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Cheap Travel Insurance Guide

Find great value, quality travel insurance from 1Cover.
 

1. What's in This Guide 

We believe travel insurance should be simple, affordable and provide you with the cover you need so you can enjoy your trip. In this step by step guide we’ll show you how to find the right Australian travel insurance, at the right price - whether you are looking for cheap cruise insurance, ski insurance, pre-existing medical coverage and much more. If you want to compare credit card travel insurance, check out our comprehensive guide.

We do not pay travel agents big commissions to sell our travel Insurance so we pass on the savings to you, our customers. 

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  • Thumb Keep It Simple


     

    Buying insurance can seem intimidating, but it shouldn’t be! We want to make buying travel insurance in Australia as breezy and hassle free as possible. 

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  • Piggy bank Save You Money
     

    We want to help you save money on your insurance, so you can spend it on the good stuff, like enjoying your trip!

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  • Yoga Peace Of Mind

     

    When you’re travelling you want to feel secure in the knowledge that you’ll be looked after. After all, what use is a good price, if there's no one on the other end of the phone when you need it most?

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  • About us About Us


     

    At 1Cover, we’ve been in the travel insurance industry for over 15 years. We’ve been trusted by over 1.5 million travellers worldwide to look after them on their trips, so if there’s one thing we know, its travel insurance.

 

2. How To Get Cheap Travel Insurance

You can’t put a price on your safety, but there are a few tricks to help you save some serious dollars on your travel insurance, without compromising the quality of your cover. 

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Am I using a competitively priced provider?

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Group of people

Do I need a single, family or group policy?

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Annual policy

Should I get an annual policy

Learn More

 

 

2.1 Go To A Competitively Priced Insurer: Buy Online Travel Insurance

 

This seems obvious, but the simplest way to save money on your travel insurance is to go with a competitively priced provider. But don’t be fooled, being competitive means more than having the lowest premiums.

Have you considered these important questions?

 

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What Are The Different Cover Levels?

Companies that provide different cover levels allow you to be insured for the things you need, without paying extra for things you don’t. 1Cover gives you the choice of Medical Only and Comprehensive cover levels for overseas policies.

 

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What Are The Cover Limits?

Policies with the lowest premiums may also have the lowest cover limits. If you’re on the hunt for the cheapest insurance, be sure that the cover limits are adequate for you. All 1Cover policies provide unlimited cover for overseas medical assistance.

 

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What Is The Excess When Making A Claim?

Be sure to take into account the cost of your excess when looking at the cover limits, it’s easy to get caught out. If your policy has a cover limit of $1000 for theft of cash, but the excess on this is $500, the maximum you will get back from your claim is $500. 

 

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Are You Taking Any Dependants?

Travelling with kids can increase the cost of your travel insurance. 1Cover provides cover for dependants under 19 years and not working full time who travels with a parent or grandparent for 100% of the journey at no additional cost on single and family policies.*

*For policies purchased before the 19th Feb 2019, the age of a dependant was defined as 21 and under.

 

2.2 Do I Need An Annual Policy Or A Single Trip?

 

Annual policies are a great way to save money on your travel insurance, especially if you are a frequent traveller. Annual policies are not for long term travel, but provide you with cover for multiple short term trips over the space of a year. Depending on the destination, 1Cover’s Frequent Traveller annual policies may only cost slightly more than a single trip policy, but cover you for an unlimited number of trips during a 12 month period. It's important to note that each individual trip you take during the 12 months you're covered can't exceed the duration stated in your policy type (21 days or 45 days).

Take our test and find out what type of policy is right for you. 
 

Overseas Flowchart

Domestic Flowchart

 

 

 

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3. Where Can I Find Cheap Travel Insurance?

Where you can get cheap travel insurance from depends on two main considerations;

  1. Your chosen destination
  2. Your chosen provider

The cost of travel to certain destinations varies greatly, and the same can be said of the cost of insurance. We show you what regions are the most expensive to be insured for, and which are the cheapest.

Which provider you choose will also affect the cost of your travel insurance. And while it’s easy to price match between companies, we show you what else you should look for to make sure you have the best travel insurance for your situation. 

