Difficult Travel Insurance Problem

CarlosTheJackass

I am in a tricky situation regarding travel insurance. My wife and I have travelled to New Zealand to visit elderly relatives. During our stay, one of them became seriously ill, and subsequently died. We have stayed on longer to attend the funeral. Our travel insurance expired on the due date of our original return to the UK, leaving us without any insurance for our eventual return later next week.

It has been relatively easy to find insurance to cover us for one of our requirements, which are; cover for our extended trip, cover for our age i.e. 67yrs and 63yrs respectively, and cover for pre-existing medical conditions, but I have yet to find any company that will cover us for all of our requirements. Can anybody offer us any help?

CKhalvashi

CarlosTheJackass said:

I am in a tricky situation regarding travel insurance. My wife and I have travelled to New Zealand to visit elderly relatives. During our stay, one of them became seriously ill, and subsequently died. We have stayed on longer to attend the funeral. Our travel insurance expired on the due date of our original return to the UK, leaving us without any insurance for our eventual return later next week.

It has been relatively easy to find insurance to cover us for one of our requirements, which are; cover for our extended trip, cover for our age i.e. 67yrs and 63yrs respectively, and cover for pre-existing medical conditions, but I have yet to find any company that will cover us for all of our requirements. Can anybody offer us any help?

It may be that you want existing health matters covered that is the issue here. 

Battleface would be my first port of call, but I don't think even they will touch this (and they were one of the only insurers offering red list cover last year).

If not, you are likely to spend a fortune on insurance. Presumably you are also outside of the UK more than 30 days? This is likely going to be an issue with most insurance policies too.

CarlosTheJackass

Thanks for info. Unfortunately, you are correct, we did try Battleface with no success. By the time of final departure from NZ, we will have been here 36 days.

CKhalvashi

CarlosTheJackass said:

Thanks for info. Unfortunately, you are correct, we did try Battleface with no success. By the time of final departure from NZ, we will have been here 36 days.

It may be worth contacting a private NZ insurer to see of they will cover you, and also looking for evidence of agreement with the UK in terms of Healthcare (I believe there is one).

Again no guarantees but this has worked in the past for me  on things that Uk insurers won't touch.

CarlosTheJackass

Thanks again CKhalvashi. I will try that.

TELLIT01

Have you tried contacting your original insurer, by phone preferably, and advising them of the situation.  They may be prepared to help given the circumstances.

CarlosTheJackass

I did try my original insurer. However, they have been impossible to make contact with by phone. We communicated via email, but they say they needed to actually speak to me. Their phone lines are constantly engaged or, when I get through, I get cut off immediately.

sheramber

Have a look at World Nomads as they insure people who are already out if the country.

I don't know what cover they provide but may be worth a look.

they do have a 48 hour waiting period for the policy to take effect.

CarlosTheJackass

Tried them as well. Still no go. Thanks for your help, all the same.