Our response to COVID-19

We're here to help in a time of crisis. 

We’re continuing to offer support to our customers to guide them through this difficult time. If you have any questions, or need assistance, please let us know and we will see what we can do to help.

COVID-19 vaccines

 
AIA Australia is aligned with the rest of the Australian life insurance industry in its support of the Department of Health’s national vaccination rollout as this helps to support a healthier population and protects those in the community who may be vulnerable. Australians should have confidence that once vaccinated, their life insurance products will continue to protect and cover them as they have always done.
 
 
Receiving a vaccination against COVID-19 will not affect any claim you make on an existing life insurance policy now or in the future.
 
Life insurance products are designed to provide cover and support to Australians during their most difficult times, including when they are impacted by illness or injury, and receiving a COVID-19 vaccination will not in any way affect your ability to claim on an existing policy.
 
We encourage you to speak to your doctor or a qualified healthcare professional if you have any concerns about being vaccinated.
 
The Australian Government website also contains factual information: https://www.health.gov.au/initiatives-and-programs/covid-19-vaccines
 
From September 2021, we will be awarding 1,000 AIA Vitality Points to members who are fully vaccinated (two doses) against COVID-19. Members who have been completely vaccinated after 1 February 2021 will be able to retrospectively claim points. In addition, all AIA Vitality members who are fully vaccinated before 15 December 2021, will also receive an additional bonus 1,000 Points before the end of the year.
 

AIA Health Extras


In the spirit of doing the right thing for our customers, AIA Health Insurance is offering its Extras Value Protect initiative for a second consecutive year. Customers who are unable to access their Extras benefits due to the pandemic could receive a refund of unused premiums. To learn more about Extras Value Protect and AIA Health Insurance visit: https://lnkd.in/gUbcFqXA

Claims made easy

 
Our priority is to support you through the claims process, ensuring that you understand what’s happening every step of the way and that you get what you need as soon as possible.
 
We know that the current circumstances may be particularly difficult for those on claim, and we are looking at how we can support people at this time. If you are having difficulty obtaining the usual information we require to progress a claim, we can work with you to help gather what we need, and consider any alternative arrangements if it is not practical to obtain medical information in a timely fashion
 
If you’re on claim, our Rehabilitation Team continues to be able to provide support through:
 
  • The development of tailored programs for wellness, work readiness and return to work
  • Identifying new work opportunities for customers that are job seeking but are challenged by a changing labour market.
  • Providing recommendations for access to AIA’s Wellbeing Services – Cancer Aid, Mind Coach and Pain Coach

Your insurance coverage

 
If you need to make a claim related to COVID-19, as with any other claim, you will simply need to meet the eligibility requirements for your type of cover.
 
If you hold AIA Health Insurance, we have extended cover for COVID-19 to all of our policies. So, if you are admitted to hospital as a private patient due to COVID-19, you will be covered. To be eligible for Cover Extension you must have held an AIA Health Insurance policy for a minimum of 2 weeks.
 

Frontline healthcare workers

 
We’re committed to protecting our customers, including our frontline healthcare workers. Currently, for new policy applications, no additional requirements are applied to frontline healthcare workers compared to other applicants due to COVID-19.
 

COVID-19 related FAQs

Life insurance

Absolutely. If you need to make a claim related to COVID-19, as with any other claim, you will simply need to meet the eligibility requirements for your type of cover.

We are not applying any exclusions for COVID-19. 

Presently, vaccination for COVID-19 is voluntary and if you choose not to be vaccinated; this will not affect your existing AIA insurance policies. 

Receiving a vaccination against COVID-19 will not affect any claim you make on an existing life insurance policy now or in the future.
Life insurance products are designed to provide cover and support to Australians during their most difficult times, including when they are impacted by illness or injury, and receiving a COVID-19 vaccination will not in any way affect your ability to claim on an existing policy.

Our policies are designed to protect and support you if you become seriously ill or injured. They are not intended to cover situations in which you need to stop work for any other reason. We encourage you to review your policy terms and conditions so that you understand what your policy covers you for.

