Travel Insurance for India: What Your Policy Should Cover

Most hospitals in India expect payment before they treat you. Canada's travel advice says most hospitals require payment up front or confirmation of insurance coverage before they begin treatment, and that private facilities, which often offer a higher level of care, can be expensive. Quality also varies: the same advice describes medical care in major cities as possibly good but usually very limited or unavailable in rural areas, which is when evacuation cover matters.

Your insurance at home may not travel with you. CDC warns that your current medical insurance may not cover care in another country, and suggests considering travel health and medical evacuation insurance for India. The UK Foreign Office, among its checks before a trip to India, lists having appropriate travel insurance for local treatment or unexpected medical evacuation, and says this matters even more if you have a health condition or are pregnant.

• Medical treatment and hospital stays in India. Canada's advice asks travellers to make sure their insurance includes coverage for medical evacuation and hospital stays.
• Medical evacuation. CDC describes it as emergency transport from a remote area to a high-quality hospital. Ladakh and the Himalayan treks are where a policy without it would leave the biggest gap.
• Emergency transport. The UK Foreign Office suggests checking that ambulances are covered, as they are often charged separately from other medical costs.
• Repatriation. The Foreign Office also lists repatriation costs if you or a family member die abroad.
• A 24-hour assistance line. The Foreign Office suggests checking that the insurer has a 24-hour helpline for support and advice on treatment, and CDC suggests a policy with a 24-hour physician support centre that will pay hospitals directly.
• Trip cancellation. CDC explains that cancellation cover protects the money you have put into flights and other bookings, a separate kind of insurance from health cover.

Declare everything. The UK Foreign Office says to declare existing conditions or pending treatment or tests so that you are covered, and warns that failing to declare something may invalidate the policy; TravelHealthPro adds medication and treatment to what you must declare. CDC suggests asking whether the policy excludes pre-existing conditions at all. If you are pregnant, read the policy's terms on pregnancy before you buy: for India, the UK Foreign Office singles out pregnancy and existing health conditions as reasons to check your cover with care.

Check that your plans are covered. The Foreign Office asks travellers to make sure the policy covers all the activities they may do on holiday, such as sports or adventure tourism, and notes that some need specialist insurance or an add-on. CDC suggests asking about exclusions for adventure activities. For India that means trekking, rafting, paragliding, diving, skiing in Gulmarg or a motorbike trip in Ladakh: name the activity and, for treks, the highest altitude you will reach. The UK's TravelHealthPro treats places at 2,500 metres or higher as an altitude risk and names Leh.

Our own advice on travel insurance is to look for medical evacuation cover especially on high-altitude trips such as Ladakh or the Char Dham, and the altitude sickness guide explains why the first days there are the ones to plan.

Read the small print for what is not covered. The UK Foreign Office says most policies do not cover events that happen after you have drunk excessive alcohol, and that recreational drugs are commonly excluded. If you travel somewhere your government advises against, your insurance may be invalidated: the Foreign Office says so for its own advice against all or all but essential travel, so check your government's advice before you go. Our India safety guide covers the rest of staying safe. TravelHealthPro adds that you will not usually be covered if you travel against the advice of a health professional.

Our tour packages do not include travel insurance; we tell you what to look for, and you buy cover from an insurer you choose. Every trip with us has the same cancellation rule: a full refund up to 24 hours before it starts, and no refund inside 24 hours. International flights, visa fees and anything else you book yourself are not part of our trips, which is where your own cancellation cover comes in.

If you need treatment during the trip, call your insurer early: the UK Foreign Office advises contacting your insurance or medical assistance company quickly if you are referred to a medical facility. How hospitals work in India is explained in our guide to doctors and hospitals in India, and the rest of the health planning is in our guide to health in India for travellers.