If you’re wondering if travel insurance covers medical expenses, then you’re in luck. Medical cover included in travel insurance typically covers expenses incurred due to accidents or illnesses during your overseas trip. These expenses can add up even without including treatment, as the cost of staying at a hospital can easily get into thousands of dollars, depending on which country you’re in.
Travel insurance with medical cover may help mitigate some of those costs; however, it’s a good idea to be mindful that there may be certain limitations and restrictions on what you can claim.
Travel insurance with medical-only cover (sometimes referred to as “basic” cover) is a policy designed almost exclusively for medical assistance overseas. These policies are not offered by all insurers. International travel insurance with medical-only cover usually includes:
Many basic travel insurance policies also include personal liability cover if you injure another person or damage their belongings. Along with these common features, certain insurers may also offer cover for emergency dental care up to certain limits. However, it’s crucial to understand that medical cover is not offered under domestic travel insurance policies, as you’re generally covered by the Australian Government’s Medicare system.
Keep in mind that medical-only travel insurance doesn’t offer protection for cancellations and loss of luggage, meaning these losses will have to be paid out of pocket. Most international travel insurance policies cover medical assistance as a part of their core offering alongside cover for these other scenarios, with comprehensive policies also providing cover for other types of loss; this means you may be better served by one of these policies if cancellation and loss cover is also important to you on your trip.
Always read the Product Disclosure Statement (PDS) of any policy you want to purchase for an in-depth view of what’s covered, including the policy’s exclusions, limits and sub-limits.
The amount of medical cover you need will depend on your individual circumstances and your trip’s itinerary. If you have pre-existing medical conditions or are getting involved in adventure activities, you might need to purchase additional cover to be fully covered. However, the good news is that many policies offer unlimited medical cover, subject to certain limits and sub-limits listed in your policy.
Depending on where you travel, some countries might only provide medical treatment to you if you can pay up-front or have travel insurance, even in a medical emergency. For that reason, all travellers should consider purchasing at least a basic travel insurance policy before departing on their trip. Medical-only travel insurance can be a good option for:
If you’re a frequent traveller hoping to cut costs further, annual cover or an annual multi-trip policy may have more value than buying multiple single trip medical travel insurance policies. With annual cover, you’re covered for all your trips in a 12-month period provided you meet the policy conditions. Most annual policies will allow you to select a maximum trip length, ranging from 15 to 90 days.
There are circumstances where your insurer won’t cover you. These circumstances may come about because your policy doesn’t cover certain situations or you’ve done something which will result in your claim being denied. These exclusions may include:
Remember to always review the policy’s PDS to know what exclusions apply to your coverage.
The RHCA partially covers medically necessary care when Australians visit eligible countries or when travellers from these countries visit Australia. Medically necessary care refers to emergency care, like illnesses and injuries that require immediate care or hospitalisation and can’t wait until you get home.
Australia has an RCHA with these 11 countries:
This list is current as of February 2023.
Unfortunately, Italy doesn’t cover medicine costs. The rest of the countries on this list will partially cover medicine costs, or cover medicine costs up to a certain amount.
If you’re tossing up between a basic medical-only policy and comprehensive cover, it’s important to understand what’s included under each level of cover. Although policy features may vary, comprehensive cover may protect you against the financial impact of a greater variety of unforeseen events, including:
Travel insurance policies with a standard or comprehensive level of cover can give you greater peace of mind on your journey overseas and more value on your policy; however, even a basic level of cover is preferable to travelling without any at all. If you’re looking only for extras or cancellation cover, it is possible to get travel insurance without medical cover, but consider this option carefully.
A great way to find a policy for your travel plans is to compare travel insurance quotes! Before purchasing, it’s important to understand your travel insurance options and what features and inclusions you want to be covered for.
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