UK Travel Insurance Consumer Guide Launched on 25th April, 2011

I am happy to report that the Association of British Insurers launched a travel insurance consumer guide on Monday 25th of April, 2011. The article can be found at Travel Insurance Consumer Guide
Rochelle Turner, Head of Research at Which? Travel has been quoted on the ABI website as saying:

"Buying travel insurance can be really complicated, particularly for those with pre-existing medical conditions or those wanting more than just medical cover. Which? Travel research shows that, in the last year, 10 per cent of people were disappointed to find that they couldn't make a claim against the policy they had purchased. The work that the ABI have been doing will help in the move to clarify what insurance does and doesn't cover so people are better informed and can buy policies that are right for their travel needs."

Rob Tinline, Director of Consular Services at the Foreign & Commonwealth Office is also quoted on the website as saying:
“Every year overseas Consular staff see cases where people don’t have adequate travel insurance and end up paying out thousands of pounds of their own money to cover their medical and other bills. Getting comprehensive insurance that covers everything you want to do on holiday is a vital part of planning your trip. We welcome the ABI initiative and hope it makes choosing a policy easier for British travellers going
abroad"

The top three things the ABI advises customers to think about when purchasing travel insurance:

• The travel insurance market is very competitive. However, the cheapest policy is not always the best as they often provide the least cover. Customers should shop around and ensure the policy they purchase covers their individual needs.

• Travellers must ensure they disclose their medical conditions to insurers so they can confirm if their policy will cover any emergency treatment they may need abroad, or whether a tailored policy would be better suited to their needs.

• Do not do anything on holiday that you would not normally do at home. Holidays are perfect for having fun, but travellers should still take necessary precautions to remain safe and not take unnecessary risks. Drink or drug-related incidents and leaving possessions unattended, particularly valuable items, could invalidate a claim.

To view the consumer guide please visit: Travel Insurance Consumer Guide

Please note that I do not endorse any travel insurance product or any other insurance product on this blog.

Online travel insurance quotations for those affected by cancer

I am very excited as I am thinking about going on holidays after Christmas....... Holidays mean travel insurance and lots of online quotations! The first thing I found out this winter is that it is not possible to obtain a quotation unless you are travelling in the next 30 days. In other words, I can't get an online quotation now at the beginning of December for a holiday in February, 2011.  Quotations are  valid for 30 days and are subject to the usual terms, conditions and exclusions ( which are usually found on the site on the policy document).

I filled out all my personal information and was given a quote of € 52.83 for travel in Europe for up to 35 days...... Happy days. ........! However, when I reached the last page I had to tick a box confirming two things:

(1)             that I meet the eligibility criteria  and
(2)             that I have read the terms and conditions.

So, I duly clicked the link for the eligibility criteria and  the following condition jumped out:

" You or anyone requiring cover under this policy, have no pre-existing medical conditions or have not suffered from any serious chronic or recurring medical conditions"

I am not eligible for this policy at € 52.83 and if  I had proceeded to purchase the policy and subsequently had to make a claim under this policy there is the possibility that the policy would be completely void due to what is called " non-disclosure of a material fact" in insurance law and this is stated on the website.

So that is the end of the online quotation. It looks like I will now have to ring the insurance company to see if I am eligible for any other policy that they have on offer as there is a blanket exclusion for those with a pre- existing medical condition.

Leukaemia and Travel Insurance

Hi Guys,


Back to blogosphere with a bang. Every time we turn on the telly we are faced with more doom and gloom about the credit crunch! Can anything put an end to our misery? Mmmmmm.... a holiday of course... ..... just think about that walk along the beach, someone to grant your every wish,stunning views, magical moments, candelit dinners, sunglasses and smiles!

Then think about travel insurance................ Did I take that smile off your face? We all know that obtaining travel insurance before we head off on our holidays can be difficult. For people affected by cancer it can become a huge problem.

I was diagnosed with Acute Myeloid Leukaemia in November, 2004 and was disappointed to discover that my old reliable insurance company now excludes cover for Acute Myeloid Leukaemia. Shocking!

No, not really. I discovered that several companies have a cancer related exclusion which means that I am covered for everything except medical treatment related to my condition. Then of course, if I am unfortunate to get sick from anything else eg. food poisoning, malaria, heart attack .....I will have to prove that the illness which I developed is not related to my pre-existing medical condition.


It is a huge personal risk to travel without any form of cover. It might seem the easy option - take out a basic policy (approx £20.00 for a single trip in Europe), hop on the plane and hope for the best! Probably not the wisest thing to do though? What happens if you get sick on holidays or need to be flown home? But what do you do if some insurance companies don't want to know ... what if they won't even provide a quotation......?


When I was looking for a quotation, the Insurance Companies usually went through a few standard questions about my pre-existing medical condition (i) what date was I diagnosed (ii) did I go into remission (iii) have I been an inpatient in the last six months (iv) have I got a terminal prognosis.

It was frustrating when I provided all the information, had gone through all the hoops and was then told that acute myeloid leukaemia is simply not covered at all. Why, I asked - when it is almost five years since diagnosis?


It is just another problem that the recession has created. Insurance markets are setting the premiums higher or they are reducing the availability of insurance to those affected by cancer....even five years after diagnosis.


However, all hope is not lost and there are some specialist companies still providing cover for acute myeloid leukamia patients... at a price of course. It seems to be that the average price for a single trip policy for travel within Europe is approximately £20 - £30 ..... that is basic cover... ie., lost luggage, lost passport etc.

In order to get covered for a pre- existing medical condition it is necessary to go through medical screening where you will be asked a series of standard questions like those mentioned above. Hopefully at the end of the conversation you will be provided with a quotation.

I was quoted £52.77 which in the big picture is not too bad and at the end of the day is peace of mind when you are on holidays. So the total cost of travel insurance (to include cover for my AML) was £72.77.

The Insurers would not give me a quotation for the annual multi-trip policy so it looks like I will have to go through the whole process again the next time I am planning some holiday adventures!