Your policy may include one of the following additional benefits for involuntary unemployment:
 
  • If you have an income protection policy, you may be entitled to a premium waiver for three months if you experience an involuntary redundancy.
  • If you have one of the following policies, you may be eligible to a benefit to help cover your mortgage payments for a period, if you are involuntarily unemployed, including redundancies or being ‘stood down’:
      •  
      - Citibank Card Protect
      - HSBC Card Repayment Protection
      - HSBC Card Repayment Insurance
      - Woolworths Credit Card Repayment
      - Credit Card Plus
      - Personal Loan Protection
      - Home Loan Protection
      - Mortgage Protection
Please note that waiting periods and other terms and conditions apply, please refer to your policy for more information. Your financial adviser will also be able to assist you to confirm whether you hold one of these benefits and whether your circumstances are likely to meet the eligibility requirements. 

We understand that many people are in an uncertain financial position at the moment, and we do not want to see this result in people losing their insurance cover if they want to retain it.

If you are experiencing financial difficulties, our team can work with you to find a suitable solution.

If you have a financial adviser, they can also help you to determine the appropriate cover to meet your needs, at a level that you can afford, and we can work with your adviser to determine the best options available to you.

If you complete the financial hardship form, one of our consultants will contact you to discuss your options. You can do this by clicking Our Response to COVID-19 and selecting ‘Submit My Request’.

We’re committed to protecting our customers, including our frontline healthcare workers. For new policy applications, no additional requirements are applied to frontline healthcare workers compared to other applicants due to COVID-19. 

We’re pleased to advise that the service/active service exclusion on our policies will be waived should an ADF personnel or Australian military reservist need to make a claim while assisting the Federal Government’s efforts relating to COVID-19. For new policy applications, we will continue to undertake our standard occupational underwriting process.

Health insurance

We have extended cover for COVID-19 to all of our policies. So, if you are admitted to hospital as a private patient due to COVID-19, you will be covered.
 
To be eligible for Cover Extension you must have held a AIA Health Insurance policy for a minimum of 2 weeks.

In the spirit of doing the right thing for our customers, AIA Health is proud to confirm that its Extras Value Protect initiative is occurring for a second consecutive year. Customers who are unable to access their Extras benefits due to the pandemic could receive a refund of unused premiums.
To learn more about Extras Value Protect and AIA Health Insurance visit here.

We are now providing benefits for services delivered by video conferencing or telephone. These services include:
 
  1. Psychology (including counselling and psychotherapy when provided by a psychologist)
  2. Physiotherapy (including post orthopaedic surgery rehabilitation, chronic musculoskeletal condition, cardiac rehabilitation or pelvic floor muscle training)
  3. Dietetics
  4. Speech pathology
  5. Occupational therapy
For services eligible for Tele-consultations you must have served the applicable waiting period for that service under your policy.

Presently, vaccination for COVID-19 is voluntary and if you choose not to be vaccinated; this will not affect your existing AIA insurance policies. 

If you need to make a claim related to the vaccine, as with any other claim, you will simply need to meet the eligibility requirements for your type of cover.

Find important information about COVID-19 and your health insurance cover on our dedicated members page.

Experiencing financial difficulty? – We’re here to help

COVID-19 has had a significant impact on many Australians. We know that now more than ever, having insurance that you can rely on is important. Our focus is on our customers living healthier, longer, better lives.
 
We understand that many people are in an uncertain financial position at the moment, and we do not want to see this result in people losing their life insurance or health insurance cover if they want to retain it. If you are experiencing financial difficulties, our team can work with you to find a tailored solution that will allow you to retain cover if you wish.

Claims made easy

Our priority is to support you through the claims process ensuring that you understand what’s happening every step of the way and that you get what you need as soon as possible.
 
We know that the current circumstances may be particularly difficult for those on claim, and we are looking at how we can support people at this time. If you are having difficulty obtaining the usual information we require to progress a claim, we can work with you to help gather what we need, and consider any alternative arrangements if it is not practical to obtain medical information in a timely fashion.