Travel insurance for some coronavirus-related events

Have a holiday booked? Then it’s more important than ever to know exactly what you are and aren’t covered for before you go.

Coronavirus has changed travel for everyone and even though you might have a holiday booked, it’s more important than ever to know exactly what you are and aren’t covered for before you go.

Cover offered for coronavirus-related events

Cover for some coronavirus-related events is available on COTA travel insurance plans (except the Cancellation and Additional Expenses Plan), but the types of benefits and benefit limits vary.

We have travel insurance policies that include plans which offer cover for:

Overseas Medical Benefit

If you get sick with coronavirus while on your trip, all COTA travel insurance plans include cover for overseas medical expenses. As always, these are subject to our terms, conditions, limitations and exclusions around existing medical conditions.

Medical evacuation and repatriation

COTA travel insurance plans (except Cancellation and Additional Expenses plan) include cover for medical evacuation and repatriation if we agree it’s medically necessary, up to the relevant benefit limit.

Coronavirus Travel Costs

The Coronavirus Travel Costs benefit is available on the International Comprehensive, Australian Travel and Annual Multi Trip plans. Plans including Coronavirus Travel Costs can provide cover for several coronavirus related events, including cover for quarantine expenses and trip cancellation if you are diagnosed with coronavirus, up to the relevant benefit limit.

The Coronavirus Travel Costs benefit includes cover for the following events

Non-refundable travel costs incurred if the traveller or a member of the travelling party is certified as medically unfit to travel due to being diagnosed with coronavirus.
Non-refundable trip costs if a close relative in Australia is hospitalised or dies due to being diagnosed with coronavirus.
Non-refundable travel costs if the insured is permanently employed as a healthcare worker, residential care worker or law enforcement officer and their pre-approved leave is cancelled due to coronavirus.
When the insured’s accommodation is closed for cleaning due to a confirmed case of coronavirus at the accommodation.
If boarding scheduled public transport is denied because the insured is suspected of being infected with coronavirus.
Costs for compulsory quarantine if during the trip the insured is diagnosed with coronavirus or is a confirmed ‘close contact’.
Childcare costs if the insured gets coronavirus during the trip and is unable to take care of their dependent children as a result.
Care for pets back home if the insured is diagnosed with coronavirus during their trip and as a result is unable to return home as scheduled.
Your tour is cancelled due to your tour guide being diagnosed with coronavirus.

As much as we’d love to cover every coronavirus-related scenario that a traveller can think of, that’s not what travel insurance is designed to do, so read the Product Disclosure Statement (PDS) carefully to know what is, and isn’t, covered.

Contact COTA Insurance for more information or get a quote on your travel insurance at 1300 1300 50 or via our website here.

Interested in similar articles? Why not check these out:

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COTA Insurance travel packing list

Annual multi-trip travel insurance plan

Insurance and Membership Services Limited ABN 59 057 159 743, AR 246235 trading as COTA Travel Insurance is an authorised representative of nib Travel Services (Australia) Pty Ltd, ABN 81 115 932 173, AFS Licence No 308461 and act as nib’s agent and not as your agent. This is general advice only. Before you buy, you should consider your needs, the Product Disclosure Statement (PDS), Financial Services Guide (FSG) and Target Market Determination (TMD) available from us. This insurance is underwritten by Pacific International Insurance Pty Ltd, ABN 83 169 311 193.

Need more travel advice? Then visit the governments Smart Traveller website for up to date travel advice.