Being evacuated from Tibet COULD have been expensive!!

Travel insurance is absolutely crucial, especially after what happened to us in Tibet. We found out the hard way just how important it is to have solid coverage when things go wrong. Geoff’s sudden illness led to an evacuation from Tibet, something we never anticipated and certainly didn’t budget for. Thankfully, our travel insurance had us covered, saving us from a potentially huge financial burden. These days, travel insurance is more important than ever. While it’s always been a necessity, it feels even more essential now than before. We wouldn’t dream of traveling internationally without it, and depending on the type of domestic trip we’re taking in Australia, we’d consider it there too. With so many options available, everyone seems to have their own opinion on which policy is best, usually based on personal experience or word of mouth. But the key is to choose a policy that suits your specific travel needs. It’s all about doing your research, comparing prices, and making sure you’re fully covered for the unexpected.

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Why we choose Cover-More Travel Insurance

Before I launch into the article, I want to give you a little background on my experience with travel insurance. When I was younger I have to admit, I didn’t really buy travel insurance. The first time I did was when I moved to London on a working-holiday visa in 2004. My mum wasn’t letting me leave the country without it so I did a little bit of research and bought with Cover-More. It lapsed after 12 months and being the young, irresponsible person that I was back then, I didn’t renew it. Fortunately, I didn’t need it.

Fast forward to 2010 when we went on our honeymoon – this was the second time I bought travel insurance and boy am I glad we did! We were just three weeks into our seventeen week trip when Geoff got really unwell. We were evacuated from Tibet, taken to Kathmandu for medical treatment, then to Delhi and despite our efforts and three weeks of attempting to find a solution, we then had to return home. We were unbelievably disappointed on missing out on the most epic adventure but equally as concerned about all the money we had spent that we were unsure whether we’d get back.

We had bought travel insurance with Cover-More again. They were a reputable business, well known and been around for a long time which we were eternally grateful for when it came time to liaise with them.

We contacted them as soon as we knew we were having issues on our trip and were going to need to make a claim when we returned. We were given a “case manager” who managed our situation and helped us while we were away. We kept her in the loop with our movements and that enabled her to document what we were doing. She connected with Geoff’s GP at home and he supported our application and request to be brought home. She arranged the flights and all of the details from Australia and we weren’t even out of pocket for those flights. We flew home Business Class, too – one of the only times I have ever done that and since I wasn’t the sick one, I thoroughly enjoyed it!

Once we were home there was a lot of paperwork to do to complete our claim. I managed to cancel and get a full refund for a number of things but not everything. There were some activities and tours that had cancellation fees. I created a spreadsheet and tracked everything, even the cancellation fees and then submitted my travel insurance claim.

We had to wait a while to get the final response and there was a little back and forth with adding evidence to our claim, but it was all completely worthwhile when we received notice of the claim being accepted and receiving the full amount of money requested in the claim – a whopping $28,000!

We had been saving for the trip for a long time and were so concerned that we would lose some of it, if not all. We are forever grateful to Cover-More travel insurance and the positive experience we had. It has certainly given us to confidence to continue buying with them.

Considerations for buying travel insurance

Below I have outlined some of the key considerations for buying travel insurance.

Trip cancellation and interruption coverage:
This protects you if you need to cancel your trip due to unforeseen circumstances like illness, natural disasters, or sudden work obligations. Also, make sure the policy covers your non-refundable expenses like flights and hotels.

Medical and health coverage:
This is essential for covering emergency medical expenses and hospitalisation overseas, especially if your health insurance doesn’t cover you internationally (you might like to check your private health insurance to see if it does). Check for coverage limits and the big one is about whether pre-existing conditions are included – lots of people get stuck on this one!

Emergency evacuation and repatriation:
This covers the costs of emergency medical evacuation to the nearest medical facility or back to your home country. It’s crucial for adventure travellers or those visiting remote locations. This was what we accessed on our honeymoon!

Baggage and personal belongings coverage:
This protects you in case your luggage is lost, delayed or damaged. This can include your clothes, electronics and other personal items. You need to make sure it covers high-value items if you’re carrying expensive gear like cameras, ipads, mobile phones etc.

Trip delay or missed connection coverage:
This covers expenses like meals and accommodation if your trip is delayed, or transportation, if you miss a connecting flight. In this climate there always seems to be delayed or worse still, cancelled flights. This is very useful for avoiding out-of-pocket costs during unexpected delays or cancellations.

Coverage for adventure and high-risk activities:
If you plan on participating in activities like skiing, snowmobiling, scuba diving, hot air ballooning or hiking, ensure your policy includes coverage for adventure sports or high-risk activities. Some policies exclude these or require an additional premium.

• I have a few trips coming up in the next twelve months that fit this category. I bought an annual travel insurance package with Cover-More and was able to add on extras to cover me for these specific activities.

Travel destination-specific risks:
You should consider the specific risks of your destination, such as political instability, natural disasters, or the local healthcare quality. Some policies offer country-specific coverage options which may be worth having dependent on where you are going.

Rental car coverage:
If you plan to rent a car, check if your travel insurance covers rental vehicle damage or liability. This can save you from purchasing expensive coverage from the rental company.

• Some credit card travel insurances will not cover rental car coverage or excess.

Pandemic or epidemic coverage:
Post-COVID, some policies offer coverage for trip cancellations or medical expenses due to pandemic-related issues. Check whether COVID-19 or similar epidemics are included if this is something you want covered. That said, the world has moved on a fair bit since that happened but it may be something you want to include.

Policy exclusions and limitations:
You should always carefully review what the policy excludes, such as pre-existing medical conditions, certain destinations or high-risk activities. Knowing these exclusions helps avoid surprises when and if you are filing claims.

Claim process and customer support:
Research the ease of filing claims and the insurer’s customer support. A reliable, responsive insurer is key in emergencies when you need quick assistance or pay-outs. Seriously can’t be more grateful for the service we got from Cover-More when we were overseas dealing with what we were dealing with. The situation was so stressful as it was.

Cost vs. coverage:
You need to find the balance the cost of the policy with the coverage it provides. The cheapest option might not cover everything you need, so prioritise the features that best suit your trip and travel style.

Tips for choosing a Travel Insurer

• Make a list of everything you need to be covered.
• Do your research.
• Compare the prices.
• Make your choice.

Travel Insurers we have used

Despite our great experience with Cover-More, we always do our research and have used a number of others. I have listed them below for you to see but please know there are so many others out there you could consider! As I’ve said before, you need to choose what is right for you and your trip!

• Cover-More
• Qantas Travel Insurance (good if you are collecting points as they often have bonuses!!)
• Travel insurance linked with our credit cards (Qantas AMEX and ANZ Black) – be sure to check that they cover everyone travelling and all activities you are doing and that you qualify (read the fine print!).
• Visitors Coverage