Travel insurance is a great way to protect your investment in your holiday. You never know what may happen before or during your trip, and you’ll want to be prepared for accidents, emergencies or cancellations.
However, not all policies are the same and it pays to shop around and read the fine print. Our top tips on selecting the right travel insurance can help travellers make the right decision.
Buy direct
Worldcare Travel Insurance offers both online purchase and call centre purchase options – you can even tailor your own policy to save money.
Shop around
Compare prices and make sure you’re getting the best deal. Prices can vary a lot, and a high price may not necessarily be the best deal for you – it may have inclusions you don’t need.
What cover do you need?
If you’re an Australian resident travelling domestically, you might want to consider insurance for flight cancellations and lost or damaged baggage as your airline will have a capped to compensation allowance.
If you’re travelling overseas, however, medical insurance coverage is something you might want to consider. Worldcare Travel Insurance can provide you with emergency medical care, reimbursement for medical or hospital expenses, or medical repatriation if you have to fly home.
According to Christina Pfeiffer of News.com, if you're travelling to the US, Japan or Europe it's wise to have unlimited medical cover. Some countries (Finland, the Republic of Ireland, Italy, Malta, the Netherlands, Norway, New Zealand, Sweden and the UK) have reciprocal agreements with Australia, where Australians are entitled to benefits similar to those offered by Medicare. Please refer to the Product Disclosure Statement to consider whether our products are right for you and for details of policy benefits, limits and exclusions.
Frequent traveler?
If you’re planning on taking more than one trip this year, or you travel frequently, consider an annual policy, which may be much cheaper than paying for each trip.
Find out more about Worldcare’s Annual Travel Policy here
Any no-go zones?
Check that there are no destination restrictions on your policy. Most insurers, for example, will not cover you for trips to destinations that have DFAT Do Not Travel warnings, for cancellations due to acts of terrorism. You can check travel warnings and restrictions on the SmartTraveller website.
Check what’s covered
Make sure your policy covers you for everything that could happen on your trip but also for any special activities or excursions. Some extreme sports or adventure activities like bungy jumping or heli-skiing are not covered by all insurers. Also if you’re planning on doing something like riding a moped in Thailand, make sure you’re wearing a helmet and have appropriate license – most companies won’t pay if you do not take all reasonable steps to keep yourself safe from harm. You can check Worldcare coverage and exclusions here.
Pre-existing medical conditions?
Before you purchase your policies, check what pre-existing medical conditions are excluded. Most travel insurance companies will not pay if you have a condition excluded in their Product Disclosure Statement and have not arranged to have it covered. You can check the pre-existing conditions you need to declare with Worldcare here
Buy early
It’s a good idea to buy insurance early in your planning so that you have cover for cancellations that unexpectedly arise before you leave – this could apply to flights, tours or even events you were planning to attend. And buying before your trip is much safer than purchasing while you’re travelling.
This is general advice only and does not take into consideration your specific needs or circumstances. Please refer to the product disclosure statement to consider whether our products are right for you.
Disclaimer
Any advice here is general only and does not take into account your specific needs or circumstances. Pre-existing Medical Conditions exclusions may apply. Please refer to the Product Disclosure Statement to consider whether our products are right for you and for details of policy benefits, limits and exclusions. Any medical advice here is general only and you should always seek advice regarding your specific situation from your medical professional. Mondial Assistance does not endorse the content of linked websites nor comments by contributors or the content of websites linked by contributors.