Cancellation due to pregnancy - Zika/Dengue

eskbanker

MJC90 said:
My insurance covers being advised not to travel due to medical grounds, the issue is that the information given by GP/Midwife/Pharmacist, isn't reflected on the FCDO website, however it is on TravelHealthPro, FitForTravel etc. 

Isn't the core issue here that there will be two separate aspects of insurance cover, that'll presumably be reflected in different policy sections - there ought to be one relating to generic published FCDO advice regarding whether or not travel to a country is deemed safe for all, but there should also be one relating to personal medical advice given to an individual by a qualified medical professional, so if you're seeking to cancel because of the latter and not the former then you may need to clarify the exact basis of the claim to the insurer?

DullGreyGuy

Having looked at a number of Ombudsman cases on Zika and Dengue with pregnancy its a bit of a mixed bag on if complaints are upheld or not. 

Some ombudsman seem to accept that in the matter of fairness though not strictly a "complication of pregnancy" it should be considered so. 

Others have focused on the fact the FCDO website or websites it links to and says you should follow the advice of have explicitly stated pregnant women shouldn't travel. Given most policies have an exception for travelling against FCDO advice they also take a "fairness" approach that a consumer cannot be damned if they do and damned if they dont. 

A reasonable splattering of cases arent upheld though with ombudsman pointing to the fact it was a known problem before booking 

Most also opine on the background of the pregnancy, were they trying at the time or was it an accident etc. Some who've admitted they were trying and the FCDO already was in place before purchase had their cases rejected as not being an unexpected event. 

https://www.financial-ombudsman.org.uk/decision/DRN-5328894.pdf

Above seems similar to others that were upheld but this one wasnt, the Ombudsman doesnt set precedent. I'd say the odds of a complaint being upheld are reasonable but it's far from a certainty.