Insurance firms may refuse cover to SARS-infected countries

A NUMBER OF INSURANCE firms have started limiting their life insurance policies for travellers who might go to countries where people have contracted the SARS virus.

As SARS, according to the World Health Organisation, now affects 25 countries in five continents, with a a total of 3461 cases and 170 fatalities, that kind of limits your life insurance plans, we'd say.

A cumulative total of cases on the WHO website shows that affected countries on the 18th of April are Australia (2), Brazil (2), Canada (126), China (1482), Hong Kong (1327), Taiwan (29), France (5), Germany (6), India (1), Indonesia (1), Italy (3), Japan (4), Kuwait (1), Malaysia (5), Mongolia (3), the Philippines (1), the Republic of Ireland (1), Romania (1), Singapore (172), South Africa (1), Spain (1), Sweden (1), Switzerland (1), Thailand (7), the United Kingdom (6), the United States (208) and Vietnam (63). The detailed up to date list is here.

So if you're thinking of getting life insurance cover while travelling to or from any of these places, you might well ask whether you'll be covered or not.

It's so far unclear whether insurance companies have come to any concensus over offering life insurance or not.

UK universities including Goldsmiths and Cardiff University are offering similar advice to students travelling to areas where SARS cases have been confirmed - the Cardiff advisory says: "Students who choose to travel to affected areas despite this strong advice should contact their travel insurance company as they may not be covered in such a situation".

Meanwhile, ABC News reports that insurance companies are also beginning to exclude event coverage as a result of SARS.

One insurance broker is quoted in the ABC report as saying "SARS has become the new terrorism". µ

L'INQ
ABC News