 

3.1 Who Is the best Travel Insurance Provider for you?

Do your research and find out these important things about your travel insurance provider. 

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Locally Owned and Operated

Check and see whether your travel insurance provider is owned and operated in Australia. 
 

Umbrella

Reliable Underwriter

Check that your insurer is underwritten by a company you know, trust, and feel confident in. 

Claims team

In-House Claims Team

It makes a difference when the same people who sold you your policy will be looking after your claims as well. 

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24 Hour Emergency Assistance

Your insurer should have a 24-hour emergency helpline for when you need them most. 

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Experienced And Specialist

How long has the provider been operating for? Is travel insurance a primary focus of their business? 

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Customer Reviews

Check the quality of your provider's online customer reviews. These can tell you a lot about their claims and customer service. 

 

 

4. Cover For Pre-Existing Medical Conditions

In terms of medical cover, travel insurance generally only provides cover for unforeseen events, so if you have pre-existing conditions these may not be covered.

Insurers have different ways of assessing the cost of covering your pre-existing condition. Be sure to raise this issue with your chosen provider when purchasing a policy.

At 1Cover, some pre-existing medical conditions are automatically covered, but certain criteria must be met. 

If you don't meet the criteria, you can still get travel insurance. It might just mean that: 

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You can obtain travel insurance, but if you want your medical condition to be covered, you'll need to pay; or 

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 you can obtain travel insurance but it will be mandatory to purchase coverage for your medical condition; or

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your medical condition won't be covered at all, but you can still purchase travel insurance. 

Please note, there's a possibility we might not be able to cover you at all, but we will tell you this during your medical assessment. 

 

4.2 What Is A Pre-Existing Medical Condition?
 

Different insurers will have different rules about what is and isn’t a pre-existing condition, and this can get really, really complicated. At 1Cover we want to make this as simple and cheap as possible, so you can get on with enjoying your trip!

Applying for cover for pre-existing conditions can add to the price of your premium, so it’s important to know what insurers consider to be pre-existing, and what conditions will cost you more to cover.

1Cover considers the following to be pre-existing conditions:

a)    Any medical or physical condition, defect, disease or illness, of which you were aware or should reasonably have been aware, or for which treatment, medication, preventative medication, advice, preventative advice or investigation have been received or prescribed by a medical or dental adviser in the 90 days prior to the relevant time; or

b)    Any condition that involves your heart, brain, circulatory system/blood vessels, your lung or respiratory conditions or any type of cancer that has been investigated or treated by a health professional prior to the relevant time; or

c)    Any chronic or ongoing (whether chronic or otherwise) medical or dental condition, illness or disease of which you were aware or should reasonably have been aware, and which is medically documented or under investigation prior to the relevant time; or

d)    Any condition for which you have undergone surgery in the past 12 months; or

e)    Pregnancy that is not automatically covered. Check the Pregnancy section in the PDS.

f)    Any of the above conditions which are subject of an investigation, even if the condition has not been diagnosed.

 

4.3 Medical Conditions That Are Automatically Covered (For Free!)  

 

Some conditions are automatically covered, which means that these will be covered for free under your policy without you having to disclose them or fill in any forms.

1Cover automatically provides cover for the following pre-existing medical conditions

Acne

Acne

Allergies

Allergies*

Coeliac Disease

Coeliac Disease

Cataracts

Cataracts

Carpal Tunnel Syndrome

Carpal Tunnel Syndrome

Bunions

Bunions
Benign Position Vertigo
Benign Position Vertigo

Impaired Glucose Tolerance

Impaired Glucose Tolerance

Glaucoma

Glaucoma

Graves' Disease

Graves' Disease

Dry Eye Syndrome

Dry Eye Syndrome
Trigeminal Neuralgia
Trigeminal Neuralgia
Epilepsy
Epilepsy*
Folate Deficiency
Folate Deficiency

Gastric Reflux

Gastric Reflux

Goitre

Goitre
Congenital Blindness
Congenital Blindness
Vitamin B12 Deficiency
Vitamin B12 Deficiency
Hiatus Hernia
Hiatus Hernia
Trigger Finger
Trigger Finger
Hyperlipidaemia (high blood lipids)*
Hyperlipidaemia (high blood lipids)*
Hypertension (high blood pressure)
Hypertension (high blood pressure)*
Bell's Palsy
Bell's Palsy
Incontinence
Incontinence
Insulin Resistance
Insulin Resistance
Nocturnal Cramps
Nocturnal Cramps
Congenital Deafness

