Holiday after annual policy expires

lisyloo

Just need to get my head round this and I know some of you will know the answer.
I have an annual travel insurance policy via my employer that ends on 1/10/14 and will not be renewed.

If I book a holiday now that departs after this period then would I be covered if something happened before 1/10 (like a long term sickness/injury).

So what I'm asking it does it only cover trips that depart before 1/10/14 (in which case I need to buy a policy when I book a holiday that departs after 1/10/14) OR does it cover any risks up until 1/10/14 (in which case I don't need to buy a policy until 1/10/14).

Lot of people must have a similar situation with annual policies. I just happen to be in a situation where I KNOW this one isn't being renewed.

What normally happens on annual policies, do you renew them ahead of time? or what?

Cheers for any help.

Quentin

All cover will cease on 1/10. Thus a trip won't be covered for cancellation after that date.

So if you develop anything between now and then that results in you being advised not to travel at some time after 1/10 has passed your new insurer may not cover you if it is existing at the time you take out your new policy.

The only way to be sure you have full cancellation cover for the holiday is take out a new policy from the date of booking.

Normally when you have annual policy you disclose any conditions at renewal and at each booking. That gives the insurer the option to withdraw cover at renewal/booking (but pay your cancellation costs at that time if you choose to cancel)

vaio

Read the T&C of your existing policy but my gut feel is that it will cover you up until 1/10 so you don't need to buy a new policy until then

lisyloo

Normally when you have annual policy you disclose any conditions at renewal and at each booking

The policy covers all pre-existing conditions (yes really - it's not a personal holiday policy, it's a business one costing thousands of pounds to cover hundreds of people).

Thanks for the help but the answers appear to be contradictory so let's make is simpler and take our pre-existing conditions out of the equation.

If an annual policy runs to 1/10/14, the holiday is booked for say 1/12/14 and let's say tomorrow I get run over and lose a leg (for the sake of argument it's an uninsured cyclist who's a vagrant :-)
Would I be covered?

P.S. I'm not trying to do anything underhand like cover something pre-existing that I've lied about. Just trying to work out whether I need to buy a policy now or not.

I'll email them to but it seems to me that this is a general issue with annual policies because it must frequently happen that people book after the end date and I can't imagine everyone want to pay twice.

Quentin

lisyloo wrote: »

If an annual policy runs to 1/10/14, the holiday is booked for say 1/12/14 and let's say tomorrow I get run over and lose a leg (for the sake of argument it's an uninsured cyclist who's a vagrant :-)
Would I be covered?......

If you cancel the holiday prior to 1/10/14, and the reason for cancellation is covered by the policy you are covered.

But you are misunderstanding the issue over any pre existing conditions.

Although your multi thousand pound policy covers all conditions now, any new policy you buy after it expires won't.

So if you develop something between now and 1/10 and have to then disclose it to a new insurer on 1/10 they may not be prepared to cover it.

So the only way you can be sure a holiday you have booked to take place after 1/10 is fully covered for cancellation after 1/10 and any condition developed between now and 1/10 is buy a policy now.

Quentin

lisyloo wrote: »

...... it must frequently happen that people book after the end date and I can't imagine everyone want to pay twice.

That is the "catch" with annual policies.

You have to disclose conditions at every renewal, so if you develop a condition after booking and your renewal comes due before the trip, the insurer may not be prepared to cover the new condition after the renewal date.

vaio

Quentin wrote: »

........So if you develop something between now and 1/10 and have to then disclose it to a new insurer on 1/10 they may not be prepared to cover it.......

Quentin wrote: »

That is the "catch" with annual policies.

You have to disclose conditions at every renewal, so if you develop a condition after booking and your renewal comes due before the trip, the insurer may not be prepared to cover the new condition after the renewal date.

With standard consumer policies if cover is declined at renewal as above then the policy holder has the choice...carry on without cover or cancel with the previous policy paying for the cancellation.

There is an FOS case/paper that covers this and, from memory, it applies even if the new medical condition isn't (yet?) serious enough to warrant cancellation on medical grounds, basically the cancellation is because you can't get cover rather than medical.

For example, you develop angina, existing/new insurer excludes heart related problems at renewal/inception then existing insurer has to pay if you cancel at renewal time even if the angina isn't bad enough to stop you travelling.

Whether this would be different on the sort of existing policy the OP has or whether it would be affected by the fact she *knows* now that the existing policy can't be renewed I'm not sure about

Quentin

vaio wrote: »

For example, you develop angina, existing/new insurer excludes heart related problems at renewal/inception then existing insurer has to pay if you cancel at renewal time even if the angina isn't bad enough to stop you travelling.

Whether this would be different on the sort of existing policy the OP has or whether it would be affected by the fact she *knows* now that the existing policy can't be renewed I'm not sure about

The existing multi thousand pound policy ends 1/10 and is not going to be renewed:

lisyloo wrote: »

....I have an annual travel insurance policy via my employer that ends on 1/10/14 and will not be renewed......

So all cover ends on 1/10/04.

That policy won't pay out if soon to be ex policyholder finds they can't cover their angina elsewhere and wants to cancel!

Existing policyholders wanting to cancel would need medical advice (dated prior to the end date of the policy) not to travel.

lisyloo

That is the "catch" with annual policies.

Is it possible to renew in advance.
So lets say you want to book a holiday 8 months in advance and insurance expires in 4, can you renew early to avoid the "catch".

I do not mean anything naughty, I mean to cover anything that might occur in the first 4 month period. If they allow that then what's the max period you can go to as I've booked a holiday 18 months in advance before.

Quentin

lisyloo wrote: »

Is it possible to renew in advance.
So lets say you want to book a holiday 8 months in advance and insurance expires in 4, can you renew early to avoid the "catch".

I do not mean anything naughty, I mean to cover anything that might occur in the first 4 month period. If they allow that then what's the max period you can go to as I've booked a holiday 18 months in advance before.

Doubt they would allow you to renew 4 months early. (Though your multi thousand pound policy may do so, as it's not a normal off the peg travel insurance policy)

With normal travel insurance the only way to be sure a trip starting in 18 months time will be covered is to buy a single trip policy to cover it.

vaio

http://www.financial-ombudsman.org.uk/publications/ombudsman-news/49/annual-travel-insurance.htm is worth a read

It covers the concept of pre-emptive cancellation based on of lack of ongoing cover rather than actual medical grounds