Since the beginning of the pandemic, insurance companies have refused to cover Aussies wanting to travel to countries on the government’s ‘do not travel’ list.
This list is part of a broader rating system on the Smarttraveller website that ranges from ‘do not travel’ through to most secure rating of ‘exercise normal safety precautions’.
Since travel insurance is a for-profit business, they would’ve been absolute silly duffers to cover COVID related medical expenses in a pre-vaccine world, as the rules and restrictions were changing literally hourly for a while there.
But now that the federal government has removed nearly all peaceful countries from the ‘do not travel’ list, the game has changed for Aussies wanting to jet overseas.
Companies such as NIB, CoverMore, Allianz, Southern Cross and Qantas are again offering travel insurance packages that cover most COVID expenses.
For most providers, this means covering your medical expenses if you’re diagnosed with COVID-19 while on your trip, or covering cancellation or amendment costs if you or someone you’re travelling with is diagnosed and your trip is interrupted or cut short as a result.
And yes, to access this cover you must be fully vaccinated with a jab endorsed by the Therapeutic Goods Administration and compliant with any booster requirements.
See the full list of green-lit vaxxybois here.
A few more things to note…
These policies do not include travel relating to border closures and lockdowns. So in terms of rolling the dice with sudden lockdowns and restrictions, you gotta fly at your own risk.
But in better news, Aussies can reap the benefits of reciprocal healthcare policies in select nations.
That’s right, we can cop healthcare from 11 different countries including Italy, the UK and New Zealand. See full list here.
Mark Fitzgibbon from the insurance provider NIB has added that in general, premiums won’t be too much pricier going forward.
“There’ll be a little bit of pressure on premiums as a result of that additional COVID cover, but we’re talking maybe 5 to 10 per cent. Nothing particularly egregious.”
*Ring Ring*
Sorry, gotta go.
Bali’s calling.
