The cases of COVID-19 have increased in many other countries which raises concerns amongst the populations. Following the assessment made by the World Health Organization, the coronavirus has been declared a global pandemic. Due to the crisis, many countries are under lockdown to prevent the increase in the number of cases.
The pandemic raises many concerns amongst insurance policyholders regarding the coverage as many policies exclude the coverage of epidemic/pandemic cases.
Below are the most asked questions regarding the insurance coverage of COVID19 received recently.
Will I be covered as COVID-19 has been declared a pandemic?
Please check with your broker or your insurance agent to be sure of the coverage case on COVID-19 as every insurance policies are different.
In our insurances, COVID-19 are covered the same way as it is covering any other cases.
For policyholders who are covered only for in-patient, you will be covered only when you have declared symptoms AND you are hospitalized.
All laboratory tests and necessary quarantine will be covered after you are diagnosed with the virus ONLY, if you have the out-patient coverage under your policy.
Kindly note that you will be covered as long as you have a declared symptom; this means if you are quarantined for no clear reason the insurance will not cover the following bills.
In case I decide to travel to places with declared COVID-19 and get infected there, will it be covered?
If you are traveling to areas where government officials have already declared that it is not safe to travel to those destinations and you still decide to go, a traveling insurance will most likely deny covering your medical bills. With an expatriate insurance, you will be covered under your coverage area.
Always remember that an expatriate health insurance is different from a traveling insurance. It is always important to be covered regarding your real situation, and not only about the price of the coverage. Traveling insurance is very specific and not destined to expatriate.
If you are expatriate in Indonesia, Bali, Seychelles or Vanuatu, we are specialized in the health expatriate insurance dedicated to these countries, so just contact us.
If I am diagnosed with COVID-19 will I be evacuated outside the country?
No, you will not be evacuated outside the country where you are diagnosed with COVID-19.
Epidemy is under exclusion for Repatriation and Evacuation for almost all traveling/expatriate insurance. There are rarely few air ambulance services that can transport COVID-19 infected patients through an isolation pressure bubble installed directly on the airplane. The best thing that can be done to handle the situation is to isolate yourself from society or stay in the hospital under quarantine until you have been fully recovered.
Today, as 168 countries are infected, a large part of governments will prohibit international evacuations and thus impose treatments on the spot.
Always confirm your coverage with your broker or agent, as the situation as the COVID-19 disease is exceptional and coverage can be specific from one to another.
It is very important to know how your coverage works to avoid any misunderstandings. Note that if you signed up for a basic hospitalization plan you will only be covered for inpatient coverage and up to 20/30/45/90 days follow up after your hospitalization depending on the circumstances in your policy wordings. You must have a declared symptom, health insurances will not cover for preventive measurements.
If you signed up for both inpatient and outpatient plan, coverage for tests and consultation will be covered under the outpatient benefits. Hospitalization cases will be covered by the inpatient benefits. However, always ask or refer to your policy wordings to be 100% sure.
In this difficult time, fear will do us no good instead take the safety precautions that have been given by the health professionals. Practice social distancing, go out when only necessary, try to work at home as much as possible and avoid public crowded places.
