How COVID-19 Has Impacted Travel Insurance
The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted many people’s travel plans across the globe. In some cases, Australians are stuck overseas, unsure what to do and what they’re covered for. Those who purchased travel insurance before the pandemic became a “known event” may be covered for medical expenses that arise from contracting the virus overseas and may even be covered for cancellation expenses.
However, if you bought travel insurance after COVID-19 was a known event, you may not be covered for medical or cancellation expenses relating to contracting the virus, or from changes to travel plans that result from cancellation or quarantine requirements.
How Do I Know If I’m Covered?
If you bought a policy before COVID-19 was deemed a known event by your insurer, you may be covered, but you’ll need to check with your specific insurer. If you hadn’t purchased a policy by 31 January 2020, it’s unlikely your insurance will cover claims related to COVID-19, since it would now be deemed a known event.
Travel insurers generally won’t cover you if you’re worried about travelling because of COVID-19 and want to cancel your trip. They also won’t cover you if you ignore travel warnings from the government. Many travel insurers suspended policy sales after the Australian government’s international travel ban. However, if you plan to travel later in the year, you can still find some travel insurance policies being sold.
Can I Get a Refund?
Travel insurance policies generally have a 14 day period following your purchase where you can cancel and receive a full refund. Outside this cooling-off period, insurers have no obligations to provide refunds, reschedule or offer credit for unused travel insurance.
However, some travel insurers are allowing people to use their travel insurance for rescheduled trips later in the year, or will let you cancel and receive credit for a future policy you take out with them. If you need to cancel or rebook your trip as a result of COVID-19, ask your insurer what they can do for you.
Comprehensive Insurance Policies in Australia
The best way to ensure you’re covered when you travel is to purchase comprehensive travel insurance well ahead of time from a trusted insurer. From travel insurance to small business insurance, Australia can count on the team at Fitton Insurance to find the right insurance for your specific needs. Contact us today to find out more.