Travel Insurance which covers COVID-19?

[Batterytraveller]

Qantas travel insurance is back, and the coronavirus coverage seems pretty solid.

Qantas - Travel Insurance for Coronavirus (COVID-19)

travel.insurance.qantas.com

 

[Jacques Vert]

Qantas travel insurance is back, and the coronavirus coverage seems pretty solid.

Qantas - Travel Insurance for Coronavirus (COVID-19)

travel.insurance.qantas.com

$2,500 for Coronavirus Travel Costs may not go far if you end up in hotel quarantine overseas.

 

[MZFlyer]

I'm going to ring them on Monday - will report back! Otherwise looking at getting the Go Insurance covid bits to accompany existing Amex credit card cover (Fiji trip for 2 x adults in January).

Spoke to Amex - they were helpful and efficient as usual on the phone (zero wait; local office) and cheerfully confirmed that the short 1 November "Response to COVID19" document I found on the website is meant to supplement the current PDS, which gives emergency medical cover up to $2.5 million:
https://www.americanexpress.com/content/dam/amex/au/pdfs/credit-cards/pds_ultimatecard.pdf

BUT... that "we may cover you" wording is still a bit troubling...

Given the credit card insurance is free, and we're only going for a short trip, I'm minded to stick with my plan of purchasing additional covid-specific insurance as well, as it is a minor additional expense for peace of mind.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Qantas travel insurance is back, and the coronavirus coverage seems pretty solid.

Qantas - Travel Insurance for Coronavirus (COVID-19)

travel.insurance.qantas.com

I dunno... is it solid?

• Your non-refundable travel costs incurred if you or a member of your travelling party is certified by the attending medical practitioner as being medically unfit to travel due to being diagnosed with coronavirus after you purchase your policy.

You test positive but there is no attending medical practitioner. Or you have no symptoms. And you're in a country that doesn't care if you are positive but have no symptoms...

• If you’re denied boarding transport because you’re suspected of being infected with coronavirus, we’ll help with your reasonable additional travel costs - don’t forget to get written confirmation from the carrier or relevant authority.

You go for your PCR test 72 hours prior to your departure back to Australia and test positive. Do you still go to the airport so you can be 'denied boarding'? Or do you do the right thing and stay at home? Is it even denied boarding when it is a government requirement and not the airline's? Even if it is denied boarding, the airline will likely book you onto another available service at no cost.. so little cost to the insurance company.

• Costs for your compulsory quarantine if during your trip you or a member of your travelling party are diagnosed with coronavirus or are a confirmed ‘close contact’ (this includes the costs of things like hotel, meals and, most importantly, Netflix!).

You test positive for your PCR test 72 hours prior to departure back to Australia. You have to extend your stay in the UK/USA. UK/USA don't put you in quarantine, but you have to pay for a hotel because otherwise you'd have no where. Who pays? This isn't mandatory quarantine.

The PDS seems to mirror the Q and As... which seem wide enough to drive a truck through

 

[kpc]

Had some very good news this evening. My corporate travel insurance policy (underwritten by Chubb) which also covers personal leisure trips has been updated from 10th November 2021 as follows (so check your Chubb underwritten policies!):

Chubb have recently upgraded terms and conditions to allow for COVID-19 Medical Expenses cover (overseas) effective from the 10th November 2021.
This also allows cover for specific COVID-19 Loss of Deposit and Cancellation cover. Item b refers to cover for unbudgeted additional or forfeited accommodation expenses incurred due to contracting COVID.
The policy will continue to exclude cover for boarder closures caused by COVID-19, at present this is still treated as a known circumstance.

‘COVID-19 Endorsement’

(1) The section of the Policy titled ‘Section 6 – Cancellation and Disruption’ is amended by adding the following exclusion under the sub-section titled ‘Exclusions Under Section 6’:



8. directly or indirectly arising from, relating to or in any way connected with the Coronavirus Disease 19 (COVID-19) (or any mutation or variation thereof or any related strain) and/or its outbreak.



