Does my Travel Insurance cover Coronavirus?

Find out what you can get cover for if you get ill with Coronavirus while traveling

N I B I N S U R A N C E

nib Travel Insurance coronavirus related event benefit limits

Applicable Limits per Adult

^ Medical/evacuation benefits provided for up to 12 months from the date on illness or injury; medical expenses incurred in Australia are not covered.
# Sub-limits apply.
This is a brief summary of cover and does not include the full terms, conditions, limitations and exclusions. Please read the Product Disclosure Statement.

F R E Q U E N T L Y A S K E D Q U E S T I O N S

Q: What’s covered under the Coronavirus Travel Costs benefit?

(available on the International Comprehensive, Australian Travel and Annual Mutli Trip plans.)

The Coronavirus Travel Costs benefit includes cover for the following events up to a limit of $2,500 per primary traveller:

• Non-refundable travel costs incurred if you or a member of your travelling party is certified as medically unfit to travel due to being diagnosed with coronavirus after you purchase your policy.

• Non-refundable trip costs if your close relative in Australia is hospitalised due to being diagnosed with coronavirus after you purchase your policy.

• Non-refundable travel costs if you are a permanent healthcare worker, residential care worker or law enforcement officer and your leave is cancelled due to coronavirus.

• When your accommodation is closed for cleaning due to a case of coronavirus at the accommodation, we’ll pay towards accommodation nearby - just make sure you get written confirmation from the hotel.

• If you’re denied boarding transport because you’re suspected of being infected with coronavirus, we’ll help with your additional travel costs - don’t forget to get written confirmation from the carrier or relevant authority.

• Costs for compulsory quarantine if during your trip you’re diagnosed with coronavirus or you’re a confirmed ‘close contact’ (this includes the costs of things like hotel, meals and most importantly, Netflix!)

• Childcare costs if you get coronavirus during your trip - the ability to entertain the kids in a hotel room overseas may be hindered if you’re unwell.

• Care for your pets back home if you get coronavirus during your trip- we understand that hotels for our furry friends aren’t cheap!

What we don't cover:

• While a country or region has a 'Do Not Travel' warning in place for an event, our travel insurance won't cover you for loss that arises from that event if you: plan to travel to; travel to; or remain in that country or region. This includes claims relating to COVID-19 for travel in a country or region where there is a ‘Do Not Travel’ warning in place due to COVID-19, regardless of the date your policy is purchased.

• Losses arising from government intervention or regulation, including travel bans.

• Where you knowingly put yourself into a risky situation – just because you’ve got a face mask, doesn’t mean you should be travelling into a coronavirus hotspot.

• The purchasing of a policy after you become aware of something that could lead to a claim.

• Travelling against the advice of your doctor – many of us have probably hopped on a plane with the sniffles before but, times have changed.

• Quarantine when required as a matter of course when you return to Australia or travel interstate or overseas – this is an expense that you should incorporate into your travel plans

Q: What if I get COVID-19 before my trip?

Isolate! And seek appropriate medical attention.

• Don’t delay the cancellation of your plans. If you know you need to cancel, contact your providers as soon as possible to maximise the opportunity of refunds from your providers.

• You may be able to make a claim for non-refundable travel costs under the Coronavirus Travel Costs section of the plan up to the benefit limit.

Q: What do I do if I get coronavirus on my trip?

Contact our Emergency Assistance team. Utilising a global network of medical providers, the team will connect you with local medical facilities. They can also assist by getting in contact with friends and family where needed.

• Always keep receipts for any payments you make and wherever possible, request written reports from providers or local authorities.

• Follow travel and health advice – different countries have different rules. What’s ok in Australia may not be ok in the countries you visit.

• Our International Comprehensive plans include emergency overseas medical cover if you contract coronavirus while travelling.

Q: if I need medical treatment overseas will you only pay up to $2500?

The Coronavirus Travel Costs benefit (which has a limit of $2,500 per primary traveller) is separate to the Overseas Medical Expenses and Medical Evacuation/Repatriation benefits (which have higher limits).

Rest assured that if you incur medical expenses overseas for an event covered under the policy, including if you contract coronavirus, and it’s not related to an existing medical condition which is defined in the Product Disclosure Statement, cover is available for up to 12 months from the date the illness first appears.

Make sure you contact our Emergency Assistance team if you need medical help overseas, and as soon as possible if you need to attend hospital.

Q: Need to make a claim

Sorry to hear your trip didn’t go as planned! Submit a claim and we’ll review your claim and get in touch with the outcome.

The above has been written to guide you and does not replace the Product Disclosure Statement (PDS) which contains all terms, limits, conditions and exclusions that apply.

C O V E R M O R E

Our COVID-19 Overseas Medical Expenses Cover*~#

We understand many Australian travellers are concerned about the financial impact of catching coronavirus while they’re outside Australia.

