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Travel Insurance for Natural Disasters

Natural disasters are an inevitable fact of life and although Insure&Go cannot prevent them, we can make sure you are covered in the unfortunate event that one should occur before or during your holidays.

Natural disasters can occur with little or no warning and their impacts on your travel plans as well as your health could end up costing you dearly should you find yourself without quality travel insurance for natural disasters. They are just one more reason why travel insurance is so important.

Protect yourself from natural disasters such as floods, earthquakes, tsunamis, landslides, volcanic eruptions, atypical cyclonic storms, and other extraordinary natural phenomenon. Having quality travel insurance with natural disaster coverage means you could recover some of the costs associated with your travels such as cancelling your trip, cutting your trip short, or emergency medical expenses due to the occurrence of a natural disaster.

Why Travel With Us?

All pre-existing conditions considered
Unlimited overseas medical expenses
Unlimited cover
Unlimited cancellation cover in our Gold Policy
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24 hour emergency assistance
All pre-existing conditions considered
All medical conditions considered online or over the phone
Quick and easy online claims process
No upfront medical certificates required upon application
Winner
Award winning travel insurance company

How and When Does Travel Insurance Provide Cover for Natural Disasters?

The most important thing when it comes to natural disaster travel insurance is to make sure you have your policy in place before the natural disaster occurs. Once a natural disaster event has taken place it will be too late for you to take out coverage.

To make a claim due to a natural disaster, you must have purchased Insure&Go’s Natural Disaster policy upgrade option and the option must be shown on your policy schedule.

Insure&Go makes it easy to obtain travel insurance quotes where you can compare our three different levels of cover. You can organise coverage for trip cancellation or having to cut your trip short if a natural disaster occurs and you have purchased the right level of cover with a natural disaster add-on included.

Depending on your level of cover, you may also be covered for additional emergency expenses. These are expenses you incur after departure that are over and above what you had originally budgeted to pay if your trip is disrupted or you are required to return to your home in Australia because of a natural disaster. These expenses can include things such as accommodation, meals, and travelling costs.

Note that medical cover due to any natural disaster is automatically included in all international policies without purchasing this policy upgrade.

What is Covered?

For natural disasters that were unknown at the time of purchase and where you have taken out the natural disaster coverage upgrade option, Insure&Go will provide the following coverage:

  • Cancelling Trip Before Departure: If you have to cancel your trip due to a natural disaster, we will cover your pre-paid travel, visas, accommodation, and meal expenses, which you cannot be reimbursed elsewhere, as well as costs of pre-paid excursions, tours and activities. (Note: Only applies to our Silver and Gold levels of cover)
  • Cutting Your Trip Short: If cutting your trip short is necessary and unavoidable as a result of a natural disaster, coverage you choose could include pre-paid travel, accommodation, and meal expenses as well as pre-paid costs of excursions, tours, and activities. (Note: Only applies to our Silver and Gold levels of cover)
  • Additional Emergency Expenses: We will pay your reasonable and necessary additional travel costs, incurred after departure due to a natural disaster that disrupts your trip or requires you to return to your home in Australia. You may be able to claim travel delay expenses for necessary food and accommodation costs related to a natural disaster under this coverage.
  • Medical Expenses: Note that unlimited overseas medical cover is automatically included in all international policies without purchasing the natural disaster policy upgrade. We consider all pre-existing medical conditions and provide quality travel insurance for seniors up to 100 years of age.
  • Avalanche Cover: Take out our additional Winter Sports Coverage to cover you in the event of an avalanche. We will pay up to the amount shown in the Table of benefits for the necessary and reasonable extra travel and accommodation expenses that you need to pay overseas if you are prevented from arriving at or leaving your booked ski resort during your trip for more than 12 hours from the scheduled arrival or departure time because of an avalanche.

Should you have any questions in regards to what natural disasters are covered or any other travel insurance-related queries, you can read our Product Disclosure Statements or contact one of our helpful and knowledgeable staff who will be happy to assist you.

What Isn’t Covered?

