The perennial headache of travel insurance goes on but ignore this most-boring bit of your holiday at your peril.
Research by payingtoomuch.com shows that millions of holidaymakers get so confused that they don’t buy travel insurance before they go overseas.
Of those that do, many risk having claims turned down because they fail to declare medical conditions when they buy travel cover.
Astonishingly, almost three million people go on holiday without it, and they risk being left seriously out of pocket if something goes wrong.
And almost 30% of people who have common health conditions, such as diabetes, asthma or epilepsy, are unaware that they need to declare their medical conditions when they buy travel insurance.
This is of real concern because it could cost thousands of pounds for medical treatment on holiday abroad the average cost of travel insurance medical claims is around £2,000.
For example, if you were to suffer a heart attack or stroke in the US, it could cost up to £100,000 for treatment or £10,000 to £20,000 for an injury or allergic reaction in the EU. However, there is good news for holidaymakers.
Some travel insurers will actually cover a medical problem without charging an additional premium.
Or if premiums are increased, it may not be as expensive as you’d expect. And, of course, it will mean that they will be able to claim back the cost of medical expenses if they are taken ill on holiday.
For example, the costs of a Standard Premium is around £5.93 for a week in Spain or £16.21 for the same period in the US if you don’t declare a medical problem.
However, if you have type 2 diabetes, epilepsy or a slipped disc, the Premium rises to £14.84 for a 7-day trip to Spain or £30.40 to the US.
Top Tips When Buying Travel Insurance
Shop around. Don’t just buy the policy offered by your travel agent or airline.
Always declare medical conditions that you have, or have had in the past, and answer questions truthfully. Also think about people you are travelling with, or family members who are ill and could affect your travel plans if they were to fall ill.
It may not cost as much as you think to be properly covered for your medical problems. Buying online can often be cheaper than other methods and it is much easier to compare policies.
The cheapest policy isn’t always the best (in fact, it rarely is!). Look at the level of cover offered by each policy and make sure it’s suitable for you.
Always read the small print. Check the policy is suitable for what you plan to do on your holiday and make sure you know how to make a claim. For example, when do you need to contact the travel insurer and what documents you need to have, such as receipts or police reports.
Don’t duplicate cover. Check if you have similar cover elsewhere. For example, if you have baggage cover on your house insurance you could exclude it from your travel insurance.
See how much an annual policy costs. If you make more than one or two trips overseas each year have a look at an annual policy to cover all the holidays you make in a year. An annual policy covering Europe will be much cheaper than one that covers worldwide travel.
Get a European Health Insurance Card (the replacement for the E111) from ehic.org.uk. It could save you money if you need treatment in the EU as medical excesses may not be charged if you use your EHIC.
If you make a travel insurance claim and it is turned down, write to the insurance company and make a formal complaint. If the company doesn’t change its mind, or you’re unhappy with how it has handled your complaint, you can complain for free to the Financial Ombudsman Service.
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