Congenital Deafness

Pernicious Anaemia
Pernicious Anaemia
Raynaud's Disease
Raynaud's Disease
Hypothyroidism
Hypothyroidism
High Cholesterol
High Cholesterol
Diabetes Mellitus (Type I & Type II)
Diabetes Mellitus (Type I & Type II)*

*Terms and conditions apply see PDS for full details. 

5. How Can I Get Cheap Seniors Travel Insurance?

It's no secret that as you get older, the price of your travel insurance can start to really skyrocket. At 1Cover, we believe that age should never stop you from travelling. After all, you’re only as young as you feel! Check out our top tips for how Australian seniors can save money on their travel insurance.

Tips For Australian Senior Travellers 

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Book In Advance for lower rates


We use the age of a traveller at the date of purchase, not the date of departure to determine the cost of insurance. This means that you could purchase a policy a policy up until the day before your birthday and be quoted at a lower rate. 

 

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Check how much dependants cost

 

If your children or grandchildren are travelling with you for 100% of the journey, are under 19, and not in full-time employment, they can be added to your 1Cover policy at no additional cost.* 


 

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Are Stopovers Included?


Generally, you need to include all destinations you're travelling to, apart from stopovers of less than 2 night - except the USA. If you're travelling to the USA for any part of your journey then you must include it in your list of destinations.

 

*For policies purchased before the 19th Feb 2019, the age of a dependant was defined as 21 and under.

5.1 FAQs For cheap travel insurance for Seniors

  • What's the maximum trip duration under Seniors Travel Insurance?
  • You can purchase a policy for 12 months, unless you are above the age of 80 and then the maximum is 6 months. Please check the PDS for all terms and conditions, as well as any exclusions that apply. 

  • How can I be covered for cancellation fees and lost deposits?
  • Unlimited cover for cancellations fees and lost deposits is included in all comprehensive policies.

  • Will previous Claims Effect the cost of my 1Cover Travel insurance?
  • No. At 1Cover, we understand that accidents happen, and we would never penalise you for making a claim, no matter how big or small.

 

6. How Can I Get Cheap Student Travel Insurance ?

No matter whether you’re travelling during your semester break, going on a gap year or setting off on an exchange, we can help you save money on your travel insurance. We understand that most students have to work on tight budgets, so check out our Medical Only policy.

Our Medical Only policy is our most basic policy. It has been designed especially with students and budget-conscious travellers in mind and provides just the essentials for your travels. We’ve included all of the medical assistance and expenses cover of our comprehensive policies, without any extras to keep your premium as low as possible. 

Check out the coverage offered by our Medical Only policy below; 

 

Medical Only Policy Cover Limits

Benefit Benefit Limit
Overseas Emergency Medical Assistance^ Unlimited
Overseas Emergency Medical & Hospital Expenses^* Unlimited
Dental Expenses (per adult)^ $500
Personal Liability# $5 million 

 

 

6.1 FAQs For cheap Student Travel Insurance

  • Will my complimentary university travel insurance cover me if I’m on an exchange?
  • Your complimentary university travel insurance may cover you for travel during the semester, but if you plan to do any travelling outside of term time, or to countries other than where your exchange is taking place, then you may not be covered.

  • Do I need travel insurance for a Schengen Visa?
  • Unlimited cover for cancellations fees and lostAs specified by European Law since June 2004, it is compulsory to have travel insurance for visa application for Schengencountries. This includes at the time of application, the applicant must have a valid travel insurance policy which covers for repatriation and medical evacuation. 

    See the Schengen Visa Info site for up to date information.  deposits is included in all comprehensive policies.

  • I’m taking my laptop with me, will a 1Cover Medical Only policy cover this?
  • Medical Only policies do not provide cover for luggage, so you will need to purchase a comprehensive policy. Our comprehensive policies provide cover for up to $3000 for laptops, handheld computers, cameras and video cameras. 

 READ ALL FAQS

 

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