The situation with the 2019 Novel Coronavirus (“Covid-19”) continues to evolve. The information in this Travel Advisory is current at the time of publication but is subject to change. Please keep up to date with the latest information on http://www.allianzpartners.co.nz/.

02 July 2021

Selected cover for epidemic and pandemic diseases and update on travel disruptions

Allianz Partners has introduced selected cover for epidemic and pandemic diseases including Covid-19 across a number of policies.

Please check your Policy Wording to see if cover is in place for cancellation and medical expenses should you contract an epidemic or pandemic disease such as Covid-19 after purchasing your policy and can no longer travel. Cover for medical claims directly related to an epidemic or pandemic such as Covid-19 will only apply for travellers who contract the disease after they commence their journey.

The cover is not in place for general travel disruption as a result of an epidemic or pandemic disease such as Covid-19, including government mandated lockdowns, border restrictions and travelling against the advice of the New Zealand government or the local government at your overseas destination. There is no cover for lockdowns, changes in government alert levels, changes to quarantine-free travel, quarantine or mandatory isolation applying to a population or part of a population.

As with any travel insurance, disinclination to travel due to fear or change of mind is not covered. 

Terms, conditions, limits, sub-limits and exclusions apply and these are stated in the Policy Wording. Customers considering the purchase of a travel insurance policy should read Policy Wording to check what is and isn’t covered.

30 April 2020

Covid-19 Medical Cover Update

Since issuing a Travel Advisory for Covid-19 on January 30 2020, we have provided medical and emergency medical transportation cover for customers should they test positive for Covid-19 while travelling, regardless of the travel destination and policy commencement date stated on their Certificate of Insurance.

Covid-19 is continuing to have significant impacts across the world, with more than a million cases diagnosed globally. With increasing border restrictions, we are conscious that our standard medical and repatriation assistance procedures may be impacted by government travel bans.

Given the continued spread of the virus and the likelihood of contracting the virus, it is increasingly difficult to guarantee medical cover for those who continue to travel, despite the “do not travel” advice from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade (www.safetravel.govt.nz). We will, however, continue our commitment to provide medical and emergency medical transportation cover for policies purchased prior to Friday 1 May 2020.

If you purchased your policy before Friday 1 May 2020, but choose to amend the travel dates for this policy, medical and emergency transportation cover for Covid-19 remains in place for this amended policy up to the date travel ends.

If you suspect you have the virus, you should contact a local medical professional and our Emergency Assistance service.

You may still claim for other medical benefits unrelated to Covid-19, such as cover for a broken leg or car accident, and claims are subject to the standard procedures and conditions of the Policy Wording, taking into account the current travel bans and local travel restrictions in force.

Our FAQs has been updated with this information. 

20 March 2020

Response to government "do not travel" advice

On Thursday 19 March 2020, the New Zealand government issued advice that all New Zealanders do not travel overseas at this time due to the outbreak of Covid- 19, associated health conditions and travel restrictions

Following the government’s latest travel advice, we would like to remind customers that the General Exclusion for epidemics/pandemics and government intervention took effect from 10am Friday 28 February 2020. Where a policy has these exclusions, a General Exclusion applies to all sections of the policy, regardless of when it was purchased.

There is no change to Allianz Partners’ position on Covid-19 for customers who are currently travelling. The policy will continue to respond and customers will continue to have cover for medical and emergency medical transportation claims related to Covid-19 and claims unrelated to Covid-19.

However, for customers who are due to travel overseas from 2pm Friday 20 March, there will be no cover for claims related to interference to travel plans for customers whose policy includes a general exclusion for government intervention, except for medical and emergency medical transportation claims related to Covid-19. We would expect customers to be aware of the New Zealand government’s travel advice by this point. 

We are still committed to providing medical and emergency medical transportation cover for customers, however our standard medical assistance procedures may be impacted by government travel bans. If customers suspect they have the virus, they should contact a local medical professional and our Emergency Assistance service.

If customers' journey home is delayed due to Covid-19, their policy period will extend free of charge until they are able to return to New Zealand or to their home country, provided they meet the criteria for automatic extension outlined in their policy.

16 March 2020

Response to self-isolation rules and MFAT advice

The new rules around self-isolating for 14 days upon arriving into New Zealand do not impact on insurance coverage and the General Exclusion for epidemics still stands. There is no further change to Allianz Partners New Zealand’s position following the change in entry requirement into New Zealand. 

