Medical Travel Insurance

There is a large proportion of the travelling public who only want to insure large risks. They aren’t concerned about covering smaller items such as travel delay, cancellation and baggage. They are, however, concerned about covering the high cost of their medical expenses should the worse happen and they are involved in an accident or fall seriously ill while in a foreign country. For these travellers, medical travel insurance can provide the level of protection and peace of mind you’re looking for.

Overseas medical expenses take up the lion’s share of travel insurance claims and as medical costs rise significantly more than inflation each year, they are becoming an increasing proportion of the cost. By cutting out other sections of cover you don’t need, there are significant savings to be made by just buying medical travel insurance – without all the extras.

So if you’re looking for a medical travel insurance policy that only covers medical expenses, insure4less has an affordable solution to keep you safe while you’re travelling. This is especially important if you have an existing medical condition. Our process is simple;

Enter your travel details
Answer some simple questions about your medical background – no medication details needed
If you have a condition, answer some questions about the condition. You can have any number of conditions

We will then immediately tell you if:

Cover is automatically included at no extra cost
If there is an extra premium to be paid to cover the condition
Or if we are unable to offer cover

To get a quote, simply fill out the Quick Quote form to the right. If you’d like more information about our medical travel insurance policy, feel free to send us an email at travel@insure4less.com.au and one of our travel insurance specialists will be happy to answer any questions you have.

Do you have a pre-existing medical condition and want to find out more, please visit our Pre-existing Medical Conditions information page.

Overseas Medical Costs

Medical costs can vary between regions and countries. The USA and Singapore have the highest medical costs in the world, while countries such as Spain aren’t that far behind.

Insure4less has helped countless Australian travellers get the treatment they need in an emergency medical situation, and we look forward to being able to help countless more.

We have recently paid claims such as:

$100,000 – Mexico – Stroke following a tick bite
$81,000 – Bali – Embryotic stroke with evacuation to Singapore
$80,000 – Bali – Appendicitis
$264,000 – Cambodia – Broken arm that became infected

Despite costs such as these, there are still a large number of Australians who do not take out travel insurance when travelling overseas. Many of those who don’t take out insurance and end up in debt have to sell their homes just to pay it off.

The reduced cost of buying medical travel insurance upfront is a small price to pay for the peace of mind that it brings. While it doesn’t provide complete cover, it does cover the most important (and most expensive) part of travel insurance – your medical costs, and by extension, your health.

What We Cover

At Insure4Less, our medical only travel insurance policy provides unlimited cover for overseas medical expenses. This includes:

Emergency medical, surgical and hospital treatment and necessary transportation
Emergency dental treatment to natural teeth (such as treatment for an infection or broken tooth), up to the specified limit.
Repatriation to your home country (including air ambulance)
Travel and accommodation expenses required to return home if you are unable to continue with your trip as planned
Additional travel and accommodation expenses for a family member or friend to stay with you and accompany you home
A funeral or returning your remains to your home country if you die

Our 24/7 medical emergency service is also available to all policyholders.

Contact our team of medical professionals at any time, from anywhere in the world, for immediate assistance with finding treatment in the country you’re in, paying hospital and medical bills, interpretation in non-English speaking hospitals and medical centres, repatriation to your home country and any other issues relating to medical treatment while you’re in a foreign country.

We know that your health is your priority, and we make it ours too.

For more specific medical travel insurance policy information, please refer to the Product Disclosure Statement.

Medical Exclusions to your Policy

Every type of travel insurance policy contains exclusions, and it’s very important that you are aware of these before you travel. In a medical travel insurance policy, these exclusions generally include:

Any medical expenses incurred in Australia
Any expenses resulting from a pre-existing medical condition (unless we agreed to do so when you purchased your travel policy)
Any dental treatment to non-natural teeth, such as dentures, prostheses, bridges or crowns
Cosmetic dentistry treatments
Any medical care covered under a Reciprocal Health Care Agreement (RHCA)

For a full list of exclusions or more information regarding your specific policy, please check your PDS or send us an email with your enquiry.

What about Reciprocal Health Care Agreements?

Australia has a Reciprocal Health Care Agreement (RHCA) with a number of countries around the world, including New Zealand, the UK, Ireland, Finland, Sweden, the Netherlands, Norway, Italy, Belgium, Slovenia and Malta.

These agreements entitle Australian residents to subsidised healthcare treatment in an emergency when visiting any of these countries. However, it’s important to be aware that these agreements do not cover everything and should be combined with medical travel insurance to ensure you’re fully protected.

RCHAs specifically do not cover:

Ambulance
Paramedical services
Dental treatments
Treatment or accommodation in a private hospital or as a private patient in a public hospital
Medical evacuation back to Australia
Treatment that isn’t immediately necessary
Funerals

As you can see, most of what isn’t covered by an RHCA is covered under a medical travel insurance policy. Relying solely on an RHCA could leave you considerably out of pocket in a medical emergency, so if you’re travelling to one of these countries, medical travel insurance is vital to make sure all your bases are covered.

You can find out more about RCHAs and your entitlements in participating countries at the Department of Human Services.

Don’t Take the Risk – Take out Medical Travel Insurance Instead

If you’re travelling on a budget, medical travel insurance will give you the standard protection you need without all the extras. Overseas medical costs can be painfully expensive, leaving you with a huge debt on top of an overwhelming medical emergency. So don’t risk it – protect yourself with no-frills travel insurance that focuses on what’s most important.

Invest in your health and get a quote for affordable medical travel insurance from insure4less today.