Nationwide reduces Flex travel insurance cover for Covid cancellations. But these policies aren't widely available in Australia yet. That generally means handing in lots of documentation. TUI COVID Cover is included on 2020 holidays. Cancellation refers to trips cancelled before departure. If you bought your travel insurance policy before the pandemic became a known event, there's a chance you'll be covered – depending on your policy. It covers up to £15m in emergency medical expenses, including repatriation, plus cancellation and curtailment up to £25,000. Once you have selected a ‘single trip’ quote, simply entering the intended departure and return date of your trip will make sure you are given options for long stay travel insurance. Cover will vary between policies. A quote for long term cover works the same way as single-trip travel insurance. Your travel insurer declined your COVID-19 claim. In the first instance, it's up to you as the policyholder to establish that you have a valid claim under the policy terms and conditions. Your travel insurance changed on 5th January 2021 as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. A pandemic is an epidemic that has spread throughout a whole country or across continents. Basic policies may exclude medical or cancellation costs. You’re covered if you’re denied boarding by your transport operator as a result of a high temperature or a positive test; for medical costs if you fall ill with coronavirus while abroad; for accommodation costs resulting from an extended stay if you or a travelling companion is infected with Covid-19; and if the FCDO advice changes while you’re away. Some insurers have also pre-emptively announced cover for travelling to New Zealand, if and when that option becomes available. An epidemic is an outbreak of disease that happens in a wide geographic location and affects a lot of people. All travel insurance policies with us include COVID-19 cover at no extra cost. Coronavirus travel cancellations: can you get your money back? It will cover customers when cancelling their bookings because they have been infected by Covid-19, or because they have been officially required to quarantine prior to departure. If the airline has cancelled or delayed flights due to a pandemic, it's considered an event that is out of their control and the airline will have a policy providing compensation for cancellation or delay. This means the Insurance Contracts Act 1984 doesn't allow the insurer to decline the claim. Some tour operators are getting in on the action too. Other insurers might cover you in the event you have to cancel a trip as a result of catching the virus before you go, or because you’ve been told to self-isolate by the NHS test and trace team. Sabri Ben-Achour Mar 3, 2020. You will qualify for coverage regardless of whether your first flight was operated by WestJet or by one of WestJet’s code share partners so long as your booking was ticketed on WestJet Read more: Read our full mailing list consent terms here. Travel insurance is now a must. Travel insurers tend to exclude or cover both pandemics and epidemics. Aruba, Bermuda, and Dubai are already on the list, and several other countries — like Turks and Caicos — will join the ranks when their doors open. The sites usually have standard cancellation policies, but in the event of emergencies like pandemics, they may make an exception. Travel Insurance. Many of the insurers that say they cover coronavirus mean, in... Cover for countries on the high-risk list. It’s still possible to get insured during a pandemic, Find your bookmarks in your Independent Premium section, under my profile. On 25 March, this was escalated to a travel ban. If you disagree with the insurer's decision regarding your claim, raise a complaint via their internal dispute resolution service. What now? InsureMyTrip’s new recommendation tool simplifies the search for travel insurance plans that may offer coverage for COVID-19 related issues. In an AFCA dispute, some travellers cancelled a trip to Great Britain and Ireland on 5 March amid increasing concerns about COVID-19. ^ Update 9 March 2020: Budget Direct and Ozicare reissued their Product Disclosure Statements on 5 March 2020 and ING on 13 March 2020 to exclude cover for pandemics and epidemics. If you buy a Post Office Travel Insurance policy on or after 6 September 2020 it will provide all of this coronavirus cover if your destination is safe to visit when you go:-Cancellation within 14 days of your trip should you test positive-Curtailment if you test positive for COVID-19 at your outward departure point and are not allowed to go on your trip If an insurer defines natural disaster as a list of events like earthquakes, tsunamis, volcanic eruptions,floods, wildfires, heat then cover for pandemic will probably be excluded from the definition of natural disaster. The booking site should still be subject to Australian Consumer Law. Travel insurance policies have adapted to include coronavirus — but they still don't cover everything. This article is more than 4 months old. See above for our list of insurers that cover you for an epidemic or pandemic. The latter includes: if you contract Covid-19 before you travel; if your travelling companion(s), people you live with, or people you’re staying with on holiday are diagnosed with Covid-19 within 14 days of travel; if you’re denied boarding with a positive Covid test; if a close relative becomes ill with coronavirus and you need to return home early; if you’ve been told to self-isolate by the NHS at the time of your departure; and if a family/household member is diagnosed