Advice Needed: Travel Insurance for Japan in December

GP-233 on 11/11/2023 - 17:37

Hey OzBargain community,

I'm heading to Japan with my partner this December for a whole month (super excited!) and I'm a bit stuck on whether we should get travel insurance. We're not planning any extreme sports – just the usual tourist stuff like sightseeing, food trips, and maybe some easy hiking.

I'd really value your opinions and experiences on a couple of things:

To Insure or Not to Insure? For those who've traveled to Japan, do you think travel insurance is a must? I know it's a personal choice, but I'm curious about what others do.

Policy Recommendations: If you're pro-insurance, any particular policies or companies you'd recommend? I'm all for saving a buck, but I don't want to skimp on important stuff. Any good experiences you can share?

COVID Stuff: Also, with COVID still around, are there special things to consider with travel insurance now?

Your Travel Stories: And hey, if you have any cool Japan travel stories or tips, I'd love to hear those too!

Thanks a bunch for your help. This community always has the best advice, so I can't wait to see what you all suggest.

Cheers

Travel Insurance Travel Insurance

Comments

  • ChrisLevo on 11/11/2023 - 17:49
    +19

    This thread should be closed after this - if you can't afford travel insurance then you shouldn't go.

    40+ years of overseas postings and travel is why I have seen people crash and burn without travel insurance.

    • Hardlyworkin on 11/11/2023 - 18:12

      Agreed. Dumbest question I've seen on Ozbargain for a while.

  • sumyungguy on 11/11/2023 - 18:02
    +9

    Many travellers self-insure with News Corp Australia and GoFundMe as backup

  • Seraphin7 on 11/11/2023 - 18:03
    +1

    To Insure or Not to Insure? For those who've traveled to Japan, do you think travel insurance is a must? I know it's a personal choice, but I'm curious about what others do.

    This is the question that people come a cropper on all the time. It's the wrong question.

    Most things that go wrong on holiday are at least partly "your" fault … maybe you get unlucky and get sick, maybe you trip and fall while sightseeing, maybe you're involved in some sort of road accident because you're not used to the roads, etc.

    Yes, Japan is an inheriently "safe" country, but it doesn't mean that at least the sorts of things that could befall you at home couldn't happen there. At home you have the safety net of Medicare (at least) … when overseas, you take travel insurance, or you take your chances.

  • holdenmg on 11/11/2023 - 18:15
    +2

    Japan - https://www.smartraveller.gov.au/destinations/asia/japan

    Travel insurance
    Get comprehensive travel insurance before you leave.

    Your policy needs to cover all overseas medical costs, including medical evacuation. The Australian Government won't pay for these costs.

    If you are travelling while pregnant, confirm that your policy covers both your pregnancy and your baby in the event of a premature birth. Medical services for premature babies can cost over $A 150,000. See the advice for pregnant travellers page for more information.

    If you can't afford travel insurance, you can't afford to travel. This applies to everyone, no matter how healthy and fit you are.

    If you're not insured, you may have to pay many thousands of dollars up-front for medical care.

    Confirm:

    what activities and care your policy covers
    that your insurance covers you for the whole time you'll be away

  • payless69 on 11/11/2023 - 18:25

    Take 2 credit cards with travel insurance to start, then decide what to add on.

  • this is us on 11/11/2023 - 18:34

    The answer is yes. If you don't get travel insurance from credit card (or if that's not good enough), you must pay for one.

    If you end up in hospital for whatever reason (you could be hit by a shinkansen car or have appendicitis), you might see your bank account empty in a few weeks, days if you go to ICU.

    Travelling without travel insurance is a very risky decision, probably a big mistake.

    Re cover, you have to check what you are doing and make sure it covers. Most policies exclude ski and radical sports, but you can include these things.

    I used worldnomads several times in the past (before covid), when credit card was not used. Fortunately never used so can't talk about that. I'm aware they screwed up during covid but I guess none of them/us were prepared for that.

    I'm sure all the current policies (should) have that very clear.

    • donga100 on 11/11/2023 - 23:12
      +1

      you could be hit by a shinkansen

      Even this will cost your estate $25k - $50k to recover your remains and ship them back to Australia.

  • Blokeinhisundies on 11/11/2023 - 18:51
    +2

    I know someone who's wife had a stroke while on holiday. There is no way to avoid that. Travel insurance saved them a fortune just on medical bills let alone the repatriation flight.

    Anyone that doesn't buy travel insurance is a dead set moron in my opinion, especially when it is such a small portion of your overall costs.

