Basic travel insurance
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Top 3 things to know about basic travel insurance
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A guide to basic travel insurance
Updated 29 October 2024
Expert tips for comparing basic travel insurance
Our travel insurance expert, Adrian Taylor, has some tips for travellers who are looking at taking out a basic travel insurance policy:
Adrian Taylor
Executive General Manager – General Insurance
Medical-only cover doesn’t cover every medical issue
While basic travel insurance is designed to provide medical cover while you’re overseas, it doesn’t cover every possible medical issue that could crop up. For example, some insurers only provide cover for COVID-19 on their comprehensive travel insurance policies. So be sure to check that you’re happy with the level of cover provided by a basic policy before you purchase one.
Don’t leave expensive valuables uninsured
If you’re travelling overseas and taking valuable items with you, many basic travel insurance policies won’t cover them for damage or loss. If having your valuables insured overseas is a priority, you may want to take out a travel insurance policy with adequate cancellation cover with suitable item limits and sub-limits.
Compare your options
Even if you’re only looking for a basic medical-only travel insurance policy, it still pays to shop around. You can compare a range of basic travel insurance policies and look for one that might be suitable for you with Compare the Market.
Learn more about travel insurance
What you need to know about basic travel insurance
What is basic travel insurance?
Basic travel insurance is a type of travel insurance designed to provide cover if you mainly need overseas emergency medical assistance. It’s the lowest level of travel insurance available and isn’t offered by every travel insurer.
What’s the difference between basic travel insurance and comprehensive travel insurance?
The difference between a basic medical-only policy and a comprehensive travel insurance policy lies in the level of cover you get, along with the cover options and optional extras available under each policy type. Comprehensive policies typically offer the highest level of cover, whereas basic policies offer the lowest level of cover.
Both types of policy will typically let you pay an additional premium to add on certain types of optional cover. However, comprehensive policies usually provide a wider range of optional covers than basic policies. Some basic policies will not allow you to add cover for pre-existing medical conditions.
What’s the difference between basic travel insurance and medical-only travel insurance?
The key difference between basic travel insurance and medical-only travel insurance is that basic travel insurance policies may sometimes offer cover for lost or damaged luggage, and may even offer cover for cancellation costs, whereas medical-only policies will only provide medical cover.
That being said, some travel insurers give their basic and medical-only travel products different names, meaning you could compare five differently-named travel insurance policies that offer the same category of cover.
Other names you might see used for medical-only travel insurance are ‘travel medical insurance’, ‘international medical-only insurance’ and ‘essential travel insurance’.
Who might suit a basic travel insurance policy?
A basic travel insurance policy may suit different types of travellers, including students and backpackers and those on a tight budget. Basic travel insurance policies will typically be the cheapest travel insurance plans available, making them a valuable option for those travelling on a tight budget.
Basic travel insurance inclusions and exclusions
What does basic travel insurance cover?
A basic travel insurance policy covers you for overseas medical and hospital expenses, and some basic policies may also include:
- 24/7 medical emergency assistance
- Repatriation back to Australia
- Cover for pre-existing medical conditions (you may need to pay an additional premium to get cover for a pre-existing condition)
- Cover for funeral costs if you die overseas
- Emergency dental expenses.
- Personal liability cover
Be sure to read the Product Disclosure Statement (PDS) and Target Market Determination (TMD) of any given policy for the full details of what’s covered, and whether the policy might be suitable for you.
What isn’t covered by basic travel insurance?
Under a basic travel insurance, while you may have a degree of cover for trip cancellation and/or lost or damaged luggage, the level of cover won’t be as high as it would be on a comprehensive travel insurance policy.
Additionally, some insurers and policies may not cover dental expenses or pre-existing medical conditions as part of their basic travel insurance policies.
Meet our travel insurance expert, Adrian Taylor
As a General Insurance expert with over 13 years’ experience in financial services, Adrian Taylor believes in educating customers about the importance of travel insurance so that anyone can kick back and make the most of their time away from home. While no one wants a disrupted holiday, a suitable travel insurance policy can provide a financial safety net for yourself, your belongings and your trip in case things go wrong.