Travel insurance Covid cover...?

mrsrlm

I have an annual travel insurance policy up for renewal in August. The above suggests that I should be covered for C19 but my letter clearly states everything C19 related would be excluded after renewal. However, the above is written in the past tense so should this still be the case for future annual policies to be renewed going forward? Is this why the insurance provider is encouraging me to shop around and find another policy(!)...?

Streaky_Bacon

The advice you have referenced can be found here:

https://www.moneysavingexpert.com/insurance/pre-existing-travel-insurance/

As if often the case, the advice is not very explicit, but the wording seems be aimed at a situation where, for example.

- You buy insurance in August 2019

- You book a holiday in January 2020, for a trip in October 2020

- You renew you insurance in August 2020, but the trip is cancelled in September 2020

If the trip was cancelled in July 2020, it falls under the original policy, but cancellation in September 2020 puts it under the new policy.

It seems likely that you would be covered in that case, but I do not think that you would be able to renew in August 2020, and have COVID19 cover for any holiday you booked after the renewal (and possibly not for any holiday you booked after March 2020).

Unfortunately the article does not go into enough detail to tell what has been discussed with the insurers and FCA.

Other advice has stated that trips booked after March 2020 would not be covered even under the original policy.

Insurance is really for risks that are not yet foreseeable.

Do you have a holiday booked at the moment?

Nebulous2

There was some press reporting on that agreement at the time. I think I linked to it at one point, but can't find it just now. 

That was only for pre-booked holidays before CV became  a known event. My insurer uses 13 March as a cut-off point. 

The other points to watch for are  that some insurers may have withdrawn from the market and some people have been reporting huge increases in premiums.