Which destinations do I need insurance for?

Travel insurance for all destinations is essential, including travelling in New Zealand.

The USA and Canada are known to be among some of the most expensive destinations for medical treatment. Whether it be for basic medical treatment, medical scans, lab tests, or a couple of days in ICU travelling to these destinations without travel insurance can set you back anything from $6,000 to $400,000.

Often travel insurance for Australia and the UK is overlooked due to the Reciprocal Health Agreement (RHA). The RHA does not cover a range of medical expenses such as ambulance costs, GP visits, specialist fees, prescriptions, pathology testing, x-rays, private hospital costs. Costs for an air-ambulance, repatriation costs and travel upgrades are also not covered by the RHA.

Note: There have been important changes to the RHA in the UK, resulting in more travelers being turned away at the NHS facilities and being referred to private hospitals for treatment. Full details can be viewed here.

Important information about what is not covered by the RHA in Australia can be found here.

Cruises are no exception!

Medical treatment on cruise ships can range from AUD 700 for treatment of flu to many thousands of Dollars if you need to be evacuated off the cruise ship for medical treatment. Medical treatment is charged at the local currency used on the ship, further increasing medical costs.

Important: the RHA does not cover medical treatment if a traveler is brought to an Australian port for medical treatment (occasionally the medical condition can't be sufficiently treated by the ship's medical centre).