  • 87percent on 11/11/2023 - 19:10
    +7

    At least use a credit card with complimentary travel insurance

    • cashless on 11/11/2023 - 20:47

      This is the OzBargain way. Cover not comprehensive, but good enough for real emergencies & repatriation

      • ragrum on 11/11/2023 - 22:32
        +2

        Check your cover carefully. The insurance on the Citi card I was considering using had a maxmimum payout for medical emergencies of $16.5k - shamefully low.
        Edit: Re-checking now, it seems the cover had unlimited medical expenses and that the low amount was just for hospital cash allowance, but that's not what I remember reading.
        Edit 2: I found the information I misinterpreted:

        Cover for unexpected medical and hospital expenses, except bed care patient allowance (i.e. miscellaneous expenses such as phone calls & TV rental) of A$110 per day is limited to A$13,000 per person to maximum of A$16,500 in total for a cardholder travelling with their spouse and/or dependent children. No cover for pre-existing medical conditions, unless prior approval given and the administrative fee paid.

  • MrThing on 11/11/2023 - 19:38

    If you cant afford travel insurance, you cant afford to travel, no ifs no buts…

  • cookie2 on 11/11/2023 - 21:36

    Always travel insurance and cross your fingers that you never need to use it. Degree and type of coverage should consider your health needs. Like if you have pre-existing conditions that you need covered or if you're travelling with conditions not able to be covered. I recently travelled just with a cc insurance that had unlimited for medical expenses and high excess ($250 from memory) but it had reasonable coverage to suit me and what I wanted covered, I couldn't get anyway. Bankwest platinum zero in case you're interested).
    I've used different providers different times, just use finder or similar to do a quick comparison.
    Don't be the idiot that needs to star a GoFundMe with their friends and family because you were too tight to pay a few hundred to look after your partner and yourself.

  • jolee3 on 11/11/2023 - 22:12

    Japan is safe, but travel insurance is a must while travelling to ANY other country. I'm just echoing what others are saying but if more people say it then hopefully people will believe it.

    Complimentary credit card insurance is an option for true emergencies if you're prepared to pay the excess (usually a couple of hundred dollars), but a separate coverage can also be surprisingly affordable.

    We used covermore earlier this year for my infant daughter (she didn't meet the criteria for credit card insurance i.e. $500 of travel costs on the card) and we unfortunately had to claim on medical, but the whole process was quick and easy. We also reduced the excess to $0 as it didn't increase the premium much so it was definitely worth it in the end.

  • Benoffie on 11/11/2023 - 22:53

    Heading there too, out this week.

    Always insure. Can you afford medivacs, international relocation or a stint in an international hospital without Medicare reciprocal arrangements?

    If the answer is no, you dont have a spare $100-200k lying about, pay the couple of hundred.

    Also, some countries will not let you in without it.

    Don't think of high risk. Think gastro, tripping on a kerb, slipping in the bath in those frigging shower over bath set-ups they love!

    We got ours through RAA. No issues with Covid coverage. Had Allianz last year and had to use it - no issues with them, very easy.

  • GP-233 on 12/11/2023 - 10:38

    Alright got it, maybe shouldn't have asked about whether to insure, we are both very young and inexperienced. I will get a travel insurance policy. Any specific recommendations? Thanks.

    • ChrisLevo on 12/11/2023 - 18:02

      I will leave the recommendations to those who have been to Japan (most of mine in Africa and South America on business in nasty places), but REALLY glad that you listened!

      Hope you have a great (and safe) trip.

  • daft009 on 12/11/2023 - 15:56
    +1

    We got back from Japan last month and caught covid right at the end.

    Yes we had insurance. Got most things covered. Used covermore

  • ForkSnorter on 12/11/2023 - 16:33
    -2

    People may disagree with this: I've been to Japan 10 times and didn't take out travel insurance once. Some of those times I stayed for months. There was one time when I really should have had travel insurance, because I was driving a car and riding a motorbike (nearly slipped in the rain). But the other times when I was just catching public transport, I wasn't worried.I feel safer in Japan than in Australia. It's one of the safest and most hygienic places on Earth. By the way, medical care isn't that expensive in Japan like it is in the US. Nevertheless, if you can afford it and you're cautious and smart, you should probably take out travel insurance.

    • donga100 on 12/11/2023 - 21:52

      medical care isn't that expensive in Japan

      If you had an accident/illness that required surgery or a couple of weeks in hospital you could have bankrupted yourself. Many airlines/doctors will not clear you to fly in Economy if you have had a recent injury and Business Class flights are incredibly expensive when booked at short notice at full price.

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