Sompo Travel Insurance Review: Features And Policies

Sompo's travel insurance has the usual safeguards, but stands out for its coverage of frequent flyer points and other unique benefits.

Sompo's TravelJoy travel insurance protects you against unexpected common mishaps. These include the loss of a passport, accidents, and baggage delays. That's not the end of it, though. It also includes coverage for reconstructive surgery due to burns, recuperation allowance due to accidental miscarriage, golf cover, and rental vehicle excess, making it one of the most comprehensive travel insurance policies in Singapore.

Update: for policies issued on or after 20 July 2022, full vaccination is not required if the traveller fulfils the destination country's requirements and are not in breach of any government regulations. Travellers will only need to take a pre-departure COVID-19 polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test if it’s a requirement by the destination country.

Making this travel insurance policy even more attractive is the coverage for loss of frequent flyer points and a unique Go Japan! Plan for visitors to the Land of the Rising Sun.

Here's everything you need to know about Sompo's Travel Insurance policy:

• What does Sompo TravelJoy cover?
• Pros and cons
• List of exclusions
• Plan types
• Pricing
• How to make a claim
• Conclusion

What does Sompo TravelJoy cover?

1. Emergency medical evacuation & repatriation
Sompo will pay a reasonable cost of transportation and en-route medical care incurred for evacuation to the nearest registered medical institution or return to Singapore for medical treatment. For Go Japan!, Elite and Deluxe plans, this section is extended to cover pre-existing conditions.

2. Full terrorism cover
Full terrorism coverage is available (not applicable for Vital Plan).

3. Amateur sports coverage
Covers amateur sports such as hot-air balloon, sky-diving and underwater activities involving the use of underwater breathing apparatus.

4. Loss of frequent flyer points 
Sompo will pay for loss of frequent flyer or similar travel points used by the Insured Person to purchase an airline ticket following Trip Cancellation or Postponement if the Insured Person is unable to recover the lost points from any other source.

5. Rental vehicle excess cover
Pays for any excess or deductible that you are liable to pay for under the vehicle rental agreement with regards to the loss of or damage to the rental vehicle caused by an accident or theft of a rental vehicle during the rental period. Not applicable for Vital Plan.

6. Reconstructive Surgery Due to Burns
Sompo will reimburse medical expenses incurred in Singapore within twelve (12) months from the date of Accident for Skin Transplantation procedures due to Accidental burns sustained during Your Trip (must be certified by a Registered Medical Practitioner as medically necessary). This benefit is not applicable to Sompo's Vital Plan.

Read also: Why You Should Get Travel Insurance

Pros and cons

Policy exclusions

The list of exclusions for this policy include the following:

• Routine physical examinations, health check-ups, or any other tests not related to the treatment or diagnosis of any Injury, Illness, or Sickness or any treatment of a preventive nature including vaccinations, treatment for obesity, weight reduction and weight improvement programmes
• Any Infectious Disease which is announced or notified as an epidemic or pandemic by the health authority in Singapore or the Government of the Republic of Singapore; and a pandemic by the World Health Organisation (WHO)
• Travel booked or undertaken against medical advice or for the purpose of obtaining medical treatment
• HIV and/or any HIV related illness including AIDS and/or any mutant derivatives or variations thereof however caused
• Detention, confiscation or destruction by customs or other officials or authorities
• Losses for which insurance is prohibited by law
• Any government intervention, prohibition or regulation
• Claims arising from any fraudulent, dishonest or unlawful act committed by You
• Health supplements, vitamins, prebiotics, probiotics and skin care products whether purchased over the counter or prescribed by a Registered Medical Practitioner
• Engaging in aerial activities (except for hot-air ballooning) or air travel except as a fare-paying passenger in any fully licensed passenger carrying aircraft but not as a member of the crew nor for the purpose of any trade or technical operation in or on the aircraft

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The full list of exclusions is available in the policy wording.

Types of plans

Sompo provides four tiers of travel insurance plans with different prices and levels of coverage - Vital, Deluxe, Elite, and Go Japan!. We will not be comparing the Go Japan! Plan below, as that is largely similar to the Deluxe Plan (except for Medical Expenses benefit), apart from the fact that it caters to Japan trips only. For more details, please read the full list of benefits and exclusions in the policy wording.

Vital Plan

If you seek basic travel insurance coverage without the frills, consider Sompo's Vital Plan. In terms of personal cover, both personal accident and medical expenses incurred overseas are capped at S$150,000 each. Travel inconveniences such as baggage delays are covered up to S$1,000 (capped at S$100 for every six hours overseas).

However, do keep in mind that most bonus coverage such as “Full Terrorism Cover”, “War Cover”, “ Leisure Underwater Activities”, “ Alternative Accommodation Arrangement”, “ Alternative Travel Arrangement” and “Rental Vehicle Excess Cover” does not apply to this plan.

