Frequently Asked Questions
Hopefully, we’ve covered most of the common questions here below.
If there’s something else you need to discuss however, please don’t hesitate to give us a call on 07 3252 5254 or email us to abf@tbib.com.au.
Hopefully, we’ve covered most of the common questions here below.
If there’s something else you need to discuss however, please don’t hesitate to give us a call on 07 3252 5254 or email us to abf@tbib.com.au.
Covid has had a dramatic and unprecedented effect on all Travel Insurance policies. The primary outcome of this is that Travel Insurance policies will no longer cover cancellation due to a Covid outbreak, border closure or other prevention of travel. Travel Insurance will also not pay for mandatory or voluntary quarantine expenses.
The good news is that our policy will pay for medical and emergency costs incurred if you contract COVID19 while on holiday and the normal policy limits will apply.
The following benefits apply where the traveller has contracted COVID19 while overseas.
** Conditions apply please see page 9, section 2 of the Product Disclosure Statement (PDS)
While some countries have reciprocal health care arrangements with Australia, when you’re overseas you’re largely on your own. In a crisis, just having to make emergency or alternative travel arrangements can be crippling. If you have pre-existing medical conditions, the odds of something untoward happening increase accordingly.
The bottom line is, that while you can accurately budget for your trip based on what you can afford, if something goes wrong you have no control over the cost. You could be stranded overseas without sufficient resources and no one to call for help.
The ABF Members Travel Insurance Policy offers generous benefits for the things that are most likely to go wrong, and we have the backup of an experienced and global assistance network.
As we’ve always said, we hope that you never have to claim on your travel insurance. For those who do however, our long experience tells us that they wont be worried about the cost.
‘If you cant afford the travel insurance, you can’t afford to travel’ and in view of the range of expenses you can rack up if something goes wrong, whether it be a medical emergency, a last minute cancellation, lost luggage or a car accident, its likely you would be considerably more out of pocket if you hadn’t bought the insurance.
Depending on whether you are in Europe, Asia, South America or the USA, here’s just a taste of what medical and emergency care could cost you;
Ambulance >$1,000
ER Visit $150 – $5,000
Air Ambulance $5,000 – $2050,000
MRI $1,000 – $5,000
Blood Test $100 – $3,000
Head injury (incl surgery) $50,000 – $150,000
Appendectomy $10,000 – $25,000
Hip Fracture $13,000 – $40,000
(source: internationalinsurance.com)
That’s just medical. The cost of emergency assistance and repatriation, lost luggage, hire car excesses (and the list goes on – for quite a while) could be crippling.
Absolutely!
You can insure for a single trip, or all of your travel in a 12 month period.
You can insure for Australia and New Zealand only or a full international policy, and you can elect to include or exclude travel to the USA and Canada.
1. Get the Duration Right
Make sure you know the exact dates you are travelling to and from home (as opposed to the duration of your tour or event). If in doubt, discuss this with us.
2. Ensure All Your Destinations Are Covered
If you are visiting more than one country, be sure to check that every country you are visiting is included not just on your policy but also that these destinations have no adverse travel advisory notices.
3. What’s a Pre-Existing Medical Condition?
A Pre-existing Medical Condition simply means a medical or dental condition of which you were aware prior to booking your trip.
4. If There’s Any Danger, You Need to Make Sure it’/s Covered
Planning to go bungee jumping, sky diving, moped riding, or horse riding or skiing? Be sure to check that you’re covered
5. Make Sure You Understand the Excess
Like with any other insurance policy, an excess applies to any claims you might make. For example, say your bag never arrives at your destination and you file a claim for $2,000 to recoup the costs. If the excess is $500, this means you effectively pay the first $500 to replace your items and the insurer will give you the remaining $1,500.
6. Are All of Your Belongings Covered?
In most cases, yes, everything you take with you on your trip is covered. However, if you travel with expensive camera equipment or jewellery, it may not be covered Under the limits of the policy.
7. Report Any Type of Theft IMMEDIATELY
Got your wallet pinched from your back pocket? Make sure you lodge a police report and contact the insurer before you arrange anything.
You’re more likely to have a seamless claim if you notify right away,.
8. Don’t Miss Your Flight!
Whether it’s your fault or not, missing your flight usually isn’t covered on your policy. And even if it is covered, you will have to have solid proof that you made every effort to get to your flight on-time.
9. Buy Your Policy Early
Don’t leave buying your travel insurance to the last minute.
If something, like illness for example, occurs before your trip and you have to cancel, you will be covered if you’ve already taken out the insurance. Ensure you know what exactly the policy covers in these cases before you purchase whether it’s with us or anyone.
10. Travel Documents
make sure that you have the relevant travel documents, including visas, permits and therapeutic use documentation for prescription medication. You wont be covered for the cost of obtaining documents that you didn’t arrange before you departed on your trip.
11. Covid Rules and Restrictions
In view of the huge variation of Covid rules and restrictions from country to country, make sure that you are eligible to travel to your desired destinations. While your travel agent might be able to offer advice to this end, it’s ultimately the responsibility of the traveller. Check the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade website and go from there.
12. Check the Laws
Check your eligibility to do things like driving in other countries. Take note of your destination’s blood alcohol level allowances for example. Travel insurance wont pay if you’re breaking the law.
To make a claim on your travel insurance, download, fill in and send us a claim form, along with send us the relevant documents to support your claim (the form will tell you which supporting documents are required). How to make a travel insurance claim
We recommend that you your claim as soon as possible, ideally within 30 days of completing their trip. The sooner you lodge your claim, the faster we can pay you any benefits you’re entitled to.
For a full breakdown of the terms and conditions under the policy please read the Product Disclosure Statement click here. See the ‘General Exclusions’ section on page 20 of the PDS.
Following we’ve noted a few issues that we are asked about regularly.
Covid 19
Firstly, as noted above, cancellations due to Covid outbreak, lockdown or border closure aren’t covered.
Pre-existing medical conditions
Many pre-existing conditions are automatically covered under the policy and others can be covered by undertaking a short, online medical screen. If you are aware of a condition that you haven’t disclosed to us, and isn’t automatically covered under the policy then you may not be covered for claims arising from this condition.
Baggage and personal effects
While the policy includes generous provisions for the loss of baggage and personal effects, there are times when they wont be covered, specifically when they are left unattended in a publicly accessible location. An example of this might be if you leave bags in a departure lounge when you go to get a coffee or use the bathroom, or leaving them in an unlocked vehicle or forgetting your personal effects when you exit a bus or aircraft.
Emergency evacuation or repatriation
If you need to be evacuated or repatriated, the policy will only pay for you to be repatriated to your noted country of residence or where you resided for the three months prior to your trip
Additional Expenses incurred while away
If you are in the process of claiming against your Travel Insurance while you are away, please contact us or your emergency assistance provider, Fullerton Health (+612 9312 5168) before incurring further expense where possible so that we can make sure your claim covers as much expense as possible.
Please read the Product Disclosure Statement for a full description of the coverage and exclusions under the policy. You can find it here. If you have any questions at all please don’t hesitate to call us during work hours on 07 3252 5254 or email us to abf@tbib.com.au.
Honest Advice, Better Protection, Peace Of Mind