@JodiBird previously posted a link to the Choice Review
The filter on the left side includes ‘Description’ that has age. The various policies span to 99 years although there are caveats as one becomes ever more senior.
2 Likes
Also read the T&Cs as there may be caveats and high excesses in relation to any policy coverage.
3 Likes
This is a very important issue. I like doing cycling holidays and have to be careful to ensure that the bike tour is actually covered. When cycling is covered the PDS often excludes bike tours but covers competition velodrome activity. Reading the small print and getting any telephone conversation agreement in writing is essential.
There was even one travel insurance I looked at that explicitly EXCLUDED any injury from an act of terrorism even if you did not perpetrate it! And the excluded pre-existing conditions includes migraine!
The drinking of alcohol prior to an accident often nullifies the claim too. I remember a fairly recent case of a young woman knocked down on a pedestrian crossing in LA by a car running a red light but because she had been drinking that evening, the insurance company did not honour the claim. Same thing happens with motorbikes in Bali.
So the moral of the story is always read the fine print and know what you are covered for.
2 Likes
I have to be very specific in insuring my trips to Indonesia. Any independent traveller who expects to NOT at least ride pillion on a motorbike there is limiting their options for getting around cheaply and easily. Insurance certainly does require wearing a helmet, and a licensed driver - not always easy to achieve.
So far, experienced only one minor accident - entirely the other driver’s fault, but didn’t make a claim.
2 Likes
It’s definitely worth keeping an eye on. One of the most common preventable stories we come across is travellers in South East Asia who’ve hired a moped expecting to be covered by their travel insurance in an accident, only to find they’re not covered and stuck with a medical bill for tens of thousands of dollars, in addition to their injuries.
Most insurers adopt the national standard for the definition of a moped - an engine capacity under 50cc. If it’s bigger than that, it’s defined as a motorcycle and you’ll need an Australian motorcycle license to ride it.
The problem is, there’s not many mopeds over there 50cc or less. I recall asking a hire agency in Lombok if they had a 50cc moped (they didn’t) and they gave me a very confused look and asked why would I want one with such a small engine.
And in Indonesia, helmets are the local law, even though you might not get offered one, let alone see anyone riding with one.
1 Like
I am now looking at travel insurance again - I think Choice’s review of companies needs to include a bit more detail about the company. It becomes very confusing with similarity in names. A website address and logo would help differentiate the very similar companies, with Insure and Go, Go Insurance, Good2Go
3 Likes
Thanks for the feedback, we’re working on getting logos for all of the insurers now and we’ll look at the best place to put website links in for people to access.
1 Like
It’s an old post, but in 2023 Choice doesn’t cover annual travel policies, which is unfortunate, as they are markedly cheaper than single trip ones when you’re doing multiple trips, viz. Covermore.
2 Likes
Thanks @TonyP . All of the travel insurance market reset after the travel lockdowns, with many participants leaving and the remainder re-writing their products. So we’re gradually collecting new data for all the products. The annual travel insurance policies are on our list, but we likely won’t get to it until the end of 2023.
1 Like
When you do it would be useful to offer an estimate of the typical minimum cumulative travel days in a year above which they can deliver better value? Especially considering the risk and support factors (premiums) for a policy vary with destination and activity. Something a trip by trip policy can adjust for.
Assume the better value annual policies have broader exclusions and some limitations on travel destinations? Do they best suit those away for a long time travelling and backpacking on the cheap, or perhaps on a long holiday staying with extended family/friends?
1 Like
Thanks, Jodi, look forward to it.
We used the Covermore policy last year because, inter alia, my wife has a pre-existing condition and we travelled abroad four times, not to mention covid coverage.
This year the card insurance (ANZ/Zurich) covers covid, and they have also agreed to cover my wife’s pre-existing condition (you have to ring up and pay $75 if they agree to cover the condition). An interesting fact is that the email confirmation of this coverage uses the same detailed language as was used in my Covermore confirmation of pre-existing coverage, even though the phone conversation with ANZ/Zurich did not cover all those details. So presumably there is some sharing going on?
Tony
2 Likes
