Insurance purchased Sept 2019- but not covered since adding minor medical condition.

Moo68

Any advice please? I purchased “Elite” multi trip travel insurance back in September 2019 with post office travel. I’m currently trying to claim for my cancelled trip to Tenerife due to Covid 19 that was booked for March. On the 18th March, being unable to make contact I registered on the self service centre to be able to access my policy quickly and easily, I also updated a minor medical condition that I had previously declared having recently attended a hospital appointment. There was a small possibility that I might have to have surgery due to this condition, so I updated this to ensure I was covered, just in case I had to cancel due to being offered a surgery date. ( I also have 2 other trips booked for later in the year, hence the multi trip insurance) initially it seemed that they were willing to process my claim, but I have now received an email saying that as I purchased the insurance the day after the WHO announced the  Covid pandemic, I’m not covered to make a claim. I didn’t purchase on the 18/3/20, I just updated the medical condition, but it looks like as I’ve updated this, they in turn have updated the policy terms and conditions and included the pandemic as part of not being covered. Are they able to do this?

Life__Goes__On

No, they can not,  if your policy and trip were paid for prior to  COVID-19 then you are covered  for COVID-19
The Ombudsman will take a very dim very view of them trying to wriggle out of coverage.

Write back to your insurance company and title your letter "COMPLAINT"  (this is important as then they have 8 week to reassess your claim) Tell them when you paid for your coverage it included all trips booked before  COVID-19. and this still stands,  if you still refuse to settle this claim fully, I will be submitting all evidence to the Ombudsman.

EDIT They are trying to backdate the T&Cs you agreed to at the time of payment, and this isn't allowed.

[Deleted User]

Obviously someone just looking at the updated computer details and not looking at the bigger picture.  I think you need to actually 'speak' to someone urgently and if they are not answering the phones then email them explaining the facts (as the post above advises)  Good luck.