How Travel Insurance Works if a Family Member is Hospitalized

Key Takeaways

Travel protection plans may include Trip Cancellation or Trip Interruption coverage if a non‑traveling family member is hospitalized or passes away due to a covered reason.
One travel protection plan may cover multiple family members, with benefits applying on a per‑person basis, subject to eligibility and plan terms.
Reviewing plan definitions and coverage details helps families understand how benefits may apply before and during a trip.

Buying travel protection to cover your whole family is a great idea, since one family travel protection plan is designed to help protect you, your loved ones and your trip. But did you know certain travel insurance coverages can kick in even if a non-traveling family member is hospitalized or dies?

If you have concerns about other family members getting sick or injured and being hospitalized, you can plan a trip with more peace of mind, knowing if you need to cancel the trip for a covered reason your vacation investment has options for reimbursement.

Also read: 7 Questions to Ask to Find the Best Family Travel Insurance

One of our family members was hospitalized and unable to make the trip. Not being able to go on vacation stinks but a loved one being sick stinks even more. Thank you for your timely resolution and professionalism. Everything went smoothly and I am very pleased with the outcome. I would highly recommend your company to anyone looking to protect their vacation.

Tom M. from Michigan

generational family at beach house, couples, child, sand, deck with chairs, ocean, mother, father, daughter

Defining “Family”

It’s very important you understand who’s considered a “family member” when you buy travel protection Don’t assume that your cousin qualifies – because in this case, they don’t.

You can find those specific details in the Plan Documents, but we’ve pulled the definition for our plans out of the fine print.

FAMILY MEMBER means:

Traveling Companion(s);
Insured’s or Traveling Companion’s Spouse;
Insured’s, Traveling Companion’s or Spouse’s:
- child;
- parent;
- sibling;
- grandparent, great-grandparent or grandchild or great-grandchild;
- son-in-law or daughter-in-law;
- brother-in-law or sister-in-law;
- step-parent, step-child or step-sibling;
- aunt or uncle;
- niece or nephew;
- legal guardian;
- foster child or legal ward;

See more travel protection definitions

Coverage For One, Coverage For All

The topic of family travel insurance often results in many questions, starting with the basic question, “Can one travel insurance plan cover my entire family?”

The answer is yes – one travel protection plan can include up to 10 people, if all requirements are met. Adding each family member (or traveling companion, technically) to the plan increases the total premium, but everyone has coverage under the same plan, enjoying the same benefits.

The only exceptions are if you’re traveling family exceeds 10 people, or a family member(s) falls outside the traveling companion definition.

Another common question family travelers have is, “What if one of my family members has to cancel their trip because of illness, but the rest of us don’t? Does family travel insurance cover one cancellation because of illness?”

The person who has to cancel their trip has coverage under Trip Cancellation (assuming they’re canceling their trip for a covered reason, of course), while the rest of the family’s coverage continues on.

This can happen time and again. If your grandfather’s luggage is lost he may get coverage under the Baggage benefit without compromising the benefit if your sister subsequently loses her luggage. And if your nephew needs emergency medical attention, he’ll have coverage under the plan – without changing the amount of the Medical and Dental benefit you have on tap if you need it.

On the other hand, if everyone needs to use their benefit at once, they can. So if grandma back home gets sick and the family needs to interrupt their trip to be with her, they all can.

One of the great advantages of families using travel protection is the incredible versatility. It works just as well for one family member as for an entire family.

thanksgiving dinner at big family vacation

Making Sure Everyone’s Supported

If you’re planning a big family vacation and want to make sure everyone has coverage, here’s what you need to do:

Read your plan. Make sure everyone you want to be covered under the plan is actually covered – and on a per-person basis. If they’re not, shop around for a plan that can accommodate everyone.
Make plans early. It’s easier to get everyone coverage when everyone is on board right away, and the plan is purchased soon after the trip is paid for. It’s harder but not impossible to add family members after the plan is purchased. Keep in mind that any changes to the trip dates, total trip cost, and amount of travelers can affect the cost of the plan. Learn more about adding to an existing plan.
Look for medical coverage. Usually with family trips the most desired coverage is emergency medical protection. Make sure your plan has good Medical and Dental and Emergency Assistance and Transportation coverage – the more the better.
Put one person in charge of insurance shopping. If everyone is out looking for plans there can be confusion and delay in getting everyone coverage – and sometimes that can mean no one gets coverage. By making one person responsible for finding the travel protection for the entire family the process is consolidated – and the outcome is generally favorable.
Have personal information handy. If you trust one person with the insurance shopping, they’ll need everyone’s birthdate to buy a plan. Make sure they have this information before they start shopping as well as gathering traveling companion’s trip cost.

Also Read: Smart Tips for Scheduling Family Trips

What About Family Members Who Are Not Traveling?

There are a few ways family members not going on your trip could impact that trip and the travel protection coverages you might have.

All our plans include Trip Cancellation coverage that helps reimburse your trip costs if you cancel for a covered reason. One of those reasons is a non-traveling family member being hospitalized or passing away due to an illness or injury.

Everyone wants a vacation to be a carefree time, and even if everyone on the trip is doing the right thing, staying healthy and out of trouble, there’s no guarantee that things will go as planned.

If trouble strikes back home, our Trip Interruption coverage may reimburse you for the unused land or water arrangements for your trip and help arrange for transportation back to your loved ones at home, in case of a covered event.

One other way family members could become involved with travel protection is if you’re traveling alone, are hospitalized for more than seven days and need family support. Our Emergency Assistance and Transportation benefit includes up to $10,000 in coverage for companion hospitality expenses to fly one person of your choosing to come accompany you. Their lodging, meals, local transportation and telephone calls during this time may also be covered by the plan.

Getting an entire family travel protection plan makes a lot of sense – and doing it online is fast and easy. Plus, with coverages that work even if a non-traveling family member gets sick or injured – it should be an easy decision. It’s one of the best ways of making sure your family travels get off to a great start and continue that way.

Start the process with Generali Global Assistance by comparing plans and getting a quote.