Many people do not realise that their health insurance or health insurance coverage may not cover them (fully) when travelling outside their home country or travelling to distant countries. Travel assistance contracts are designed to cover this type of unforeseen medical expense. This may include emergency medical care, medical transfer, or even repatriation for you and those travelling with you.

When choosing a travel assistance contract, it is important to consider the length of your trip, the countries visited and any pre-existing medical conditions. Some types of contracts cover adventure activities such as hiking and skiing, as well as search and rescue costs. More details on the Sport travel insurance here.

Redion travel assistance contracts cover travellers for issues related to Covid-19. In the event of a positive Covid-19 diagnosis during your trip, Redion will cover your medical expenses up to the amount provided for in your contract. If you need to extend your stay to receive treatment, Redion will cover the cost of your accommodation up to a certain amount.

Travel assistance contracts usually have two components: assistance benefits during the trip and insurance and assistance in the event of illness or accident. If the travel assistance covers you against certain hassles during the trip (e.g. loss of travel documents, loss of money, sending of a spare suitcase, etc.), the insurance in the event of illness is designed to protect you against costs of any medical treatment you may need during your trip. Often health insurance is required if you are travelling to another country. The best way to get both travel assistance and health insurance is through a company like Redion. If the country of destination requires proof of insurance, we can issue it to you.

We offer a variety of plans that can be customised to meet your needs, whether you are travelling for business or pleasure. When choosing travel insurance, it's important to consider the type of coverage you need and the countries you'll be visiting. See our options here.

Travel accidents are events that can happen anytime you are on the go. For example, they can be caused by a car accident, a fall down the stairs, a mishap during a hike or a bad slip at the edge of a swimming pool... Travel accidents can also occur when practising winter sports, such as skiing or snowboarding. If you are injured while travelling, it is important to know what your medical insurance covers and how it can help you and your travel companions. Some travel insurance does not cover winter sports, so if you do this type of activity, be sure to check the coverage before you go.

Are you travelling by plane? For any air travel from the 28th week of pregnancy onwards, you must have a written approval from your doctor/gynaecologist confirmed by the airline doctor.

Any pregnancy complication is covered by us. A birth (including premature) is not a complication and therefore not covered.

A baby born during your travel abroad is covered only from his/her arrival in Belgium. You must then take the necessary steps to have the baby included as an additional insured.

A pre-existing illness or pre-existing medical condition refers to a medical condition known at the time of purchase or at the time the travel insurance or the cancellation insurance comes into effect.

Travel assistance contract

Pre-existing illnesses are only covered if they have been stabilized for "a certain time" at the moment of departure. In other words, the illness is only covered if no relapse or aggravation is foreseeable during the stay or if no new treatment is necessary.

The final acceptance of the file will be left to the discretion of our medical team on the basis of a medical report. 

Cancellation insurance

In our cancellation insurance, pre-existing or chronic illness are covered as long as the attending doctor certifies that the person was medically fit to travel at the time of booking of the trip and subscription of the insurance, and that the person is no longer medically fit to travel at the time of departure.

Pre-existing advanced or terminal illnesses of persons who are not insured by the contract at the time of the booking of the trip or at the time that the insurance is subscribed, are excluded.

You should contact your tour operator, travel agent or carrier for any additional costs arising from the quarantine period. The same applies if you are in an area that has been closed off by local authorities ("lock-down").

If the emergency services abroad use a helicopter to transport you to a hospital (for reasons of urgency or accessibility, for example), those costs are part of the reimbursed medical expenses.

In most contracts, costs for helicopter flights called in for search or rescue operations are reimbursed up to a maximum amount.

Please consult the Terms and Conditions of your contract for this.

If you fall ill abroad, Redion will assist you and follow up your case. We will take care of the medical expenses in accordance with the subscribed assistance formula, after examination of your file by our doctor.

For all epidemics, including the Covid-19, Redion will always have to respect the rules imposed by the local authorities (e.g. access to cities or hospitals) and take into account the sanitary regulations issued by the competent authorities (e.g. quarantine).

If you fall ill abroad, Redion will assist you and follow up your case. We will take care of the medical expenses in accordance with the subscribed assistance formula, after examination of your file by our doctor. For all epidemics, including the Covid-19, Redion will always have to respect the rules imposed by the local authorities (e.g. access to cities or hospitals) and take into account the sanitary regulations issued by the competent authorities (e.g. quarantine).

If you are not ill but only affected by a quarantine measure or lockdown, we advise you to contact your tour operator, your airline or your hotel in connection with the extension of your stay.

Also contact the Belgian consular representation: https://travellersonline.diplomatie.be/

In some cases, the Belgian authorities will decide what means they use to repatriate Belgian travellers.

As a beneficiary of the travel assistance contract, you benefit from medical intervention for your medical problem.

As for your vehicle: if your vehicle is also covered in your travel assistance, we will be happy to help you. This can be done, for example, by sending a substitute driver to bring your family home safely with your vehicle.

Yes.

If you get ill abroad (including because of Covid-19), Redion will assist you and follow up your case based on the medical report of the attending doctor. We will reimburse medical expenses in accordance with the assistance formula you have subscribed to, after our doctor has examined your file. 
However, we must always act in accordance with the decisions and rules of the local authorities (such as those relating to the access of the territory or local medical care) and health regulations imposed by the competent authorities (e.g. a period of quarantine or isolation, tests, health protocols, etc).

If you travel to a country or region subject to a travel ban (imposed by local authorities or the Ministry of Foreign Affairs), you will not be eligible for medical assistance or intervention in the reimbursement of medical expenses. The same applies to non-essential travels when such trips are prohibited.  

In the case described, the quarantine period preceding the positive medical diagnosis is considered as a period during which your medical assistance is activated, with reimbursement of your medical expenses incurred abroad and the resulting costs for the extension of your stay. You are required to submit all supporting documents. Redion Belgium will then pay for your medical expenses following the intervention of your health insurance fund, up to the maximum amount covered by your travel assistance contract.

Redion Belgium can organise the purchase of the medicines and their delivery on site. These medicines must be indispensable and prescribed by the patient's doctor. The delivery of the medicines on site is done according to the applicable health rules. They will be handed over to the medical team in charge of monitoring the patient on site.

Yes.

Travel assistance contracts cover the cost of PCR tests to the extent that they are an integral part of a medical assistance benefit (early return for medical reasons or medical repatriation).

No.

PCR tests are not reimbursed in travel cancellation policies because they are considered pre-departure medical consultations.