The great news is that our policies offer cover if your trip is affected by a natural disaster or severe weather event including cyclones, hurricanes and monsoons.
When am I covered?
You need to have bought your policy before these whirling dervishes of destruction become a known natural disaster and warnings have been issued by authorities. So, if you’ve done that, we’ll do everything we can to help you.
What is a ‘natural disaster’?
World Nomads defines a natural disaster as ‘a flood, cyclone, tornado, hurricane, typhoon, wildfire, tsunami, earthquake, landslide, avalanche, volcanic eruption. ‘Natural disaster’ does not include outbreak of disease, epidemic, pandemic, or any other event that is not specifically included in this definition.’
How much am I covered for?
World Nomad offers two insurance plans – Standard and Explorer - each of which offers different levels of coverage if your holiday is affected by a natural disaster.
It is up to you to choose what plan has the right level of coverage to meet your travel needs. Check out your Product Disclosure Statement and contact us if you’re unsure what your cover includes.
Does World Nomads travel insurance cover medical expenses as a result of a cyclone, hurricane, wildfire or other natural disasters?
If you’re unlucky enough to be injured as a result of a cyclone, hurricane or other natural disaster, our international policies may cover you for medical treatment including ambulances, hospitalisation, visits to registered medical practitioners and more.
What about medical evacuation and repatriation?
If you’re so badly hurt or injured that you need to be evacuated to medical facilities, or you need to go home, we can organise to transport you. For more information on how medical repatriation works check out our What’s covered article.
Keep in mind that once you’re home in Australia, we’re not able to cover ongoing medical costs, so you’ll need to claim with Medicare or your private health insurer. You can find out further information on how we help travellers with overseas medical treatment here.
How do I get help if I need medical assistance overseas?
Our 24/7 Emergency Assistance Team is here to help you. Contact them as soon as possible, and they can help you find the nearest hospital or medical facility, arrange medical transport, set up payments to medical facilities and provide support for you and keep you in contact with your family back home.
They also assist with and approve evacuation and repatriation so be sure to contact them ASAP in the event of a medical emergency.
Does World Nomads travel insurance cover pre-trip cancellation if a cyclone, hurricane or other natural disaster affects where I’m travelling to?
Yes, we offer cover if you need to cancel or rearrange your trip due to severe weather or a natural disaster.
If my trip is interrupted, what can I claim for?
If you’re already on the road and your trip is interrupted by a natural disaster or severe weather, you can claim for additional transport and accommodation costs to help you get your trip back on track. For example, your flight may be delayed or cancelled as a result of a natural disaster, and you can’t get back to Australia. To find out more check out our article on what to do if your flight is delayed or cancelled.
If I have to come home early, can I get a refund on the rest of my policy?
As the policy is outside of its cooling off period and you’ve travelled on it, there are no partial refunds. You can, however, make a claim for any additional expenses you might have incurred.
How do I claim?
Here’s something we prepared earlier: a step by step guide on how to claim.
How do I get help?
It’s important that you contact our Emergency Assistance team as soon as you can so that they can help you out. You can contact them for any emergency, whether you or a member of your travelling party requires medical attention, your trip has been cancelled due to a natural disaster or you’re already travelling and caught in a natural disaster.
Got more questions?
Contact us if you have any questions about our travel insurance policies.
Travel insurance is not designed to cover everything, so take the time to read the full description of cover in the PDS for the full details on what’s not covered as well as the terms, conditions, limitation and exclusions. If you are unsure of anything, please contact us for help.
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