Specialist travel insurance and medical assistance provider Cover-More has announced that it will start covering mental illnesses in its travel insurance product for Australia and New Zealand.
The change followed
Zurich Australian Insurance Limited (
Zurich) starting to provide underwriting services for Cover-More in Australia and New Zealand on June 01 after
Zurich Insurance Group acquired Cover-More in April.
The new coverage removes the general exclusion for mental illness in Cover-More’s travel insurance policy. Additionally, if a traveller experiences a serious mental health condition for the first time right before leaving or when overseas, the insurer will cover costs for amendment and/or cancellation of travel plans, as well as medical expenses if the condition requires professional support.
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“We also recognise the importance of providing protection for travellers with existing mental illness conditions so we have commenced a comprehensive pilot of cover for existing conditions in the
Cover-More direct sales channel in Australia,” said Cover-More Group CEO Mike
Emmett.
In the pilot program, a traveller with an existing mental condition, such as bipolar disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), or schizophrenia, can apply for cover with Cover-More in a manner similar to someone with a physical medical condition.
“We are trialling cover for travellers with existing mental illness at this stage because we want to get it right and give people with mental illness a fair deal and effective care,” Emmett added.
This move to cover mental conditions was made possible by Cover-More’s underwriting partnership with Zurich.
Since June 01, 2017, Cover-More travel insurance policies in Australia and New Zealand have been underwritten by Zurich Australian Insurance Limited. This is a business-to-business underwriting agreement, where the retail and claims operations are still managed by Cover-More.
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