Annual Travel Insurance expires before the trip date

Boa21

Hi

I have an annual policy but this will expire before I go away later in the year. Clearly I will take out a new policy, but not necessarily renew with my existing provider (I always shop around)

My question is, should I fall ill during the term of this policy and before I travel am I covered under this policy?

Otherwise I would have to take out new insurance and have 2 annual policies running in tandem.

Hope this makes sense?

glentoran99

Boa21 wrote: »

?

Otherwise I would have to take out new insurance and have 2 annual policies running in tandem.

Hope this makes sense?

You start your new one to continue from the old one, you don't need two running at the same time,

Boa21

glentoran99 wrote: »

You start your new one to continue from the old one, you don't need two running at the same time,

Thanks for this, so the existing will pay out for a trip that's due to take place after it expires.

glentoran99

Boa21 wrote: »

Thanks for this, so the existing will pay out for a trip that's due to take place after it expires.

Only if any incident is while the policy is still in force,


If you cancelled after your policy expired but before the trip you wouldn't be

Quentin

Boa21 wrote: »

My question is, should I fall ill during the term of this policy and before I travel am I covered under this policy

You would be covered only for cancellation up to the end of the policy, irrespective of when the trip was due to start

Thus if you fall ill before the end date and have to cancel because of the illness then (assuming you satisfied the policy conditions for cancellation, and had informed your insurer about the condition/provide any medical notification not to travel etc) you or your executors (if the worse happened) could claim the cancellation costs

silvercar

The problem occurs if you develop a health condition between now and when you take out the new policy. This would then have to be declared to the new or existing insurer, which may make the next premium higher or even the insurer declining to cover.

katejo

silvercar wrote: »

The problem occurs if you develop a health condition between now and when you take out the new policy. This would then have to be declared to the new or existing insurer, which may make the next premium higher or even the insurer declining to cover.

I put a similar question in the holiday section but no reply yet. Imagine that, just before the expiry of the current policy, a GP decides that I need to be referred for tests and will have to wait 6-8 weeks for the tests/any diagnosis. Consequently I can't renew the policy. What happens then? The tests could be for something minor which wouldn't affect a holiday but, while waiting for the tests, something more serious arises and i have no cover for the holiday.
For the reason, I am generally reluctant to book any trips after the expiry date of my current policy (unless I were to buy a separate single trip policy to cover it?).

Quentin

If you develop a new condition then your policy will require you to notify your insurer.

If that results in the insurer saying that they no longer will cover you then you have the choice of continuing uninsured or cancelling the trip in which case you would be able to claim for the cancellation costs

katejo

Quentin wrote: »

If you develop a new condition then your policy will require you to notify your insurer.

If that results in the insurer saying that they no longer will cover you then you have the choice of continuing uninsured or cancelling the trip in which case you would be able to claim for the cancellation costs

Yes i know about that. My question is about the inability to renew because of undiagnosed symptoms. If I already had a trip booked well ahead, this would cause problems. I'd be very unwilling to cancel if no serious diagnosis were anticipated.

Quentin

If no serious diagnosis is possible then you don't have too much to worry about.

But if there is then an insurer would be concerned.

Is your question hypothetical?

If not discuss this issue with your doctor..

The belt and braces approach would be to take out single trip cover, or (if the trip is in the next year), an annual policy now

katejo

Quentin wrote: »

If no serious diagnosis is possible then you don't have too much to worry about.

But if there is then an insurer would be concerned.

Is your question hypothetical?

If not discuss this issue with your doctor..

The belt and braces approach would be to take out single trip cover, or (if the trip is in the next year), an annual policy now

Yes my question is entirely hypothetical at the moment. The only trips booked are within my current policy period and I have no pending tests. Given that my current policy is valid until February, could I (if i were planning a trip further ahead) take out another annual or a single European policy now with a starting date in February? I know I could take a world one out as my current policy wouldn't cover that.
How would discussion with the GP really help? Surely the insurer would just refuse if I had any undiagnosed condition however minor it might be? I suppose i could choose to risk not declaring it until I knew what it was.