travel claim rejected....surprise surprise..help required!

jule_b

Mods not to sure if this is the right forum, if not could you please move or delete it. Thanks

here's the story, i have an annual travel insurance policy. Went off for a wee trip to India,finishing in Nepal(just setting the scene) Had a short admisssion to hospital in Nepal with pneumonia. While I was on holiday in India a friend was looking for other holidays later on in the year (honest my life in not a long holiday!) She found a great one and booked us up for it. Now comes the bad bit. On getting back to blighty after my spell in hospital my GP felt it would not be advisable to go on the second holiday. However the insurance company are refusing to cough up as they say I "showed symptoms of the illness" before the holiday was booked. The symptom was a cough,which a week later developed into pneumonia,and I was to know this??... Anyway, anyone care to advise before I get into what feels like a losing battle!

It just feels a bit off that if you have a cough you shouldn't book a holiday without seeing your GP!

I am going to appeal the insurance companies decision but need help on how to word this. Thanks

alison74

I would argue the case with them since it is an ANNUAL policy

Therefore when you took it out, you were fit and healthy, not suffering from the cough etc Annual policy infers you will take more than one trip in the year

They might get you on the small print, but fight it all the way, as they are maybe hoping you will let it lie and not make a fuss and they save money.

Look at small print of your policy aswell

Lucky you for getting to Nepal, it was a no go area when I tried to get in earlier in the year.

zappahey

The important part is your condition at the time of booking the trip not when you took out the policy.

saveapenny

They can not get out of it if you had not been diagnosed<sp> when you booked..appeal take it all the way to the insurance omibus thing (sorry dont know the right word but someone will) I am sure they kick out all claims that they can hoping no one takes them on

mystic_trev

saveapenny wrote:

They can not get out of it if you had not been diagnosed<sp> when you booked..appeal take it all the way to the insurance omibus thing (sorry dont know the right word but someone will) I am sure they kick out all claims that they can hoping no one takes them on

This could be a difficult one as YOU have to prove YOU didn't have a "pre existing condition"

Not the answer you wanted - sorry.

mystic_trev

zappahey wrote:

The important part is your condition at the time of booking the trip not when you took out the policy.

True - If there are any changes during the policy period you have to advise Underwriters of the changes. The same rules apply to all forms of Insurance.

dinglebert

However what constitutes a change. Surely if you only have a cough you cannot be expected to attend make an appointment with a GP just to make sure its not Pneumonia?

hammy_the_hammer

to clarify you would need to put the timeline down of the sequence of events. the fact that your gp has advised you not to travel isn't the pertinent point IMHO ...it's whether the 2nd trip was booked before or after you suffered from pneumonia in nepal