Travel insurance for South America

South America generally has more affordable health care than other continents, and its health care system has improved significantly over recent years. Emergency medical assistance is free for citizens and visitors in many countries in South America, such as Brazil and Argentina, but ongoing or less urgent medical treatment may not be covered. Medical costs can get expensive depending on the injury or illness, particularly if the condition is complicated or life-threatening.

Depending on your insurer and your level of cover, your travel insurance medical cover may include:

• Injuries and illnesses
• Hospital treatment
• Medical evacuation
• Repatriation
• 24/7 medical emergency assistance.

Having adequate medical cover to cover medical expenses in South America can provide peace of mind.

You should also consider seeking medical advice from a licensed medical professional, such as your local general practitioner, for information on vaccines to suit your health needs. If you contract an illness you could have been, but chose not to be, vaccinated for, you may not be covered for related costs.

This benefit may cover your belongings if they’re stolen, lost or damaged. Luggage cover may include your personal belongings, cash, credit cards and travel documents such as your passport or ID card. Check the PDS of a policy before purchasing for the claim limits on specific items.

If your flights are cancelled or delayed, cancellation and delay cover can cover you for incidental expenses while you wait for your flight to be rescheduled, and possibly cancellation fees if your carrier is unable to reimburse you fully.

If you need to cancel your holiday prior to leaving Australia, cancellation cover may cover some, or all, of your financial losses in the event of a family emergency, natural disaster or similar event.

South America is a vast continent packed with thrilling activities such as:

• Trekking through the Amazon rainforest
• Hiking up Machu Picchu in Peru
• White water rafting in Banos, Ecuador
• Horse riding through Buenos Aires, Argentina
• Hang gliding across Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
• Sandboarding in the Atacama Desert, Chile.

Insurers don’t always cover high-risk adventure activities as a part of their standard travel insurance plan. If you intend to participate in high-risk activities, you may want to consider getting an adventure cover add-on if your policy allows it. This add-on may provide additional cover for hospital and medical care or cancellations. Without this cover, any financial losses due to high-risk activities may not be covered.

If you’re planning on heading out to destinations like Bolivia’s Salar de Uyuni or taking a road trip along Costa Verde in Brazil, you may want to consider car rental excess cover or motorcycle and scooter cover as you may not always be covered by a standard international travel insurance policy.

Driving laws and vehicle safety standards in South America aren’t as strict as in Australia, meaning there’s a chance you could get into an accident. This is due to poor road infrastructure, a lack of following road safety rules and minimal accommodations for pedestrians and cyclists.¹

If you’re planning on travelling to countries that have had volcanic activity warnings in the past, like Chile, it could be wise to ensure your policy covers volcanic ash clouds with natural disaster cover for peace of mind if volcanic activity disrupts your travels or puts you at medical risk. Read your insurer’s PDS to find out exactly what you’re covered for, as this can vary between insurers.