Important questions about Medibank travel insurance
Do I need to be a Medibank member to buy a travel insurance policy?
No you don’t, but if you are a member, you’ll get a 10% discount off the price of your travel insurance policy. Medibank policies are available to all Australian residents up to 86 years old, who are beginning and ending their trip in Australia.
What does a Medibank travel insurance policy cover?
That all depends on which policy you choose. If you take out a Medical Only policy, then, surprise, surprise, you’re covered only for medical, additional expenses and liability. If you’re looking for a little more cover, however, you can opt for a Comprehensive package, which will cover you for the same three benefits as the Medical policy, and also for all the usual travel insurance benefits, like luggage, delay, alternate transport costs, rental vehicle, and accidental death.
I’m travelling with a pre-existing medical condition. Will Medibank cover me?
There are 29 pre-existing medical conditions which are covered automatically and at no extra charge.
If it’s one of 19 automatically included conditions then yes. These include asthma, coeliac disease and menopause, and you can check your PDS for a full list. Other than that, you can apply for cover for a
pre-existing medical condition, but you will likely have to pay a higher premium.
There are also a number of conditions that aren’t covered and won’t be, even if you apply. These include:
- neck or back complaints
- drug or alcohol dependency
- any condition you’re travelling to seek advice about (for example, if you’re heading to Thailand for some cheap dental)
- any conditions where your doctor has advised you not to travel
We’ve written up a guide on travel insurance for pre-existing medical conditions that you can visit if you need to know more.
Does Medibank travel insurance cover me for pregnancy?
Finding travel insurance for pregnancy is often tricky. There are usually pretty strict guidelines to what is covered, and Medibank is no exception. The only instance in which you will be covered for pregnancy under your Medibank travel insurance is for unexpected, serious complications before the 26th week.
And that’s for a single, uncomplicated pregnancy. If you’re having twins, have experienced complications or if your conception was medically assisted, you’ll need to complete a quick online assessment to get cover.
What activities does my travel insurance cover?
There are a number of sports and leisure activities included automatically under your Medibank travel insurance policy, including:
- abseiling
- white water rafting
- snorkelling
- bungy jumping
- kayaking
- horse riding
- surfing
- jet skiing
- working holidays
But keep in mind that some restrictions apply. For example, if you’re competing or doing any of these activities professionally, you aren’t covered and for some of them, you may have to participate under the supervision of a licensed professional.
What if I need to cancel Medibank travel insurance?
Cold feet? That’s ok. You can cancel your Medibank policy for any reason within 15 days of purchasing it. This cooling off period means you can get a full refund of your premium, as long as you haven’t made a claim or started your trip yet.
What factors might affect the cost of my travel insurance?
A number of factors contribute to the cost of your Medibank travel insurance premium, including:
The plan you choose - the Comprehensive policy is more expensive a Medical Only plan, but also offers considerably more cover.
Your destination - if you’re going to a high risk area, your policy might cost more. A trip to America will also usually mean higher travel insurance premium, because of the high cost of healthcare there.
How long you travel for - obviously, the longer you need to be insured, the more it will cost.
Your age - unfortunately, the older you are, the more you will pay. If you’re over 55, check out our guide to travel insurance for seniors to make sure you’re getting the best deal.
The excess - higher excess means a lower premium. Medibank allows you to choose between $0, $100 or $250 excess, so you can control the level of premium you pay.
Any additional cover options - if you’re adding extras like increased cover for your luggage or rental car, you’ll pay an extra premium
Existing medical conditions - if your medical condition is not automatically covered, you’ll usually have to pay a higher premium to have them covered.
Medibank travel insurance policies: the fine print
When you take out a travel insurance policy, it’s always a good idea to keep one eye on the fine print and exclusions, so that if you have to make a claim, you understand exactly what your cover does and doesn’t include. You should take the time to read your PDS so you know the exclusions relevant to your trip, but in the meantime, here are a few major exclusions you might want to know about:
- You aren’t covered if you’re riding a motorcycle. Period. Unless you pay an extra premium, and even then some conditions apply, for example, you need to be wearing a helmet, the driver needs to hold a relevant license and the engine has to have a capacity of 200cc or less.
- If you are heading overseas for that cheap dental work in Thailand, or any other elective surgery, you aren’t covered for any claims related to the procedure.
- Anything involving air travel, other than as a passenger with a licensed, commercial airline isn’t covered.
- If you’re travelling in international waters in a privately owned vessel (i.e. not your cruise ship) you aren’t covered for any claims. So think twice before jumping on that friend of a friend's yacht and heading out to sea.
Making a claim on your Medibank travel insurance policy
If something does go wrong on your trip and you need to submit a claim to Medibank, here’s how:
Online
Claims submitted online through the Medibank website, are likely to be processed faster. To do this, you just need to fill in the online claims form, and then upload any documents, like receipts, medical certificates or police reports, that might be relevant to your claim.
Via post
If you prefer the snail mail route, you can download a claims form from the Medibank website. Complete it and attach the original copy of any relevant documents, then send it via post to the address on the website. Remember to take a photocopy of your documents for your own records before you send them.
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