Provided that this exclusion shall not apply in respect of claims for:

1. ‘Loss of Deposits’ under Section 6 – Cancellation and Disruption of the Policy, if during the Period of Insurance the Policyholder or the Covered Person incurs loss of Travel or Accommodation Expenses paid in

advance of a proposed Journey following the necessary alteration or cancellation of the Covered Person’s Journey due to:

I. the Covered Person’s unexpected death from COVID-19; or

II. the Covered Person contracting COVID-19 which results in the Covered Person being certified by a Doctor as being unable to commence the Journey as planned; or

III. the Covered Person, a Close Relative, Close Colleague or travelling companion of the Covered Person being directed by a health authority to quarantine because of a close contact with a positive or suspected positive case of COVID-19; or

IV. a Close Relative, Close Colleague or travelling companion of the Covered Person contracting COVID-19, or their unexpected death from COVID-19,



We will reimburse the Policyholder or the Covered Person on the same basis as specified under ‘Loss of Deposits’ in Section 6 – Cancellation and Disruption of the Policy; and

1. ‘Cancellation and Curtailment Expenses’ under Section 6 – Cancellation and Disruption of the Policy, if during the Period of Insurance and whilst the person is a Covered Person and on a Journey, the Covered Person

necessarily incurs reasonable unbudgeted additional or forfeited Travel or Accommodation Expenses and/or out-of-pocket expenses due to:

the Covered Person’s unexpected death from COVID-19; or

the Covered Person contracting COVID-19 which results in the Covered Person being certified by a Doctor as being unable to continue the Journey as planned; or

the Covered Person, a Close Relative, Close Colleague or travelling companion of the Covered Person being directed by a health authority to quarantine because of a close contact with a positive or suspected positive case of COVID-19; or

a Close Relative, Close Colleague or travelling companion of the Covered Person contracting COVID-19, or their unexpected death from COVID-19,



We will reimburse the Policyholder or the Covered Person on the same basis as specified under ‘Cancellation and Curtailment Expenses’ in Section 6 – Cancellation and Disruption of the Policy, provided that such claims

result from an unforeseen circumstance outside the control of the Policyholder or the Covered Person

 

[robbo135]

so check your Chubb underwritten policies!):

Thanks!
Looks like there is an updated statement for Amex CC insurance whom Chubb provide cover for:

https://www.americanexpress.com/content/dam/amex/au/insurance/pdf/Covid19_Cover_Statement_Insurance_with_Your_Card_Chubb.pdf

The underlying PDS's for each card don't seem to have been updated though, so I would be wary until they issue something a bit more substantive than a pdf document which looks rather generic.

 

[anchew]

It means you need to look at the other exclusions in the policy. Insurance is generally about covering unexpected events. If you travel to the UK and get covid ANZ's policy probably won't cover you according to their current wording. If you were to travel to travel to say Tonga, (or WA!), where there's zero covid and caught it, you *might* be covered, as getting covid in one of those places is well... fairly unlikely!

Out of curiosity, why wouldn't ANZ's policy cover you if you travel to the UK, but would if going to Tonga, according to the current wording? I've read the PDS a number of times and can't seem to see it. I might have missed something?

 

[Jeffstrongman]

Had some very good news this evening. My corporate travel insurance policy (underwritten by Chubb) which also covers personal leisure trips has been updated from 10th November 2021 as follows (so check your Chubb underwritten policies!):

Chubb have recently upgraded terms and conditions to allow for COVID-19 Medical Expenses cover (overseas) effective from the 10th November 2021.
This also allows cover for specific COVID-19 Loss of Deposit and Cancellation cover. Item b refers to cover for unbudgeted additional or forfeited accommodation expenses incurred due to contracting COVID.
The policy will continue to exclude cover for boarder closures caused by COVID-19, at present this is still treated as a known circumstance.

Do any of these policies cover temporary residents in Australia? Qantas specifically state their policy is for Australian residents only. With yesterday’s border announcement I am booked on a trip to UK on Dec 4th but will need a covid travel policy that provides inpatriate cover.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Out of curiosity, why wouldn't ANZ's policy cover you if you travel to the UK, but would if going to Tonga, according to the current wording? I've read the PDS a number of times and can't seem to see it. I might have missed something?

For example it could come under general exclusion 6: failing to follow advice or act upon a warning broadcast or published in mass media.

The rising case numbers in UK/Europe are widely published. The headline this morning on news.com for example quotes Germany's health minister saying that by the end of winter every citizen will be 'vaccinated, cured or dead from covid'. So.. if you still decide to go to Germany (or UK/Europe, or USA etc where conditions are all similar), is it unexpected that you might get covid? And then want to claim?

Compared with Tonga that has zero cases, and if you go there, you might expect to be covid free. (This is putting aside any smartraveller advice which may be on tiop of that.)

Some of the covid covers out there are fairly 'light on'. For example big print saying they will cover any quarantine... ignoring the fact many countries don't force positive cases into quarantine anymore.

 

[Port Power]

Do any of these policies cover temporary residents in Australia? Qantas specifically state their policy is for Australian residents only. With yesterday’s border announcement I am booked on a trip to UK on Dec 4th but will need a covid travel policy that provides inpatriate cover.

