Travel Insurance and diabetes

Travel insurance Companies

People living with diabetes have been able to secure travel insurance from the following companies:

Fast cover, visit fastcover.com.au or call 1300 409 322

Covermore, visit covermore.com.au or call  1300 72 88 22

GoInsurance, visit goinsurance.com.au or call 1300 819 888

(TID) Travel Insurance Direct, visit (TID) Travel Insurance Direct 

Southern Cross Travel Insurance, visit scti.com.au or call 1800 196 484

NIB, visit nibtravelinsurance.com.au or call 1300 410 272

InsureandGo, visit insureandgo.com.au or call 1300 401 177

AllClear Travel Insurance, visit allcleartravel.com.au or call 1800 785 870

Travel insurance checklist

When taking out travel insurance with a pre-existing medical condition such as diabetes we recommend you:

• Read the insurer’s product Disclosure Statement (PDS).  The insurer’s Product Disclosure Statement (PDS) describes what the policy does and doesn’t cover, and how much the insurer is willing to pay for specific losses such as cancellations or medical emergencies.  As diabetes is a pre-existing health condition check that it is listed in the PDS.  The insurer will list all the health conditions automatically covered or whether you need to do an assessment.

If you don’t have time to read the whole PDS, at least look for the following:

• The table of benefits is an overall summary of your cover.
• The policy cover section is essential reading and is generally split into “what we will pay” and “what we won’t pay”.
• General exclusions are also essential reading; these are events that aren’t covered by any section of the policy.
• Pre-existing conditions can remind you of forgotten ailments and are essential reading for anyone with any kind of medical condition, no matter how mild.
• The word definition table might contain a few surprises – a good place to check on the definition of a “relative” or a “moped”, for example.
• Declare your diabetes when applying for travel insurance so that you can obtain the right level of cover for your holiday.  Failing to declare your health condition to your insurance provider can make your policy not valid and you could find yourself overseas without cover.
• Be aware if you travel without travel insurance, become unwell and require treatment, you could be left with an expensive medical bill or without access to essential medical care.
• Check for any exclusions.  Some companies will not insure you if you have been diagnosed with diabetes in the last 12 months. Other exclusions include:
  • Over the age of 50 years
  • Diabetes complications, including eye, kidney, or vascular complications
  • Cardiovascular disease (heart) or hypertension (high blood pressure)
  • Had a recent hospital admission.
• Check to see if the insurer offers Covid-19 cover

Some insurance companies will refer you to their specialist medical team before providing travel insurance.

Credit cards and travel insurance

Premium credit cards usually offer travel insurance however the policies behind the credit cards can vary widely. Check the exclusions and excesses (which can be higher compared with stand-alone insurance) and the level of cover and whether it is adequate.

Tips from other travellers who have diabetes

• Be open and up front about your health condition/s
• Discuss with your doctor and diabetes educator access to diabetes medications, supplies and consumables while you are away and any customs or security clearance concerns
• Take copies of letters from your healthcare team about your health condition/s
• Buy your travel insurance as soon as you pay the deposit on your trip. It does not cost any more to purchase the cover at this time, and the cancellation cover can start straight away. Get quotes from a few different travel insurance companies beyond what is offered from a travel agent.
• Compare travel insurance coverage as some online based policies do not make provision for disclosing a health condition. They may seem cheaper at first look, and this changes once diabetes is disclosed.
• Make a note of your insurer’s emergency assistance number and the policy number
• If you are on insulin pump therapy, discuss with your doctor and diabetes nurse educator to ensure you have a back-up plan for insulin pens/syringes, in case of a pump malfunction while travelling
• If you have ready access to supplies, always pack more than you need. This way you are prepared in case of delays or unexpected events on your trip. Or who knows – you may be having so much fun, you want to stay a little longer!
• Always carry at least a portion of your diabetes supplies/medications in carry-on luggage, in case of any luggage delays on arrival to your destination. Have a copy of letters from your healthcare team about your health condition/s on hand as you go through security
• If you are travelling to warm climates and taking insulin, there are cooling pouches available to keep your insulin at a safe temperature while out and about in the heat:  frioaustralia.com  
• Insure yourself and your belongings.  Cover for personal belongings and luggage is generally limited to a specified amount.  Consider addition insurance or expensive items you intend to take with you
• Take a photo of all your travel documents
• Take out travel insurance for the whole time you are away
• Risky, irresponsible and reckless behaviour can affect your ability to make a claim.  Policies will often list such exclusions as loss, injury or damage related to injury under the influence of alcohol or drugs, any self-inflicted injury or leaving belongings unattended
• Make sure the policy offered covers emergency treatment, medical evacuation, hospitalisations, and transport back to Australia
• Seek coverage for adventure tourism if required
• If you are a frequent traveller, a multi-trip policy might save you money
• Be aware that an insurer can refuse to sell you travel insurance based on diabetes and other co-occurring health conditions
• Remember, you can appeal an insurer’s decision not to sell you travel insurance; be prepared to submit specialist medical reports (at your expense) and expect time delays while decisions are made about whether to insure you or not
• Visit Smartraveller for up-to-date travel advice, news, guidance, and important information about the destination you intend to visit and when you arrive back in Australia
• Register your travel plans with the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade so you can be contacted in an emergency
• The contact details for Australian embassies and consulates overseas are available on the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade website and the foreign embassies and consulates in Australia can be found on their Foreign representatives accredited to Australia page.
• Subscribe to the Australian Government’s travel advice and updates
• Consider checking insuremytrip regularly for up-to-date international travel alerts and warnings sourced from the US State Department and private and public organisations

Making a claim while you are away

If you need to make a claim whilst you are away:

1. Call your insurer’s emergency assistance number and give them:
   • your policy number
   • the name the policy is under
   • the details of the incident
2. If possible, get your insurer to agree to medical treatment before it’s carried out
3. Keep all receipts, reports and doctor’s notes with you until you return home to Australia. These will be essential for completing your claim.
4. Remember, your insurer can only cover your expenses for the amounts and circumstances listed in your individual travel insurance policy.

Complaints

If you are refused cover or if you make a claim and it is rejected, you can lodge an internal dispute resolution complaint with the insurer. They have 45 days to decide on your complaint. If a complaint on a claim is rejected or no decision is made, you can then lodge a complaint to the Australian Financial Complaints Authority or phone 1800 931 678.