Bupa travel insurance. What’s on offer and how does it work?

Although most experiences while travelling will be fun-filled and positive, in some cases, emergencies may happen. Travel insurance exists to make sure that when something unexpected happens, you won’t be out of pocket for medical or certain travel expenses.

Finding the right insurance for your trip starts with a little bit of research. We’ll introduce you to Bupa, an Australian based insurance company offering a range of insurance products, including travel insurance.

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What is travel insurance with Bupa

Bupa travel insurance allows policy holders to be able to handle all types of unexpected situations that are minor inconveniences or complete emergencies.¹ Travel insurance helps cover a lot of the out of pocket expenses that would be incurred if a policy was not purchased and you are travelling.

Bupa travel insurance packages

Bupa offers travel insurance packages for both domestic and international trips. The packages available are as follows.

Domestic travel insurance¹

There is only one travel insurance package available with Bupa for any internal travel within Australian borders. The Domestic Plan is catered to those looking for personal liability coverage, luggage or unexpected trip delays, and trip cancellations. There is an option to buy a basic package or add additional premiums to cover snow, cruise or adventure trip extras.

International travel insurance¹

There are three different options to choose from when travelling overseas. These are as follows.

Essentials plan

This option is the basic plan that predominantly covers overseas medical, hospital, dental, and all the benefits you’d have covered on a domestic plan for a single overseas trip.

Comprehensive plan

The comprehensive plan includes everything covered under an overseas Essentials policy but with many more benefits. The extra benefits include:

• Accidental death
• Permanent Disability
• Alternative travel expenses
• Travel documents and transaction cards
• Theft of cash

The coverage of this plan does cost extra as benefits and limits are higher in most costs.

Annual multi-trip plan

This plan allows you to get your choice of coverage for multiple trips a year either domestically or internationally. Each trip can be up to 15, 30 or 45 days in length.

Who administers travel insurance on behalf of Bupa

Allianz Global Assistance, trading under AWP Australia Pty Ltd is the company who administers Bupa travel insurance. Allianz Global Assistance is authorised by larger company and underwriter Allianz to handle claims as its agent.²

What are the main benefits of travel insurance with Bupa

When you purchase Bupa travel insurance, you’ll get these main benefits¹:

• Coverage for medical or dental emergencies
• Coverage for delays, lost luggage or cancelled trips
• Australian case managers on claims
• Registered nurses and doctors available 24/7
• Possible coverage for eligible pre-existing conditions
• 15% off for existing Bupa insurance members

What you have cover for will depend on which policy level you choose. The major benefit of organising travel insurance is your own peace of mind if something were to happen.

Types of coverage offered by Bupa travel insurance

Each policy comes with different levels of cover for a range of situations that may happen. Here is a breakdown of the most common things people look for when researching travel insurance for a single policy holder.

Coverage Type*	Domestic Plan²	Essential Plan payout²	Comprehensive payout²
Overseas emergency assistance	-	$20 million	$20 million
Overseas Medical	-	$20 million	$20 million
Accidental Death	$25,000	$0	$25,000
Travel Delay	$2000	$2000	$2000
Luggage/Personal effects	$10,000	$5000	$1000
Theft of cash	$250	$0	$250
Personal liability	$5 million	$2.5 million	$5 million

*Limits valid as of 27th October 2023

There are also different limits for each plan for couples and family plans. To see the full breakdown, you can visit the Bupa website here.

Bupa travel insurance main fees

The amount you pay for your travel insurance with Bupa varies based on where you travel, how long you will travel, how old you are, if you have any pre-existing medical condition or if you add on any extras. We won’t cover all the different prices here, but we’ll give you an example for a single policy for a week's trip to two destination options.

Policy type	Destination 1	Price*³	Destination 2	Price³
Essential	Worldwide	$194.96	Indonesia (Bali)	$102.32
Comprehensive		$204.02		$107.07
Multi-trip		Up to 15 days multi trips = $799.87 annually		$550.92 for multi-trips up to 15 days

* Price valid as of 27th October 2023

As you can see, for a simple week's trip, where your destination is can make a difference in the price.

What’s not covered under this travel insurance

Although you can’t always predict everything you’ll be doing while travelling, some activities will require you to pay an extra premium to be covered. You can purchase¹:

• Adventure pack
• Snow pack
• Cruise Pack

There are also some general exclusions across all policy types. You will not be covered in the event of²:

• Pregnancy complications after 24 weeks
• Choosing private medical treatment
• Driving a vehicle without the correct licence class
• Acting recklessly
• Addiction related issues
• Diving alone and have an accident
• Having elective surgery
• Undertaking illegal acts
• War

These are just a handful of general exclusions. You will also find that under each benefit, there are exclusions or eligibility requirements you’ll need to meet to make a claim. It’s important to read the fine print for each policy option before making your choice. This will help save you from any nasty surprises when you are overseas and get your claim rejected.

Eligibility for Bupa travel insurance

To be eligible for Bupa travel insurance, you’ll need to meet these requirements²:

• Be an Australian citizen or permanent resident
• Hold a current valid Australian visa with unrestricted entry
• Hold a valid medicare card
• Purchase a policy before leaving Australia

Most importantly, your trip or trips must start and then end in Australia to be covered.

How to get travel insurance with Bupa

You can buy a policy online or through a Bupa Branch. Before you purchase a policy, you will need to input your personal details, where you are travelling, which plan you want, your trip length, and your excess. You may need to provide your personal documents that prove you're an Australian citizen or resident. Once purchased, you’ll receive a copy of your policy and will get a 14 day cooling off period to cancel if necessary.²

Making a claim with Bupa travel insurance

If you need to make a claim, you will need to contact Allianz Global Assistance as soon as possible.² You can lodge a claim online here or by calling Bupa on 1300 992 694. You’ll need your policy number, your personal details, details of the claim and any receipts.⁴

A word on Bupa travel insurance and COVID-19

Bupa travel international insurance does cover medical expenses incurred due to contracting COVID-19. You’ll be covered under these benefits depending on how COVID-19 has impacted you.²

• Overseas emergency assistance
• Overseas emergency medical & Hospital Expenses
• Funeral expenses
• Cancellation
• Additional Expenses if part of your chosen policy

If you have purchased an extra pack, there may be some extra coverage if COVID-19 impacts your travel plans.

Additional things to keep in mind

The main thing to understand with purchasing any type of insurance is to check you meet all the eligibility requirements. This is especially the case for any extras you are looking to get covered.

Contacting Bupa

To contact Bupa in relation to their travel insurance products, you can:

• Call 1800 119 412 from within Australia
• Call +61 7 3305 7497 from overseas

These phone lines are open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

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Sources:

1. Bupa Travel Insurance
2. Bupa travel PDS
3. Bupa worldwide policy
4. Bupa claims

Sources checked on: 27 October 2023