Medical problems or stolen belongings perhaps any other issue out of the many for which you have to make your travel insurance policy claim. However, what if on the last moment when you are in the claiming process thoughts you are told that the policy is invalid and the company will not be paying your claim. Surely something no one would wish to hear or witness in their trip.
This is why the insurance company Aviva has pointed out a few issues so the consumers are well aware and plan accordingly.
In a recent study that they conducted over 2000 UK participants many alarming facts were seen. Some of which were that 47% of the participant said that they would tell their insurer about any existing medical conditions when they are buying the travel insurance policy cover.
That not all one of the other revelation was the 29% said they wouldn’t make their insurer aware of the health / medical conditions.
Adam Beckett, Product Director for Aviva General Insurance said: “A person’s medical history is incredibly important when taking out travel insurance, as are any health changes that occur between them purchasing cover and travelling. This allows the insurer to appropriately assess the medical risks each customer poses, along with any other risks, in order to provide cover at a fair price”.
He further added “For those who have travel insurance through their bank or as an annual policy which renews automatically, it’s vital that they check their cover at renewal and inform their insurance provider if anything has changed or before they book a holiday.”
He said: “If a customer doesn’t disclose their medical history, this could mean that their policy is invalid. So if they are taken ill on holiday, due to a pre-existing condition or a condition which was being investigated before they travelled, unfortunately a claim may be declined.”
Mr Beckett said: “Travel insurance is designed to help customers in the case of an unforeseen emergency.This could either mean something that occurs on holiday or an incident that happens beforehand which disrupts travel plans. Our research reveals that less than a third of people read their travel insurance documents in full, so it’s no surprise that there’s some confusion over cover. But this can lead to disappointment if people expect to make a claim, only to find they can’t”.
“It’s crucial that people check their travel cover when they buy it or when they receive an annual reminder, so they know what the restrictions are.This should help to avoid any unpleasant surprises.”
Top travel insurance tips:
- Always tell your insurer about your own medical / health related issues and concerns or anyone who is on your policy. Even if when renewing and there are some changes you should make them aware not just doing so when you are travelling.
- Know the exact reasons for cancellations and missed departures (for instance) if you missed your flight because you overslept then surely it is something that might not be covered by the travel insurance policy. Unless the flight is cancelled due to conditions such as airport strike, severe weather conditions etc. If in-case the policy covers such things.
- If you are going to take some valuable items with you. It is recommended to check prior if they are covered by existing policy or would you need additional cover.
- One other thing that is not covered by the travel insurance policy are the booking scams. So, when you are booking your holidays make sure you have done all the research and are satisfied with the details. If you are not sure and want to know some major tips of how to find out booking scams, there are plenty of guides available over the internet.
There are many other major points that Aviva has mentioned in the article here. Why not give it a read.
Now that you are aware of some of the major travel insurance policy do’s and don’ts, why not use them on your next trip. Don’t forget to let us know how it all went for you.
