Ultimate Hawaii Travel Insurance Checklist

If you’re planning a getaway to Hawaii, you’re probably looking forward to relaxing on the beach, enjoying the natural beauty, and disconnecting with friends or family. Hawaii is home to pristine beaches, scenic views, and amazing adventures, from Oahu and Moloka’i, to the Big Island and Maui.

While you might be looking forward to disconnecting on your vacation, before hopping on the plane, ensure you’ve prepared for your trip properly! Even though you need many things when traveling to Hawaii, travel insurance should be top of your priorities. 

Our Hawaii travel insurance checklist will help you prepare for your trip. Here we share all the details to consider before purchasing travel insurance for Hawaii, and why you might need to look into special travel insurance Hawaii add-ons that might be vital for your trip. 

Hawaii Travel Insurance Checklist

Scope of Coverage

Before you travel to Hawaii, it’s essential to find out if your travel insurance policy covers all the destinations you’re planning to visit. For instance, if you’re planning to visit Maui’s sunny beaches and surfing, then head to Honolulu to experience the legendary Waikiki Beach, you’ll want to ensure that both locations are covered in your policy. 

If they’re not included in your policy, you may need to purchase additional insurance or find a policy that covers all the places you’re planning to go.

Know The Aspects of the Medical Coverage

Before you take off, you should know the extent of your medical coverage. It may be overwhelming to understand the details of medical coverage at first; however, if you take the time to understand it, you’ll not have to worry about something happening during travel. 

Here are things you need to keep in mind;

• Your medical coverage will probably include hospitalization, emergency support, and urgent care services.
• You may have a deductible that you need to meet before the coverage starts paying.
• Your coverage may have limitations, such as only covering certain types of procedures or drugs.
• Do you have coverage for chronic illness under your policy? For travelers with special health care needs, it’s essential to ensure your health needs are covered should something happen while traveling. 
• For Medicare holders, you may have unique limitations to your Medicare coverage while traveling. Check your Medicare information before traveling. 

Find Out If Your Policy Includes Personal Belongings Coverage

When packing for a trip, sometimes you may not realize your essentials are missing until later. Whether it’s your laptop, keys, cell phones, wallet, camera, or travel bag, it can dampen your trip. 

Of course, you want your vacation to be worry-free, so don’t let your dream holiday get sidetracked by chasing down lost items.

One way to ensure your trip is enjoyable is to check if your travel insurance policy includes personal belongings insurance coverage which covers the replacement or repair of your items while you’re traveling.

For example, if you have expensive jewelry, you’ll want to ensure your policy covers theft. You may upgrade your policy to include specific items if it doesn’t.

If anything happens to your belongings while you’re on your trip, this coverage can help you get back on your feet without worrying about the cost of replacing everything.

Don’t assume that your policy will cover everything. Some basic policies may exclude things like jewelry, tablets, phones, or laptops but may allow you to take an extra rider at an additional fee. Ensure you read the fine print and product disclosure to understand the items covered and the circumstances you can claim.

Determine Whether Coverage Includes Sports and Activities

Are you feeling adventurous on your trip to Hawaii? There are plenty of activities to get your adrenaline pumping, like kayaking through caves, hiking up waterfalls, or biking through national parks. 

Although these activities are exciting, they also come with a certain risk, and generally are not covered by basic or standard Hawaii travel insurance policies. 

If you’re planning on adding these types of activities to your Hawaii itinerary, make sure to add them to your insurance policy. Many insurance companies make it easy to add these activities on to an existing policy. 

It will help to have a good understanding of what planned excursions and activities entail beforehand. For example, many policy add-ons for scuba diving only cover scuba diving up to a certain depth. Check with activities providers beforehand, before determining the policy add-on you’ll need. 

Compensation for Cancellations

Your dream vacation to Hawaii may not go as planned, and there may be times when you need to cancel your trip, or cancel parts of your plans or itinerary.

That’s why it’s important to find out what your travel insurance policy says about cancellation and whether you can claim lost money from canceled tour bookings, accommodation, car hire, and flight cancellations. 

Knowing this information in advance can prepare you for the worst and potentially get your money back if something goes wrong.

Find Out About Exclusions

Most travel insurance policies cover a wide range of potential claims. However, it’s essential to know that some claims may not be included in your policy. 

You might be covered if you have to cancel the trip due to getting sick, but what if you need to cancel the trip due to a family member getting sick? What about natural disasters at home or at your destination?

While these events aren’t common, they can cost you hundreds or thousands or dollars if you aren’t appropriately covered with travel insurance. 

In this regard, some exclusions are common among insurance providers, while others are specific to certain companies. Check your specific policy before and after purchasing, and ensure you have easy access to your policy and contact information for the insurance company while traveling. 

Final Thoughts

In all likelihood, and with a little luck, your dream Hawaiian vacation will go off perfectly! However, if it doesn’t, these are some things to keep in mind when shopping for travel insurance for your trip. It’s important to remember that this travel insurance checklist is not set in stone – each policy is unique, so make sure you read yours well before traveling.