with Covid-19, meaning you have to self-isolate. Travel insurance. If your travel insurance policy includes cover for pandemics or epidemics, and you bought the policy before COVID-19 became a known event, then you should be covered. An investigation of travel insurance policies on Canstar’s database in January 2021 revealed there are some companies that specifically provide cover related to COVID-19 for domestic travel. Many travel insurance policies offer good medical coverage, but not all cover COVID-related problems. Policies are available to help you escape to paradise, An empty street in Manhattan borough following the outbreak of coronavirus disease in New York City, A cab drives down at Seventh Avenue in Times Square, Syracuse University campus is seen almost empty as number of universities are moving all classes to e-learning, due to the coronavirus outbreak, A mobile souvenir shop sits in an empty parking lot at Allianz Field as a match between the New York Red Bulls at Minnesota United FC is postponed, An empty Jacob K Javits Convention Center, Empty street is seen outside the New York Times building, Heathrow boss demands government action to support aviation industry, {{#verifyErrors}} {{message}} {{/verifyErrors}} {{^verifyErrors}} {{message}} {{/verifyErrors}}, Coronavirus turns New York into a ghost town. That means, in the event that you catch Covid-19 while on holiday, they’ll provide any medical expenses, and possibly extras including repatriation and extra accommodation costs if you have to quarantine. New customers can now buy policies that include cover for medical expenses, cancellation and curtailment as a result of being diagnosed with coronavirus, and existing customers are now automatically covered. Not all tests are covered by insurance, but since the passage of the Families First Coronavirus Response Act in March, many people should have … There is also cover if you or your travel companion are required to quarantine as a result of your individual circumstances, such as being requested to do so by the NHS 111 service (if you are unable to travel due to a general quarantine being placed across a region or nation, then this cover does not apply). AFCA ruled that the travellers' decision to cancel the trip was necessary for their safety. Coronavirus travel cancellations: can you get your money back? How does coronavirus affect my travel insurance? Holidaymakers’ favourites including Spain, France and Italy are all deemed too dangerous by the government. Coverwise (Silver) gives annual cover from £18.55 and single from £7.42. There may be instances where cover is not available. Travel insurance has undergone something of an evolution since the coronavirus pandemic started. Which travel insurance policies cover you for Covid-19? Read more: Many of the insurers that say they cover coronavirus mean, in reality, that they specifically cover medical costs abroad, rather than the cancellation or curtailment of a trip due to the pandemic. But if your insurer has denied your claim because they deemed COVID-19 a known event, it's worth lodging a dispute with your travel insurer. So travel insurance for an Aussie summer holiday maybe worth considering if you're: Read your travel insurance Product Disclosure Statement. Insurefor.com recently launched new insurance products, including single-trip policies that cover you when travelling against FCDO advice to European countries. Long stay travel insurance is cover for a holiday where you’ll be travelling for any period up to 12 months. For the policies of Australian domestic airlines, read our advice on coronavirus flight refunds. name@example.com). Insurers' definitions can vary, so check with your insurer on when they cut off cover for a specific event. Dozens of insurers, including Aetna, Cigna and Humana, have waived co-payments, co-insurance and deductibles for all COVID-19 treatments. But that will depend not only on what your policy covers, but also when you bought the policy. Getting money back if you don't have travel insurance, if you decided not to travel because of concerns for your safety. AFCA also said that the 'known event' exclusion in the insurers policy related to whether the policyholder was aware of COVID-19 and if any potential claims could arise from it. COVID-19 travel losses – what you can claim. It covers cancellation prior to departure if you or a close relative tests positive for Covid, if you’re told to self-isolate by the official NHS test and trace app, or if a family member you’re going on holiday specifically to visit contracts the virus. COVID-19 has thrown many travel plans into disarray in 2020. Medical expenses overseas for coronavirus are covered, as is an accommodation extension if necessary because you’ve been told to quarantine while on holiday. Find out more about fact-checking at CHOICE. If a holidaymaker contracts the virus while travelling, medical expenses will be covered as part of the holiday package, including Covid-19 testing, transportation costs to testing facilities, GP appointments and medical expenses in case of hospitalisation. Seven Corners has launched two new trip policies tailored to the needs of pandemic-era travelers: A medical plan covering overseas medical expenses incurred due to Covid … Some travel insurance policies bought before 1 March 2020 did not have coronavirus as an exclusion. Policies now cover trip cancellations because you or your travel companion either have symptoms or are diagnosed with Covid-19. So even though the insurer, Mitsui Sumitomo (provider of InsureandGo and Tick Travel Insurance), sought to deny that