Annual travel insurance gotcha

BackSeat

Let's say I take out an annual travel insurance policy that runs from 1 January until 31 December.

In October of that year, I book a holiday for the following April. In November of that year, I find that I may have to cancel the holiday for reasons that would be covered by the insurance, but I won't know for certain until the start of the next year.

The insurance refuses to pay out because the holiday is not during the period of cover. I can't renew on 1 January next year because there is a pre-existing condition.

Assuming I'm happy to always renew an annual policy, how can I ensure that I'm always covered?

Quentin

The only way to be sure you are always covered in your scenario is to take out a single trip policy for your holiday.

( With annual cover you have to disclose at renewal as well as each time you book s trip. So if your insurer decided at renewal your condition meant they could no longer cover you then you would have to either cancel and claim cancellation costs or continue uninsured)

Ganga

BackSeat wrote: »

Let's say I take out an annual travel insurance policy that runs from 1 January until 31 December.

In October of that year, I book a holiday for the following April. In November of that year, I find that I may have to cancel the holiday for reasons that would be covered by the insurance, but I won't know for certain until the start of the next year.

The insurance refuses to pay out because the holiday is not during the period of cover. I can't renew on 1 January next year because there is a pre-existing condition.

Assuming I'm happy to always renew an annual policy, how can I ensure that I'm always covered?

I am sure if you were covered when you purchased the holiday but a month later a problem arose where you will not be able to proceed,contact the travel insurance company and tell them what has happened and that you will have it confirmed by (doctor/surgeon/etc. )
i am sure that they are still responsibe and will reimburse you less the excess.

Quentin

Ganga wrote: »

I am sure if you were covered when you purchased the holiday but a month later a problem arose where you will not be able to proceed,contact the travel insurance company and tell them what has happened and that you will have it confirmed by (doctor/surgeon/etc. )
i am sure that they are still responsibe and will reimburse you less the excess.

Except the op's scenario and timescale is quite different to this!

BackSeat

Thanks for the reply, Quentin. This hugely reduces the value of an annual policy from our perspective.

More importantly, I suspect many people have never considered this point at all (we only did because we were almost caught out by it).

Kynthia

I thought it didn't matter that the holiday was taking place after the annual policy expires, it covers you until then should you need to cancel for some reason? Would the company you are with be under some obligation to maintain your cover on renewal even if something has developed tgat would normally need to be declared and become an existing condition?

Quentin

Kynthia wrote: »

Would the company you are with be under some obligation to maintain your cover on renewal even if something has developed tgat would normally need to be declared and become an existing condition?

No - that is the problem with booking a trip that doesn't take place till after the policy expires.


Any new condition that develops after the trip has been booked must be disclosed when you renew the policy.


If the insurer refuses to cover you then you are left with deciding whether to carry on uninsured or cancel the trip (and claim the cancellation costs off the expiring policy)