Travel insurance: to keep, or not to keep, that is the question ...

silvercar

If you had asked me 2 months ago, I would have said cancel. After my experience in the last few weeks I would say keep. I know just one anecdote is not enough to base a decision.
We have travel insurance through our bank account. along with other benefits.
Last year OH had a declarable medical issue. We were meant to be travelling to the Far East in June. In May I contacted the insurer to notify these medical details on to the policy. I was given a quote valid for 28 days. During that time our holiday was cancelled and refunded due to covid-19, so I didn't bother to pay the quote. We then decided to go to a safe country for a 3 day break. I thought I would add the medical issue to our policy just before we travel, as the holiday was cancel-able and once added the policy is then valid for a year, so hopefully will cover next year's holiday under the same payment.
A couple of week's before we were due to travel, OH had a routine follow up with his consultant, who said everything was fine but some of the bloods were abnormal and he should have a scan to check all was good. So suddenly we are in the territory of "awaiting tests" and the insurer won't offer cover. Had I taken the cover when I got the original quote, then all would have been ok. So waiting to get the latest start date could have cost me. (As it happened, he had the scan on the Monday that was clear, I took out the cover on Tuesday and we flew the same week, so all was good. But it could have turned out the other way,)

Savvy_Sue

I find that very helpful silvercar. DH's issues are of the kind where every now and again they wonder if they should check out ... and we are then, as you say, in the 'awaiting tests' or 'awaiting test results' limbo. 

(The most recent fiasco was he phoned to get some blood test results. Receptionist could not find any, so he phoned again a week later, and so on. Eventually the receptionist asks when he had the tests done, and started digging deeper. She thought the hospital had ordered the tests, but no, it was his GP. She dug deeper again, and found a note saying "sample submitted in the wrong container, with the wrong paperwork". Presuming that this meant no testing had actually taken place, she put in a request for the GP to phone DH. DH expected GP to find out what the right container would look like, and what the right paperwork would say, and to get him to see the nurse again - but in fact he had managed to find the results, which confirmed DH does not have the rare condition which would contra-indicate him stopping taking one of his meds which he's already stopped taking...)

I'm glad you managed to make your short trip, suitably insured! 

ron99999

I and my wife are in our 70's and we like to go cruising and we have our travel insurance through our joint Nationwide Flex account and we have to pay an age related payment of £65 each year.
The next payment is due in December/January and I think I will pay it even though we might not go on a cruise next year.
We have to keep it going or it will lapse.
Before the pandemic I was looking for travel insurance as I only keep that account for the travel insurance, and the cheapest I could get was over £500 so £65 a year seems a bargain.

Archergirl

Noodledoodleman The £65 with Nationwide is not per person just one payment if one is over 70 but when the other person becomes 70 it isn't another £65. We have this cover and the breakdown cover is for 2 cars as well. We have had to claim in the past and it was very easy. You never know what an ins company is like until you have to claim....

bigadaj

Archergirl said:

Noodledoodleman The £65 with Nationwide is not per person just one payment if one is over 70 but when the other person becomes 70 it isn't another £65. We have this cover and the breakdown cover is for 2 cars as well. We have had to claim in the past and it was very easy. You never know what an ins company is like until you have to claim....

Very true, we claimed on a flex plus account last year and it was painful and long winded, though they did pay £100 in compensation for poor service. 

NoodleDoodleMan

Apolgies - I thought it was £65 per person.

The Co-op is still a better deal for anybody in the 70-79 year old age bracket IMO - cover is from AXA,  a major league insurance provider.

kangoora

We have the Nationwide one and I declared my diabetes Type 2 earlier this year. We had to pay an increment of around £100 for cover but going externally for insurance cover with Types 2 diabetes appeared to be hugely expensive. I think we'll stick with Nationwide for now unless they raise their additional premiums massively, also peace of mind with RAC cover isn't bad as a bonus.

Savvy_Sue

Thanks everyone. I clearly need to phone Axa and go through my questions with them: it's helpful knowing that it's the same process, and should be the same policy (which I have already confirmed with them when I first opened the Coop account). 

I'm minded to keep the insurance going: sometimes saving money in the short term causes problems down the line ... 

And if there is a problem in transferring it to the Coop, then I shall just have to stay with Smile and keep that account ticking over. I was hoping to close it, and of course I can save a couple of £ per month if I move the insurance to the Coop, but hey ho!