INSURANCE
Caveat emptor, “let the buyer beware”
Make sure your trekking company hold’s adequate and up to date insurance.
General & Public Liability Insurance
Australian Kokoda Tours maintains public liability insurance with Australian licensed, APRA approved insurer. All our Australian guides are experienced and are Remote Wilderness First Aid Accredited & have a thorough understanding of the history of the campaign.
You are most welcome to ask for details and or a copy of our insurance certificate.
Emergency Evacuation Costs and Claims
Please be advised that all medical evacuation costs must be agreed by the client prior to evacuation & paid prior to departing Port Moresby.
Medivacs on the Kokoda track can be very timely and can result in delays of up to 24 hours between the time an emergency call is placed and the arrival of a medivac helicopter. These delays are mainly due to unpredictable weather conditions preventing a helicopter from departing Port Moresby and or flying to the site of the evacuation. They can also prevent telecommunication reception with your insurer.
We would like to inform you that in situations where a medical evacuation is required, timely action is critical to ensure the safety and wellbeing of the trekker involved. While we work closely with insurance providers to obtain the necessary approvals, there are insurance providers who will not provide upfront payment of medical expenses, including evacuations.
In evacuations where we are unable to secure pre-approval, you will be required to cover the cost of the medical evacuation upfront or guarantee payment. You can then seek reimbursement directly from your insurance provider. Therefore, please ensure you have access to (credit card or phone) on the track that has sufficient funds available to enable upfront payment of the medivac. Depending on location and time of the year this can cost between $2000 and $10,000.
Australian Kokoda Tours has a long-standing relationship with NIB travel insurance and in most cases your medivac will not require pre-payment.
You will also be required to pay for any additional transport, accommodation, and meal costs prior to your departure from Port Moresby and claim these costs against your policy after you return to Australia.
Australian Kokoda Tours will require details of your Travel Insurance four (4) weeks prior to your trek departure date. Details should include your Travel Insurance provider, policy number and 24-hour medical emergency phone number. Email the information to: info@australiankokodatours.com.au
Personal Travel Insurance:
Emergency Medical & Evacuation Insurance is mandatory for all trekkers and is strongly advised once your deposit has been paid. Trip cancellation insurance will reimburse you for any non-recoverable air or land expenses should you have to cancel your trip due to personal or family illness or leave the expedition early due to other reasons. Depending on your claim, it will also cover any emergency medical evacuation expenses should you become ill during the expedition. Please ensure you have adequate limits to cover the cost of your trek.
We also strongly recommend you ensure your insurance includes baggage loss and accident insurance. In the event that an aircraft evacuation is required, we will undertake to arrange the evacuation on the condition that the expenses will be reimbursed by the passenger before departing the country.
NIB, is an Australian company who specialise in travel insurance designed for travellers. Dedicated to keeping travellers informed and covered through an honest and genuine approach to travel. NIB provides world assistance through a customer support team, a claims team and an in-house 24/7 Emergency Assistance division.
There are two different plan types that Australian Kokoda Tours recommends you consider:
PLAN A: Comprehensive Plan. This plan provides comprehensive cover and is a premium cover for international travel.
PLAN BAUS: Basic Plan. This plan is a value for money and provides reduced benefits, however, still offers medical evacuation. The cover and premium are limited to the age limits described in the Product Disclosure Statement.
Click here to get started with NIB travel insurance.
Australian Kokoda Tours, ABN 21 126 387 853 is a distributor of nib Travel Services (Australia) Pty Ltd (nib), ABN 81 115932 173, AFSL 308461. Before deciding to purchase this product, read the Product Disclosure Statement available from us. This insurance is underwritten by XL Insurance Company SE, Australia branch (ABN 36 083 570 441).
Please note, we cannot guarantee prompt medevac times using your own travel insurance and accidents caused by the inappropriate consumption of alcohol or drugs may void your travel insurance.