not be. This means that you will not have to bear the full cost of having a baby overseas, but you will be responsible for part of it. Luckily, the baby’s hospital cost is usually 50% or less of the mother’s total cost.

2. The next type of policy will pay for some pregnancy related expenses, but will stop short of paying for anything once official labour begins. This type of policy usually will also not pay for any major complications after the baby is “viable” (able to live outside the womb), which is usually 23-26 weeks. This may vary from company to company if the complications were the result of an accident while on your trip.

3. The worst type of policy for a pregnant traveller is one that will not cover anything related to pregnancy, unless it is caused by an accident which occurred on your trip. Even then, they may not pay for labour expenses or hospitalisation of the baby if you were to have it early due to your injuries.

It may be worth the cost for a pregnant woman to secure a policy that falls into the first category, as it will greatly reduce your out-of-pocket financial expenses if you were to go into labour while on your trip.

Travelling with a Child

The most important thing that you need to know is that many companies will cover a child who is travelling with you at no additional cost. Some may even cover more than one child. There may be age restrictions and other limitations that vary by company, but many insurers will cover any child under 18 who is travelling with you. This is good news for parents, since it is like a two (or three) for one special and will save you a lot of money if you do have to file a claim against your insurance coverage.

Knowing the ins and outs of any insurance policy before you leave the country is key when it comes to being prepared for the unexpected. If you are still in search of a travel insurance company, it will be important for you to compare their policies on pregnancy and children when deciding which insurer is best for your money. For more information on travelling with children, including passport issues and Australian citizens born abroad, visit this page provided by the Australian government.