To help ease your worries and help keep you travelling when – and where – it’s safe to do so, as the government starts to lift travel restrictions our COVID-19 travel insurance benefits can provide cover for your COVID-19-related overseas medical costs*.

This cover applies if you’re diagnosed with COVID-19 by a qualified medical practitioner during your journey and includes cover for costs resulting from any medical treatment and ambulance transportation you require when suffering from COVID-19.

We cannot pay for any medical costs resulting from COVID-19 if your claim is related to you having travelled on a multi-night cruise or if you’re travelling to a country that is subject to “Do not travel” advice from smartraveller at the time you enter the country or part of the country.

Our COVID-19 Amendment or Cancellation Costs Cover*†

We always advise travellers consider buying their travel insurance policy as soon as they book their trip, and this advice remains true during the current coronavirus pandemic, too. When you purchase a domestic or international travel insurance policy with added cancellation cover early on, you immediately have cover provided for a number of amendment and cancellation costs*.

If you’re travelling within Australia or overseas on an international, inbound or domestic policy, we can provide cover for a number of COVID-19-related cancellation and amendment situations*. We hope this gives you extra confidence to book an upcoming trip knowing COVID-19 cancellation cover is included in your travel insurance policy.

COVID-19 cover is provided if you:

• are diagnosed by a qualified medical practitioner with COVID-19 prior to your departure and can no longer travel

• are an essential healthcare worker and your leave is revoked as a result of COVID-19

• need to amend or cancel your trip because a non-travelling relative or business partner who resides in Australia or New Zealand is diagnosed with COVID-19 by a qualified medical practitioner and the level of infection is life-threatening

COVID-19 cover is provided if the person you’re due to stay with in Australia or New Zealand is:

• diagnosed with COVID-19 by a qualified medical practitioner or directed by a local public health authority into a period of quarantine and you can no longer stay with them

In either case, we cover up to $150 per night for you to stay somewhere else.

COVID-19 cover is provided if your prepaid costs in Australia or New Zealand are affected, such as:

• the accommodation you planned to stay at is shutdown or closed because of a COVID-19 outbreak on the premises and hygiene measures are required

• the destination activity venue (such as a ski venue, theme park or cooking school) is closed because of a COVID-19 outbreak on the premises

For full details on our travel insurance that covers coronavirus cancellation and amendment costs, see our PDS or visit our COVID-19 travel insurance FAQs page.

Our COVID-19 Additional Expenses Cover †#

It doesn’t matter how much time and effort you put into planning your trip, the unexpected can always happen when you’re away from home. This was true prior to the current coronavirus pandemic and it’s still true for travellers who continue to explore in a world where COVID-19 exists.

To help you navigate a number of unexpected costs that may arise from COVID-19, our COVID-19 travel insurance benefits could help protect you from a number of scenarios that may result in unexpected costs.

If you’re an international or domestic travel insurance policyholder, we can provide cover for additional expenses incurred if:

• you are diagnosed with COVID-19 during your trip and you are directed by a local public health authority into a period of quarantine or isolation^

• you pass away on your trip and the cause of death is COVID-19^

^The two points above are subject to there being no “Do not travel” advice from smartraveller at the time you enter the country or part of the country. There is no cover if any part of your trip included travel on a multi-night cruise.

• your non-travelling relative or business partner residing in Australia or New Zealand is diagnosed with COVID-19 by a qualified medical practitioner and the treating doctor confirms the level of infection is life-threatening and you need to return home

• you can no longer stay with the person you planned to stay with in Australia or New Zealand because they are diagnosed with COVID-19 and directed to enter a period of quarantine

• your pre-paid accommodation in Australia or New Zealand is shutdown or closes as a result of a COVID-19 outbreak on its premises and hygiene measures are required

For full details on the additional expenses we cover with our COVID-19 travel insurance benefits, please read our PDS and check out our COVID-19 FAQs page.

Our COVID-19 Travel Insurance Benefit Exclusions

Unfortunately, our COVID-19 travel insurance benefits can’t cover absolutely every scenario that may occur as a result of the global pandemic. We encourage you to read the PDS and check out our COVID-19 FAQs page before you consider purchasing our travel insurance to ensure it’s adequate for you and your trip.

We will not pay for any claims arising from or caused by COVID-19 if:

• you incur costs or expenses as a result of a government or public health authority mandatory quarantine or isolation order being imposed on you in relation to cross area, border, region or territory travel.

• the government bans travel before or during travel such as: “Do Not Travel” travel warnings; government directed border closures; or mandatory quarantine or self-isolation requirements related to cross area, border, region or territory travel.

• your claim is caused by the threat – or perceived threat – of COVID-19

Please note: some of our coronavirus travel insurance benefits only apply if you are travelling within Australia and New Zealand.