COVID-19 Travel Claims

FAQs about making a COVID-19 related travel claim

The Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has halted travel and flights for many travelers around the world. These answers address our most common queries and may help you.

Had your claim denied? Find out about common reasons for this and what to do next.

At nib Travel we’re working hard to help travellers who have been affected by the coronavirus (COVID-19) and associated Do Not Travel warnings and travel bans from many government agencies around the world.

We understand you may have already made a claim with us but don’t understand why it’s been declined. While we’re very busy, please be assured we’re continuing to take the time to assess each claim on its individual circumstances. Your policy can only ever cover those events outlined in your policy that happen after you purchase (and after any applicable waiting period), and while your policy is active.

How do I know why my claim was denied?

If and when your claim is declined, we’ll always explain why this is the case. You will receive an email or a letter explaining the decision – sometimes it’s a document attached to an email, so always double check if you don’t see it right away. That communication should clearly outline the reason for the decision and will refer to the policy wording to explain why and will provide the details of our complaints process. If you have any questions about the decision, or believe something has been overlooked, please don’t hesitate to contact your Claims Officer and ask. Our FAQs on the claims process may also help answer any of your questions relating to coronavirus (COVID-19). Our FAQs on the claims process may also help answer any of your questions relating to coronavirus (COVID-19).

What are the reasons my coronavirus (COVID-19) claim may be denied?

Existing or pre-existing medical conditions:

Trying to make a claim related to coronavirus (COVID-19) can be quite a confusing topic as it is an unprecedented issue affecting so many people. The exact definition of what is an existing medical condition is provided in the Product Disclosure Statement (PDS) or policy wording, but understanding how it applies to your individual situation is often difficult. The simplest way to think about it is based on what you knew at the time of the policy. In current times, especially with coronavirus (COVID-19), if you had symptoms and you were aware that something was wrong, that’s a good indication your condition is an ‘existing’ condition. Likewise, some other medical conditions never go away – like heart disease – and while they may be well-controlled by medication, they are still ‘existing’ at the time you bought the policy.

We strongly recommend that you read the policy and any emails from your Claims Officer. If you’d like clarification, you can always give your Claims Officer a call and ask for a clearer explanation.

After Cut-Off Period:

On 31 January, we recognised the coronavirus outbreak was becoming a global issue and would have a significant impact on people’s upcoming travel. Due to weeks of media reports about the coronavirus as well as the WHO’s declaration of a Public Health Emergency of International Concern, we made a decision to restrict cover on our policies – in other words, you could buy a policy and be provided cover for the usual benefits (injuries and illnesses overseas, stolen luggage, etc.) so long as the claim wasn’t related to coronavirus. On that date, we placed clear notices on our website stating the restriction on cover.

General Exclusions:

Some policies have a specific exclusion, which means that claims relating to coronavirus will not be covered. If your policy has this exclusion, and it is the reason your claim is denied the letter provided to you will confirm this, and let you know where in the policy you can locate this information if you wish to refer to the Product Disclosure Statement.

Outside Scope of Policy:

Our policies only cover specific events, and what you’re claiming for may not be one of those events. This may particularly be the case for people who are overseas.

While we do try to provide a range of cover across a variety of circumstances, we can’t cover every possible scenario, and in some cases the policy simply wasn’t designed to cover the event. These are truly unprecedented times, and each situation is unique.

If your claim has been declined for this reason, we recommend you read the letter provided closely, as it should explain in some detail as to why the circumstances of your claim don’t fit within the policy coverage. Because each of these is likely to be quite individual, please don’t hesitate to make contact with your Claims Officer if you’d like clarification on the outcome.

I still don’t agree with your assessment – what can I do now?

If you are not satisfied with the assessment of your claim or any aspect of your relationship with us, you can find out more about our complaints process at the bottom of your outcome letter, our website or your Product Disclosure Statement.

What can I claim?

At nib Travel, our travellers come first, especially in such challenging times as now with coronavirus (COVID-19) and the associated government travel warnings and bans affecting so many people. If something goes wrong while traveling, you can lodge a claim and we’ll review and assess your claim in accordance with your policy, taking into account your unique circumstances. And if we do deny your claim you can find out more about why and other options.