The advice from Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade (MFAT) that New Zealanders should avoid non-essential travel overseas does not impact on insurance coverage for those who decide to continue with their travel plans. Customers will continue to have cover for medical benefits (including medical and emergency medical transportation claims related to Covid-19) and other benefits aside from losses related to Covid-19 where a policy has an exclusion for epidemics. 

12 March 2020

Response to Pandemic status

As of Thursday 12 March 2020, Covid-19 has been confirmed by the World Health Organisation as a pandemic. Following this announcement, there is no further change to Allianz Partners New Zealand's position on Covid-19. Our General Exclusions for epidemics and government intervention came into effect on Friday 28 February 2020 and continues to apply to our policies with the exception of medical and emergency medical transportation claims. We are currently covering medical and emergency medical transportation claims related to Covid-19. We recommend that customers who suspect they have the virus contact a local medical professional and our global Emergency Assistance service. 

10 March 2020

FAQs

To assist with queries, we have published a FAQ document with more information on our policies in relation to Covid-19 available here.

5 March 2020

Medical cover

More information on medical and emergency medical transportation cover related to Covid-19 is available here.

10AM 28 February 2020

Information

The World Health Organisation recognises Covid-19 as an epidemic. Many travel insurance policies exclude losses caused directly or indirectly by an epidemic or pandemic. Please refer to your policy to learn whether this exclusion applies to you.

Following the continued spread of Covid-19, the General Exclusions around epidemics and government intervention will take effect from 10AM Friday 28 February 2020. Customers whose policy have these exclusions may still have coverage for a covered loss occurring on or prior to Friday 28 February 2020.

We are currently considering medical and emergency medical transportation claims related to Covid-19 on a case-by-case basis. If you experience a medical event related to Covid-19, please submit a claim for consideration. 

Despite these General Exclusions, you may still claim under other benefits of your policy for events unrelated to Covid-19, for example medical cover for a broken leg or a car accident.

Allianz Partners New Zealand declared Covid-19 a known event on 30 January 2020. Allianz Partners New Zealand declared the Samoan government response to Covid-19 a known event on 25 January 2020.  As a reminder, travel insurance policies generally exclude losses caused by events that were known or foreseeable at the time the policy is purchased.

Customers have a right to claim for losses and we will continue to assess each claim on its own merit.

We understand that Covid-19 is a complex and changing situation. We will continue to assess each claim on a case-by-case basis. Updates will be published on www.allianzpartners.co.nz   

Our communication on the Coronavirus includes the following (last updated 11AM 28 February 2020): 

• Update on the Novel Coronavirus, 24 January 2020
• Travel Advisory for the Samoan preventative measures against Coronavirus, 24 January 2020
• Travel Advisory for the Coronavirus, 30 January 2020
• Update on the Coronavirus, 31 January 2020
• Update to the Travel Advisory for the Coronavirus, 3 February 2020
• Update to the Travel Advisory for the Coronavirus ("Covid-19), 28 February 2020

4 February 2020

Information

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade (MFAT) has reviewed their travel advice for China and now advises that New Zealanders do not travel to China.https://www.safetravel.govt.nz/news/novel-coronavirus-china-2019-ncov

The New Zealand government has advised that foreign travellers who travel or transit through mainland China after February 2 will be refused entry to New Zealand.

Our communication on the Coronavirus includes the following (last updated 12PM 4 February 2020): 

• Update on the Novel Coronavirus, 24 January 2020
• Travel Advisory for the Samoan preventative measures against Coronavirus, 24 January 2020
• Travel Advisory for the Coronavirus, 30 January 2020
• Update on the Coronavirus, 31 January 2020
• Update to the Travel Advisory for the Coronavirus, 3 February 2020

Most Allianz Partners policies have a general exclusion for government restrictions on travel. Check the exclusions of your policy to see if this applies to you. If your travel plans are directly impacted, we will assess claims on a case-by-case basis in accordance to your specific Policy Wording.

This Travel Advisory is for the Coronavirus – we are regarding the virus itself to be the known event.

