travelling with disabilities guide

Generally speaking if you have a disability it’s not compulsory to declare it to your insurer. However, it can be tricky to give a blanket rule on cover that applies to all types of disabilities. Keep reading for more information.
 

1.    Automatically covered conditions with no extra cost

  Congenital disabilities like vision or hearing impairments are not considered pre-existing illnesses and are automatically covered by most insurers and no medical assessment is required.

Neither are physical or mobility disabilities such as cerebral paulsy or muscular dystrophy where you require the use of wheelchair.

Most insurers also automatically cover a range of minor pre-existing medical conditions that wouldn’t be considered to be disabilities such as asthma, hypertension diabetes, epilepsy, osteopenia and more.  Provided that the condition has been stable for more than 12 months; there is no planned surgery; and you have not received treatment in the past 12 months.

 

2.    Conditions that you need to declare and can pay an additional fee to insure

   If your disability is under control, you have not been recently hospitalised and your doctor considers you fit to travel, you may be able to obtain cover, though usually at a higher cost.

Disabilities that need to be assessed before cover can be granted include: Coronary problems, lung disease, epilepsy, if you've suffered from a stroke, or any illnesses you've had surgery for in the last 2 years.

 

3.    Conditions that are excluded

   Some conditions are not covered by travel insurance under any circumstances, such as terminal illness or any illness which shortens your life expectancy, organ transplants, psychological & psychiatric disorders.

It is important to note, that this information is general in nature and may vary from insurer to insurer.

 

My disability isn’t listed above, how do I know which category it falls into?

All medical conditions are assessed on a case-by-case basis, so if unsure it’s best to complete a medical form even if your disability is completely manageable. You may also be required to obtain a letter from your doctor authorising you are fit to travel.

Note: It is compulsory to complete a medical application if you need to be accompanied by a full-time carer on your holiday.

 

Does travel insurance cover medical equipment?

If you're travelling with a wheelchair, hearing aids, breathing equipment or other expensive apparatus you’re going to want to have it protected when you travel.

Most travel insurance plans have single item limits that apply to their cover; usually around $750 - $1000 per item. If you have a piece of medical equipment that exceeds this you’ll need to specify it and insure it separately. There is usually an upper limit (most commonly around $5,000) as to how much extra cover you can purchase for your expensive items.

The following table highlights the additional high value items cover available from some New Zealand insurers:

 

Insurer	Total cover available	Conditions
1Cover	$5,000	No cover for items being checked into the hold of any transport carrier, unless you obtain letter from that carrier requiring you to transport such items in the cargo hold
AA	$10,000	No cover for items being checked into the hold of any transport carrier or left unsupervised in a motor vehicle
Columbus Direct		No cover for wheelchairs
Covermore	$10,000	A maximum limit of $2,000 applies to any items left during the day in the boot of a locked motor vehicle.
Downunder	$5,000	No cover for items being checked into the hold of any transport carrier, unless you obtain letter from that carrier requiring you to transport such items in the cargo hold
Southern Cross	$10,000 per item, $15,000 total	No cover for unsupervised items, or equipment left in the motor vehicle, or for items left in unlocked storage
State	$25,000	$500 unspecified items cover for domestic trips
Travel Insurance Direct	$4,000, $10,000 total	No cover for items being checked into the hold of any transport carrier or left unsupervised in a motor vehicle
TINZ	$5,000	No cover for items being checked into the hold of any transport carrier or left unsupervised in a motor vehicle
World Nomads	$3,000, $6,000 total	No cover for items being checked into the hold of any transport carrier or left unsupervised in a motor vehicle
Warehourse	$10,000 total	No cover for items being checked into the hold of any transport carrier or left unsupervised in a motor vehicle
Zoom Travel Insurance	$5,000	No cover for items being checked into the hold of any transport carrier or left unsupervised in a motor vehicle

* Please read your chosen insures PDS to fully understand the terms of their high value items cover. The limits detailed above are subject to change over time. Accurate at time of writing October 2017.
 

Is your apparatus particularly expensive?

If travel insurance doesn’t provide enough protection, you could also look at insuring your valuables under your home and contents policy. Before doing so, check that you are able to travel with the insured items and that they would be covered when you’re away from home.

