Topic: Travel Insurance

What happens if you are in Australia and you need urgent medical attention? Can you go to a private hospital?

Is your insurer obliged to pay a claim if you are distracted and accidentally leave valuable items behind in a busy airport?

Sue was due to meet her cousin for a family vacation. Unfortunately, Sue’s cousin passed away suddenly. Can Sue claim the costs of rearranging her travel from her insurer?

Tim left his passport on the plane and was not allowed to go back.

A party in Cancun takes a turn for the worse for Luis and Aoife when Aoife stops breathing and is rushed to hospital. Will Luis’s insurer pay for his medical bill?

Private hospital care is not covered by the policy, but does the broker have any responsibility to advise his clients before the costs are incurred?

Aaron was planning a tour through Central America. He applied for all the visas he needed, but was denied a visa for one of the countries. Aaron reapplied for a visa, but when he was unable to obtain one in time, he cancelled his tour. Aaron sought a refund from his travel insurer.

What happens if you don’t take enough medication with you when you travel overseas?

Hari suffered complications during heart surgery requiring him to cancel his overseas travel to China. The insurer declined to pay for the cancellation costs noting Hari’s heart condition was a pre-existing medical condition and his inability to travel after surgery was a foreseeable event. Was the insurer unfair in declining Hari’s claim as his doctor had cleared him for travel?

Tina suffered an injury to her foot that required her to cut short her holiday in Japan and return to New Zealand. The insurer declined to pay Tina’s claim noting she had not obtained a medical certificate. Was this right?