Can I make a claim for anything? It’s possible to submit a claim for any set of circumstances, including issues arising from coronavirus (COVID-19), but your claim will be assessed based on the coverage available to you in your policy. Your policy can only ever offer cover for those events outlined in your policy that happen after you purchase (and after any applicable waiting period), and while your policy is active.

Claims can be lodged against any of the benefit types listed in your policy as relevant to the circumstances – these may include:

• Overseas medical;
• Overseas dental;
• Baggage;
• Medical repatriation;
• Cancellation;
• If the worst has happened and a relative has died, you may be able to lodge a claim for the cost of returning their remains or their funeral overseas.

Our policies offer cover for specific events, and certain types of expenses. Exactly what’s covered depends on your country of residence, which plan you purchased, and what is outlined in your policy terms, conditions, limitations and exclusions. You may also have an excess (AKA ‘deductible’) applied to your claim.

As with all insurance, there are also policy limits and exclusions that may apply. It’s always worth reading the policy to get a better understanding of exactly what you’re covered for.

How much can I claim?

Please remember that different sections of your policy will have different limits. As a good guide, near the beginning of your policy wording, you can find a table that shows all the limits under the relevant sections. Limits are different depending on the plan you have chosen, so be sure to read your policy carefully. Luggage claims may also have limits on both individual item amounts and overall totals, and your items may be depreciated (i.e. covered for their market value) rather than the original purchase price.

We are here to help you get a better understanding on policy limits and on how much you can claim. As always, if you’re unsure of something please contact us and take the time to read your policy to understand the terms, condition, limitations and exclusions.

I have limited/no computer access. How do I submit a claim?

We get that at times you might not have access to internet or you’ll be in a location where Wifi is just not that reliable. If you find yourself in this situation, please follow the following instructions:

Step 1: Get your paperwork together

To settle your claim, nib Travel is going to need certain documents and evidence from your travels as well as the event that caused your claim.

Step 2: Download and complete a claim form

In order for us to process your claim as quickly as possible it's important that you complete all the relevant sections of this form with as much detail as you can. If you don’t have access to a computer, you can call or email us at [email protected] and we can send a claim form to you.

Step 3: Send us your claim

Please check through your form thoroughly and then send your completed claim form together with original supporting documents and keep a copy for your records.

• The fastest way to submit a claim is by email
• Scan or photograph all pages of your claim form
• Scan or photograph all supporting documents
• Attach your claim form, photographs and supporting documents (max file size 10Mb) to an email with your policy number as the subject.

Email the claim to [email protected]

Alternatively, main your documents to:

nib Travel Claims Department, PO Box A975, Sydney South, NSW 1235 Australia

Soon after you've lodged your claim, we'll email you a confirmation with a reference number, so you can keep track of your claim's progress.

Due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) we are currently seeing a much higher than usual volume of claims coming through to us. As a team, we are working to review all claims within 10 business days, however there are some instances recently where there have been some delays due to COVID-19 . We want to thank you in advance for your patience.

I have a claim form, but I cannot physically sign it. Do you accept electronic signature?

If you are having trouble signing off your documents then there is a possibility that you can supply us with an electronic signature.

However, be aware that an electronic signature will only be accepted where our verification of ID requirements are met. You will be required to provide three points of ID (name, address, DOB) when submitting the form.

Alternatively, if you have access to a printer/scanner then you can download the documents, print them, and either scan and email back or mail your documents to: nib Travel Claims Department, PO Box A975, Sydney South, NSW 1235 Australia

Soon after you've lodged your claim, we'll email you a confirmation with a reference number, so you can keep track of your claim's progress.

Due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) we are currently seeing a much higher than usual volume of claims coming through to us. As a team, we are working to review all claims within 10 business days, however there are some instances recently where there have been some delays due to COVID-19 . We want to thank you in advance for your patience.

I have a claim form but cannot physically sign and I have no access to electronic signature. What are my options?

We are here to help when you don’t have access to a computer or internet and you need to urgently make a claim.

Simply contact our claims services team on 1300 353 176 as we will need to have the call recorded. A team member can call you back and read the declaration out over the phone and obtain your verbal consent and the appropriate verification process.

