Annual Travel Insurance - COVID Cover

Grumpy_chap

Hello,
Our annual travel insurance is due for renewal at the end of this month. 

Obviously, with the events of the past year, we didn't really go anywhere to warrant this policy being in place.  As the restrictions on travel remain, we are inclined not to renew and wait until we are actually able to book something and then take a policy at that time.  In particular, we understood that cover for anything COVID-related was likley to be excluded in any case for a new policy.

However, the renewal has come through on the basis that so long as we maintain continuous cover, then COVID will be included for:

• Unable to travel because ill with COVID or self-isolating
• Medical claim while away for COVID
• Curtailment to return home early for relative with COVID
• Cancellation for change in Government restrictions to COVID (advice against travel, will be denied entry or will need to self-isolate)
• Early repatriation because of COVID

This seemed quite comprehensive.
It could still be several months before we are able to book and travel again, could even be a whole year.

Is it worth taking a policy to maintain the continuity of cover and COVID-cover, even though we have no timescale of when we might sensibly be travelling anywhere?

Ganga

Depends on the cost of the policy ,things MIGHT change next year with the up coming vaccines but i think most policies will go up to cover any losses both current and in the future.

Grumpy_chap

My policy £80 per year - covers whole world including USA.
Wife's policy a bit cheaper - excluded USA.
Same prices last year as the renewal quoted this year.
It is just we'd have to take the cover now and maintain continuous cover until such time as we can sensibly travel again.

silvercar

I would continue, nothing to do with covid. I let a policy lapse and nearly lost out when OH needed a referral for something that meant no insurer would touch us until the results were in. If I had kept the policy up there wouldn’t have been a problem. Luckily test results came back in time, but otherwise our holiday would have been in jeopardy.

epm-84

Staysure are offering 15 months for the price of 12 on annual insurance policies which include COVID cover.  That might be your insurer but if it's a different insurer it might be worth seeing if there's any differences in price or inclusions.  

Grumpy_chap

Thanks epm.  My current insurer is AXA.

If I change to Staysure, or anyone else, that presumably means the continuous cover is irrelevant and I can take a break in cover and not worry about it as COVID-cover will be available in the future.  I also assume that cover for COVID will become more standard as time evolves as otherwise the holiday industry (including the insurers) just won't recover.

Considering the comment by silvercar about new ailments developing, the continuous cover offer received is on the basis of no change in health declaration from last year.  I interpret that to mean that the policy would not be continuous if a medical condition had developed in the past year.

silvercar

Grumpy_chap said:

Thanks epm.  My current insurer is AXA.

If I change to Staysure, or anyone else, that presumably means the continuous cover is irrelevant and I can take a break in cover and not worry about it as COVID-cover will be available in the future.  I also assume that cover for COVID will become more standard as time evolves as otherwise the holiday industry (including the insurers) just won't recover.

Considering the comment by silvercar about new ailments developing, the continuous cover offer received is on the basis of no change in health declaration from last year.  I interpret that to mean that the policy would not be continuous if a medical condition had developed in the past year.

Usually they give you an option to pay an extra premium to include medical conditions. The risk is that any medical conditions arise between now, when you could renew without an excess charge, or whenever you take out the policy if you wait.
The problem arises if something occurs and you are awaiting test results at the time you need to take out insurance, as then most policies won't offer cover.