If you’re curious as to whether or not you can extend or renew your overseas travel insurance plan and how to go about the process, this FAQ is for you. Just keep in mind that each plan can be different. Be sure to read the policy certificate so you know the exact details of yours.
Can I extend the insurance, even if I had a claim in the previous duration?
As long as you have purchased an extendable plan, you can certainly extend it even if you had a claim in the previous duration or even if you are currently in the hospital. This is another advantage of buying the insurance from the U.S.-based company compared to the insurance plans from their home country.
Are you sure I can extend the insurance even if I have a claim?
Of course. You can extend the insurance using the extension notice you get in the email. Or you can simply visit 'MyAccount' to extend it. You have to just enter the certificate number, date of birth, new expiration date and the credit (or debit) card information. It is an instant extension.
When I extend the insurance, will the rates remain the same? Will they increase if I had a claim?
In travel medical insurance policies, the rates will not increase while extending it just because you had a claim in the prior duration. As long as the person is in the same age group, the price would remain the same. If the person has crossed into the higher age group, the extension rates may be higher according to the new age group.
Additionally, please note that if the rates for the entire plan have changed, you may be charged according to the new rates (it does not always work exactly the same for all the plans all the time). However, travel medical insurance plan rates do not change frequently. They typically change once a year or even less in most cases. In most cases, the persons would still get the same rates. Of course, there may be an additional extension fee charged every time, which is $5 in most plans.
What is the difference between extension and renewal?
Even though both the terms are used interchangeably and practically mean the same thing, there is a technical difference, strictly speaking. Lets say, the insurance can be purchased up to 2 years total, and you are allowed to extend it month to month. However, the deductible is annual. Therefore, when you pay for the insurance month to month, that is called extending the insurance. After a year, the deductible would get reset and at that time, it is called renewing the insurance.
When I bought the insurance, I was told that I can extend it up to 2 years. I've had it for 11 months and 24 days. I would like to extend it for another 3 months. However, it allows me to extend only for another 6 days. Why is that? How can I extend for 3 months?
It is allowing you to extend only for 6 days now because that is when you will have the anniversary of your insurance. After a year, as the deductible gets reset, you can't extend the insurance across your insurance anniversary date. Therefore, you should extend it for 6 days now. You can try renewing for the rest of the duration the next day. Please note that, if there is any renewal fee, you may be charged twice, and there is no way around it.
I bought the insurance from you in 2023 for 6 months for my mother. She is visiting the U.S. again the next month. I am trying to renew her insurance, but it gives an error that it has expired. How can I renew the insurance?
Any renewal must be done before the expiration of the current insurance. In other words, there should be no gap in the coverage. Moreover, please note that most travel medical insurance plans are single trip plans (multi-trip plans are annual plans that can't be renewed anyway and limit the number of days per trip). Once the person has returned to the home country, the insurance ends.
Therefore, if she returned home in 2023 and she is visiting again in 2024, you will have to purchase new coverage, with all new terms and conditions. You can log into MyAccount and easily repurchase the same plan. All the relevant information will already be filled in for you.
When I bought the insurance, I was told that I can extend the insurance at any time before it expires. I am in California and it is 11:50 PM Pacific Time right now. I am trying to the extend the insurance and it says that it has already expired. Is this an error?
No, it is not an error. Most travel medical insurance plans start and end according to U.S. Eastern time and it is already past midnight on the East Coast (2:50 AM the next day) in this case.
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