INSURANCE

The following should be taken as general information only, and does not constitute expert advice. Examples are for illustration purposes only and Sounds Australia does not endorse one insurance product over another.  

RETURN TO RESOURCES

When travelling globally to perform, there are four types of insurance you need to consider: 

1. PUBLIC LIABILITY 

When putting any budget together, ensure you have allocated enough for Public Liability Insurance (PLI). 

Annual policies are generally the best way to make it an affordable option through your broker, though while many PLI policies will cover performances outside of Australia, some, such as this policy from AON, exclude certain destinations. In the case of AON, that is one of the most popular: North America (Defined here as Canada and the USA).  

For performances in that territory, you would then need to look into getting standalone coverage for that run of shows, or contact the insurance company to find out how you can include that territory into a plan.  

2. TRAVEL 

CHOICE offer a guide to travel insurance HERE.  

Medical expenses are the number one reason to get insurance, but sometimes other things can go wrong, such as trip cancellations, delays, lost luggage or even the big stuff like natural disasters and pandemics. If you end up out of pocket because of these things, insurance can make up for that. 

In an emergency, the Australian Government can only help so much. The Consular Services Charter describes what the government can and can’t do to help Australians overseas. 

Singapore and the United Arab Emirates both require you to have travel insurance, not to mention all 26 European countries in the Schengen Area if you’re applying for a visa to visit. Read the Smartraveller travel advice for information about your destination. 

Australia has reciprocal healthcare agreements with several countries: Belgium, Finland, Italy, Malta, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, the Republic of Ireland, Slovenia, Sweden and the United Kingdom. If you have Medicare, you can get subsidised treatment for essential services only in these countries, which often leads people to ask whether they still need travel insurance. 

The answer is yes, for the following reasons. 

  • You’re usually only covered for urgent care that can’t wait until you get home. 
  • If you’re very ill, travel insurance can pay for a medical escort to bring you home to Australia. 
  • You still may have to pay fees for treatment and medication. For example, in New Zealand reciprocal health care doesn’t cover you for free or subsidised care by a general practitioner or ambulance. 
  • Travel insurance can cover you for cancellations, delays, stolen items and more. 

Remember to take your Medicare card with you. You’ll need it, along with your passport, to prove you’re eligible for reciprocal health care. For more information, visit servicesaustralia.gov.au. See below for more information on specific Health Insurance. 

Before you book your trip, ensure the country you are travelling to is not listed with the advice “DO NOT TRAVEL” from the Australian government. If this advice is posted, your travel insurance may not cover your trip. You can see the full list of destination advice on Smartraveller.  

3. HEALTH 

The need for international health insurance, separate to travel insurance, will depend on where you’re travelling and what you anticipate to be your risks.  

The below is taken from Smartraveller: 

Most Travel insurance policies will cover the essentials: 

  • Emergency medical treatment. 
  • General medical assistance. 
  • Patient transport to hospital by helicopter or ambulance. 
  • Medical evacuations back to Australia. 
  • Injuries and accidents, unless it’s from an excluded activity. 

However, most comprehensive travel insurance policies exclude pre-existing physical and mental health conditions. Some insurers will cover you if you pay extra. Commonly excluded are: 

  • bone and joint conditions 
  • breathing and lung conditions 
  • cancer 
  • circulatory and blood conditions 
  • diabetes 
  • disabilities 
  • heart conditions 
  • kidney or liver conditions 
  • mental health conditions 

Insurers generally won’t provide cover if you’re: 

  • receiving, or waiting to receive, medical treatment for undiagnosed symptoms 
  • travelling against the advice of a medical practitioner 
  • travelling to get medical treatment for your condition (medical tourism) 
  • already diagnosed with a terminal condition 

Should you fit into any of these categories, you may need to look into International Health Insurance, such as this one offered by Bupa, or this one offered by Cigna.  

4. EQUIPMENT 

Most travel insurance packages will include a certain amount of coverage for anything you’re travelling with, that may be enough for an electronic artist who is only travelling with a laptop and some limited gear. 

However, for bands and more technical productions, it may be necessary for you to take out standalone insurance for your gear, should it get stolen or be damaged while on the road – domestically or internationally. 

Many insurance companies do offer music equipment specific policies. Here are some examples: 

https://www.au.marsh.com/business/entertainment/musical-instrument-equipment-insurance.html

https://www.ebminsurance.com.au/insurance-solutions/personal-insurances/