Glossary

Access America Glossary of Travel Insurance Terms

This glossary is intended to define commonly used travel insurance terms. In this document, the bold words you/your applies to the insured.

Accident
An unexpected and unintended event that causes injury, property damage or both.

Accommodation
A hotel or other kind of lodging where you make a reservation and pay a fee.

Assault
Physical assault that requires treatment in a hospital.

Baggage
Personal property you take on your trip and the suitcases or other kinds of containers you use to carry them.

Car or rental car
A car or other vehicle designed for use on public roads that you own or that you've rented for the period of time shown in a rental car agreement. Rental cars don't include:

  • trucks
  • campers, trailers and recreational vehicles
  • motorcycles, motorbikes and all-terrain vehicles
  • off-road vehicles
  • vehicles that are older than 20 years
  • vehicles that haven't been manufactured in the last 10 years
  • vehicles that don't have to be licensed
  • vehicles that are rented for commercial or livery purposes, including limousines
  • vehicles that have a manufacturer's suggested retail price of more than $75,000
  • other conveyances

Common carrier
A company that's licensed to carry passengers on land, water or in the air for a fee, not including car rental companies.

Covered reasons
The specific situations and events that are covered by this certificate.

Current market value
The dollar amount an item could reasonably be sold for, based on its original price, age and current condition.

Deductible
The dollar amount you must contribute to the loss.

Dentist
Someone who is licensed and legally entitled to practice dentistry or dental surgery. This can't be you, a traveling companion, any member of either of your immediate families, or any member of the sick or injured person's immediate family.

Destination
A place more than 100 miles from your primary residence where you spend more than 24 hours of your trip.

Doctor
Someone who is legally entitled to practice medicine, and is licensed if required. This can't be you, a traveling companion, any member of either of your immediate families, or any member of the sick or injured person's immediate family.

Domestic partner
A person you've lived with in a spousal relationship for at least 12 consecutive months who is 18 years or older. You must be able to show evidence that you've lived together for 12 consecutive months.

Emergency medical and/or dental care
Medical and dental services, supplies and charges that are for a health emergency. It doesn't include things like:

  • elective cosmetic surgery or cosmetic foot care
  • physical exams
  • allergy treatments (unless life threatening)
  • hearing aids, eyeglasses and contact lenses
  • palliative care
  • experimental treatment

Epidemic
An outbreak of a contagious disease that spreads rapidly and widely and that is identified as an epidemic by The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Existing medical condition
An illness or injury that you, a traveling companion or family member were seeking or receiving treatment for or had symptoms of on the day you purchased your plan, or at any time in the 120 days before you purchased it.  You, a traveling companion or family member are considered to have an existing medical condition if you, a traveling companion or family member:

  • saw or were advised to see a doctor
  • had symptoms that would cause a prudent person to see a doctor
  • were taking prescribed medication for the condition or the symptoms, unless the condition or symptoms are effectively controlled by the prescription, and the prescription hasn't changed

Family member
Any of the following people, whether or not they're traveling with you:

  • spouses and common-law, civil union and domestic partners
  • parents and step-parents
  • children and step-children (including adopted or soon to be adopted children)
  • siblings
  • grandparents and grandchildren
  • the following in-laws: mother, father, son, daughter, brother, sister
  • aunts, uncles, nieces and nephews
  • legal guardians and wards
  • business partners
  • paid, live-in caregivers
  • service animals (as defined by the Americans with Disabilities Act)

Immediate family members are:

  • spouses and common-law, civil union and domestic partners
  • parents and step-parents
  • children and step-children (including adopted or soon to be adopted children)
  • siblings
  • grandparents and grandchildren

Financial default
A complete cessation of operations because of financial circumstances, with or without filing for bankruptcy protection.

Hospital
A facility whose primary function is to diagnose and treat sick and injured people under the supervision of doctors. It must:

  • have organized departments of medicine and major surgery, on site or off site through a pre-arranged contract provide 24 hour nursing service supervised or provided by registered nurses
  • be compensated by patients or their insurance providers for performing these services, and
  • be licensed where required.

Illness
Sickness, infirmity or disease. It doesn't include conditions you already had or knew about when you purchased your plan (see existing medical condition).

Injury
Physical harm directly caused by an accident or assault, without other contributing causes.

Inpatient
Someone who receives medical or dental treatment while registered as a bed patient in a hospital or other licensed provider. Room and board is charged for the patient's stay, in addition to charges for medical treatment and care.

Medical condition
A physical condition you have, or have symptoms of, that you:

  • have seen or been advised to see a doctor about
  • have symptoms of that would cause a prudent person to see a doctor
  • are taking prescribed medication for

Medically necessary
Treatment that's appropriate for your illness or injury, consistent with your symptoms, and that can safely be provided to you. It meets the standards of good medical practice and isn't for your convenience or the provider's convenience.

Natural disaster
A large-scale extreme weather or environmental event that damages property, disrupts transportation or endangers people. Examples include: earthquake, fire, flood, hurricane, or volcanic eruption.

Other licensed provider
A person or entity that isn't a doctor or hospital but provides medical or dental services, and is licensed where required.

Outpatient
Someone who receives medical or dental treatment but doesn't have to stay at a hospital for overnight care.

Pandemic
An epidemic over a wide geographic area that affects a large portion of the population.

Primary residence
Your permanent, fixed address and primary residence for legal and tax purposes. We call the place your primary residence is located your place of residence.

Quarantine
Mandatory isolation or restrictions on where you can go, intended to stop a contagious disease from spreading.

Reasonable and customary costs
What customers would usually be charged for a specific service in a particular geographic area. The charges are appropriate to the availability of the service, and of skilled and licensed service providers. For collision, loss or damage coverage, the charges are also appropriate to the availability of parts, the difficulty or complexity of the job, and the effort needed to repair the damaged vehicle.

Refund
Cash or a credit or voucher for future travel that you get from a travel agent, tour operator, airline, cruise line or other travel supplier, or any credit, recovery or reimbursement you get from your employer, another insurance company, a credit card issuer or any other entity.

Rental car agreement
The contract that describes all of the terms and conditions of renting a car, including your responsibilities and the responsibilities of the rental car company.

Scheduled departure date
The day and time you listed on your enrollment or other form as the day and time you plan to start your trip. You have paid for travel that starts on this date.

Severe weather
Hazardous weather conditions, like fog, a hailstorm or severe rainstorm, a blizzard, or an ice storm.

Terrorist event
When an organized terrorist group, as defined by the U.S. State Department, injures or kills people or damages property to achieve a political, ethnic or religious goal or result. Terrorist events don't include general civil protest, unrest, rioting or acts of war.

Travel supplier
A travel agent, tour operator, airline, cruise line or other travel service provider.

Traveling companion
A person traveling with you whose name appears with yours on the same trip arrangement and who will accompany you on your trip. A group or tour leader is not considered a traveling companion unless you are sharing the same room with the group or tour leader.

Trip
Round-trip or one-way travel to and from a place at least 100 miles from your home. It can't include travel to receive health care or medical treatment of any kind, or commuting to and from work.

Unlawful acts
Felonies committed by you, a traveling companion or a family member, even if the family member isn't covered by your plan.

Uninhabitable
A natural disaster, fire, flood, burglary or vandalism causes enough damage to make a reasonable person find their home or other accommodation unfit for use.

Unsuitable for business
A natural disaster, fire, flood, burglary or vandalism causes enough damage to make a reasonable person find their workplace unfit for use.