CommBank Gold Awards travel insurance: what does it actually cover?

Covers your prepaid, non-refundable travel and cancellation fees if you have to cancel or amend the trip, capped at $5,000 for a cardholder ($10,000 with family). A $500 excess applies per claim. Cover only starts once you have charged $500 of prepaid travel to the card in a single transaction and activated the policy, and the covered-reasons list is broad, from illness and death to strikes, natural disasters and involuntary redundancy.

Pays your overseas emergency medical and hospital expenses with no dollar cap, subject to a $500 excess per claim. Emergency dental for sudden acute pain is included up to $1,500, and hospital incidentals pay $75 per 24 hours up to $7,500. Cover runs for up to 12 months from the onset of the illness or injury and only applies once the policy is activated.

Covers emergency medical evacuation and assistance overseas with no dollar limit, arranged by the Cover-More 24/7 team. If the worst happens, funeral, cremation or return of remains is covered up to $12,500 for a cardholder. There is no excess on the evacuation and assistance benefit.

Pays up to $1,500 for emergency dental treatment overseas to relieve sudden, acute pain in natural teeth. It sits under the medical benefit, so the $500 medical excess applies. Routine, planned or cosmetic dental work is not covered.

Pays hospital incidentals of $75 for each 24 hours you spend in hospital overseas, up to $7,500. It helps with the small out-of-pocket costs of an overseas hospital stay, on top of the medical benefit. Cover applies only while the policy is active.

Reimburses reasonable additional accommodation (room rate only) and transport if your journey is disrupted by a covered event, capped at $5,000 for a cardholder ($10,000 with family), with a $500 excess. Covered disruptions include illness or injury, the death of a relative, transport cancellations from strikes or weather, and loss of your passport. It keeps you moving when a trip goes sideways, but the cap is modest.

If your pre-booked overseas transport is delayed at least 6 hours by something outside your control, it reimburses meals and accommodation up to $250 for the first delay, then $150 for each further 12 hours, to a total of $650 ($1,300 with family). There is no excess. You will need written confirmation of the delay from the carrier.

Pays reasonable additional transport to reach your destination on time when an unforeseeable event would otherwise make you miss a wedding, funeral, prepaid conference, concert or connecting travel, up to $3,500 with a $500 excess. It also covers the cost of an unused connection you have to rebook. The event must be one that cannot be delayed for your late arrival.

Pays your economy transport home if a relative dies unexpectedly or is hospitalised after a sudden serious injury or illness during your trip, up to $5,000 ($10,000 with family), with a $500 excess. It also covers the cost to resume your journey, provided more than 14 days remain on the policy and you resume within 12 months. Claims tied to an existing medical condition are excluded.

If the carrier delays your luggage for more than 12 hours on the way out, it reimburses essential clothing and toiletries you buy, up to $500 for a cardholder ($1,000 with family), with no excess. It does not apply on the leg that brings you home. Keep the receipts and the carrier's confirmation of the delay.

Covers theft, loss or damage to your luggage and personal goods overseas up to $10,000 for a cardholder ($20,000 with family), with a $500 excess and a $3,000 limit per item, set or pair. Depreciation applies to older items. Valuables left unattended in a vehicle are capped at $2,500 and only if locked away, and items left behind or walked away from are not covered.

Covers the replacement of travel documents, transaction cards, travellers cheques and cash lost or stolen overseas, up to $500 for a cardholder ($1,000 with family), with no excess. Losses must be reported to the police or issuing bank within 7 days. Cash is only covered if it was on you or in a locked safe when stolen.

Covers your legal liability if you accidentally injure someone or damage their property overseas, up to $2,500,000, with no excess. This is one of the stronger benefits in the policy. Liability tied to owning or driving a vehicle, aircraft or watercraft is excluded.

Pays a lump sum of $25,000 to your estate if you die from an accidental injury during the journey, with $25,000 for a spouse and $5,000 for an accompanied child. Death must occur within one year of the injury. There is no excess.

If an overseas injury leaves you disabled and unable to return to work in Australia, it pays up to $750 a week for lost income, to a maximum of $7,500 over three months. Payments start on the 31st day after you return home and require a medical certificate. Illness, as opposed to injury, is not covered.

No domestic cancellation cover. The Gold Awards does not include Interstate Flight Inconvenience, so cancelled interstate flights are not reimbursable. Prepaid domestic flights, hotels and tours are not recoverable if you cancel, and a standalone policy is needed for interstate trips.

No domestic flight delay cover. This benefit is not included with the Gold Awards. Meals and accommodation during an interstate flight delay are the cardholder's responsibility.

No domestic additional expenses cover. This benefit is not included with the Gold Awards. Extra interstate travel and accommodation after a disruption are out of pocket.

No domestic luggage cover. This benefit is not included with the Gold Awards. Loss, theft or damage to bags on an interstate trip is the cardholder's responsibility.

No domestic luggage delay cover. This benefit is not included with the Gold Awards. Essential purchases during an interstate luggage delay are out of pocket.