I don’t think the wording specifically means citizens or permanent resident status, but just refers to people living in Australia and returning here from the trip.

 

[Jeffstrongman]

I don’t think the wording specifically means citizens or permanent resident status, but just refers to people living in Australia and returning here from the trip.

Thanks Port. I have gone with cover more annual policy as back to UK in July also. They definitely cover visa holders

 

[Jacques Vert]

$2,500 for Coronavirus Travel Costs may not go far if you end up in hotel quarantine overseas.

I sought clarification regarding policies for couples and received the following response:

Each traveller is covered for Coronavirus Travel Costs for the amount of $2500.00, which is a total of $5000.00.

 

[Pushka]

Insure and go is now offering Covid medical cover with cancellation but nothing for border closure whilst travelling. ABC had a good article this morning

You can now get COVID travel insurance. Here's what it does and doesn't cover

Australians travelling overseas for the first time since international borders reopened are paying hundreds of dollars for travel insurance — but the fine print reveals some very big COVID-related exclusions.

www.abc.net.au

 

[BillW]

I have 3 impending issues with travel insurance.
1) Can I be covered for a multi city awards flight that does not include returning to Oz? I will return at some point within 12 months, perhaps if I have concluded my research topic, made by a separate future booking.
2) I will be paying entirely with classic reward points. No credit card involved except for the "extras". So I presume this precludes complimentary card travel insurance.
3) I will be 74 whilst travelling.

 

[JB expat]

Thanks!
Looks like there is an updated statement for Amex CC insurance whom Chubb provide cover for:

https://www.americanexpress.com/content/dam/amex/au/insurance/pdf/Covid19_Cover_Statement_Insurance_with_Your_Card_Chubb.pdf

The underlying PDS's for each card don't seem to have been updated though, so I would be wary until they issue something a bit more substantive than a pdf document which looks rather generic.

I just took a look at the AmEx policy and the supplement - it looks OK to me.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

I have 3 impending issues with travel insurance.
1) Can I be covered for a multi city awards flight that does not include returning to Oz? I will return at some point within 12 months, perhaps if I have concluded my research topic, made by a separate future booking.
2) I will be paying entirely with classic reward points. No credit card involved except for the "extras". So I presume this precludes complimentary card travel insurance.
3) I will be 74 whilst travelling.

1) most - if not all? - Aussie policies require you to have a return ticket to Australia. This is for a number of reasons including (a) that the cost of your ticket back will help off-set any insurance claim to get you home, and (b) that it could be cheaper for them to fly you back home to receive ongoing treatment, so they want to make sure that you are based in Australia and intend to come back here.
2) credit card insurance usually requires a return ticket back into Australia. Different cards have different thresholds for cover. Some will cover tickets paid by points as long as you have paid the taxes fees and charges on the card, some require a minimum $250 or $500 spend on any portion of your itinerary, even if that's a hotel or transfers, some require no spend. You need to check the policy for your card.
3) again your cover will depend on the policy. ANZ credit cards for example cover you to age 80. Some policies are more restrictive.

you also need to check the period of cover for credit card policies, some will cover trips up to 3 months, some 6 months.

you could take out a 12-month policy, just put a flight in at the end of the 12 months. You can always move it forward.

 

[PineappleSkip]

If it's several months I'd google "expat travel insurance《destination country"

cheers skip

 

[Mumanddad]

I've had a quick look at the updated AMEX travel insurance which comes into effect in March 2022. The first thing I did was to check with Smartraveller to make sure the countries we intend visiting did not have a "do not travel" notice, at the time of booking.
My eyes do not allow me to read through the whole thing on screen properly so will ask for a brochure to be sent out.

 

[Mattg]

I've had a quick look at the updated AMEX travel insurance which comes into effect in March 2022. The first thing I did was to check with Smartraveller to make sure the countries we intend visiting did not have a "do not travel" notice, at the time of booking.
My eyes do not allow me to read through the whole thing on screen properly so will ask for a brochure to be sent out.

I created a colour-coded map showing the DFAT travel advice for each country, which can be found in this article:

International COVID-19 Travel Insurance Guide for Australians

Given the risks involved with international travel, getting travel insurance in this post-COVID era is more important than ever. Some countries such as

www.australianfrequentflyer.com.au

You can click on the map within the article to view a larger version of it.

 

[woodyren]

Slightly off topic. Currently some countries such as Singapore and I believe Fiji require proof of certain insurance coverage prior to entry.

How will the average point of entry official be able to understand or even have the time to peruse all the travel insurance fine print to decide if you have said coverage.

My guess is that any piece of paper with the words insurance and medical somewhere will surfice.