person's claim because they deemed it a known event, AFCA directed them to pay the claim. Some travel insurance policies are now available internationally that may cover COVID-19-related claims, such as cover provided by Skyscanner or if you fly with Emirates. However, it doesn’t cover cancellation costs if the FCDO advice changes before you leave and you no longer wish to travel. In our Annual Travel Survey, 36% of you said that having the best possible travel insurance that would fully cover you for COVID-19 risks was now a top priority. If you don't get a satisfactory result from the insurer's internal dispute resolution, escalate your complaint to AFCA. If you used a booking site, you should deal with them, not the end-point service provider. For example if you subsequently tested positive for COVID-19 and could no longer travel. If your policy covers cancellation expenses, you'll be covered to cancel or possibly amend your travel arrangements to avoid the affected area. If your travel insurance policy excludes cover for pandemics or epidemics, or you bought the policy after COVID-19 became a known event, then your travel insurance won't cover losses you've incurred as a result of coronavirus or the coronavirus travel bans. Allianz Assistance was one of the first companies to offer comprehensive coronavirus cover. Throughout the coronavirus crisis, CHOICE experts will be here to help. It’s a welcome change for anxious holidaymakers, but buyer beware: not all travel insurance is created equal. This article is more than 4 months old. There are other events that could interrupt your holiday, though. Trip Interruption coverage. If you bought your policy before COVID-19 was a known event, and your policy covers medical expenses as a result of a pandemic, you'll be covered for medical expenses if, for example, you contracted the coronavirus on your travels. Virgin Money has relaunched travel insurance for new customers with additional cover for coronavirus. Credit card travel protections are not the same thing as travel insurance, which is a broad policy you can buy to cover a specific trip or series of trips. Thomas Cook offers holiday insurance that includes Covid-19 protection via its partner, Holiday Extras. Are you tired of having to keep up with warnings from the CDC, the U.S. Department of State, various countries, the World Health Organization, and so on? To share your thoughts or ask a question, visit the CHOICE Community forum. Our COVID-19 global wellness insurance cover is an extension to your travel insurance, giving you extra peace of mind as you travel the world. The FCDO advises against non-essential international travel to … AllClear has added coronavirus cover to its Clear Gold, Gold Plus and Platinum policies free of charge. This coverage will reimburse you for missed portions of your trip if you’re forced into quarantine due to a positive Covid test. If a lockdown or quarantine is required, housing will be provided for guests and, if they cannot fly home, new flights will be provided once it's safe for them to travel. As a nonprofit organisation, we depend on your support. But in the context of COVID-19 travel insurance, industry ombudsman AFCA has stated it will also take into account the relevant legislation which states that an insurer can't deny your claim if you decided not to travel because of concerns for your safety. As of 18 March 2020, the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade updated alert levels to "Do not travel" for all destinations. As consumers resume traveling, policies to cover trips will return, and InsuranceQuotes.com anticipates the development of COVID-specific travel … Here are some of the best policies covering coronavirus: Nationwide is the only provider to currently cover policy holders in the event that the FCDO changes its advice before you go – for example, if you needed to cancel your trip to Greece because it had suddenly been removed from the “low-risk” list. Read more: Otherwise, some insurers may decline to refund, reschedule or provide a credit for unused travel insurance premiums. Claims are assessed on a case-by-case basis so check with your travel insurer for up-to-date advice. Basic policies may exclude medical or cancellation costs. Coronavirus cancellation cover You’ll need this if you want to be able to claim on insurance for refunds if COVID-19 stops you travelling for any reason. Travel Bag Insurance also offers cover, including for holiday cancellation if you or your travelling companion has received a positive diagnosis of coronavirus from an NHS test within 14 days of the start of the trip. We at CHOICE acknowledge the Gadigal people, the traditional custodians of this land on which we work, and pay our respects to the First Nations people of this country. Many travel insurers cover medical expenses in a pandemic, but most people will need cover for cancellation expenses – for example, after the government changed the travel advice for your destination to 'Do not travel'. You should also refer to the FAQs below for more information on … Most travel insurers also suspended policy sales in response to the Australian Government's international travel ban. Read the full T&Cs. This new tool guides travelers towards plans best suited to guard against COVID-19-related travel concerns as part of the quote process. Everyone has one question: "Will my travel insurance cover COVID-19?" If you bought travel insurance with enhanced cover for COVID-19 before the FCDO issued its advice against travel to your chosen destination, then you may have some coverage for some costs if your trip has