By Christopher Elliott,Senior Contributor

Copyright forbes

Travel insurance offers much more than trip cancellation. Here’s what you should look for.

When Alexandra Lauren developed an ear infection while scuba diving in Hoi An, Vietnam, the diagnosis was unexpectedly serious: Her hospital recommended a two-week stay connected to an IV drip.

But she was skeptical.

“I heard that in Vietnam, health care providers will often give rigorous medical treatment to tourists to rack up a medical bill,” she says.

Lauren’s travel insurance came to the rescue. A specialist from her insurance company spoke with her hospital and advised her to get a second opinion. She had a telehealth consultation with another doctor, who offered her an alternative.

Lauren says she had no idea travel insurance could do that. And it turns out, neither do other travelers.

“Most travelers don’t realize that in addition to the insurance benefits in a travel insurance plan, most trip cancellation plans will also offer 24/7 global travel assistance,” says Stan Sandberg, co-founder of TravelInsurance.com. “A plan’s global assistance services are essential if you find yourself in a travel or medical emergency.”

Travel insurance is getting an upgrade

Travel insurance is undergoing a dramatic change from a bare-bones product that covers cancellation and hospitalizations abroad, to a full-featured product with everything from a 24-hour concierge to virtual doctor visits.

“What most consumers don’t consider when they buy travel insurance is what is known in the industry as post-departure benefits,” explains Daniel Durazo, a spokesman for Allianz Partners USA. “Those are the benefits that kick in after you depart for your trip.”

The most popular post-departure benefit is travel delay coverage, which can reimburse you for those extra costs you may incur, such as meals at the airport, if you’re significantly delayed. Travel delay coverage may even reimburse you for the tour you missed. But there are other benefits, and the list is growing.

Telemedicine, the benefit Lauren used, is one of the more popular recent additions, according to Andrew Jernigan, CEO of Insured Nomads. For example, one plan he’s selling through Insured Travelers offers unlimited consultations with no co-pay or fee for both telemedicine and mental health therapy sessions anytime from a physician.

What other new post-departure benefits are available?

“Travel insurance is more than just financial protection,” says Stephen Samataro, chief revenue officer at AXA Partners US. “It’s about having the right support when it matters most.”

Here’s what you can expect from your next travel insurance policy:

24/7 assistance

Most major travel insurance companies now offer 24/7 assistance. For example, Travel Guard has a full suite of services, including medical assistance, translation, security assistance, and a 24/7 concierge. “Each of these critical services is included in all of our plans to help make your trip safer and more enjoyable,” says Scott Adamski, head of global product development at Travel Guard.

Coverage for layoffs and work interruption

Here’s another lesser-known benefit that many travel insurance companies offer: coverage for layoffs. “In the wake of recent federal employee layoffs and ‘return to office’ mandates, many people may not know about the benefits of employee layoff Insurance and ‘cancel for work reasons’ coverage,” says Ned Tadic, a spokesman for Squaremouth. Employee layoff insurance provides coverage if you need to cancel your trip because of an involuntary layoff or termination of employment. The “cancel for work” reasons benefit protects you if your time off is revoked or you’re required to commute to a new work location.

ID theft protection

John Beck, an attorney with the law firm Beck & Beck, has handled numerous travel insurance cases, and he says one new benefit consistently surprises his clients: ID theft protection. One of his clients was on a trip to Italy when their wallet was stolen, along with their ID and credit cards. “They assumed their only option was to cancel their cards and deal with the mess when they got home,” he recalls. “But their travel insurance actually included identity theft protection, which provided immediate fraud monitoring, legal assistance, and even emergency funds. They were able to get back to enjoying their trip much faster than expected.”

Pet coverage

“For many people, their pets are a part of their family,” says Terry Boynton, president of Yonder Travel Insurance. “If their pet needed care due to an injury or suddenly passed away, being able to cancel their trip without repercussions brings much-needed financial peace of mind.” . He’s right. Buried deep within the terms of some policies you’ll find coverage for pet-related issues, including trip cancellation or trip interruption benefits if your pet becomes sick, injured, or passes away.

Coverage for adventure activities

Thinking of going heli-skiing or base jumping? Most traditional travel insurance won’t cover high-risk activities, but a growing number of policies are bucking the trend, according to Dean Van Es, CEO of Fast Cover, an Australian travel insurance company. The activities range from off-piste skiing to technical scuba diving. “Check with the insurance to see if they offer coverage for the activities you will be participating in and if their policy meets your needs,” he recommends.

eSIMs to stay connected abroad

An eSIM lets you stay connected when you’re abroad instead of having to pay roaming charges with your U.S. carrier. “Some travel insurance companies are offering an eSIM as part of, or in addition to their policy,” says Peter Smith, the senior vice president of travel and mobility at Cover Genius. eSIMs, which you can download from an email, stretch the definition of travel insurance, but they can also save travelers hundreds of dollars in roaming fees on their next trip.

The post-departure benefits aren’t limited to travel insurance. For example, Global Rescue, a company that provides emergency medical evacuations, offers a mobile app that allows members to browse destination reports and alerts, activate emergency assistance, and schedule real-time virtual health visits.

“You can also keep track of the people you care about with GPS tracking and messaging,” adds Harding Bush, Global Rescue’s security operations manager.

How travel insurance rescued a scuba diver

So what happened to Lauren, the woman with the ear infection? Her travel insurance company connected her with another doctor in Vietnam, who said her diagnosis wasn’t that serious.

“They actually were with me throughout the entire ordeal — from the surgery needed to trying to find the correct antibiotics,” she says. Lauren was only in the hospital for a few days and was soon back to traveling and blogging about her adventures.

“Needless to say, I now always look for travel insurance with this feature,” she adds. “It is something that most travelers often overlook.”

Robert Gallagher, president of the US Travel Insurance Association, agrees.

“Many travelers don’t realize that their travel insurance policy may include a range of assistance services beyond trip cancellation and emergency medical coverage,” he says.

Gallagher says travel assistance benefits can help with lost or stolen passports, emergency cash transfers, or even arranging for replacement prescriptions and eyeglasses. Translation support in medical emergencies, security alerts for high-risk destinations, and concierge services for last-minute travel changes are also common features.

So the next time you’re traveling and you run into trouble, you might want to call your travel insurance company. Chances are, it might be able to help. You did buy travel insurance, right?

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