  • Purchasing Travel Insurance After a Natural Disaster Occurs: To make a claim due to a natural disaster, you must have purchased this policy upgrade option and the option must be shown on your policy. Note that there is no coverage for costs incurred relating to a natural disaster if an event is already known prior to purchasing a policy.
  • Overlooking Government Travel Warnings: It pays to check current government travel warnings and discuss any concerns over travel insurance coverage with one of our knowledgeable Insure&Go staff so you don’t find yourself abroad without qualifying for proper coverage.
  • Bad Weather: Natural disaster coverage does not cover you for bad weather such as rain, wind, or normal storms which may put a damper on your travel plans.
  • Choosing to Not Travel: Just because a natural disaster has occurred in your chosen travel destination does not mean you will be unable to travel. If travel to and from your chosen destination is still possible you may not be covered for simply not wanting to go due to a lack of facilities or activities available due to a natural disaster.
  • Policy Limits & Reasonable Expenses: Be aware of your policy’s limits when it comes to coverage. You will be responsible for any costs incurred which go above the allocated sum insured for a certain event. Likewise, you will only be covered for reasonable expenses you acquire from delays or interruptions caused by natural disasters, so book accommodation and travel accordingly or check to make sure your expenses will be covered under your policy.

Please note that these benefits are a summary, so please see our PDS for full terms & conditions.

Most Common Questions

Do you provide cover for Natural Disasters?

Yes, we offer cover for additional emergency expenses you may incur as a result of a natural disaster provided you pay an additional fee to be covered. This additional fee to be covered for these events is applicable under all levels of cover and the amount you can claim varies depending on the level of cover you choose. Please note that if you do not pay this fee you will not be covered for natural disaster. This optional add-on can be selected at the end of the quotation just before making a payment online or if doing it over the phone our agent will ask you if you wish to add it to your policy. Whilst you may not be covered for natural disasters if you fail to add on the optional add-on, you will still be covered for medical expenses incurred as a result of a natural disaster.

Am I covered for a volcano eruption?

You get unlimited medical cover automatically, however, you are not covered for cancellations/cutting your trip short/emergency expenses or missed cruise departure unless you purchase our add-on coverage for natural disasters.

You are only covered for disasters unforeseen to the public at the time of purchase. If there is a known natural disaster, you will see this displayed within the optional add-on in the last step of the journey. However, you are covered for medical expenses, regardless, due to a natural disaster, as long as medically necessary and emergency.

How does cancellation cover work?

Cancellation cover starts on the date of purchase of Silver and Gold.

Cancellation is covered if the insured cannot travel due to medical reasons, death of a relative, an unknown natural disaster, serious damage to the home in Australia and so on. In any such event, the insured can cancel and claim for the pre-booked expenses lost on the trip.

I am overseas right now – can I buy, change or upgrade a policy?

You need to be in Australia at the time of purchasing your insurance. If you are overseas, we are unable to offer you new or different insurance. You may be eligible to extend the dates of your existing cover, so shoot us an email and find out.

Natural Disaster Tips When It Comes to Travelling

Natural disasters can occur anywhere at any time, so it is essential to be prepared. Just this year several large hurricanes have hit the United States, floods have ravaged Europe including the Czech Republic and Greece, and earthquakes have rattled the Middle East, South Korea, and Mexico.

Here are some tips when it comes to natural disasters and travel:

  • Purchase your Insure&Go policy with natural disaster coverage as soon as you finalise your travel plans. Natural disasters can occur at any time without warning and you will only be covered for events that are unknown at the time of purchasing your policy.
  • Certain countries or regions of the world are more prone to certain natural disasters. Research what disasters may be common in your chosen destination.
  • Consider the time of year when it comes to travelling to your chosen destination. Cyclones, tornadoes, and other weather-related natural disasters often have predictable seasons in which they occur more frequently.
  • Familiarise yourself with your chosen destination’s emergency contact numbers, evacuation plans, and safety procedures in the event of a natural disaster. Insure&Go provides its customers with the world’s largest 24-hour emergency assistance should you need to contact us during your travels.

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*Price derived from a single trip of 5 days, Individual, age 30, to New Zealand, Pacific& Bali region. Cover for pre-existing medical may require an extra premium.