3 people, One booking, two travel insurance policies

GCM68

The wife and I have anual travel insurance policy but now and again my mother comes away with us, because of her age and pre-existing conditions she can't get anual cover so takes out insurance in her name for the period of the trip.

I book the holiday for 3 people, the wife, mum and I, if we had to cancel say for a medical emergency, Who can claim on their insurance for what, ie if I was hospitalised, obviously my insurance would cover the wife and I, but would my mum be able to claim on here insurance for her part of the booking that's being cancelled? or would my insurance cover the total cost as it's one booking in my name. 

Or if my Mum took ill wihle away and couldn't travel home, obviously her insurance should cover her, but would we have to leave her stranded and come home without her? that's not an option really as she's in her 80's.

We've been doing it like this for a few years now and it's never occured to me but for some reason it just pinged into my head, has anyone had experience of anything like this?

DullGreyGuy

Let's assume that cancellations/illnesses etc are not related to any pre-existing conditions...

For the pre-travel cancellation, each party claims off of their own insurance.

For whilst away hospitalisation then the hospitalised person's insurance pays for the medical costs, it too will pay for 1 person to stay with them if it's deemed necessary by the insurer's doctor. The other insurance policy is unlikely to react in this scenario so in theory one person has to go home. As a consequence what may actually be worse is if its you/your partner that's the ill one as presumably its the other of you that would want to stay leaving mum to travel home alone. Insurers however are not totally heartless and I've certainly known my clients have no issues with young children staying abroad too when it's a couple on holiday and clearly cannot send a 1 year old home alone. 

The problem area comes with pre-existing conditions, almost no policies (I dont know of any but will give the benefit of the doubt to others who claim there are some) allows you to declare pre-existing conditions for non-travelling relatives. As a consequence with two separate policies covering the trip if any of you become ill from a pre-existing or related condition and unfit to travel then only those covered by that person's insurance can claim for the cancellation.

There are some policies with more generous wording on relative's pre-existing conditions, saying they're covered as long as the time of booking there was no reasonable prospect of it causing a problem but if you've late stage cancer or known heart issues that you take 8 pills a day for it'd be hard to argue there was no reasonable prospect.

GCM68

DullGreyGuy said:

Let's assume that cancellations/illnesses etc are not related to any pre-existing conditions...

For the pre-travel cancellation, each party claims off of their own insurance.

For whilst away hospitalisation then the hospitalised person's insurance pays for the medical costs, it too will pay for 1 person to stay with them if it's deemed necessary by the insurer's doctor. The other insurance policy is unlikely to react in this scenario so in theory one person has to go home. As a consequence what may actually be worse is if its you/your partner that's the ill one as presumably its the other of you that would want to stay leaving mum to travel home alone. Insurers however are not totally heartless and I've certainly known my clients have no issues with young children staying abroad too when it's a couple on holiday and clearly cannot send a 1 year old home alone. 

The problem area comes with pre-existing conditions, almost no policies (I dont know of any but will give the benefit of the doubt to others who claim there are some) allows you to declare pre-existing conditions for non-travelling relatives. As a consequence with two separate policies covering the trip if any of you become ill from a pre-existing or related condition and unfit to travel then only those covered by that person's insurance can claim for the cancellation.

There are some policies with more generous wording on relative's pre-existing conditions, saying they're covered as long as the time of booking there was no reasonable prospect of it causing a problem but if you've late stage cancer or known heart issues that you take 8 pills a day for it'd be hard to argue there was no reasonable prospect.

Thanks, that is basically what we thought but wasn't sure, it's just my mum with pre existing conditions and her insurance is aware of them. We was more concerned about her being left out there on her own although at a push we could probably cover between us it if we had to pay to stay on for a while at least if we had to.

DullGreyGuy

GCM68 said:

DullGreyGuy said:

Let's assume that cancellations/illnesses etc are not related to any pre-existing conditions...

For the pre-travel cancellation, each party claims off of their own insurance.

For whilst away hospitalisation then the hospitalised person's insurance pays for the medical costs, it too will pay for 1 person to stay with them if it's deemed necessary by the insurer's doctor. The other insurance policy is unlikely to react in this scenario so in theory one person has to go home. As a consequence what may actually be worse is if its you/your partner that's the ill one as presumably its the other of you that would want to stay leaving mum to travel home alone. Insurers however are not totally heartless and I've certainly known my clients have no issues with young children staying abroad too when it's a couple on holiday and clearly cannot send a 1 year old home alone. 

The problem area comes with pre-existing conditions, almost no policies (I dont know of any but will give the benefit of the doubt to others who claim there are some) allows you to declare pre-existing conditions for non-travelling relatives. As a consequence with two separate policies covering the trip if any of you become ill from a pre-existing or related condition and unfit to travel then only those covered by that person's insurance can claim for the cancellation.

There are some policies with more generous wording on relative's pre-existing conditions, saying they're covered as long as the time of booking there was no reasonable prospect of it causing a problem but if you've late stage cancer or known heart issues that you take 8 pills a day for it'd be hard to argue there was no reasonable prospect.

Thanks, that is basically what we thought but wasn't sure, it's just my mum with pre existing conditions and her insurance is aware of them. We was more concerned about her being left out there on her own although at a push we could probably cover between us it if we had to pay to stay on for a while at least if we had to.

You always need to read your own policies as we can talk in generality here but some deviate from the norm. 

In general her policy would cover for one of you to stay out with her as long as her insurers agree it's necessary. The hurdle to claim its necessary generally isnt very high. Most would also cover a different person to travel out there to stay with her if it's more appropriate for the two of you to return as planned and another relative take on the care duties. 

As this is covered by her policy and they have accepted her conditions it doesn't matter if it's a pre-existing condition or if she's taken a fall or such.