6th Cir. Upholds Ruling for Nationwide in COVID-19 Travel Insurance Action

CINCINNATI — A federal appellate panel has upheld a ruling for Nationwide Mutual Insurance Co. in a COVID-19 travel insurance dispute, affirming that government stay-at-home orders recommending against travel during the pandemic did not constitute a “quarantine” for the purposes of coverage.

On April 5, a 6th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals panel agreed with an Ohio federal judge that the government orders and directives were not “imposed isolation,” therefore coverage was not triggered.

Alisha DePasquale and Trayton Cox bought travel insurance from Nationwide on Jan. 15, 2020, to protect a trip from Oregon to Mexico planned for April 2020. …