Kenya Confirms First Ebola Death: What It Means for Travel Insurance
Kenya has confirmed its first death from the current Ebola outbreak, raising immediate safety concerns for Australians planning to visit East Africa. If you have an upcoming trip to the region, understanding how your travel insurance handles infectious disease outbreaks is critical.
Most Australian travel insurance policies exclude trip cancellation claims related to epidemics, but emergency medical cover remains active if you travel before warning levels are raised.
What Happened
Kenya has recorded its first death from Ebola after a patient who had been living in the Democratic Republic of Congo passed away. The virus has already claimed more than 4,000 lives in the region this year, raising fears of wider cross-border transmission.
How Travel Insurance Can Help
Australian travellers should note that standard policies often exclude trip cancellation costs related to known epidemics or pandemics. However, if you contract Ebola while abroad, comprehensive policies generally cover emergency medical treatment and evacuation, provided you bought cover before any travel bans or warnings were issued.
Common Questions
Generally, no. Most Australian insurers exclude cancellation cover for declared epidemics or pandemics. If you choose to cancel your trip out of fear of contracting the virus, you will likely have to pay the costs yourself.
Yes, comprehensive policies usually cover overseas emergency medical expenses and medical evacuation, which can exceed $100,000, provided you did not travel against a Smartraveller 'Do not travel' warning.
If the Australian Government raises the advice level to 'Do not travel' after you purchase your policy, some insurers may cover cancellation. Policies purchased after the warning level is upgraded will not cover any claims for that destination.