No. Travel insurance does not cover medical tourism (e.g. going overseas to receive medical treatment). It only covers unforseen events – for example, getting sick and needing medical attention while you're overseas. It does not cover pre-planned medical procedures.
It may be possible to get health insurance for medically necessary procedures. Some companies have arrangements with hospitals overseas. However, it will never cover cosmetic surgery (and neither will travel insurance) because it is not considered medically necessary.
The term medical tourism refers to the practice of combining elective surgery with a holiday abroad. It is now a multi-million dollar industry in Australia, with an estimated 15,000 of us travelling overseas every year for cut-price treatments that includes plastic surgery, breast implants and enhancements, weight loss procedures and dental treatment.
| Response | |
|---|---|
| Medical cover | 86.04% |
A reciprocal health care agreement (RHCA) is an agreement in place between the Australian government and the government of a foreign country. Under such an agreement, Australian citizens can receive subsidised access to basic health care treatment that is immediately necessary. There are currently agreements in place with the United Kingdom, the Republic of Ireland, New Zealand, Belgium, Italy, Malta, the Netherlands, Sweden, Slovenia, Finland and Norway.
However, RHCAs do not provide any cover for Australian travellers undergoing elective treatment, so you won't be covered for overseas cosmetic surgery or any resulting complications.
Just because you're planning to undergo elective surgery during your trip doesn't mean that you won't be able to take out a travel insurance policy. It just means you won't be able to receive cover for any losses related to the surgery.
However, you will be able to receive cover for all other losses you incur on your holiday provided they are not related to the surgery. Travel insurance can provide cover for the following:
If you're heading abroad to receive medical treatment, you won't find a travel insurance policy that'll cover you for losses related to your cosmetic procedure, but it's a good idea to protect yourself from other common insurable events.
The best travel insurance policies are different for each individual traveller.
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