Guides / Injuries, illness, delays and lost bags
Sprains, broken bones and deep cuts on a trip: what travel insurance pays
The short answer
Sprains, fractures and cuts that need stitches are among the most common travel claims, and they're covered under emergency medical: the urgent care or ER visit, X-rays, a cast or splint, crutches and medicine. If you can't continue, trip interruption can cover getting home, and evacuation covers being moved if local care isn't enough. Your U.S. health plan may pay little or nothing abroad.
How these injuries usually happen
- Missing a step on cobblestones, temple stairs or a wet boat deck
- Rolling an ankle on a trail
- Falling off a bike, scooter or e-scooter
- Catching a wrist on a fall
- Cuts from coral, rocks, broken glass or a kitchen knife in a rental
What it can cost
A visit to an urgent care clinic abroad with an X-ray might cost a modest amount in some countries, and far more in private hospitals in tourist areas. A fracture that needs surgery, a few nights in hospital and a flight home with an extra seat for your leg can reach thousands or tens of thousands of dollars.
What travel insurance pays
| Need | Benefit |
|---|---|
| Doctor, ER, X-ray, stitches, cast, crutches | Emergency medical |
| Surgery and hospital stay | Emergency medical |
| Moving you to a better hospital or home | Medical evacuation |
| Cutting the trip short | Trip interruption |
| Extra costs: upgraded seat for a leg cast, a later flight | Often interruption or evacuation, if medically required |
| Missed prepaid tours | Trip interruption |
What to do if you're hurt
- For anything serious, get to care first. Then call the insurer's 24/7 assistance line. They can find a hospital and arrange direct billing.
- For a likely sprain, urgent care is usually cheaper than the ER.
- Ask for written records: diagnosis, X-ray report, treatment and a fit-to-fly note if needed.
- Keep every receipt, including taxis to the clinic and pharmacy costs.
- Ask before changing flights. The assistance team may need to approve it for interruption cover.
Flying with a cast: airlines may require you to wait a day or two after a cast is fitted before flying, and some ask for a medical certificate. Ask the airline and the doctor.
Common reasons injury claims are denied
- Excluded activity: some plans exclude certain sports or limit them to set conditions
- Alcohol or drugs involved in the accident
- Riding a scooter or motorbike without a valid license
- A pre-existing injury that flared up, without a waiver
Common questions
Is a sprained ankle covered by travel insurance?
Yes, under emergency medical, as long as it wasn't caused by an excluded activity.
Does travel insurance cover physical therapy at home?
Usually not. Most plans cover treatment during the trip, and sometimes for a short period after.
What if I break a bone and can't continue my tour?
Trip interruption can reimburse unused prepaid costs and extra costs to get home, up to the plan's limit.
This guide is general information, not insurance, legal or medical advice. Cover, prices and rules vary by insurer, plan, state and country, and they change. Read the policy wording, and check official sources for entry and passenger-rights rules, before you buy or travel.