Nomad Insurance Essential description of coverage

What type of insurance is this?

SafetyWing Insurance I.I.’s (“SafetyWing’s”) Nomad Insurance Essential (“Insurance”) is a global travel medical insurance. It covers the cost of unforeseen medical emergencies, and a selection of unforeseen travel related costs. The insurance works while you are outside your home country, and for emergency medical coverage during short visits home. This insurance is not intended to cover treatment of chronic conditions, and in most cases it does not cover pre-existing illness or injury. This description of coverage includes all the information you need to learn what is covered and not covered.

Who can get this insurance?

Most people, from anywhere in the world, can get this insurance. The exceptions are:

If you were born less than 14 days ago.
If your age is 70 or older.

Where can I use this insurance?

You can use this insurance in the vast majority of the world, but there are some exceptions:

You are not covered by this insurance in your home country, except as described in the section called “Medical coverage during visits to your home country”.
You are not covered when traveling to the US, except if you have the add-on described in the section called "[Add-on] Include coverage in the USA".
If you are a US citizen or resident you cannot use this insurance in the US, even if you consider somewhere else your home country, except as described in the section called “Medical coverage during visits to your home country”.
We will not provide cover and not be liable to pay any claim or provide any benefit under the Policy to the extent that the provision of such cover, payment of such claim or provision of such benefit would expose us to any sanction, prohibition or restriction under United Nations resolutions or any trade or economic sanctions, laws or regulations of the European Union, United Kingdom or United States of America, including Puerto Rico.

What is covered?

Below are all the areas this Insurance will cover you when this Insurance is active (your benefits). Each section is a condition of this Insurance with a clear title, a description of what is covered which clearly sets out when we will pay. All your benefits will also be limited by other sections of this description of coverage, especially important is the section called “What is not covered?”. This is why we encourage you to read the whole description of coverage.

Medical

Medically necessary treatment of unexpected illness or injury (inpatient or outpatient).
Prescription drugs.
Ambulance and emergency transportation.
Emergency transportation to a better equipped hospital (medical evacuation).
Return for medical reasons (repatriation).
Care outside hospital.
Diagnostics.
Rental of hospital bed or wheelchair.
Prosthetics.
Physical therapy or chiropractor visits.
Pain relieving emergency dental treatment.
Emergency dental treatment and surgery following an accident.
Emergency vision test and replacement glasses or contact lenses.
Pocket money while hospitalized (hospital indemnity).
Visit from a family member in relation to serious illness or injury.
Cash payout if you lose limbs or eyes in an accident.
Complications of pregnancy.
Medical coverage during visits to your home country.
Emergency treatment of a pre-existing illness or injury.
COVID-19: Medical treatment of COVID-19, Unexpected quarantine caused by COVID-19.

Travel

Delayed transportation.
Inaccessible or canceled accommodation.
Lost checked luggage.
Stolen passport or travel visa.
Theft of wallet.
An unforeseen event in your home country for which you need to go home (trip interruption).
Support for your children if you are hospitalized.
Evacuation from local unrest.
Accommodation in a different place if a natural disaster causes evacuation.
Support for your pet if you are hospitalized.
Robbery.
If you die: Arrangement for your body (burial or repatriation of remains), Cash payout to your beneficiary (accidental death).

Sports and activities

For covered sports, you are covered for attending classes, solo training, attending private lessons and informal training with a group.

Important conditions:

If you are a professional athlete or an instructor, you are not covered while practicing, publicly performing or teaching your sport or activity.
The sport or activity cannot involve a professionally organized practice or intention to compete.
There can be no wage, reward or profit connected to you doing the sport or activity.
You are not covered for exploratory expeditions, for example in Antarctica, the Arctic Circle or Greenland.
You must ensure the sport or activity is adequately supervised and that appropriate safety equipment (such as helmet, life jackets etc.) are worn and used, according to what each sport or activity requires.
You must have an appropriate, valid license or certification where required (for e.g., aviation, scuba diving, motorized vehicle).
Any sport or activity at elevations of 4,500 meters altitude or higher is not covered except as described under [Add-on] Adventure sports.
The list of covered sports and activities is not exhaustive but is intended to help you get a picture of what is covered. If an activity is not listed, we will assess and determine coverage based on the risk of the activity and whether similar sports are covered in that category.

