World Nomads travel insurance review 2023
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“Verified by an expert” means that this article has been thoroughly reviewed and evaluated for accuracy.
BLUEPRINT
Published 5:00 a.m. UTC Nov. 21, 2023
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World Nomads
Pros
- Covers hundreds of high-risk athletic and adventure activities.
- Explorer Plan offers $500,000 in emergency evacuation coverage.
- Offers $25,000 non-medical emergency evacuation coverage.
Cons
- If you are not an adventure traveler, you can find cheaper rates elsewhere.
- “Cancel for any reason” upgrade not available.
- No waiver for pre-existing conditions available.
World Nomads overview
World Nomads has been selling travel insurance since 2002. Nationwide underwrites all World Nomads travel insurance plans.
Athletes and adventurers may be interested in World Nomads travel insurance because of its generous coverage of potentially risky activities. International volunteers may also consider a World Nomads plan if they volunteer in disaster zones or do high-risk volunteer work like construction.
World Nomads offers two plans, each with different benefits, limits and sub-limits for coverage. Read our World Nomads travel insurance review to determine if one of these plans meets your needs.
World Nomads travel insurance plans
World Nomads offers two travel insurance plans: Standard Plan and Explorer Plan. Get an online quote to compare the plans before buying. You won’t be able to upgrade your plan mid-trip. That said, if you extend your trip while traveling, World Nomads will allow you to buy more coverage.
Both Standard and Explorer plans include emergency travel medical insurance coverage of up to $100,000 as well as trip cancellation insurance, trip delay and interruption insurance, baggage coverage and accidental death and dismemberment coverage. The plans also include a 24/7 emergency assistance number where a staff of multilingual assistants can connect you with medical treatment and transportation in the case of an emergency.
World Nomads Standard Plan
This budget-friendly plan covers everything you would expect from a travel insurance plan, but with lower coverage limits than the Explorer Plan. It also covers more than 200 adventurous activities, such as dog sledding, glacier walking, ice fishing, zip lining, bungee jumping, moped biking, tree climbing, sailboarding, triathlons, deep sea fishing and skateboarding. Covered activities may vary depending on your country of residence.
World Nomads Explorer Plan
The World Nomads Explorer plan covers everything in the Standard plan but increases the limits for many coverages and adds coverage for nearly 80 adventure activities. Additional covered activities under the Explorer Plan include backcountry snowboarding, heli-skiing, free diving, shark cage diving, skydiving, running of the bulls and rock climbing.
World Nomads Standard Plan vs. Explorer Plan
The Explorer Plan will cost you more, but it comes with higher coverage limits. Compare the two World Nomads travel insurance plans side by side.
World Nomads travel insurance covers
The main types of travel insurance packaged together in World Nomad policies include:
- Trip cancellation and interruption. Trip cancellation insurance and trip interruption insurance reimburse you for prepaid, non-refundable trip expenses if you need to cancel your trip or cut it short because of a covered reason. Covered reasons typically include severe weather and illness, injury or death of you, your traveling companion or a close family member.
- Emergency medical expenses and evacuation. Travel medical insurance and medical evacuation coverage help pay hospital bills and medevac expenses if you get sick or injured on your trip.
- Travel delay. If your trip is delayed for six hours or more due to a reason listed in the policy, travel delay insurance can help cover the cost of accommodations, meals and local transportation while you are delayed.
- Baggage. Baggage insurance includes lost or stolen baggage, excessive baggage damage and baggage that is delayed more than 12 hours, on your outgoing journey only.
- Travel Assistance Services. Multilingual travel agents with Generali Global Assistance provide 24-hour assistance services for World Nomads. You can call for help locating a physician or to coordinate emergency medical transportation and care.
World Nomads also covers more than 200 adventure activities, many of which may be excluded by other travel insurance plans. A few activities covered by both World Nomads plans are:
- Aerial safari.
- ATVs.
- BMX.
- Camel riding.
- Cave tubing.
- Dog sledding.
- Hunting.
- Kite surfing.
- Snorkeling.
- Spearfishing.
- White water rafting.
World Nomads travel insurance doesn't cover
Like many travel insurance companies, World Nomads does not cover everything.
Common medical claims that are not covered by World Nomads travel insurance include:
- Injury while intoxicated on drugs or alcohol.
- Injury sustained while behaving in a reckless manner.
- Certain pre-existing medical conditions.
- Non-emergency treatments.
- Routine medical exams.
- Normal labor and childbirth.
- Intentionally harming oneself.
- Suicide or attempted suicide.
There are also a handful of adventure activities that are excluded from coverage, such as base jumping and mountaineering over 22,965 feet.
Read your policy carefully to understand any exclusions before traveling. If you’re not happy with your policy, you have 10 days to request a refund.
Filing a claim with World Nomads
You can file a travel insurance claim using World Nomads’ 24/7 online portal. To start a claim, log into your member account and follow the prompts. You will be asked questions relevant to your claim. Once you are done answering all the questions and uploading any relevant documents, click the declaration to finish the claim. You should then receive an email confirmation with your claim number.
It is a good idea to always have your policy number handy in case you need to file a claim or call the 24-hour Emergency Assistance Team while traveling.
World Nomads does not cover pre-existing conditions and does not provide the option for a pre-existing conditions exclusion waiver, as some of the best travel insurance companies do.
No, World Nomads does not have “cancel for any reason” (CFAR) insurance. This optional upgrade, available with many travel insurance plans, allows you to pay extra for the right to cancel your trip for any reason at all. As long as you cancel at least 48 hours before your scheduled departure, you’re typically entitled to a percentage of your nonrefundable trip expenses, generally 50% or 75%.
Adding CFAR to your plan typically increases the cost of your travel insurance by 50%. Comparing travel insurance plans can help you to find the best CFAR travel insurance.
Yes, World Nomads travel insurance covers personal electronic devices if they are stolen, lost or damaged on your trip. If all other sources of compensation are exhausted — such as filing a claim with your airline or your homeowners insurance — World Nomads may reimburse you for the depreciated value of your loss.
Keep in mind, however, that the per-article limit for World Nomads’ baggage and personal effects coverage is $500 under the Standard Plan and $1,500 with the Explorer Plan.
Blueprint is an independent publisher and comparison service, not an investment advisor. The information provided is for educational purposes only and we encourage you to seek personalized advice from qualified professionals regarding specific financial decisions. Past performance is not indicative of future results.
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