Sometimes some medical event may occur to you or a loved one before you are able to get on the plane or while on holiday and your trip is cut short.
If you need to cancel your trip, you could be covered for some medical emergencies while overseas depending on the plan you’ve selected. The medical event must be sudden, unforeseen, unavoidable and outside your control, and it must happen after we have issued your Certificate of Insurance.
What medical emergencies are covered?
The following are considered medical emergencies for which you could be covered if you cancel your trip:
- The sudden death, sudden illness or serious injury of you or your close relative requiring hospitalisation: you may be covered for cancellation or trip interruption expenses, compassionate emergency visit, and for resumption of trip.
- The sudden death, sudden illness or serious injury of a member of your travelling party; or your business partner or a person in the same job as you and you’re required to end your trip early to return to work: you may be covered for cancellation or trip interruption expenses.
- You are mugged, physically assaulted or hijacked causing serious injury or psychological harm. This needs to be confirmed in writing by a medical practitioner: you may be covered for cancellation or trip interruption expenses (Explorer Plan Only) and resumption of trip (following your repatriation).
Handy tips for travellers
Tip 1: Contact our 24/7 Emergency Assistance Team for assistance if you’re assaulted or hijacked. You must also make a report to the local police or other appropriate authority as soon as possible. You must provide documentation confirming you have reported the event and related medical reports with your claim.
Tip 2: You must contact your carrier, travel services provider, education or related provider as soon as possible and make all reasonable attempts to seek compensation or offers to rearrange or reschedule your plans before you incur additional expenses, change your travel plans or claim with us.
Tip 3: If and when caught up in a medical emergency you should contact the Emergency Assistance team as soon as possible. The EA team can help guide you to the nearest hospital, arrange medical transport, set up direct payments to the medical facility, give support to your family, and help you navigate local customs. World Nomads cover may depend on your past medical history, what's happened to you, and any other terms and conditions, limits or exclusions of cover as described in your policy.
FAQs
Can I cancel a trip for medical reasons?
Sporting accidents, dehydration, food poisoning, or in the worst-case scenario an act of violence. Major and minor occurrences can happen, which is why our plans cover emergency medical expenses if you fall ill, get into an accident or get hurt on your trip. If you experience a medical emergency whilst on holiday, be sure to contact our 24/7 Emergency Assistance team, who will need to approve your surgical procedures, medical treatment, or evacuation, otherwise your coverage may be reduced or impacted. Be sure to get reports, documentation, and receipts if you need medical care, as you will need these to support your claim. If you do make a claim, you must show:
- the event was unexpected and occurred after you purchased the policy and after you booked or paid for any travel arrangements; and
- the costs incurred were unavoidable.
Am I covered if my cruise is cancelled?
Hurricanes and tropical storms are among the biggest threats of your trip turning upside down, especially if you have a cruise adventure that is suddenly cancelled. You may qualify for trip cancellation or interruption benefits, depending your Country of Residence and the plan you have purchased. You need to have bought your travel insurance plan before the storm was announced on TV or through major news sites and government sites. You also won’t be eligible for coverage if you cancel because the forecast says there is a chance of rain and cloudy skies.
What if I have an existing medical condition?
For Aussie travellers who have an existing medical conditions and plan to purchase travel insurance it is important that you read the Product Disclosure Statement (PDS). There are key terms and conditions, exclusions, and specifications around existing medical conditions.
Our policies exclude cover for many existing medical conditions of you, your travelling party and close relatives which exist before you buy or extend this policy. There are more than 40 automatically covered existing medical conditions under this policy when specific requirements are met.
If you have an existing medical condition that is not listed as an automatically covered condition, or if you don’t meet all criteria for that condition, you can still buy a policy, but you will not be covered for any claim that arises from that existing medical condition.
Am I covered if I am pregnant?
If you’re pregnant at the time you buy your policy, or fall pregnant afterwards, you’ll have cover under the benefits of this policy for any event that arises from your pregnancy, provided that the event that causes your claim:
- is covered by this policy;
- is a pregnancy related illness; and
- occurs up to the end of the 26th week of your pregnancy.
Note: We don’t consider pregnancy to be an existing medical condition. For more information on cover for pregnant travellers please check out our FAQ article - Am I covered by travel insurance if I'm pregnant?
This is only a summary of cover and does not include the full terms, conditions, limits, and exclusions of the policy. You should read your PDS in full, so you understand what is and isn’t covered. If you are unsure about your level of travel cover, please contact us for help.
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