US residents traveling to Cuba for tourist activities continues to be prohibited by statute. However, the Department of Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) has issued general licenses for 12 categories of travel. (view the U.S. Embassy in Cuba website)
Related to the Wanderwell Voyage trip protection style travel insurance plan, coverage does apply to travel to Cuba as long as the insured can show that they are traveling for one of the specified categories of permitted travel (see below).
*Note that U.S. credit and debit cards generally do not currently work in Cuba. Make sure to bring enough cash to last your entire trip, and save ALL receipts that may be related to a claim.
Cuba Restrictions – Guidelines
Effective June 4, 2019, the U.S. Department of State has restricted travel to Cuba for any reason outside of the following:
- family visits;
- official business of the U.S. government, foreign governments, and certain intergovernmental organizations;
- journalistic activity;
- professional research and professional meetings;
- religious activities;
- public performances, clinics, workshops, athletic and other competitions, and exhibitions;
- support for the Cuban people;
- humanitarian projects;
- activities of private foundations or research or educational institutes;
- exportation, importation, or transmission of information or informational materials; and
- certain authorized export transactions.
Nationwide (the insurance company that backs these policies) requires all producers to abide by The Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) regulations. These regulations prohibit financial transactions from a US company to a company or person located on the OFAC sanctions list.
OFAC prohibits the 24/7 Travel Assistance company from paying doctors/hospitals in a sanctioned country. This could have an impact on the Emergency Medical Evacuation benefit, as some assistance companies choose to use providers in a country located close to the sanctioned country (example: using a FL air ambulance company to evacuate someone from Cuba).