Deluxe Plan

If you prefer a boost in your travel coverage, Sompo's Deluxe Plan features emergency medical evacuation or repatriation required due to pre-existing medical conditions. Baggage delay is covered up to S$1,000 (capped at S$200 for the first six hours while overseas and capped at S$150 for the first six hours in Singapore, and S$125 per four hours while overseas after that).

Finally, personal accident coverage is capped at S$250,000. Additional offerings (different from Vital Plan) in the event of medical mishaps include “Double Hospitalisation Allowance Whilst Overseas In ICU Arising From An Accident”, “ Hospital Allowance For Hospitalisation In Singapore”, “ Additional Accommodation & Travelling Expenses”, and “Guardian For Return Of Dependent Children”.

Bonus cover such as “Full Terrorism Cover”, “War Cover”, “ Leisure Underwater Activities”, “ Alternative Accommodation Arrangement”, “ Alternative Travel Arrangement”, “Rental Vehicle Excess Cover”, “ Reconstructive Surgery Due To Burns”, “ Recuperation Allowance Due To Accidental Miscarriage”, and “Golf Cover” are also made available with the Deluxe Plan.

Elite Plan

As a top-shelf plan, Sompo Elite Plan offers the highest limit among the three tiers. It provides an extensive S$1 million Overseas Medical Coverage and Personal Accident Coverage of S$500,000 at a lower-than-the-average premium. The additional benefits from the Deluxe Plan are also covered in the Elite Plan, with some benefits given a higher limit.

Pricing

We will look at prices across various plans (basic/mid-tier/top shelf) for both Single Trips and Annual Trips. For Sompo, ASEAN Countries exclude Cambodia, Laos, and Myanmar.

Basic Plan

Mid-Tier Plan

Top-Shelf Plan

How to make a claim?

Step 1: prepare the necessary information to validate your travel insurance claims

Start by preparing the following necessary information:

• Proof of Travel (Boarding Pass, Passport Stamp or Airline Tickets)
• Policy Number
• Claimant NRIC/FIN/Passport Number
• Claimant Name

The claimant should be an insured party in the policy, and personal information should match what was provided when purchasing your travel policy.
 

Step 2: gather the supporting documents

Next, gather supporting documents for your claim.

• Medical expenses: medical bills, medical reports/diagnosis, pre-departure COVID-19 PCR test results (for COVID-19 related claims)
• Delays and misconnections: proof of delay, rescheduled boarding pass, original itinerary
• Loss of items: photos of damage items, purchase receipts, police report, airport report (for lost or damaged baggage), 
• Trip curtailment or cancellation: evidence of cancellation reason, prepaid costs and non-refundable costs, additional travelling expenses, medical reports
• Miscellaneous: rental vehicle agreement, police report or incident report from car rental company, repair oe excess invoice, medical report, proof of quarantine, hospital admission and discharge documents

For more details, check the required documents per claim type on Sompo’s website.

Step 3: submit your claim online

Once you’ve gathered all the necessary paperwork, submit your claims online.

How to contact Sompo for my claim

You can contact Sompo regarding your claim via the following methods.

• Emergency hotline: In an emergency, you can call the Sompo Assist Hotline at +65 6532 2522. You should also call this number for claims exceeding S$5,000 in value. 
• Online claims: After submitting your claims online at Sompo’s website, you can follow up via email at claimsreport@sompo.com.sg.
• Hard copy claims: You can also mail in your claims form, together with supporting documents, to Sompo Insurance Singapore Pte Ltd, 50 Raffles Place, #05-01/06 Singapore Land Tower, Singapore 048623.
• Things to note: Claims must be submitted within 30 days of incident occurrence.

The bottom Line

Sompo Travel Joy offers three tiers of coverage, catering to a large range of different travellers. 

The Vital Plan offers a basic level of coverage that should cover a short trip to a nearby destination, and at wallet-friendly prices too. But if you’re going for a longer holiday that involves higher-value items, you may want to look into the higher-tier plans for more comprehensive travel insurance coverage.

Notably, the mid-tier Deluxe plan covers emergency evacuation and medical repatriation due to pre-existing conditions. There are also additional benefits not offered in the Vital plan.

These additional benefits – ranging from terrorism and war cover, to underwater leisure and golf cover – are also included in the top-tier Elite plan, along with the highest sums assured for overseas medical coverage and personal accident benefits.

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Protected up to specified limits by SDIC.

Note: This is only product information provided. You may wish to seek advice from a qualified adviser before buying the product. If you choose not to seek advice from a qualified adviser, you should consider whether the product is suitable for you. Buying an insurance product that are not suitable for you may impact your ability to finance your future healthcare needs.

If you decide that the policy is not suitable after purchasing the policy, you may terminate the policy in accordance with the free-look provision, if any, and the insurer may recover from you any expense incurred by the insurer in underwriting the policy.

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