been affected due to the outbreak. Then it's up to the insurer to decide if your claim is valid and there's no policy exclusions that should be applied. However, AFCA considers a credit or refund of your premium a fair outcome where: So if your travel insurer has knocked back your request for a credit or refund, lodge an internal dispute with the insurer, noting AFCA's stated approach. Does travel insurance cover insolvency? AND Since booking your holiday or buying your cover, whichever is later, you’ve received a positive COVID-19 test result from a registered medical practitioner in the 14 days before your departure. Some insurers have since changed their terms to exclude pandemics. Please see the Policy Book for full terms and conditions. To add a rather disheartening footnote, Auto & General travel insurance policies no longer cover pandemics or epidemics. It includes trip cancellation if you, your travelling companion(s), people you live with or people you’re staying with on holiday are diagnosed with Covid-19 within 14 days of travelling; emergency medical expenses abroad; repatriation; cancellation and repatriation cover if you’re denied boarding because of testing positive for Covid-19; pre-booked, unused excursions up to your cover limits; additional accommodation and transport if deemed necessary by a medical officer; a daily benefit if you are ordered to self-isolate in your holiday accommodation because you have Covid-19; and cancelling or cutting your trip short after a death in the family from Covid-19. So familiarise yourself with the booking site's policy and quote it to them if necessary. If they still refuse, escalate a complaint to AFCA. International travel insurance for COVID-19 Some travel insurers are starting to sell international travel insurance to Australians, such as Cover-More and Fast Cover. At the moment, this warning has been applied to most countries, barring those on a dwindling “low-risk” list. However, there’s no cover relating to cancellation, curtailment or lock-down/quarantine expense coverage and policies are only available to those aged 59 or under. Policy holders benefit from medical expenses if they require treatment for coronavirus while abroad, plus additional accommodation costs (up to £2,000) will also be included if treatment means customers need to extend their trip. If you didn't purchase a policy by 31 January 2020, it's unlikely you'll get travel insurance that covers claims resulting from the coronavirus since it was deemed a known event. Familiarise yourself with the policy in case you need to remind the airline of their terms and conditions, because they won't necessarily volunteer the information to you. When does an event become a 'known event'? This cover is immediately effective for customers flying on Emirates until 31 October 2020 (first flight to be completed on or before 31 October 2020). Checked for accuracy by our qualified fact-checkers and verifiers. Then, as the number of claims soared, insurers began introducing clauses saying they would not be paying for any Covid-related cancellations. Can you get travel insurance to cover the COVID-19 pandemic now? Fairfirst Travel Insurance ensures that not only do customers get to experience their adventures again, but they get to travel with a plan exclusively designed to cover expenses against risks arising from Covid-19. Want an ad-free experience?Subscribe to Independent Premium. So if the FCDO say it’s safe to travel to your destination you can travel with peace of mind knowing we’ll cover you for: Cancelling your trip if you have COVID-19 within 14 days of travelling* Emergency medical expenses abroad** Will your travel insurance cover COVID-19? Some travel insurers are starting to sell international travel insurance to Australians, such as Cover-More and Fast Cover. Medical expenses versus cancellation and curtailment. Compare more features to find the right cover for you. However, in a recent dispute ruling, the Australian Financial Complaints Authority (AFCA), which is the external ombudsman for the insurance industry, stated that the insurer couldn't rely on articles published on a website. Insurers that do cover epidemics or pandemics cut off cover for claims resulting from COVID-19 from around 21 January 2020 for travel to China, and 31 January for travel worldwide. If you were one of the many Australians with a trip booked, hopefully you had travel insurance, and you're able to claim on some or all of your losses. Several travel insurers are allowing people to reschedule their travel insurance or cancel and claim a credit toward a future premium. But if the customer needs to cancel, or if they fall ill while on holiday, some brands are offering complimentary cover or the option to include coronavirus insurance as an add-on. But all is not lost – there are some tailor-made policies out there that will cover you, even if you decide to go against FCDO advice. It provides cover if you, or anyone insured on your policy, contracts Covid-19 prior to travelling, plus up to £10,000,000 cover if you require emergency treatment abroad and offers repatriation if required. However, you’re not covered in the event that your local area or indeed the whole of the UK goes into lockdown before the trip. Product Disclosure Statements from 1Cover, itrek, Ski-Insurance and Zoom travel insurance exclude medical and cancellation cover for pandemics or epidemics. Here's a list of insurers that covered pandemics under their comprehensive policies prior to 31 January 2020. Customers can amend their holiday for free if they contract Covid-19 or are officially required