holiday insurance

alfe

I have been unfortunate to not being paid out on insurance policy for cancelled holiday that i am still fighting.
Close family relative who was not travelling with us on holiday passed away from pneumonia. (she was a long term diabetc with no recent change in medication) Death certificate stated death from pneumonia and renal failure which they are linking to diabetes.
Insurance company not paying up as they say the medical condition of all close family should be declared when you take out insurance.
As there are approx 2 million diabetics in this country almost everyone must have a diabetic in their close family
How many people have ever declared this to their insurance in writing and had their response in writing.
I can understand if you may have omited to tell insurane of yourself and travelling companions / but members of close family (Parents Children Brothers and Sisters !!!!!!!!! What are Your views

lisyloo

Sorry to hear of your loss.

They do need to know about the risks but I think you are right that most people don't do this.

I suggest you follow thir formal complaints procedure and if you get to the "deadlock" stage then go to the insurance ombudsman.
This won't cost you anything and the ombudsman are independent.

Are you in the process of making a complaint?
Have you followed their procedure so that it's "formal"?

RibAd

I'm sorry to hear about that
Not a nice situation to be in and quite a stressful time too.

A complication of diabetes could be any one of the following - Nerve Damage, Kidney Damage, Heart Disease, Blood Vessel (arterial) Disease, Leg or Foot Ulcers, Retinal (eye) damage, amputation of foot or leg....

On the medical report by her GP was there anything mentioned about linking the diabetes to kidney/renal failure?

Just found an interesting hit on causes of kidney failure (renal failure):
http://www.wrongdiagnosis.com/k/kidney_failure/causes.htm

However, if the terms and conditions stipulate that you need to inform them of a medical condition of a close relative, then it does need to be done, especially if there are certain stipulations like having being an in- or out-patient in the last 12 mths or having being diagnoised with heart or cancer condition in the past 12 mths... (see under what is not covered section under cancellation or in general exclusions).

If they're not paying out on first instance and declining the claim first time round, maybe try again, or put a formal complaint in writing if the renal failure was not attributed to the diabetes. and if you don't get any satisfaction there, take it further as per their complaints procedure/escalation to Ombudsman if you feel necessary.


As for views about medical state of a close family or immediate family member, from an insurance view, varies. I do work in travel insurance and a case that's brought up often is that the client's parent has been taken very ill... often if it's the case that their condition was stable and had not been as a hospital in- or out-patient or had a heart or cancer related condition in the last 12 mths, then possibility of claim was to be sure (as long as that they weren't eg taken into hospital on monday and you book your hol and insurance tuesday type situation). From my own view, I would read the terms and conditions carefully.