Travel insurance underwriters

If you’re hunting for travel insurance, you will have noticed the huge range of policies out there. What you may not have noticed is that these policies are issued by a handful of insurers, who are also known as the underwriter. Knowing who underwrites your travel insurance policy is an important consideration when choosing your policy, as it may help you save time when you shop around.

Brand	Underwriter	Who handles general claims?	24/7 emergency assistance providers	Apply
American Express	ACE	American Express	ACE Assistance	Get quote
Budget Direct	Auto & General Insurance Company Ltd	Budget Direct	Budget Direct	Get quote
Columbus Direct	Lloyd’s	Fullerton Health Corporate Services	Fullerton Health Corporate Services	Get quote
fastcover	Hollard	Fast Cover	Fast Cover Emergency Assistance	Get quote
Insureandgo	Mitsui Sumitomo Insurance Company, Limited	InsureandGo	MAPFRE ASSISTANCE	Get quote
iTrek	Lloyd’s	itrek	AAI Australia	Get quote
Ski-insurance	Lloyd’s	1cover	First Assistance	Get quote
Tick Travel	Mitsui Sumitomo Insurance Company, Limited	Tick Travel Insurance	MAPFRE ASSISTANCE	Get quote
Travel Insurance Saver	Lloyd's	nib	nib International Assistance
Travel Insuranz	Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance Company	Gallagher Bassett Services (Travel Insuranz Claims Dept)	Customer Assist	Get quote
Insure4less	Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance Company	Gallagher Bassett Services (insure4less Claims Dept)	Customer Assist	Get quote
Virgin Money	Allianz	Allianz Global Assistance	Allianz Global Assistance	Get quote
Worldcare	Allianz	Allianz Global Assistance	Allianz Global Assistance	Get quote
youGo	Zurich Australian Insurance Limited (ZAIL)	youGo	youGo	Get quote

Who underwrites the policies compared on finder.com.au?

At finder.com.au, we aim to provide you with all the information you need to make an informed purchase decision. The table above will help you figure out who you are buying from and who you need to deal with if you have to make a claim circumstances or have an emergency.

How it all works

1. You purchase a policy. When you purchase a policy from an insurance provider or a travel insurance brand, you’ll need to pay a premium.
2. Underwriter is paid. The premium goes to the underwriter of the policy.
3. Provider takes a cut. The underwriter then pays a commission to the travel insurance provider or brand.

Why does it concern me?

If something goes wrong on your holiday and you need to make a claim, you need to know that your travel insurance policy is backed by a reliable underwriter with a simple and efficient claims handling process. A reputable underwriter can ensure you don’t end up out of pocket for unexpected travel disasters and will also offer a 24/7 emergency hotline.

You’ll need to consider the following factors when choosing your underwriter and the service being offered:

• Reputation. You can gauge a company’s standing in the industry through recommendations from industry experts, online reviews and financial comparison websites.
• Experience with the Australian market. Consider how long the underwriter been issuing policies to Australians and if it has a good grasp of the ins and outs of the Australian insurance industry.
• The claims process. Consider what you need to do when you make a claim, how long it takes for claims to be processed, and whether the company has a good reputation for paying out claims.
• The emergency response team. Check to see if the underwriter runs a 24/7 emergency hotline that you can contact from anywhere in the world. An emergency response team that can help you find a doctor, a police station or whatever help you may need in a foreign country can be handy.
• The benefits. The benefits and limitations of a policy can usually be associated with the underwriter.
• The exclusions. Check if the underwriter excludes certain activities and incidents from its policies, such as participation in sports and adventure activities while on holiday. Cross-check that with another underwriter.

Save time by comparing underwriters first

You can save time if you compare underwriters instead of insurance policies first. Policies issued by the same underwriter will generally be similar to one another, whereas you’re likely to find bigger differences between a policy issued by underwriter A and underwriter B. You can then look at different policies from the same underwriter to further refine your choice.

Do I make claims through my provider, the underwriter or someone else?

Who handles your claim will vary depending on:

• Your policy
• The type of claim

Read your product disclosure statement (PDS) for instructions on who you need to contact in the event of a claim.

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