Comprehensive cost data and insurance coverage guidance for covid-19 long-term conditions in Australia.
Long COVID is the umbrella term for symptoms that persist for weeks or months after a COVID-19 infection. For many people the symptoms resolve over time, but for a smaller group they last long enough to disrupt work, income, and daily functioning.
The Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW) and the Department of Health and Aged Care have both noted that a proportion of people who contract COVID-19 experience symptoms beyond the acute illness. Reported symptoms include ongoing fatigue, brain fog, breathlessness, chest pain, joint pain, and post-exertional malaise.
From an insurance perspective, long COVID is still a relatively new condition for underwriters and the picture is evolving. Existing income protection and TPD policies generally respond when symptoms meet the policy's standard disability or inability-to-work definitions; COVID does not need to be specifically listed.
New applications may attract additional underwriting questions about prior COVID infections, ongoing symptoms, and any time off work. Outcomes vary between insurers, so comparing insurer appetite is often more efficient than applying direct.
The pages below summarise cost data for long-COVID-related conditions, drawn from Zurich's Cost of Care research where available. The information is general and not a personal recommendation. To walk through the disclosure questions, generate an indicative quote or speak with an adviser.
Related guidance on insurance cover types, applying with a pre-existing condition, and the broader health-conditions index.
Monthly benefits during periods of incapacity that meet the policy disability definitions.
Lump-sum cover where long-term symptoms permanently prevent return to work.
How disclosure and underwriting work when there is a recent or ongoing health history.
Return to the full health-conditions index.
Compare insurance quotes from 9 major insurers. Free, no obligation.