Cover-More has announced a trial to insure travellers with pre-existing mental health conditions including schizophrenia, bipolar disorder and post-traumatic stress.

Potential customers with diagnosed illnesses will undertake an assessment to determine if travel cover can be provided. Approved insurance will be offered with additional premiums. Some travellers with serious conditions will not be covered.

“We are trialling cover for travellers with existing mental illness at this stage because we want to get it right and give people with mental illness a fair deal and effective care,” CEO Mike Emmett said.

“It seemed a natural, and overdue, extension… and we hope other travel insurance providers follow our lead.”

The trial follows Cover-More’s decision to remove a general exclusion for mental illness from all travel insurance products sold in Australia and New Zealand, starting last month.

Since last month Cover-More’s travel insurance policies in the two countries have been underwritten by its parent, Zurich.

“We’re very excited around this underwriting arrangement for our local business, as well as the strengthening of our travel insurance offering in Australia and New Zealand,” Zurich Australia and New Zealand CEO General Insurance Raj Nanra said.

“It allows for further opportunities to explore how Zurich and Cover-More can collaborate and support our local plan to diversify the product and distribution offerings.”