Frequently Asked Questions About Travel Insurance

Claims can be submitted both during and after travel. Our Online Claims Portal allows you to submit your claim from anywhere in the world.

If you would like to make a new claim, you can do so by visiting our Claims page here.

You can lodge a claim through our Online Claims Portal and upload copies of any supporting documentation that supports your claim. This is the quickest and easiest way to lodge a claim. You may also download a copy of our paper claim form and lodge a claim through the post or email if you would prefer. You will receive an email notification when your claim has been received and registered.

If you would like to check the status of an existing claim, you can log onto the Online Claims Portal, which will show you the status of all the claims associated with your policy. You can also contact our Claims team by dialling 1300 72 88 22 and selecting the option for ‘Existing Claims’.

For many large-scale events (e.g. terrorist attacks, major weather events, etc.) that occur around the world, we will prepare specific advice and publish this on our website. This advice will give you an understanding of the event and exactly what you have cover for in relation to it. All of our advice can be found on our Travel Alerts page.

If we do not have any advice on a specific event you want to know about, please contact our Customer Service team on 1300 72 88 22 or via the Live Chat feature on our website to chat directly with our Customer Service team.

If you are submitting your claim via the Online Claims Portal, please select the "Other" option when you are prompted for the section of the policy you would like to claim under.

Please contact our Claims team on 1300 36 26 44 and we can contact our supplier to have the voucher re-activated.

The quickest option for your claim to be processed is to submit your claim and associated documents via our Online Claims Portal. Documents can also be submitted via email, fax and mail.

While we do not require the originals of your documents, we may require them at a later date for auditing purposes so we ask that you keep the originals available if we request them.

We aim to respond to all claims within 10 working days.

If we need to request more information from either you or a third party (such as your doctor or travel agent) in order to make a decision on your claim, then your claim could be delayed. In these cases, we will respond within 10 working days from the date we receive each document that is sent to us.

In order to reduce any delays, please send all the documentation mentioned in the Online Claims portal for your type of claim. If you cannot provide something, please explain this clearly on your claim form.

Our policies have specific item limits that apply to any type of luggage claim. While you can claim up to the Luggage section limit for multiple items that have been lost, stolen or damaged, each individual, pair or set of items (such as a set of golf clubs vs. each individual club) will have a limit as well. This amount varies between items and policies so you should check the PDS for your policy to find out the exact limits that apply to your items.

Cover-More products do not offer a new for old policy in relation to luggage items. Where applicable, we will deduct reasonable depreciation from any item we compensate you for or from any item we replace through our approved suppliers.

If you have any questions about how the amounts have been calculated, please contact our office directly.

We always ask for receipts in the first instance. This is a policy requirement and provides us with documentary evidence of purchase.

It is your responsibility to provide us with evidence to support your claim for an item. This is ‘proof of ownership’.

Please note:

• we will accept the original or a copy of a purchase receipt, invoice and/or bank statement showing the purchase, the date of the purchase and the amount paid
• we may consider valuation certificates (issued prior to the relevant time), ATM receipts and warranty cards with accompanying bank statement of purchases
• we will not accept photographs, packaging or instruction manuals as proof of ownership

If you do not have the receipts, please indicate that on your online claim submission when prompted.

If you have Home and Contents insurance, sometimes it will also cover you for items even if they are lost while on holiday. If this is the case, your Home and Contents insurer may be liable for part of the cost and will contribute to your claim. If this is the case, we will always settle your claim in full directly with you before contacting the other insurer.

If a Transport Provider overseas delays all pieces of your checked luggage for more than 24 hours, there may be provision to claim for the purchase of essential items of clothing and toiletries. Make sure you keep all receipts for the essential items you purchase. You must also get a written report from the transport provider confirming the delay and how long it was for.

Please refer to the Product Disclosure Statement (PDS) for coverage limits.

If you need to extend the period of insurance, we do not require the authority, just a policy number and new end dates.

If you would like someone to lodge a claim on your behalf, anyone can log onto the Online Claims portal as long as they have your policy details. Our Claims team will contact you to make sure that we have all the correct details before assessing your claim.

If you need someone to act on your behalf to amend your policy coverage, we will require you to provide the authority.

If you wish to list someone as having authority to speak or act on your behalf, please contact us and provide the name and DOB or mobile number as a way of identifying the person. Please contact us on 1300 72 88 22 or via the Live Chat feature on our website to chat directly with our Customer Service team.

Sometimes the size of a claim or the difficulties in gathering information can mean that we might use an investigator who can gather information more quickly and accurately. This will speed up the processing time of your claim and make sure that we have considered all factors before making a decision.

At times, we will be able to approve one part of a claim while we still need to continue to gather information on another part. Rather than delay the entire claim, we usually elect to settle the parts we can. This means that you will be financially better off more quickly while we continue to assess the remainder of the claim.

When you hire a rental car, you will typically receive a rental car agreement that lists an excess amount you are liable to pay if there is damage to the rental vehicle. It is the reimbursement of this excess amount you have paid to the rental car company that your policy can provide cover for, if you need to make a claim for rental car insurance excess and it is approved. Remember to read the exclusions and limitations listed in the Product Disclosure Statement (PDS) as these will apply. We will not pay for:

• Any damage or theft, arising from the operation of a rental car in violation of the terms of the rental agreement.
• Any damage sustained to a rental car while it is being driven on an unsealed surface.
• Administration costs or loss of use penalties.

