Travel During COVID: Insurance Update

In the spotlight

Those of you who have travelled or considered travelling since coronavirus hit will know that getting travel insurance that covers anything related to the pandemic has been all but impossible. Well one of the insurance companies that we recommend for horse riding holidays, Cover-More, has just released some VERY exciting updates to their policy for Australian travellers.

*Cover-More travel insurance is also available for residents of the UK and New Zealand, but unfortunately it is not a global company. For a full list of insurance companies that cover horse riding and have generous COVID-19 policies, click here.

 

*The below policies were current at the time of writing but may have since changed. Please check Cover-More’s current PDS and COVID-19 benefits information before purchasing an insurance policy.

 

As stated in Cover-More’s travel insurance information brochure, international and domestic policies now include the following COVID-19 related scenario benefits:

• If you get sick, we include cover for your overseas treatment costs, including doctors, hospital, ambulance and medication.
• If you can’t travel due to one of these scenarios, you can claim the cancellation costs of your prepaid trip including a prepaid cruise.
• If you need to amend flights or accommodation because your relative or business partner in Australia or New Zealand is diagnosed with life threatening COVID-19, your amendment or cancellation costs and additional expenses are covered.
• If you need to quarantine because you’ve been in close contact with a COVID-19 case, either before departure or on your trip, there is cover for additional expenses such as emergency transportation and accommodation.
• If you must quarantine immediately while on your trip because you’ve been diagnosed with COVID-19, we cover your emergency transportation and accommodation.
• If you need to book flights or accommodation because a relative or business partner in Australia or New Zealand is diagnosed with life threatening COVID-19, your costs are covered.
• If you can’t stay with a family member or friend because they have COVID-19, we cover up to $150/night for alternative accommodation.
• If there’s a COVID-19 outbreak on the premises of your accommodation and they’re shut down, there’s cover for additional accommodation costs (in the same class as originally booked) so you can stay somewhere else.
• If your prepaid holiday activity is cancelled due to COVID-19, we cover your non-refundable, prepaid cancellation costs for the activity.
• If your flight(s) or land travel is delayed for 6 hours or more by COVID-19, we cover the additional accommodation room cost.

What’s not covered, you ask?

• Border closures: If a destination is safe to enter at the time of booking, but the border closes before you depart, and you want to cancel, unfortunately, we’re unable to provide cover. Border closures are regrettable and hard to predict. In order to maintain affordable premiums for the Australian public it is not possible for travel insurance providers to offer cover for border closures.
• Cruises: There is no cover for a person catching COVID-19 on a cruise or being held on a cruise for quarantine or for cruise travel being impacted by COVID-19.
• Smartraveller ‘Do not travel’ warning: If you’re diagnosed with COVID-19 in an area where there is a “Do not travel” warning in place at the time you went there, we’re unable to provide cover. Our policies still provide cover for non COVID-19 related claims regardless of whether Smartraveller “Do not travel” advice is in place for your destination.
  

This is fantastic news for all prospective travellers and reconfirms how happy we are to recommend this company to our globetrotters. Be sure to check out Cover-More’s COVID-19 travel insurance FAQs and Product Disclosure Statement before locking in your insurance policy.

Have you found any other insurance companies with generous COVID-19 policies? Let us know in the comments!

P.S. If you want more info about travel insurance for your ride, check out Our Guide to Travel Insurance for Horse Riding Holidays.