30 January 2020

Information

A new strain of the Coronavirus has emerged in China and spread to other countries around the world. Chinese authorities have imposed travel restrictions in and out of China.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade (MFAT) now advises that New Zealanders avoid non-essential travel to China and do not travel Hubei Province. https://www.safetravel.govt.nz/news/novel-coronavirus-china-2019-ncov

In light of MFAT’s latest travel advice, we are issuing a Travel Advisory to provide greater clarity around how Allianz Partners’ travel insurance policies would respond. As the situation is constantly evolving, we recommend customers keep up to date by following SafeTravel and Allianz Partners’ website. Allianz Partners’ position may change, due to the ever-changing nature of this event.

If you are travelling in an area affected by the Coronavirus, follow the advice of local authorities and in an emergency, contact our 24/7 Emergency Assistance on +64 9 486 6868. To stay safe while travelling, we recommend you adhere to good hygiene and follow advice from the World Health Organisation to protect yourself and others from getting sick. 

Our communication on the Coronavirus includes the following (last updated 11AM 30 January 2020):  

• Update on the Novel Coronavirus, 24 January 2020
• Travel Advisory for the Samoan preventative measures against Coronavirus, 24 January 2020
• Travel Advisory for the Coronavirus, 30 January 2020

How will your travel insurance policy respond to this situation?

As a general guide, we suggest that impacted travellers check their travel insurance Policy Wording regarding cancellation, travel delay, missed connection/additional travel expenses and curtailment, as these will provide useful assistance around the cover under your policy.

At this stage, our policies will not respond to customers wanting to cancel travel to anywhere apart from mainland China, based on the advice MFAT has provided guidance on to date. For example, if you are travelling or transiting through Hong Kong and Singapore, as at 30 January 2020, MFAT has not issued travel advice about these destinations. If your flights through these ports have not been cancelled but you do not wish to take them, this would not be claimable under our policies.

If you entered into a policy before midday (NZT) Thursday 30 January 2020:

If you are currently travelling:

• It is always our priority to assist our customers where possible and within our ability to do so.  If you are currently travelling, the following sections of your Policy Wording will provide guidance around the cover your policy provides:
• Cancellation – if your flight is delayed, cancelled or rescheduled and this causes you to miss your pre-paid travel arrangements, you may be able to claim for your pre-paid travel expenses as per the limits outlined in your Policy Wording.
• Additional expenses – if your journey is disrupted as result of the Coronavirus, you may be able to claim the cost of your necessary and reasonable additional travel and accommodation expenses. Cover may extend to include meals depending on the limits outlined in your Policy Wording.
• Terms, conditions, limits and exclusions apply under your policy. For the full details, you should refer to the Policy Wording and Certificate of Insurance you received when you purchased your travel insurance. 

If you have not yet departed:

• If your pre-booked travel arrangements are cancelled, delayed or rescheduled because of the Coronavirus, you may be able to make a claim for rearrangement of your journey.  Please refer to your Policy Wording for the terms, conditions, limits and exclusions that apply.
• If your travel arrangements have been affected, contact your travel agent or travel provider regarding the best option in altering your trip. Some travel providers may provide penalty free options to amend travel arrangements and they should be able to provide further details. 

If you entered into a policy after midday (NZT) Thursday 30 January 2020:

• We would expect that this was done with an awareness of the Coronavirus.  For these policies, we will not pay any claim caused by or in any way connected with this event. Our policies do not cover claims for losses caused by something that you were aware, or which you ought to have been aware of, at the time of purchasing your policy.

What next steps should you take?

• You should try to minimise your expenses including rearranging your journey where possible. If you have been using, for example, two-star accommodation on your trip to date, then any replacement accommodation should be of a similar standard.
• Keep all receipts for any additional transport, food or accommodation expenses. If you are claiming cancellation or additional expenses you will need to submit documents showing what your original planned pre-paid arrangements were, along with any receipts and documents showing your new arrangements, and advice from the travel provider indicating the non-refundable portion of the journey.

How to contact us

• If you have any general queries or specific questions about how your policy will respond to claims arising from the Coronavrius, please contact Allianz Partners on 0800 800 048 or +64 9 486 0048.
• In an emergency, contact Emergency Assistance on + 64 9 486 6868
• To make a claim visit our website www.claimmanager.co.nz
• We will publish this and any updated travel insurance advisories on our website: www.allianzpartners.co.nz