to isolate prior to travel, or if their local area goes into a regional lockdown over their departure dates. Pandemic cover for travel delays or cutting your trip short aren't listed here. As well as medical expenses while abroad as a result of coronavirus, it also covers policy holders for cancellation in the event that they, their travelling companion or people they are due to stay with on holiday are diagnosed with Covid-19. Stay informed. Many, but not all, travel insurers cover pandemics or epidemics, as long as you bought the policy before it became a known event. Correction 11 February 2020: An earlier version of this article stated that several brands underwritten by Lloyds did provide cover. When an event becomes 'known' is a grey area, but generally it's when it's publicised in the media or on official government websites. Restrictions are always changing, however, and some countries are moving to allow Americans entry with proof of travel insurance that covers COVID-19. There are several insurers selling domestic travel insurance, but it's unlikely to cover you for COVID-19 or travel bans related to COVID-19. Our ratings will tell you how much COVID-19 cover an insurer has. * Update 17 March 2020: InsureandGo and Tick Travel Insurance reissued their Product Disclosure Statements on 12 March 2020 to exclude cover for the coronavirus pandemic. On 30th March, the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) advised British nationals against ‘all but essential international travel’ indefinitely. Medical costs while abroad are covered too (as long as you did not travel against FCDO advice), and you’re also covered for repatriation or an extended stay if you’re too unwell to travel. Covid travel insurance: which policies cover you for coronavirus? Check with your travel insurer specifically to find out what they'll cover, because it can be tricky. Know what restrictions apply to where you live and check the FCDO website to see if there are restrictions in place for the area you’re travelling to – these could affect your cover. Customers are also covered in the event that they have to cancel a trip because they or a member of their family or travelling party are medically diagnosed with coronavirus or personally instructed to isolate by an NHS service or medical professional. If you booked accommodation through a third-party provider like Airbnb or Booking.com, persist with your cancellation via that third party, since it's unlikely you'll be able to enforce the Australian Consumer Law on the overseas accommodation provider. This depends on your local lockdown/tier restrictions and if you’re allowed to travel outside of your area. Speak to your insurer before cancelling your trip, because if they won't cover cancellation, rearranging your holiday dates to a later time may be a more cost-effective option. Airbnb, for example, may waive cancellation penalties for bookings made on or before 14 March. No stress, no hassle. Covid Cover is automatically included for all customers travelling on any TUI holiday and applies to all new and existing bookings. For more information about the coronavirus cover and to see what is and isn't covered, see below. And some companies will even cover you if the Foreign Office (FCDO) advice changes while you’re away, for example if they now advise against all but essential travel to your holiday destination. Fairfirst Insurance offers a redefined travel insurance in the new normal by covering expenses arising from Covid-19. However in an AFCA ruling, insurer Tokio Marine (provider of RACV and World2Cover travel insurance), did not define natural disaster in its policy and didn't specifically exclude Pandemic or Epidemic, so AFCA ruled that Covid-19 should be covered by the policy as a natural event. Below are the COVID-19 cut-off dates that some insurers listed on their websites. Medical plans and coverage to consider include: Their Auto & General (provider of Budget Direct and other travel insurance products) policy covered epidemics, but the insurer denied their claim on the basis that there was no travel ban in place at that time – the Australian Government travel ban didn't come into effect until 25 March. under their comprehensive policies prior to 31 January 2020. Simple. This cover for COVID-19 related medical expenses and quarantine costs is offered by Emirates free of cost to its customers regardless of class of travel or destination. If you can, please consider making a donation so we can do even more in future. Well, this year, the Australian Bureau of Meteorology is predicting floods. CHOICE supports the First Nations people's Uluru Statement from the Heart. Some insurers have since changed their terms to exclude pandemics. If you’re diagnosed with COVID-19 whilst you’re away, we’ll take care of your medical expenses and quarantine costs. CHOICE tip: If you're unable to get cover for coronavirus now but you still plan to travel, you should get travel insurance to protect you from events not related to COVID-19. Insurance is intended to protect you against the unknown, so once an event becomes known, it's usually too late to buy insurance to cover you for that specific event. If your travel insurance policy covers pandemics or epidemics but you've had a claim denied for similar reasons, raise a complaint with your insurer, citing section 54(5)(a) of the Insurance Contracts Act 1984. How to cancel your holiday plans affected by COVID-19. You should refer to the travel insurance terms (including the endorsement) for details of the cover provided. Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later?