What to look for in travel insurance
Holiday like a fool, let your hair down! I’ve heard people say the rules are different when you go on holiday. A pint at the airport in Spoons before your flight even if it’s 8am, as it’s 5pm somewhere and it’s ok because you are on holiday…. This article highlights what to look for in your travel insurance and the advice is don’t holiday like a fool.
Kick back and relax, but don’t forget the potential consequences of being uninsured or not covered by your insurance for an activity or a drunken mistake or not disclosing a pre-existing medical condition.
How many people have read the exclusions on their travel insurance policy?
Such exclusions include clauses such as no cover if you act in a deliberate, harmful or reckless way for example putting yourself in needless danger that could be predicted to result in an injury, such as climbing across a balcony. There is often wording in a policy that will exclude claims from injuries caused by you being drunk or under the influence of drugs even if taking those drugs may be legal in the country you are in.
It is also important to look at hazardous activities that are not covered by your travel insurance policy. There are often additional policies or cover you can take out for activities such as winter sports, cruises and adventure activities. If you take part in one of these activities without the correct policy you may find you are not covered for emergency medical treatment, cancellation, cutting your trip short or personal liability. It could suddenly become a very expensive trip. Some policies have different geographical limits to consider, such as only covering you for a trip to Europe or USA. You should also be aware of the time limits such as policies that only cover you for a maximum of 30 days travel and your cover should start on the day that you leave home.
Pre-existing conditions
Make sure you advise your insurer of any pre-existing medical conditions or if you are waiting for medical treatment. There may be a premium to pay for a pre-existing condition, but if you don’t pay the premium you may find you are not covered for any medical treatment you may need abroad even if it is not related to your pre-existing condition. If it is later found out by your insurer that you had a pre-existing medical condition the insurer is entitled to recover all of or a proportion of the medical expenses that they paid out for you. This could leave you with a bill for thousands of pounds.
If you are in any doubt contact your insurer to confirm your cover and to get any queries answered. Policies can run on to 100 pages, but it is so important to check you are covered for your holiday. Then share your policy details with your family or a friend who is in the UK and would be able to help you with communicating with your insurer if something went wrong on your trip.
Check the Foreign Commonwealth Development Office advice for safe travel and warnings about travel abroad, including entry requirements, safety and security, health risks and legal differences. Have a look at the Travel Aware campaign.
Also don’t forget to apply for your UK Global Health Insurance Card (GHIC) which can help cover some medical costs when you are on holiday. The GHIC replaces the European Health Insurance Card (EHIC), but remember it is not a substitute for travel insurance for medical care as it may not cover all healthcare costs and it doesn’t cover repatriation costs. It is free to apply for your GHIC so beware of unofficial websites which charge you a fee to apply.
Should you be involved in an accident or incident whilst on holiday or overseas travelling for business it is important to report the incident and obtain a copy of any incident report. This may include reporting the accident to the police if you are in a public place. In some countries it is not possible to bring a claim for compensation if you do not have a police report. Take photographs, get details of any witnesses, keep any receipts and notes of expenses and seek medical attention getting copies of those medical records as well. Notify your travel insurer as soon as possible and follow the advice given.
If you need legal advice for following an accident or injury whilst on holiday, see how our travel team can help.
Enjoy your trip, but don’t holiday like a fool.
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