Some of our policies come with rental car insurance excess included as a standard feature, and we may also allow you to increase your rental car insurance excess coverage. Please refer to the Product Disclosure Statement (PDS) for coverage limits. Contact our Customer Service team on 1300 72 88 22 or via the Live Chat feature on our website, or talk to your agent who you purchased your policy through, if you wish to increase your cover.

To help understand how much cover you may need, consider checking with your rental car company and check what their standard insurance excess amount is.

No, medical expenses incurred in Australia are not covered by the policy if you are an Australian resident or eligible overseas representative.

However, if you are travelling to Australia on an International Inbound policy and you are not from a Reciprocal Health Agreement (RHA) country, cover may be available. Cover is only provided for medical expenses incurred if the country you are from does not have a Reciprocal Health Agreement (RHA) with Australia.

Please consider checking with Medicare for more details regarding countries with Reciprocal Health Agreements with Australia.

Yes, for each new policy you purchase we do require you to complete a new medical assessment.

If you have an Annual Multi-Trip Policy and you are diagnosed with a new condition and make further bookings, you may be required to complete a new medical assessment.

Our travel insurance policies can automatically cover some existing medical conditions. Other existing medical conditions will require assessment and if approved, an additional premium will be applicable.

Even if you do not want cover for an existing medical condition, you will still need to declare it to us by completing an online medical assessment.

Coverage of existing medical conditions can be assessed through completing an online medical assessment during the quote process via this website. Please read the applicable Product Disclosure Statement (PDS) for coverage details.

In most cases you will receive an instant outcome on completion of a medical assessment.

The medical assessment can be completed as part of your online quote via our website.

If you are purchasing your policy through a travel agent or broker, please contact them and ask for a quote number before contacting our Customer Service team.

These are some of the existing medical conditions that can be automatically covered, subject to policy requirements:

• Acne
• Allergy
• Bell’s palsy
• Coeliac disease
• Congenital blindness
• Congenital deafness
• Hip replacement
• Knee replacement
• Shoulder replacement
• Hip resurfacing

Coverage of existing medical conditions can be assessed through completing a medical assessment during the online quote process. Be sure to refer to the applicable Product Disclosure Statement (PDS) for coverage details.

If you do need to complete an online medical assessment, we need to assess all your diagnosed conditions, not just the ones you want covered.

All policyholders have access to our emergency assistance team who is contactable 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. You can reach them by calling +612 8907 5619.

Our team of doctors, nurses, case managers and travel agents can provide the following services to all policyholders:

• Help you find a medical facility nearby and monitor your medical care.
• Paying bills - Becoming ill overseas can be expensive so significant medical expenses can be paid by us directly to the hospital if your claim is approved.
• Keeping you travelling or get you home - Our team can decide if and when it is appropriate to bring you home and will coordinate the entire exercise.
• Help if passports, travel documents or credit cards are lost - If you need assistance in contacting the issuer of the document, our emergency assistance team can help.
• Help to change travel plans - If your travel consultant is not available to assist with rescheduling in an emergency, our team can help.

Certain services are subject to your claim being approved.

We may be able to provide travel insurance for pregnancy. If you know you are pregnant at the Relevant Time, you will need to apply for cover for your pregnancy if:

• There have been complications with this pregnancy or a previous pregnancy;
• You have a multiple pregnancy e.g. twins or triplets; or
• The conception was medically assisted e.g. using assisted fertility treatment including hormone therapies or IVF.

“Relevant Time” in respect of:

1. Single Trip policies means the time when the policy is issued.
2. Annual Multi-Trip Policies means the first time when a part of the relevant trip is paid for or the time when the policy is issued, whichever occurs last.

Please complete additional questions in an online medical assessment in order to determine eligibility and obtain a quote. If you have any questions about the online assessment or prefer to talk with a customer service agent, please contact us on 1300 72 88 22.

Pregnancy restrictions

Whether or not you have to apply for pregnancy cover, the following restrictions apply to claims arising in any way from the pregnancy of any person.

• Cover is only provided for serious, unexpected pregnancy complications that occur up until the 24th week of pregnancy i.e. up to 23 weeks, 6 days. Gestational age is measured in weeks and days and is calculated from the last known date of your menstrual period or calculated from staging ultrasound.
• Childbirth is not covered.
• Costs relating to the health or care of a newborn child are not covered, irrespective of the stage of pregnancy when the child is born.

Expectant mothers should consider if our travel insurance is right for them when travelling after 23 weeks and 6 days gestation, as costs for childbirth and neonatal care overseas can be expensive. Read our Product Disclosure Statement (PDS) before deciding on our travel insurance

When you get a quote for a policy, we ask for the destinations you will travel to so that we can make sure we are giving you the best price.

Where are you travelling to?

• Enter or select every country you will be travelling to wherever possible.
• For each country you select, cover for travel to all other countries within that region are also included regardless of whether the countries are selected or not.

Stopping over somewhere?

• If you are stopping in a country for less than 72 hours, you do not need to enter or select that country.

What to do if you do not know every single country you will be travelling to?

• If you are not sure of all your destinations, you can select a region instead. Cover then applies for travel to all countries within that region. You can also select Worldwide.