It’s the time of year when many of us are planning a break – or even just a week or two away for the school holidays. There are some fantastic travel deals and packages available at the moment and its easy to find something within any the budget to suit you.
No matter where, when or why you’re travelling, it’s wise to consider taking out comprehensive Travel Insurance to cover you if the unexpected happens.
Why Travel Insurance?
The right Travel Insurance policy can mean the difference between a positive experience and disaster.
Frank and Joy were headed on the trip of a lifetime after Frank retired to a resort in Phuket. They thought
about Travel Insurance when booking and were urged to take it by their agent, but decided that the medical care was probably fine in the destinations they would be visiting to, and they were both pretty healthy – Travel Insurance through the agent was very expensive. However soon after their arrival Frank injured his back severely while lifting the suitcase off the bus – all those years spent sitting at a desk and not exercising meant that his back muscles weren’t up to the task.
Ambulance, physiotherapists, a stay in hospital and medications meant that they were faced with a medical bill of $8000. Without enough saved, they were forced to dip into their superannuation to pay the bill.
Steven and Deborah were headed to New York for their first holiday without the kids in over 16 years. Steven had some pre-existing health problems but they thought that the automatic travel insurance they would get with their Visa card would cover them for any eventuality. On their arrival in New York Steven felt a bit woozy from excitement and ended up having heart palpitations. In the Emergency Department they found that not only did their policy not cover the ambulance transport, but the hospital was demanding to see their Medical Travel Insurance papers before Steven could get any more than basic treatment Their New York holiday ended with them owing more than $100,000 in medical bills. They had to refinance their house to pay the bill.
According to SmartTraveller:
- Daily hospitalisation costs in South-East Asia regularly exceed $800.
- A stay in a general ward in Noumea's main hospital costs a minimum of $1,500 per day. Daily charges in the Intensive Care Unit start at $4,000.
- DFAT has handled medical evacuations from nearby Bali in which costs have exceeded $60,000.
- The return of a deceased person's remains from Europe can cost in excess of $10,000.
- The cost of medical evacuations from the United States regularly range from $75,000 to $95,000, and sometimes up to $300,000.
Emergency hospitalisation for Australians travelling to the US
Nat and Tom had decided to backpack through Europe for six months before starting to save for a house. As funds were limited, they didn’t take out Travel Insurance – they thought that Australia has Reciprocal Medical Agreements with most European countries anyhow and they were fit and healthy.
Australia does have agreements with the UK and Italy, where Nat injured her leg in a fall from a steep mountain path in Cinque Terre. The injury didn’t look too bad, but became infected. They were faced with a long wait as a public patient for Nat to be treated, and had to pay for expensive antibiotics which are not covered under Reciprocal Agreements.
Josh and Lachie were off on their Gap Year tour around Australia and New Zealand. Their parents had bought them a multi-stop plane trip each as a reward for doing well in their final exams. However one week into the trip they found that their bags had disappeared somewhere at Auckland airport and were not likely to make an appearance anytime soon. With no change of clothes they were not likely to get any work as waiters so they were forced to use half of their savings to buy enough clothes to stay warm in the snow season and make themselves presentable for work.
All these situations and many more unhappy ones can easily be avoided with a little planning and less expense that you might think.
Choosing the best policy for your needs
Comprehensive Travel Insurance has a range of benefits and inclusions that you can choose to cover your situation.
Frank, Nat and Steven could have taken Emergency Medical Cover which would have covered them for Emergency Medical Care, reimbursement of medical expenses, medications and ambulance fees. Josh and Lachie could have taken out Baggage Insurance which would have replaced their baggage and let them extend their holidays (It would also have covered them for the flight that was cancelled and the subsequent loss of a job in Australia due to their late arrival home).
How to purchase Travel Insurance
It’s easy to purchase Travel Insurance online, over the phone or with your Travel Agent. The cheapest option is usually online, as purchasing through an agent can carry unexpected loadings and commissions.
Worldcare Travel Insurance offers online purchase or call centre purchase options. Or you can save even more by using our Select a Benefit tool, where you can adjust the options and costs to suit your budget.
The Cannex Award-winning Worldcare is one of Australia’s premier Travel Insurance companies, and one of its most awarded. Owned and managed by Mondial Assistance, and underwritten by Allianz Australia Insurance Limited, we’ve been assisting Australians overseas who are ill or injured for more than 10 years.
Through its relationship with Mondial Assistance, Worldcare’s assistance services include 33 round-the-clock operations centres in 25 countries, spanning all continents. Its staff of nearly 8000 people speaks 40 languages, and is supported by a worldwide network of 400,000 service providers, including medical professionals and institutions, building specialists and home repair experts, auto mechanics, dealers and leasing agents, and airline and rail companies.
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.