Manipal Health aims adding 3,600 beds yrs after Temasek controlling stake

Manipal Health aims adding 3,600 beds yrs after Temasek controlling stake

When Mount Lewotobi Laki-Laki, one of Indonesia’s most active volcanoes, erupted on Tuesday evening, it disrupted international travel across the region and brought fresh attention to the value of travel insurance.

 

The eruption in East Nusa Tenggara province sent towering ash clouds more than 10,000 metres (32,800 feet) into the sky, leading to mass flight cancellations and diversions. One of the affected flights was an Air India service bound for Bali, which had to reroute on Wednesday.

 

The ash plume, visible from up to 150 kilometres away, led authorities to raise the volcano alert to its highest level and expand the exclusion zone to 8 kilometres around the crater.

  

Flights in and out of Bali’s Ngurah Rai International Airport resumed on Thursday, but not before dozens of airlines had suspended operations. Virgin Australia, Jetstar, Air New Zealand, Singapore’s TigerAir, China’s Juneyao Airlines, and Air India were among those to cancel or divert services.

 

“Events like the volcanic eruption in Bali show just how vulnerable travel plans are to natural disasters and sudden disruptions,” said Meet Kapadia, head of travel insurance at Policybazaar. “For many travellers, such events bring not just emotional stress and logistical chaos, but also considerable financial losses. 

What can travel insurance cover?

 

Kapadia said disruptions of this scale can trigger a chain reaction—cancelled flights, missed connections, hotel bookings lost, and extra costs for food and accommodation. In some cases, travellers may also need to rearrange their journeys entirely.

 

“In such scenarios, having a comprehensive travel insurance policy with trip delay, interruption, or cancellation coverage can make a significant difference,” Kapadia told Business Standard.

 

Amrish Dubey, vice president of travel insurance at Tata AIG, said, “Travel insurance is a comprehensive solution that safeguards the traveller against a range of inconveniences and financial losses from various contingencies including flight cancellation and delay.”

 

Dubey added that depending on the policy, cover could include compensation for food, accommodation, and alternative travel arrangements, as well as fixed lump sum payouts in certain cases.

 

According to Policybazaar, travel insurance cover includes"

 

Features:

Medical cover

 

In-patient and outpatient care

Accidental cover

Medical evacuation

Life-threatening pre-existing disease cover (by some insurers)

Non-life-threatening pre-existing disease cover

 

Trip delay and cancellation

 

Trip delay due to medical or unavoidable personal reasons

Trip cancellation due to medical issues, personal emergencies, or court summons

Flight delay (some insurers)

Flight cancellation

 

Baggage-related

 

Delay of checked-in baggage

Loss of checked-in baggage

Loss of personal belongings (some insurers)

 

Other benefits

 

Hijack distress allowance

Home-to-home cover (some insurers)

Emergency hotel accommodation (some insurers)

Personal liability

Missed connections (some insurers)

 

Take a look at some travel insurance plans for south-east Asia (sum insured: $250,000 or ₹2.17 crore)

 

1. Bajaj Allianz Travel Ace Light

Premium: ₹874

 

2. TATA AIG International Plus

Premium: ₹1,045

 

2. ICICI Lombard Trip Secure Plus

Premium: ₹945

 

Add-ons:

 

Adventure sports cover

Cyber fraud cover

 

What trip cancellation and delay protection means

 

“Trip cancellation cover typically reimburses travellers for prepaid, non-refundable expenses if their journey is called off due to covered reasons like natural disasters,” said Kapadia. “Trip interruption coverage, on the other hand, protects those already mid-journey, helping them recover costs from shortened trips, return travel, or emergency stays.”

 

Kapadia added that trip delay benefits cover added expenses for hotel stays, meals, or transport when travellers are stranded due to factors outside their control.

 

“Travellers often overlook these features when purchasing insurance, focusing only on medical or baggage coverage,” Kapadia said. “But in times like this, it’s the disruption-related benefits that prove to be most valuable. Natural calamities like volcanic eruptions, floods, or earthquakes are unpredictable, but they are not uncommon in certain regions.”

 

International travel insurance plans often include

 

• Cashless hospitalisation worldwide

• No health check-ups required for individuals under 80

• Minimal paperwork and online application

• 24/7 customer assistance

• Loss of checked-in luggage

• Free international SIM cards with select plans

 

Quick tips for policyholders

 

• Keep documentation such as boarding passes and itineraries

• Inform the insurer promptly after any travel disruption

• Follow the claim process as per insurer instructions

• Provide all necessary documents, including flight delay or cancellation proof

• Maintain records of all communication with both the airline and insurer