Seeking travel insurance for 18 month trip

moojar on 22/01/2020 - 15:40

I'm having trouble finding travel insurance for an 18 month trip. Can anyone point me to companies that offer such policies please?

So far I have found 'Insure and Go - Backpacker' policy, which allows 540 days. Close enough, but the premium is 2.5 times what 12 months 'comprehensive' cover would cost with other companies. That almost makes it worthwhile coming home for a "holiday" after 12 months then going back for another 6 months on a new policy. :-)

'Finder' websites list some that allow 'on the road' extensions to the initial 12 months but the two I called to confirm basically laughed at me, in nice legalise language. (Columbus direct and another I cannot recall)

So, does anyone have experience of buying a single-trip policy for more than 12 months?

Cheers.

Travel Insurance Travel Insurance

Comments

  • GG57 on 22/01/2020 - 15:44

    I don't have direct experience, but found this very easily:
    https://www.finder.com.au/long-term-travel-insurance

    • moojar on 22/01/2020 - 16:06

      Thank you, but I found that too. Of the three listed as offering, I got the quote from Insure and Go. I called Columbus but they were the ones that were like "what are you talking about, we'll get marketing to follow up with finder.com.au".
      I just called the third - Fastcover - and they allow extensions to the initial 12 month policy, and it looks like that come in around 55% the price of the Insure and Go policy. So they may be the go if their reviews check out.

      Thanks for making me cover ground I thought I'd already covered. :-)

  • Agarwal on 22/01/2020 - 16:02

    Did you look at World Nomads? I know they allow you to buy cover if you're already overseas so you could see what they offer.

    • moojar on 22/01/2020 - 16:09

      I did check them out. Found a budget traveller website that says World Nomads are no longer 'innovative' and are expensive - seem to be trading on their reputation was their opinion. I haven't looked myself, hoping to get a policy up front to cover the entire trip, save the hassle mid-trip.

      • moojar on 22/01/2020 - 16:25

        Yeah, $2400 for a 12-month policy. (We are in our late 50s, probably cheaper for younger people) That puts World Nomads almost on par with Insure and Go, with the added hassle of extending mid-trip. 1Cover, who we have used before, is $1760 for 12 months Comprehensive.

        1Cover also have 'already overseas' policies, so I'm guessing we could extend.

        • SydneySwan on 23/01/2020 - 07:48

          I think World Nomads also have álready overseas policies as well.

  • Xyzzy on 22/01/2020 - 18:45

    Haven't used them (so not a recommendation), but I just tried the BUPA website for travel insurance and it happily quotes for an 18 month trip.

    • moojar on 23/01/2020 - 11:19

      Thank you.

      For the benefit of anyone that finds this thread during their search, BUPA has three levels of TI - Essentials, Premium, Platinum. Cost for a 540 day trip for us ranges from $4100 to $6100 with BUPA - might be less if we were members.

      Insure and Go 'backpacker' is $4100 for the same trip, and at a glance appears to offer slightly better coverage than BUPA 'essentials' (also $4100).

      I'm finding (extendable) 12-month cover in the $1500 - $2400 range with other companies mentioned up thread. Presumably then $2300 - $3800 all up with a five or six month extension.

      I cannot get an 'already overseas' quote with my Oz IP address. Call centres say they cannot give me precise prices over the phone for a future trip extension. One told me it should be a little less or just a little more than a stand-alone six-month policy. Reduced admin cost for them might make an extension cheaper than a new policy.

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