Covered sports

Add-on: Adventure sports

With this add-on, your coverage is extended to include a wider range of sports and activities, in addition to those already covered under the base plan. You are still not covered for professional, organized or rewarded sports, or for expeditions. You are still required to ensure your safety.

Excluded in home country

To see examples of sports that are covered check out our FAQ.

Important conditions

If you have this add-on you can get reimbursed for some of the value of the items if your electronics are stolen.
Electronics covered are: Laptops, cameras, lenses, smartphones, e-readers, music players, tablets, earphones, iPads, AirPods, drones, smartwatches, headphones, portable wi-fi devices and portable gaming devices including computer mouse.

Important conditions

You took reasonable care for the safety of your electronics.
The theft is reported to the police within 24 hours. A written report must be provided as proof that the report was made.
You provide proof of the ownership of the electronics before they were stolen (for example with a receipt of the purchase).
We apply a 50-month straight-line depreciation rule. Under this approach, items are depreciated at a rate of 2% per month from the original purchase date, based on the purchase value. As a result, items that are 50 months old or more have no remaining reimbursement value under this method.

Important conditions

You will have to pay: $100 co-pay for each visit to an emergency room in the US, $50 co-pay for each visit to an urgent care center in the US.

What is not covered (exclusions)?

This section is important to read, because assuming something is covered and then realizing after the incident that it is not, is a lot worse than assuming something isn’t covered and later realizing it is. If you read this section of what is not covered, you have some idea of what to avoid so that you make sure you take the right precautions and don’t put yourself in situations where insurance won’t cover you. Everything listed below is relevant to all parts of the coverage.

Pre-existing illness or injury, except as described in the section "Emergency treatment of a pre-existing illness or injury".
Chronic conditions.
Any treatment that is not medically necessary.
Charges exceeding usual, reasonable and customary. ...
Anything that happened in the US, except as described in the section called “Medical coverage during visits to your home country” or “[Add-on] Include coverage in the USA”.
Anything that happened while you did not have an active insurance period.
Claims made more than 60 days after the end date of your active insurance period.
Any charges incurred when the purpose of your travel is to obtain medical or cosmetic treatment.
Complications or consequences of treatment, illness or injury which was not covered on this insurance.
Search and rescue services including air transfer services via helicopter or any other aircraft.
Anything that is not described in the covered sections of this Description of Cover.

How to file a claim?

This Insurance is primarily a pay and claim plan. You need to claim within 60 days of the end date of your active insurance period. In cases of inpatient treatments only (and only outside the US), we may be able to arrange payment directly with the medical facility, assuming the conditions of coverage are met (Guarantees of payment - “GOP”). ...

Cancellations

You can cancel anytime you want if you are not satisfied with this insurance plan. Reach out to the customer service team to cancel your insurance plan (via chat, or email support@safetywing.com). ...

How long or short can I buy this insurance for?

One active insurance period lasts a minimum of 5 days, up to a maximum of 364 days. You can keep buying new insurance plans an unlimited amount of times, until you turn 70 years old.

When is my insurance active?

If you are outside your home country: By default your start date is set to the date you buy the insurance, and your insurance is activated the moment you receive your proof of insurance email after a purchase.
If you are inside your home country: You have to leave your home country before the insurance can be activated.

My claim was denied, and I disagree. How do I appeal?

If your claim is denied you will receive a written explanation of why it was denied. If you do not agree with our decision, you can appeal within 6 months (180 days) of the day you received the decision. ...

Disclaimers and legal notices

SafetyWing Insurance I.I. This Description of Coverage is issued to the Eligible Participant pursuant to the Outbound Travel Master Insurance Policy issued by Us to the Policyholder in Puerto Rico. Policies are underwritten by SafetyWing Insurance I.I. which is a licensed insurance carrier incorporated in Puerto Rico...