Travel insurance declined covid related claim

mechecolomar

We had to cancel our holiday in February because our children tested positive for covid. We felt reassured as our travel insurance covered us for flight cancellation due to personal quarantine, so we sent our claim. Our claim has now been declined because our policy start date was 12th February, and the date that we took the children to be tested was the 11th. They are claiming that this was a 'medical condition awaiting test results' that we failed to disclose prior to our policy starting. 

I feel like we're being treated unfairly. I don't agree that covid should be counted as a 'medical condition' as there were only extremely mild symptoms of illness, that in any other circumstances, would not have stopped us from being able to fly. The symptoms were milder than any common cold and the tests were taken as a precaution prior to travelling. The only reason we were unable to fly was due to personal quarantine. We didn't receive the results until 12th Feb, the same day the policy began, and that is when the 10 days of quarantine began. I am trying to argue that due to the quarantine period beginning on the date our policy began, we should be entitled to our claim. 

We purchased the cover in January, so could not have foreseen a claim at the time of purchasing, and at the time of taking the children for a covid test, it never crossed my mind that mild symptoms of covid could be considered a medical condition! 

Is there any hope that we will be able to be successful with this claim? Has anyone had any similar circumstances and been successful? 

I think we will just have to take it as a lesson learnt to always take out insurance a couple of weeks before a holiday is due to start! 

[Deleted User]

I can't see you have any chance of winning this one, as the policy started after the incident. It's a standard exclusion on all insurance.

In future take insurance out immediately on booking - not just a couple of weeks before the holiday is due to start.

Thrugelmir

mechecolomar said:

We purchased the cover in January, so could not have foreseen a claim at the time of purchasing, and at the time of taking the children for a covid test, it never crossed my mind that mild symptoms of covid could be considered a medical condition! 

The children already had Covid before your policy cover started though. As far as the insurer is concerned the condition would be pre-existing . After all it's the basis for your claim on the policy. 

ripplyuk

mechecolomar said:

 it never crossed my mind that mild symptoms of covid could be considered a medical condition! 

What else would it be called? 

If you took the children to be tested on the 11th, then they had symptoms before the policy started and the insurance company are correct. I appreciate this is frustrating. 

katejo

Thrugelmir said:

mechecolomar said:

We purchased the cover in January, so could not have foreseen a claim at the time of purchasing, and at the time of taking the children for a covid test, it never crossed my mind that mild symptoms of covid could be considered a medical condition! 

The children already had Covid before your policy cover started though. As far as the insurer is concerned the condition would be pre-existing . After all it's the basis for your claim on the policy. 

You purchased the policy in January but you gave the starting date of cover as Feb 12th? Why didn't you start it straight away in January? You need to buy cover as soon as you book  to cover any events which might occur before departure. 

mechecolomar

Thanks everyone. My husband took out the policy and I'm not sure why he chose to start the policy the day before we were due to travel. 

Looking at it all now that I'm feeling more level-headed, I can see that we don't really have a case at all. It's just so annoying that had we tested the children the following day, we would have been covered. 

I was a bit confused about the 'pre-existing medical condition' part, which the insurance company themselves define as a condition that you have received treatment, or specialist medication for, such as diabetes, stroke, cancer etc. The children did not need any treatment or medication which is why I wasn't sure if it could be defined as a pre-existing medical condition. As I said before, the illness itself wasn't what prevented us from flying, it was the quarantine rules. Although I understand that the fact we took the children for their tests the day before means the company would have cancelled our policy on that day in any case. 
 
Will definitely be more careful next time! Thanks for the advice.  

HHarry

katejo said:

Thrugelmir said:

mechecolomar said:

We purchased the cover in January, so could not have foreseen a claim at the time of purchasing, and at the time of taking the children for a covid test, it never crossed my mind that mild symptoms of covid could be considered a medical condition! 

The children already had Covid before your policy cover started though. As far as the insurer is concerned the condition would be pre-existing . After all it's the basis for your claim on the policy. 

You purchased the policy in January but you gave the starting date of cover as Feb 12th? Why didn't you start it straight away in January? You need to buy cover as soon as you book  to cover any events which might occur before departure. 

I’ve always understood that the start date of an annual policy should be the date of purchase.  For a single trip policy it’s the start of the holiday, but you’d be covered for the period from purchase date to start date.  As per the Post Office https://www.postoffice.co.uk/travel-insurance/single-trip

lisyloo

I’m confused about the dates.

when did you partner purchase the policy and answer the questions?
when did you receive the documentation?
was it single trip or annual?
is the 12 feb the start date for an annual policy or the travel date for a single trip policy.

NoodleDoodleMan

"Thanks everyone. My husband took out the policy and I'm not sure why he chose to start the policy the day before we were due to travel."

It's a common error where holidaymakers select the start date of their trip as the commencement of travel insurance cover - it needs to be immediately the reservations are made.

Sandtree

NoodleDoodleMan said:

"Thanks everyone. My husband took out the policy and I'm not sure why he chose to start the policy the day before we were due to travel."

It's a common error where holidaymakers select the start date of their trip as the commencement of travel insurance cover - it needs to be immediately the reservations are made.

Its not that common an error because Single Trip cover you dont set a start date at all and those that buy Annual Travel tend to be buying back to back cover. Right now many be a bit different because people let their annual cover lapse and are now rebuying and that's when the error can occur 

mechecolomar said:

My husband took out the policy and I'm not sure why he chose to start the policy the day before we were due to travel. 

Just to confirm, he did buy an annual policy rather than single trip? It can be cheaper to buy annual than single trip even if you are only anticipating one trip.

mechecolomar

It was an annual policy, but due to begin the day before the holiday started. We weren't renewing an annual policy, but starting a new one because we haven't needed travel insurance for such a long time.

We purchased the policy in January and received the documentation, but the policy's start date was 12th February and flights were booked for 13th February. 

My husband has explained he bought the policy to begin on the 12th Feb as he was anticipating a holiday next year within the dates of the policy and wanted the policy to cover next January/early February.

It's just a huge oversight and very annoying considering our main concern was cancellation due to covid! 

Oh well. Lesson learnt! 

Thanks all.