Holiday insurance

jeff_chandler

After watching Martin Lewis money show last evening, I'm a tad baffled by his, get your insurance as soon as you book your holiday. 
Now our holiday isn't till September, does he mean book insurance for only the duration of the holiday or include the time leading up to it also. 
Jeff. 

mr_stripey

book it from now. 

holiday insurance isn't just to cover medical fees in the event of an accident whilst on holiday, but also to cover costs if you are unable to go.

If you just book for the "holiday period" then you are excluding cover for anything happening up until the time you depart

Mark_d

I would take out the policy now, but only for your trip dates in September.

Brie

mr_stripey said:

book it from now. 

holiday insurance isn't just to cover medical fees in the event of an accident whilst on holiday, but also to cover costs if you are unable to go.

If you just book for the "holiday period" then you are excluding cover for anything happening up until the time you depart

Not correct as far as I'm aware.

You can book annual insurance or you can book for the length of your holiday. 

So say you're supposed to be away 1 - 14 Sept.  And on 29 August you have a car accident and won't be able to travel.  You should be covered for cancelling your holiday on short notice and the insurance will pay out (less deductible) for whatever on the holiday doesn't get refunded.  This is based on there being cancellation cover in the T&Cs.  

If however you don't buy insurance now but wait until after 29 August when you've already had the car accident there won't be cover for anything.  

DullGreyGuy

jeff_chandler said:

After watching Martin Lewis money show last evening, I'm a tad baffled by his, get your insurance as soon as you book your holiday. 
Now our holiday isn't till September, does he mean book insurance for only the duration of the holiday or include the time leading up to it also. 
Jeff. 

This depends if you are buying single trip or annual policy. 

If its a single trip you declare your travel dates but the policy starts the second you buy it so if you go out and get knocked down by a bus tomorrow you'd all be covered for cancelling the holiday 

With an annual policy you state the date you want it to start on, if you're switching insurer it'll be the date your old policy lapses else it really should be today. 

At the moment you are running the risk that if you get ill or injured now such that you cannot travel in September that you will have to cover the cost of the holiday yourself hence they say buy it ASAP.

jeff_chandler

First of all, thanks for the replies.
Both myself and wife have added our ailments to the insurance which came to a tidy sum. I have just done another with cover from now and up to the end of the Holiday, it was almost the cost of the holiday.  I'll leave it as it currently is. 
Jeff

DullGreyGuy

jeff_chandler said:

First of all, thanks for the replies.
Both myself and wife have added our ailments to the insurance which came to a tidy sum. I have just done another with cover from now and up to the end of the Holiday, it was almost the cost of the holiday.  I'll leave it as it currently is. 
Jeff

If it's until the end of the holiday then sounds like you are getting quotes for a single trip? In which case you simply enter the holiday dates, not "today"... otherwise they are quoting for a 4 month holiday. 

SevenOfNine

Martin means contact an insurer, give the holiday dates, so you are covered for it, a single trip. Eg the first day to last day of trip dates only.

IF during the lead up something happens (that isn't excluded in the small print), that will prevent you from travelling in Sept, lets say you fall & badly break both hips in August, you will be covered for having to cancel the Sept trip. You'll still be laid up & unfit to travel.

I agree with DullGreyGuy, it sounds like you're insuring yourself for a trip starting NOW & ending after you get back in Sept, 3 1/2 month holiday! That's not what Martin meant.

"ASAB, as soon as you book", he meant exactly that, quote TRAVEL DATES, declare current medical issues, & pay insurance fee NOW for the dates you'll be gone. 

saajan_12

For single trip insurance, you should buy insurance now, referencing the travel dates. That way the insurance only applies to relating to that trip, but covers causes that may happen in the meantime. Eg if you get hospitalised in between and can't go, it'll cover the cost of that trip because the cause (hospitalisation) happened after you bought the policy. It wouldn't cover other trips between now and then. 

For multi trip annual insurance its a little different, as you'd typically buy with cover starting sooner.