Travel Insurance and Pregnancy: What to Know

Regular prenatal care is crucial to a healthy pregnancy. If you’re traveling while pregnant, your regular health insurer may not cover you. That’s because many insurers provide coverage only within their local networks, which often include health providers only near where you live.^[1]

Travel insurance can provide some coverage if you’re traveling while pregnant. It’s important to understand the type of travel policy you need and what your policy will and won’t cover.

Here are some types of travel insurance you can consider if you’re planning to travel while expecting.

What is travel insurance for pregnancy?

If you’re traveling while pregnant, you may need unexpected medical care that interrupts your trip or causes you to cancel beforehand. Though you can’t buy a specific pregnancy policy for travel insurance, coverage can protect against losses you experience when things don’t go as planned. This includes events that happen before or during a scheduled vacation.

Here are the main types of travel insurance you can purchase:

• Trip cancellation insurance: Trip cancellation insurance will reimburse you for non-refundable expenses if you can’t take your vacation for a covered reason, like pregnancy complications during your first trimester. Your travel insurance policy may even cover trip cancellation if you have to cancel due to an unexpected pregnancy after you booked your trip.

• Trip interruption insurance: Trip interruption insurance can provide reimbursement for the unused portion of your vacation if you have to cut the trip short for pregnancy complications or other covered reasons.

• Travel medical insurance or medical benefits coverage: Travel medical insurance provides short-term medical coverage that can cover your healthcare bills if you unexpectedly require medical care related to your pregnancy while on a trip.

• Emergency medical evacuation insurance: This insurance pays for the costs if you need to evacuate from your location to an adequate medical facility to receive emergency pregnancy-related care.

Each of these types of coverage could be useful if you’re traveling while pregnant, as your condition could leave you unable to depart on a trip or continue the trip. But it’s important to understand the limitations of the travel policy you’re buying before purchasing coverage.

Many travel insurance companies reimburse for medical expenses related to emergency complications associated with pregnancy. But travel medical insurance doesn’t typically cover trip interruption or cancellation for normal pregnancies or routine prenatal care.

Should you buy cancel for any reason coverage when you travel while pregnant?

It’s a good idea to consider buying cancel for any reason (CFAR) travel insurance if you’ll be pregnant while on the trip you’re planning. CFAR insurance can partially reimburse you for a canceled trip if you cancel for any reason — even reasons standard travel coverage typically doesn’t cover.

Even if you decide to cancel your trip because you don’t feel like traveling while pregnant, your CFAR policy can cover a portion of your trip. CFAR insurance can cover between 50% and 75% of the total cost of your canceled trip.^[2]

Can you get a pre-existing condition waiver when pregnant?

No. You can’t get a pre-existing condition waiver for pregnancy through your travel medical insurance. If you’re already pregnant when you purchase your travel insurance, your policy will define it as a pre-existing condition. Specifics may vary depending on your policy, so make sure you read the fine print.

What does travel insurance cover when you’re pregnant?

Travel insurance doesn’t cover every potential medical need or every potential reason for cancellation or interruption of a trip. Compensated losses must occur for a covered reason. That said, travel insurance does provide coverage for certain pregnancy-related issues.

For more financial protection, you can purchase a policy that includes trip interruption or cancellation coverage, emergency medical coverage, and travel medical insurance.

While the specifics vary by policy and insurer, you can expect most travel insurance policies to cover the following:

• Trip cancellation, interruption, or medical needs due to unexpected illnesses or accidents not related to your pregnancy

• Emergency medical care due to complications of pregnancy, including hospitalization, ambulances, or medical evacuation if necessary

• Trip cancellation or interruption due to complications of pregnancy^[3]

Travel insurers typically cover the following unforeseen pregnancy complications if your policy includes travel medical insurance and emergency medical coverage:

• Ectopic pregnancy

• Miscarriage

• Other complications of similar severity that are a medical emergency

What does travel insurance exclude for pregnant travelers?

Travel insurance plans don’t pay for routine medical care associated with normal pregnancy. Most policies won’t cover:

• Medical costs associated with normal labor or childbirth

• Routine pregnancy symptoms, such as morning sickness

• Trip cancellation due to an airline carrier rejecting you because you’re traveling outside of its normal guidelines

• False labor

• Required bed rest

• Pre-existing medical conditions worsened by pregnancy

• Routine prenatal care

Travel insurance policies generally won’t reimburse you for a canceled or interrupted trip if your doctor simply advises you not to travel due to your pregnancy, unless there’s a specific unexpected medical condition or complication.

Your policy also won’t cover you if you travel against the advice of your doctor or if you were medically unable to travel at the time you booked the trip.

How to buy travel insurance when you’re pregnant

You should purchase travel coverage as soon as you book your trip when pregnant due to the increased risk of a covered complication. If you don’t buy coverage right away, make sure to purchase it at least 15 days prior to your trip to avoid added costs.

Remember, travel insurance excludes pre-existing conditions. It’s a good idea to purchase a policy immediately because travel insurance won’t cover any complications that arise before you purchase a policy.^[5]

How much travel insurance costs for pregnant travelers

Travel insurance typically costs 4%–10% of your total prepaid non-refundable trip cost. If insurers view your pregnancy as adding risk, you’ll pay more for coverage. Pregnant travelers may also pay more for travel insurance when buying add-ons, such as CFAR coverage.

Airline rules for flying while pregnant

If you’ll be flying while pregnant, it’s important to know that some airlines restrict travel for people who are expecting. If you can’t fly due to airline policy, travel insurance generally won’t cover the costs of your canceled trip.

Here are some airlines’ rules for when they allow pregnant people to travel.

Airline	Cutoff Date	Restrictions
American Airlines	Seven days before and after your delivery date for domestic flights under five hours Four weeks of your due date or seven days before or after delivery for international travel or travel over water	For domestic flights less than five hours, pregnant travelers must have approval from a physician, a complete medical form, and work with a special assistance coordinator. For international flights, you must have a completed medical form and a physician’s note indicating you had an examination and the physician declared you fit to fly within 48 hours before the flight.
British Airways	End of your 36th week if you’re pregnant with one baby End of the 32nd week if you’re pregnant with multiples	British Airways requires you to carry a letter or statement from your physician dated as close to your travel date as possible indicating your due date, the number of babies you’re carrying, and that there are no complications.
Delta Airlines	None	Delta recommends you confirm the safety of flying with your doctor and won’t waive cancellation or change fees due to pregnancy.
JetBlue	Seven days before your delivery date unless you have documentation from your doctor	If you’re within seven days of your due date, you must have a letter from your doctor dated within 72 hours indicating you’re fit to fly and not estimated to deliver until after your last flight.
Southwest Airlines	None	Southwest recommends against flying after your 38th week, and the flight attendants may ask you not to sit in the exit row.
United Airlines	36 weeks without documentation Your due date must be after your last flight on your itinerary	If you’re in or after your 37th week, you’ll need a certificate dated within three days of your trip indicating you’re fit for travel.

Travel insurance and pregnancy FAQs