I can download a claim form and edit PDF. Can I submit without a signature and what will the assessor do?

If you can download the form but can’t sign it, you can contact our claims services team on 1300 353 176 as we will need to have the call recorded. A team member can call you back and read the declaration to you over the phone and obtain your verbal consent and the appropriate verification process.

I am having issues with updating/submitting my claim. What can I do?

If you are having trouble submitting a claim, then there are a number of things we can help you with. Firstly, thanks for your patience, especially in these testing times as we handle a large number of claims related to coronavirus (COVID-19). If you're having trouble submitting a claim online, it may be due to a couple of known reasons. Each one can be solved by following the steps below:

1. Your policy isn't showing in your existing account
If you purchased your policy as a guest (or with a different email address) and you have already set up an account, the policy won't show up in your account. Simply email or contact our claims services team on [email protected] or 1300 353 176, advise us of your policy number and they'll be able to merge your policy into your account.
2. You don't have an account
You will need to set up a membership to submit a claim online. If you don't have a membership, you can create one here.
3. You're having issues sending documents online
If you have already started your claim and you're having trouble submitting your documents through our website, try contacting our claims services team on 1300 353 176 as we will need to have the call recorded. A team member can call you back and read the declaration out to you over the phone and obtain your verbal consent and appropriately verify your identity.
4. The website is just not working!
Sometimes our website just doesn't want to play ball. If you’ve tried over a short period of time using a new browser or device and it still doesn't work, then please contact our claims services team on 1300 353 176 as we will need to have the call recorded. During the phone call, a team member a team member can read the declaration out to you over the phone and obtain your verbal consent as well as appropriately verify your identity.
If the team is busy they will call you back and get you to read the declaration out over the phone and obtain your verbal consent on a recorded line.
Due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) we are currently seeing a much higher than usual volume of claims coming through to us. As a team, we are working to review all claims within 10 business days, however there are some instances recently where there have been some delays due to COVID-19 . We want to thank you in advance for your patience.

What are my options to send my documents to support my claim?

Once you've started your claim and entered your expenses, you will receive an email from nib Travel noting what documents you need to submit with your claim.

Once you have gathered together all your documents, you need to log back into your account page and upload or mail them. Options to send us your documents include:

Where you already have existing digital copies

In many cases such as e-tickets you may already have electronic copies (eg. PDF files) that are likely to be stored in your email somewhere. This is a head start! Find them and save them to a convenient location for when you are ready to upload.

Where If you only have paper copies

Where you’ve only got paper copies such as paper receipts or hospital reports you have two choices: By far the easiest way to do this is to get out your smartphone if you have one and use the camera to take photographs of them and then email them to yourself directly from the camera so you have them ready to upload.

Another easy way to do this is to make your claim online from an iPad and then use the camera of the iPad to take photographs of the paper documents and upload them from it.

The last option is to find a scanner to scan your paper documents. Many if not most printers today have a scanner built in that allows you to email the scanned file.

Please remember:

• Photograph each page separately
• Photographs for scans must be no larger than 5Mb each
• Check the quality of the image and make sure we can read them.

We accept the following file formats:

• JPG (JPEG)
• PDF
• Doc or Docx (Word)
• .TXT (Text).
Soon after you've lodged your claim, we'll email you a confirmation with a reference number, so you can keep track of your claim's progress.
Due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) we are currently seeing a much higher than usual volume of claims coming through to us. As a team, we are working to review all claims within 10 business days, however there are some instances recently where there have been some delays due to COVID-19 . We want to thank you in advance for your patience.

I’m stuck overseas or can’t travel home due to coronavirus (COVID-19) travel bans. Can I make a claim?

We understand you might be stuck overseas due to coronavirus (COVID-19) travel bans or local governments imposing strict quarantines to travellers. This will mean you may be away for extended periods of time, so our claims system allows you to submit claims and liaise with our claims people while you are still travelling.

You can log in to your account to start the process and follow the prompts to submit your claim.

Alternatively, please email us or give us a call at [email protected] or on 1300 353 176.

As always, if you’re unsure of something please contact us and take the time to read your policy to understand the terms, condition, limitations and exclusions.