Alternativley Protecsure may be able to help with cover for particularly expensive apparatus.

 

Does travel insurance cover wheelchairs?

Most New Zealand travel insurers do not specifically exclude cover for wheelchairs. But as explained above, cover limits will apply.
If you have an electronic two-wheeler with all sorts of gismos and gadgets, chances are standard cover isn't going to cut it, so you'll need to look into alternative options as explained above.

Almost all airlines will ask you to check your chair into the hold. So make sure yours is protected from those haphazard luggage handlers with a policy that offers cover for your luggage and personal belongings.  Look for comprehensive cover that protects your wheelchair from theft, damage and loss that incurs on your travels.

Remember, you may not be covered if you leave your chair unattended or out of sight when it was stolen, so keep your eyes on it at all times.

 

Does travel insurance cover hearing aids?

Hearing aids can vary significantly in value from a couple of hundred into the thousands. Depending on how much yours are worth will make all the difference to your cover options.

When comparing travel insurance luggage cover levels, $10,000 limit might sound like plenty, however, what most people fail to realise is that that sub-limits exists for each item. You may in fact only be able to claim a maximum of $750 per item which may not provide enough cover for your high-value hearing aids.

If your hearing aids are especially exxy, just like a wheelchair (or any other piece of medical equipment) you’ll need insure those items separately to ensure they are protected when you travel. Refer to additional high value item cover in table above.

 

Does travel insurance cover prosthetics?

Now, we'd hardly class a prosthetic as a piece of luggage, however, it may be a good idea to tell your insurer if you do wear a prosthetic based on the following story.

In May 2017 Southern Cross refused to pay a 26-year-old student more than $1,500 for her damaged leg as her prosthetic was considered "baggage" and should have been declared as a specified item.  You'll be pleased to hear the insurer has since changed their decision and covered the cost to fix or replace the prosthetic.  

May this be a lesson to you to declare everything at the time of purchase. However irrelevant it may seem.

 

Does travel insurance cover mental illness?

Historically insurers were reluctant to provide cover to those with mental illnesses, however an increasing number of companies on the market are now offering varying degrees of cover. Cover will depend on a range of factors;

- Some companies will now offer cover by assessment for mental illnesses such as anxiety disorder, depression, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder and stress. Once these are assessed cover may be granted, which could cost you an additional premium.

-Some insurers will cover for mental illness if the traveller has not suffered and/or sought help for that condition in the previous five years.
 

What else does travel insurance cover?

Medical: A bout of food poisoning, an unfortunate case of whip-lash, a nasty case of malaria. Really anything can happen on your holidays. Luckily your policy will cover the exorbitant expenses of overseas hospital cover.


Cancellation fees and lost deposits: An unexpected earthquake, an unforeseen accident on route to the airport or a severely sick family member would really put a hiccup in your holiday. Your travel insurance will cover cancellations for events such as natural disasters, accidents, hijackings, severe sickness or injury.


 Luggage and personal effects: Theft, loss and damage to your belongings is common on trips overseas. Your travel insurance has your back when it comes to pocket pinchers and suitcase snatchers.


 Personal liability: If you injure someone or are held accountable for damaged property the consequences could be disastrous, particularly when you are unfamiliar with local laws and regulations. In such an event, your policy will cover your liability costs, to a degree. 

 

What does travel insurance not cover?
 

 Unattended items: Keep a strong hold over all your belongings as leaving your stuff unsupervised will not be covered for.



 Being intoxicated: Whether your drink of choice is a beer or glass of wine, all claims related directly to alcohol and drugs will not be paid. Have fun in moderation!


 High risk activities: From rock climbing to scuba diving, adrenaline junkies are spoilt for choice on their holidays. But watch out, as participating in risky activities may not be covered by your policy.  Be sure to scan your policy’s small print to check out which of your preferred heart pounding activities are covered.


 Pre-existing conditions: As we've already mentioned, pre-existing conditions or disabilities that exist before you travel are generally not covered. Check your policy wording to see what conditions are covered automatically, and which ones require a medical assessment first.