Travel Insurance and COVID-19
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Coronavirus has changed travel for everyone and even though you might be ready to hit the road (or sky), when it comes to travel insurance, it’s more important than ever to know exactly what you are and aren’t covered for before you go.
Is any coronavirus cover available on travel insurance plans and what are the benefits?
Cover for some coronavirus related events is available on all nib’s travel insurance plans (excl. Cancellation and Additional Expenses Plan), but the types of benefits and benefit limits vary.
As much as we’d love to cover every coronavirus-related scenario that a traveller can think of, that’s not what travel insurance is designed to do, so read the Product Disclosure Statement (PDS) for Australian residents carefully for the full terms, conditions, limits and exclusions so that you know what is, and isn’t, covered.
Overseas Medical Benefit: If you contract coronavirus while on your trip, all of nib’s International travel insurance plans can offer cover for overseas medical expenses.
Medical evacuation and repatriation: All nib travel insurance plans include cover for medical evacuation and repatriation if we decide it’s medically necessary, up to the relevant benefit limit.
Coronavirus Travel Costs: nib’s Coronavirus Travel Costs benefit is available on the Comprehensive Travel Plan, Australian Travel plan and Annual Multi Trip Plan and can provide cover for several coronavirus related events. It includes cover for quarantine expenses and trip cancellation if you are diagnosed with coronavirus.
Frequently Asked Questions
What do I do if I get Coronavirus (COVID-19) before my trip?
- Isolate! And seek appropriate medical attention.
- Don’t delay the cancellation of your plans. If you know you need to cancel, contact your providers as soon as possible to maximise the opportunity of refunds from your providers.
- Depending on the plan you have chosen, you may be able to make a claim for non-refundable travel costs under the Coronavirus Travel Costs section of the plan up to the benefit limit.
What do I do if I get Coronavirus (COVID-19) on my trip?
- Contact nib’s Emergency Assistance team. Utilising a global network of medical providers, the team will connect you with local medical facilities. They can also assist by getting in contact with friends and family where needed.
- Always keep receipts for any payments you make and wherever possible, request written reports from providers or local authorities.
- Follow travel and health advice – different countries have different rules. What’s ok in Australia may not be ok in the countries you visit.
- Our International plans include emergency overseas medical cover if you contract coronavirus while travelling.
If I need medical treatment overseas, will you only pay up to $2,500?
Rest assured that if you incur medical expenses overseas for an event covered under the policy, including if you contract Coronavirus (COVID-19) and it’s not related to an ‘existing medical condition’ (as defined in the PDS), then coverage is offered up to the Medical benefit limit. Just make sure you contact nib’s Emergency Assistance team so they can help.
The Coronavirus Travel Costs benefit (for other non-medical coronavirus related events, where included on the plan you have selected) has a limit of $2,500 limit for a single policy (and $5,000 for a family policy); this is separate to the benefit limit available for medical expenses Incurred Overseas.
Read the Domestic Product Disclosure Statement
Read the International Product Disclosure Statement
Emergency?
Wherever you are in the world, if you have an emergency,
call nib International Assistance 24 hours a day on +61 3 8523 2800
or within Australia 1300 555 019.
You can even call reverse charges via the local operator
and we will pick up the call cost. Not a worry in the world!
Need to make a claim?
Sorry to hear your trip didn’t go as planned. At least making a claim is a simple process. Get started here.
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