DFAT Warning [Do NOT Travel overseas]

[prozac]

Well now that the advice has been upgraded to "Do not travel", my worldwide travel insurance policy is now effectively void. (An unfortunate and perhaps unintended consequence of this decision...)

So how does this affect someone who is already OS before the Level 4 announcement and in self-isolation? They should not get on a plane, yet if they got appendicitis for instance whilst in lockdown would they be covered for medical?

 

[prozac]

So how does this affect someone who is already OS before the Level 4 announcement and in self-isolation? They should not get on a plane, yet if they got appendicitis for instance whilst in lockdown would they be covered for medical?

Best advice, contact the insurer. Problem, their website is down. . Phone the 1300 number but it cuts off as soon as the recorded message finishes. Now I am worried. Called the claim number and found someone...phew, I was getting concerned they had closed the doors.
So, here's the drum, if you have already commenced your travel your policy is still active despite the Level 4 travel warning. Would be nice to have it in writing, but I've diarised the discussion.

 

[Flashback]

Best advice, contact the insurer. Problem, their website is down. . Phone the 1300 number but it cuts off as soon as the recorded message finishes. Now I am worried. Called the claim number and found someone...phew, I was getting concerned they had closed the doors.
So, here's the drum, if you have already commenced your travel your policy is still active despite the Level 4 travel warning. Would be nice to have it in writing, but I've diarised the discussion.

I had similar issues trying to call BA, the Gold Line would do the spiel... let you choose the menu options.... keep you on hold for 10 minutes...... then cut you off! After trying that 5 times I gave up and called the Pleb line. It actually worked and could eventually get through without being cut off. Madness.

 

[Mattg]

Will it come back "live" once the alert is lowered? It does mean, assuming coverage for pandemics, that non refundable expenses can be claimed.

Yes, the coverage would resume if they lower the advice. But nobody knows how long this will take. In the meantime, I'm already overseas and now suddenly have no insurance coverage indefinitely.

So how does this affect someone who is already OS before the Level 4 announcement and in self-isolation? They should not get on a plane, yet if they got appendicitis for instance whilst in lockdown would they be covered for medical?

This is exactly my situation. And my self-isolation doesn't end for another 10 days, so it would be irresponsible to get on a plane now. But if something was to happen in the meantime, I have no insurance.

Very unfair, but those are the rules and there is nothing I can do about it.

Interestingly, if I was in Italy I would be covered by the reciprocal health care agreement with Australia. But there is no agreement with Austria.

 

[Pushka]

Yes, the coverage would resume if they lower the advice. But nobody knows how long this will take. In the meantime, I'm already overseas and now suddenly have no insurance coverage indefinitely.



This is exactly my situation. And my self-isolation doesn't end for another 10 days, so it would be irresponsible to get on a plane now. But if something was to happen in the meantime, I have no insurance.

Very unfair, but those are the rules and there is nothing I can do about it.

Interestingly, if I was in Italy I would be covered by the reciprocal health care agreement with Australia. But there is no agreement with Austria.

It's a horrid situation but I would have thought if you'd travelled before Level 4 then you would be covered.

 

[Must...Fly!]

It's a horrid situation but I would have thought if you'd travelled before Level 4 then you would be covered.

There was some earlier discussion on AFF, I think the general gist of T&Cs were you are covered as long as you make arrangements to leave the L4 country as soon as practicable - I guess in this case if you make arrangements to return to AU as early as reasonably possible then you would still be covered. I'd suggest anything that happened in the intervening period (e.g. heart attack) might then be covered.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

There was some earlier discussion on AFF, I think the general gist of T&Cs were you are covered as long as you make arrangements to leave the L4 country as soon as practicable - I guess in this case if you make arrangements to return to AU as early as reasonably possible then you would still be covered. I'd suggest anything that happened in the intervening period (e.g. heart attack) might then be covered.

I agree - that's been my understanding given previous discussion and posts (Q and As) by insurance companies. There is an obligation to leave the affected country as soon as you can - although under the current circumstances that could be several days (or more).

 

[Mattg]

There was some earlier discussion on AFF, I think the general gist of T&Cs were you are covered as long as you make arrangements to leave the L4 country as soon as practicable - I guess in this case if you make arrangements to return to AU as early as reasonably possible then you would still be covered. I'd suggest anything that happened in the intervening period (e.g. heart attack) might then be covered.

I called my insurer (Insureandgo) this morning, and they told me that my cover was void as soon as the increase to L4 was made and that I would no longer be covered for anything.

Realistically, the soonest I could leave Austria is the end of next week. That is, if there are still flights available and they let me out.

 

[Pushka]

I called my insurer (Insureandgo) this morning, and they told me that my cover was void as soon as the increase to L4 was made and that I would no longer be covered for anything.

Realistically, the soonest I could leave Austria is the end of next week. That is, if there are still flights available and they let me out.

That policy is just plain wrong. I just checked their website and it states this:
Please note that while the level 4 alert is in place for the whole world, your Policy will now not cover you if your claim results from any overseas travel, including if you decide to remain overseas. They cannot get away with that.

 

[Flashback]

That policy is just plain wrong. I just checked their website and it states this:
Please note that while the level 4 alert is in place for the whole world, your Policy will now not cover you if your claim results from any overseas travel, including if you decide to remain overseas. They cannot get away with that.

I guess because @Mattg is 'deciding' to stay overseas, that's why he's not covered. When I first moved to the UK I was similar, I had an Australian TI policy to cover me in case anything happened. Now I just have a UK one, given I'm resident here.

