HL Assurance Travel Insurance Review: COVIDSafe Travel Protect360

HL Assurance travel insurance plans offer great value. Besides offering high discounts for its plans, HL Assurance also grants perks such as a no claims discount benefit and protection against a wide range of travel inconveniences.

HL Assurance offers three tier of plans - Basic, Enhanced, and Superior, for both single trips and annual multi-trips. These plans combine comprehensive coverage at reasonable pricing and provide coverage where it counts, such as for travel inconveniences like trip delays and lost luggage.

It will also appeal to budget conscious travellers and individuals who already know the right travel insurance to buy for their trip. For travellers who prefer to pay/ bring along cash, do take note that the limit for theft of personal money is capped at S$250 - S$500, depending on the policy tier that you select.

And akin to a good number of travel insurance plans out there, the HL Assurance COVIDSafe Travel Protect360 provides coverage against the novel coronavirus. With international travel starting to resume as COVID-19 vaccinations and medications are distributed globally, this provides a much-needed peace of mind.

Here's everything you need to know about the HL Assurance COVIDSafe Travel Protect360 policy:

• Product summary
• Pros and cons
• List of exclusions
• Plan types
• Pricing
• How to make a claim

Product Summary

COVID-19 coverage for medical expenses and travel inconveniences

The Enhanced and Superior policies boast coverage against COVID-19 related medical expenses and travel inconveniences. For the former, these include an overseas hospital cash benefit and quarantine allowance, amongst other items.

With regards to coverage against COVID-19 related travel inconveniences, these include the usual trip cancellation, trip postponement, and trip curtailment or rearrangement benefits.

More details will be laid out in each plan's section below. However, do note that the Basic tier does not have any COVID-19 coverage right now.

Unlimited emergency medical evacuation/repatriation of mortal remains

In the event of death, bodily injury or sickness whilst travelling out of Singapore and where is medically appropriate to move you to another location for medical treatment or to return you or your mortal remains to Singapore, your mode of evacuation will be arranged. This is based on the medical severity of your condition and HL Assurance will pay for such expenses incurred.

24-hour travel, emergency medical, and evacuation assistance

One of the benefits of HL Assurance's travel insurance policy is the 24-hour travel, emergency medical, and evacuation assistance. This provides round-the-clock assistance for the loss of travel documents and baggage, air ticket arrangements, emergency medical evacuation, referral services for an interpreter or translator, legal help, Singapore's embassy in the country you're in, hospital admission and other medical facilities.

The 24-hour assistance hotline is +65 6922 6009.

Credit card outstanding balance

In the event of death due to bodily injury or sickness sustained whilst travelling out of Singapore, HL Assurance will pay up to the benefit limit any outstanding balance under your credit card(s) for purchases and services charged to such card(s) while outside Singapore during the period of insurance.

Rental car excess

HL Assurance shall pay up to the benefit limit for any car rental excess payable by you under the rental car agreement in respect of loss or damage to the rental car due to an accident or theft of the rental vehicle during the rental period.

Loss of home content due to burglary

HL Assurance shall pay up to the benefit limit for loss of or damage to home contents as a result of burglary involving the use of forcible, violent and visible means to enter into or exit from the home premises in Singapore and occurring whilst such premises are vacated during the period of insurance.

Golfing 'Hole in One'

HL Assurance shall pay up to the benefit limit for bar expenses if an adult insured person achieves a "Hole in One" whilst playing golf on any recognised golf course outside Singapore and during the period of insurance.

Pros and cons

Policy exclusions

The list of exclusions for this policy includes the following:

• Pre-existing conditions (including mental and nervous or sleep disorders,  any diagnosed psychological or psychiatric disorder, anxiety or depression)
• Pregnancy, miscarriage, childbirth or abortion and their complications
• Travelling against Medical Practitioner’s advice
• Elective treatment or surgery
• Dental care, other than that necessitated by accidental injuries to sound natural teeth
• Rafting, canoeing, bungee jumping, jet skiing, ski racing, backcountry skiing or off-piste skiing, ski jumping, hang gliding, parasailing, the use of bobsleigh or skeleton, hunting, potholing, mountaineering or rock climbing
• Participation in sports activities to receive financial compensation
• Items taken/ destructed by customs or other officials
• War, rebellion, revolution, insurrection, conspiracy, civil commotion, acts of terrorism
• Breakage or damage to fragile articles

The full list of exclusions is available in the policy wording.

Types of plans

HL Assurance offers three tiers for both single trip and annual multi-trip insurance - Basic, Enhanced, and Superior. For more details, please read the full list of benefits and exclusions in the policy wording.

COVIDSafe Travel Protect360 Basic

One of the more affordable travel insurance options available in Singapore for single-trip plans. It stands out by focusing its coverage on trip and baggage delays: Trip and baggage delays are covered at S$100 for every 6 hours of delay and at a maximum limit of S$800. Personal accident coverage is capped at S$200,000 for adults who are 70 years old and below.

For children, this changes to S$50,000. Likewise for adults who are above 70 years old.

However, do note that the Basic tier is not eligible for any form of COVID-19 coverage right now. Should you require that, you'll need to look at the Enhanced or Superior plans detailed below.

COVIDSafe Travel Protect360 Enhanced

The coverage and affordable pricing makes HL Assurance COVIDSafe Travel Protect360 Enhanced a bargain buy for the budget conscious traveller with: Trip and baggage delays covered at S$100 every 6 hours of delay with a maximum limit of S$1,000. Personal accident coverage is capped at S$250,000 for adults who are 70 years old and below.

For children and adults above 70 years old, the personal accident coverage limits are the same as the Basic tier.

However, the key advantage that the Enhanced (and Superior) tiers have over the Basic one would be the addition of coverage against COVID-19. This comprises of medical benefits and protection against travel inconveniences due to the novel coronavirus, as mentioned above.

To be precise, it comprises the following:

COVIDSafe Travel Protect360 Superior

The relatively low pricing and decent coverage makes HL Assurance COVIDSafe Travel Protect360 Superior an attractive bargain for travellers. Trip and baggage delays are covered for S$100 every 6 hours of delay with a maximum limit of S$1,200. Personal accident coverage is capped at S$300,000 for adults 70 years old and below.

For children and adults above 70 years old, the personal accident coverage limits are the same as the Basic and Enhanced tiers.

Like the Enhanced tier, COVIDSafe Travel Protect360 Superior boasts COVID-19 coverage. Given the higher coverage limits for this tier, it should have no issue clearing any VTL requirement that is in place.

To be precise, coverage comprises of the following:

Pricing

We will look at pricing comparison across various plans for both single trips and annual trips. HL Assurance offers great seasonal discounts as high as above 60% and coupled with treats such as a no claims discount benefit for repeat buyers, it represents a great bargain.

In terms of pricing, HL Assurance travel plans stand out for being price competitive across all tier of plans, for both single and annual plans. The prices shown below are before the discount.

Basic Plan

Mid-Tier Plan

Top-Shelf Plan

How to make a claim

Online: HL Assurance website
Email: claims@hlas.com.sg
Hotline:  +65 6922 6003

Protected up to specified limits by SDIC.

Note: This is only product information provided. You may wish to seek advice from a qualified adviser before buying the product. If you choose not to seek advice from a qualified adviser, you should consider whether the product is suitable for you. Buying an insurance product that are not suitable for you may impact your ability to finance your future healthcare needs.

If you decide that the policy is not suitable after purchasing the policy, you may terminate the policy in accordance with the free-look provision, if any, and the insurer may recover from you any expense incurred by the insurer in underwriting the policy.

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