COVID Travel Insurance - UK staycation

Sparky3900

Sea_Shell said:

Look at it this way ...

The rules have changed, so we are really back to a pre-Covid era of "fitness" to travel.

What would your decision have been in 2019 when faced with your level of illness?   Put on a brave face and gone?

It was never the intention of that policy to let you "choose" to change your mind as to whether you went or not.  It was for regulations out of your hands.  The policy makes no "moral" distinctions about the "right" thing to do.

Separate Medical cancellation (for ANY illness/injury) will have its own criteria.  Do you meet those?

Otherwise you could now potentially have people claiming for "Covid" cancellation, when in fact they just didn't fancy going anymore as the weather was forecast to be bad.

Any pre 2019 booking won't have included specific COVID protection. The intention of the policy was quite clearly to cover Cancellation if you test positive for COVID. It's about COVID not a separate illness. T


Not sure how you could have people claiming COVID just to skip bad weather when medical proof is a pretty straightfoward ask for an insurer. There is a national testing regime and collection of results. You wouldn't have people claiming to have COVID as proof would be required.

I'm surprised that a hotel and insurance company are essentially advising people to travel with COVID and illness. 

ripplyuk said:

The insurer will require proof from a doctor that the person is too ill to travel. This govt guidance change from mandatory to advisory is going to lead to GP’s (who are already too busy) being inundated with patients needing this sort of evidence. 

Having said that, the chances of actually getting an appointment with an NHS GP in the required timeframe, before the person has recovered, is unlikely so the private GP services should do well out of this. 

Couldn't agree with you more on the doctors and NHS. 

Andy_L

Does it define "unable to travel" anywhere?

eg "too ill to travel (Dr's note required)" "Covid legislation prevents travel" etc

ETA: We need to see the whole document. Generally it will have an opening preamble saying
"this insurance is designed to do X"

If X is "provide cover if you are unable to travel due to Government Covid restrictions" then it ceased to be useful once those restrictions were lifted.

If x is "provide cover if you are unable to travel due to being ill with Covid" then that is still valid providing you are too ill to travel (presumably needing a Dr's note as per anyother illness travel insurance claim)

sheramber

Like everything you need to check the wording on the policy document carefully to know exactly what cover you have.

Staysure say  as long as you have had all your vaccinations  

Cancellation cover before you go

Cancellation cover protects you:

• If you have COVID-19 within 14 days of travelling*

* Subject to medical certification / test result. No cover if symptoms or diagnosis occurred prior to your policy purchase.


The Post Office policy clearly states

You’re covered for cancellation if:

• You, a travelling companion, an immediate relative^ or someone you’re planning to stay with dies or is hospitalised due to Covid-19.

• You test positive for Covid-19 within 14 days of your trip and are required to self-isolate by a medical practitioner, the NHS or any UK government body.

• You’re certified as too ill to travel due to Covid-19 by a medical practitioner.

• You, a travelling companion, or the person you are staying with are required by a medical practitioner, a government body or health authority to self-isolate due to COVID-19.

sheramber

If you are not happy you can follow the complaint procedure which should be detailed in the policy document.

Upsidedownandaround

Sparky3900 said:

Sea_Shell said:

Look at it this way ...

The rules have changed, so we are really back to a pre-Covid era of "fitness" to travel.

What would your decision have been in 2019 when faced with your level of illness?   Put on a brave face and gone?

It was never the intention of that policy to let you "choose" to change your mind as to whether you went or not.  It was for regulations out of your hands.  The policy makes no "moral" distinctions about the "right" thing to do.

Separate Medical cancellation (for ANY illness/injury) will have its own criteria.  Do you meet those?

Otherwise you could now potentially have people claiming for "Covid" cancellation, when in fact they just didn't fancy going anymore as the weather was forecast to be bad.

Any pre 2019 booking won't have included specific COVID protection. The intention of the policy was quite clearly to cover Cancellation if you test positive for COVID. It's about COVID not a separate illness. T


Not sure how you could have people claiming COVID just to skip bad weather when medical proof is a pretty straightfoward ask for an insurer. There is a national testing regime and collection of results. You wouldn't have people claiming to have COVID as proof would be required.

I'm surprised that a hotel and insurance company are essentially advising people to travel with COVID and illness. 

ripplyuk said:

The insurer will require proof from a doctor that the person is too ill to travel. This govt guidance change from mandatory to advisory is going to lead to GP’s (who are already too busy) being inundated with patients needing this sort of evidence. 

Having said that, the chances of actually getting an appointment with an NHS GP in the required timeframe, before the person has recovered, is unlikely so the private GP services should do well out of this. 

Couldn't agree with you more on the doctors and NHS. 

The hotel and insurance aren’t advising anything like that.

They are simply saying you don’t meet the conditions of the policy or the booking conditions and therefore you not they are liable for you being ill.