COVID clauses and Travel Insurance

[Moopere]

Haven't travelled internationally for the last few years but am itching to get out and about later this year and early next as well.

So, travel insurance looms. For 15 years at least I've been using TID - never had to claim with them but they seem to get generally favourable reviews here and on other travel related forums.

Because of COVID I've paid particular attention to their (relatively) newly introduced special COVID clause in the PDS. This one in particular is vague enough to appear on first reading to be a get out of jail free card:

"A loss arising from you neglecting to observe applicable government, health department, and World Health Organization preventative and precautionary measures, including any relevant vaccinations, hygiene or social distancing guidelines."

I'm interpreting vagueness with:

- Government, Health department, ... which government? Which health department? Australian? The foreign country being visited?
- World Health Organization? Really? There are and have always been significant variations around recommendations provided by the WHO and the various national governments around the world.
- What are 'relevant vaccinations, hygiene or social distancing guidelines '? Almost every agency you bump into has their own interpretation of 'guidelines' or more commonly called 'recommendations' - certainly there is quite some variation between the WHO and any originating and destination country you might randomly choose.

I'm sort of presuming that whats needed to comply with the TID PDS is interpreting all the agencies of the countries involved recommendations against the WHO and choosing the path of most restriction. ie, the current WHO recommendation is double vaccinated with the most current booster regime - for some that would by now mean their 3rd or 4th booster (over and above the initial 2 vaccinations).

Am I overthinking this? It sounds like I'd need to be 2x vaxxed + up to 4 boosters to meet WHO 'recommendations' ...

I've had a response from my enquiry to TID which just restated the above snippet from their PDS. Doesn't help.

In an effort to find an insurance provider who isn't so vague I've done the rounds of those names usually mentioned here - for an annual worldwide policy covering two adults in their 50's I'm being quoted AUD$3000-4000 ... that can't possibly be right? Surely? What are people here really paying? That much?

TID quoted me circa AUD$900 for the 2 of us, mid 50's, annual, worldwide except USA and Nepal.

My initial thoughts on this are to go with TID, save the massive premium being asked by others, and just wear the risk that on the day of flight, either in or out, one or both of us would be too sick to travel _and_ that the cause of that sickness is demonstrably COVID.

Countries of interest including Australia no longer have a pre-flight or post landing testing requirement so the only problem I can think of would be that of being visibly unwell.

Is it realistically still too early to be travelling? If AUD$4K is what people are paying for comprehensive insurance which still has some pretty severe restrictions built in to them then for mine its too early - this is all self-funded leisure travel, none of it business or urgent in any way.

Thoughts? Recommendations for reasonably priced insurance?

 

[MEL_Traveller]

I think you’re overthinking it

Travel insurance is not there to ‘catch you out’ but it does require you to take reasonable precautions to avoid needing to make a claim.

I don’t have a problem with the requirements for covid. As long as you comply with any protocols in force you’ll be fine… although how on earth TID or any company prove otherwise I don’t know! How can they prove you were or weren’t social distancing at the time you caught covid?

But if you were to post pictures on social media from some festival attended on a weekend together with ‘stuff mask mandates here i am in the mosh pit’… maybe the insurer would have some more questions for you!

Until we hear otherwise, all you can assume is that ‘reasonableness’ applies. You should follow any travel warnings like ‘do not travel’ and be up to date with reasonable vaccinations, if required. For most places that = 2 shots. Some now require three. Haven’t seen four anywhere. If you are in a high risk category where four shots have been recommended, that might be something your insurer asks. Although you have probably selected the ‘pre-existing’ package anyway.

If you get a fine for not wearing a mask in a country or place where it is required by government, again maybe your insurer might have some more questions.

 

[Moopere]

@MEL_Traveller thanks for your reply.

I'm inclined to agree with your comments but I won't sleep easy knowing full well that my idea of reasonableness and TID's idea of "preventative and precautionary measures" which are adjustable by external agencies are pretty unlikely to agree.

I had another poke at Covermore. I think I made a mistake earlier because of how their web quoting system is set up. Selecting a worldwide policy bumps the price right up, to levels I complain about in my OP. Selecting individual regions is a PITA but if you do it and specifically exclude the USA the pricing drops to a more competitive level.

Thinking about likely destinations for next year: Europe, UK, Asia, Pacific ... including COVID cover without all the vagueness seems to be around 900$ each. About double that quoted by TID but with a lot more certainty.

It might even prove to be more economic to buy per trip/destination. Although I've got some dreams right now its ultimately unlikely I'll engage in more than 5-6 international adventures and single trip set date insurance from Covermore seem to be coming in at around AUD$100ish a throw or even less.

I've never dealt with Covermore previously - I see them mentioned on the forum as I search about - no bad comments that I've bumped into.

Opinions anyone?

 

[MEL_Traveller]

@MEL_Traveller thanks for your reply.

I'm inclined to agree with your comments but I won't sleep easy knowing full well that my idea of reasonableness and TID's idea of "preventative and precautionary measures" which are adjustable by external agencies are pretty unlikely to agree.

I had another poke at Covermore. I think I made a mistake earlier because of how their web quoting system is set up. Selecting a worldwide policy bumps the price right up, to levels I complain about in my OP. Selecting individual regions is a PITA but if you do it and specifically exclude the USA the pricing drops to a more competitive level.

Thinking about likely destinations for next year: Europe, UK, Asia, Pacific ... including COVID cover without all the vagueness seems to be around 900$ each. About double that quoted by TID but with a lot more certainty.

It might even prove to be more economic to buy per trip/destination. Although I've got some dreams right now its ultimately unlikely I'll engage in more than 5-6 international adventures and single trip set date insurance from Covermore seem to be coming in at around AUD$100ish a throw or even less.

I've never dealt with Covermore previously - I see them mentioned on the forum as I search about - no bad comments that I've bumped into.

Opinions anyone?

You are protected by Australian consumer laws. And by other laws that determine how insurers can interpret insurance contracts.

Almost impossible for a company to prove you weren’t social distancing, or washing your hands. Most of us don’t know where we caught covid.

Taking reasonable steps is also common sense. You don’t want to miss parts of your holiday due to sickness. Regards less of whether insurance would pay out or not!