 

[Pushka]

I guess because @Mattg is 'deciding' to stay overseas, that's why he's not covered. When I first moved to the UK I was similar, I had an Australian TI policy to cover me in case anything happened. Now I just have a UK one, given I'm resident here.

Is self isolation a choice though?

 

[prozac]

Yes, the coverage would resume if they lower the advice. But nobody knows how long this will take. In the meantime, I'm already overseas and now suddenly have no insurance coverage indefinitely.



This is exactly my situation. And my self-isolation doesn't end for another 10 days, so it would be irresponsible to get on a plane now. But if something was to happen in the meantime, I have no insurance.

Very unfair, but those are the rules and there is nothing I can do about it.

Interestingly, if I was in Italy I would be covered by the reciprocal health care agreement with Australia. But there is no agreement with Austria.

My daughter in same boat Matt. She is in quarantine until next week. Then is it safe for her to travel or wise to return to Australia and risk bringing back and infecting others with Covid?
Fortunately she is in Netherlands where there is reciprocal medical. Form A-111
I've advised her to just stay there in the medium term. If it means she cannot leave for many months, so what.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

I called my insurer (Insureandgo) this morning, and they told me that my cover was void as soon as the increase to L4 was made and that I would no longer be covered for anything.

Realistically, the soonest I could leave Austria is the end of next week. That is, if there are still flights available and they let me out.

yeah. i’m not sure if they are understanding your issue. Agree the policy might be void if you commence travel, or fail to return in a timely manner. But not sure how they can void cover already underway as long as you are trying to get back..

 

[Mattg]

I guess because @Mattg is 'deciding' to stay overseas, that's why he's not covered. When I first moved to the UK I was similar, I had an Australian TI policy to cover me in case anything happened. Now I just have a UK one, given I'm resident here.

I get this, but I'm not "deciding" to stay. As soon as my self-isolation ends, I am going to try to return to Australia.

 

[Flashback]

I get this, but I'm not "deciding" to stay. As soon as my self-isolation ends, I am going to try to return to Australia.

That's why I put deciding in ' ' i.e. the TI company views it as that, but that's not the case.

 

[Anna]

I called my insurer (Insureandgo) this morning, and they told me that my cover was void as soon as the increase to L4 was made and that I would no longer be covered for anything.

Realistically, the soonest I could leave Austria is the end of next week. That is, if there are still flights available and they let me out.

Starting off with 2 very important assumptions: 1. your insurer is an Australian insurer subject to the Insurance Contracts Act, and 2. what they are trying to do is cancel your policy after it has started, not refusing to renew your policy at its agreed end date;

Then, assuming that both of the above is correct in your individual case, I suggest that you inform your insurer that you have done nothing to breach section 60 of the Insurance Contracts Act, that their purported cancellation is invalid under section 63 of the Insurance Contracts Act and that should you need to make a claim which they then refuse, you will be immediately reporting them to the Australian Financial Complaints Authority.

Having said that, I think you should try and get back to Australia anyway, not just because your travel insurer is trying to play silly buggers.

 

[Daver6]

I called my insurer (Insureandgo) this morning, and they told me that my cover was void as soon as the increase to L4 was made and that I would no longer be covered for anything.

Realistically, the soonest I could leave Austria is the end of next week. That is, if there are still flights available and they let me out.

Same insurer as my mum who is currently overseas. What I find a bit (a lot) unfair is they won't refund the unused portion. Ie, if they're not covering you and taking on the risk, it doesn't seem right that they keep the money.

 

[Daver6]

Same insurer as my mum who is currently overseas. What I find a bit (a lot) unfair is they won't refund the unused portion. Ie, if they're not covering you and taking on the risk, it doesn't seem right that they keep the money.

Hmmm...the mystery thickens. My brother also called and was told "confirmed to me that the policy is still valid until May 4 DESPITE the travel warning. The only thing not covered is corona virus". This is a medical only policy. No wording for exclusion of corona virus in the PDS or policy document. None of this is overly clear now.

 

[JessicaTam]

Starting off with 2 very important assumptions: 1. your insurer is an Australian insurer subject to the Insurance Contracts Act, and 2. what they are trying to do is cancel your policy after it has started, not refusing to renew your policy at its agreed end date;

Then, assuming that both of the above is correct in your individual case, I suggest that you inform your insurer that you have done nothing to breach section 60 of the Insurance Contracts Act, that their purported cancellation is invalid under section 63 of the Insurance Contracts Act and that should you need to make a claim which they then refuse, you will be immediately reporting them to the Australian Financial Complaints Authority.

Having said that, I think you should try and get back to Australia anyway, not just because your travel insurer is trying to play silly buggers.

We need a bigger 'like' button!

 

[Pushka]

Starting off with 2 very important assumptions: 1. your insurer is an Australian insurer subject to the Insurance Contracts Act, and 2. what they are trying to do is cancel your policy after it has started, not refusing to renew your policy at its agreed end date;

Then, assuming that both of the above is correct in your individual case, I suggest that you inform your insurer that you have done nothing to breach section 60 of the Insurance Contracts Act, that their purported cancellation is invalid under section 63 of the Insurance Contracts Act and that should you need to make a claim which they then refuse, you will be immediately reporting them to the Australian Financial Complaints Authority.

Having said that, I think you should try and get back to Australia anyway, not just because your travel insurer is trying to play silly buggers.

This is why I love AFF.

This is their policy. I'm going to be slamming them a little over the next few weeks with non refundable cancellation costs.

UPDATE: Global Coronavirus Outbreak - InsureandGo Australia

Issued 3:45pm AEDT, 2nd February 2020. Updated 5:00pm AEDT, 4th February 2020.

www.insureandgo.com.au

We need a bigger 'like' button!

Mmm. Not quite.