What to do if you’re too sick to keep travelling

No one likes feeling unwell, but it always feels worse when you’re ill and away from home. Try not to worry, though – we’re here to help care for you.  

Source: Getty

Planning a holiday takes a bit of time and effort; it’s all part of the fun. But finally going on said trip and then falling ill? Well, that’s not exactly our idea of a good time (even if it’s sometimes a part of the unpredictable adventure we call travel…). 

‘If you’re ever feeling sick while you’re travelling, you don’t need to suffer alone. We’re here for you 24/7 – just give us a call. 

‘If you’re seriously ill, get emergency help as soon as you can. Always call an ambulance for life-threatening emergencies. Our Cover-More app has local emergency numbers and a useful hospital locator if you need help finding your nearest emergency room. We can also organise a virtual doctor’s appointment for you, so you can get help without having to leave the comfort of your bed. 

‘And if you’re too sick to keep travelling and need to come home early? Our expert assistance team can help get you the right medical attention before you leave – and even help you find a more direct route home.’

- Neil Slabbert, Cover-More’s Regional Chief Medical Officer for APAC 

Do you need urgent help right now?

Our 24/7 emergency assistance team is standing by. Here's how to reach us, fast:

• Tap the assistance button in our Cover-More app.
• Call +61 2 8907 5619 from anywhere in the world.

4 steps to take if you're sick while travelling and need to come home early:

1. Call our 24/7 emergency assistance team 
2. Contact your airline 
3. Let us help with travel arrangements 
4. Keep the paperwork you need for your claim 

Source: Getty

Here’s what to do if you're too sick to keep travelling 

Our step-by-step guide on how to get help when you need a little extra care.

Step 1: Call our 24/7 emergency assistance team

You might have a tummy bug or a bad case of the flu, but when you travel with us at Cover-More, you always have access to our emergency assistance team. We’re standing by to help you no matter what’s making you sick. It’s what we’re good at.

If you need to come home early from your trip because of your illness, we can also work together to understand if your travel insurance covers the costs of your early return. (You can make a claim whenever you’re feeling up to it too.) Our medical team can talk to you – and possibly your doctor(s) – to understand if it’s medically necessary for you to cut short your trip and help you sort out the next steps.

Good to know: Our medical team will ask for a medical report to help them understand your condition and help us make a decision on your claim.
 

Step 2: Contact your airline

If you need to head home to recover, you’ll need to think about organising your return trip. The first step is to contact your airline (or travel agent) to see if they can change your original return flight to an earlier date, whether they will refund it or give you a travel credit to use at another time.

Not having much luck with your transport or travel provider or worried about the costs? See step three.
 

Step 3: Let us help you with your travel arrangements

If your airline can’t change your flight, our assistance team may be able to help – with travel bookings and, if your claim is approved, covering the costs. To find out what you’re covered for , check your travel insurance policy details.

Not feeling up to reading the Product Disclosure Statement (PDS) right now? That’s all good – just make sure you have your policy number handy when you contact our assistance team and they can help you understand what it says. 
 

Step 4: Keep the paperwork you need for your claim

It might feel like a bit of a chore, but it’s important to keep all your receipts and invoices handy if you want to submit a claim. (Think: costs for medical care, transport, and any other expenses related to you coming home early.) We’ll need these if you decide to make a claim so we can understand what happened and how much it cost, and work out if cover is available.

Good to know: You’ve got 60 days after you arrive home to lodge your claim. So, if it’s too confusing or in the too-hard basket while you’re feeling sick, you’ve got some time up your sleeve. And if you’ve got questions, please give us a call on 1300 72 88 22.

We’re here to care for you, 24/7. If you’re ever feeling ill on your trip and packed a Cover-More policy, give us a call. We can help you worry less when you need us most.

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From stolen phones to an unexpected car accident, there’s a lot we can help with beyond changing your flight to come home early.

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Our travel app = expert help in your hand

Our Cover-More travel app gives you 24/7 access to actually useful travel advice, real-time safety alerts, and emergency assistance. Plus, you can use it to buy travel insurance ahead of your next trip.

Get more out of your travel insurance cover

Travel is the ultimate adventure, but you don’t always know what’s around the corner. Travel insurance helps you get prepared for the unexpected.

We want you to travel more and worry less, so here are just a couple ways our cover can help you:

*Sub-limits apply. 

Want to worry less and travel more?

Get the care and support you want when you need it most with our cover.