You may be surprised by these coverage gaps

Travelers temporarily stranded abroad after the rescue operation of Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro learned a harsh lesson about the limits of travel insurance.

Travel insurance provides buyers with financial backup against a variety of unforeseen circumstances, such as medical expenses abroad and hotel stays after a flight is delayed or cancelled.

However, insurance companies have rules that dictate when they must and do not pay these benefits.

Travel and insurance experts say many restrictions (or “exclusions” in insurance parlance) can surprise consumers.

“Consumers expect travel insurance to be comprehensive and cover anything that can happen,” said Chrissy Valdez, senior director of operations at insurance comparison site SquareMath.

That’s not accurate.

On January 3, the US Federal Aviation Administration closed airspace over parts of the Caribbean Sea in support of US military operations in Venezuela.

Airlines canceled hundreds of flights, disrupting the plans of thousands of travelers during the busy weekend and in what experts say is the most popular area for travelers this time of year. The disruption meant many people had to pay for extra days of travel.

Airlines are generally not required to compensate passengers for disruptions outside of their control, but they may do so voluntarily.

Travel insurance policyholders, including sole policyholders and those receiving credit card benefits, may also be out of luck.

Experts say many standard policies make exceptions for disruptions caused by war, undeclared war, civil war, insurrection, military activity or government intervention.

Sally French, a travel expert at NerdWallet, said policyholders stranded due to military action in Venezuela “could be left with no money.”

The details vary depending on the insurance company.

French said insurance companies typically have the final say on whether an act of undeclared war or civil war has occurred.

“The situation in Venezuela is very unique,” French said. “In another situation, a government might say we’re declaring war on a country. But Venezuela is challenging because they don’t really know what’s going on.”

“There’s a lot of gray area,” she says.

Suzanne Moreau, CEO of insurance comparison site InsureMyTrip, said intoxication could also be a surprising or “outlandish” exclusion.

“If you get injured while intoxicated, your travel insurance may deny medical benefits due to intoxication and may not pay for medical treatment,” she says.

Insurance companies may also consider certain activities to be dangerous.

Morrow said riding a moped is one thing that is generally ruled out because of the risk of injury.

Standard policies also generally exclude participation in safaris, hiking, horseback riding, skiing, snowboarding, scuba diving, hot air ballooning, zip lining, quad biking, driving all-terrain vehicles, bungee jumping and kayaking, Squaremouth said.

However, Moreau said there are specific insurance policies and riders that consumers can purchase to cover such activities.

“Knowing what you’re getting into ahead of time can help with insurance decisions,” she says.

Another potential surprise for consumers is that insurance may not cover travel to certain countries, Moreau said.

This could be due to government travel advisories warning against visiting certain countries, federal sanctions against certain countries, or because insurers list certain excluded countries on consumers’ policies, he said.

Some countries, such as Afghanistan and North Korea, seem simple, but others are not, French said.

For example, certain medical and evacuation benefits available with the Chase Sapphire Reserve credit card do not apply to travel to Vietnam, according to a website that describes the card’s benefits.

“That country is definitely an emerging country with a lot of people traveling,” French said. “I understand North Korea. But what about Vietnam?”

The travel advisory for Vietnam on the U.S. Department of State website is currently set at Level 1, the lowest level of safety and security risk.

Consumers can purchase more comprehensive coverage as well as more customized insurance that covers specific activities and situations.

For example, cancellation for any reason protection allows consumers to cancel a trip for any reason and get their money back.

But experts say these policies are most beneficial to consumers before they embark on a trip, rather than those who have already departed.

This is because policyholders typically need to notify their insurance company at least 24 to 48 hours before the trip begins in order to receive benefits. Still, Valdez said consumers typically can get back perhaps 50% to 75% of their trip costs, rather than the entire cost.

Such insurance usually comes with a higher price tag.

Another optional add-on is coverage for interruptions for any reason, Valdez said.

Consider the hypothetical example of Seven Corners, a travel insurance company. Let’s say you’re in the middle of a multi-city European vacation and then head to Paris. You’ve learned that many hotels in Paris have an infestation of bedbugs and want to shorten your trip without risking it. Seven Corners says most plans don’t cover bed bugs, but with any-cause interruption coverage, consumers may be able to recoup some of their unused travel costs.