| Getting
the best from your Travel Insurance Some tips on keeping the costs
down
Don't forget that belongings that you take with you on holiday may be covered by your
house contents insurance policy, so you may be able to exclude this element of cover
(typically a 15% reduction), but check your house contents policy first.
Similarly if you don't need it you can usually trim the cost of annual insurance cover
by excluding Worldwide cover and limiting it to Europe only.
If you are taking out your insurance just before leaving, is cancellation cover
necessary? (typically a 10% reduction).
Medical cover and avoiding aggravation with claims
We have received numerous enquiries about travel insurance, particularly concerning
medical cover and the special conditions that most insurers apply to what they deem
pre-existing ailments. Confusion reigns - and it is understandably difficult to understand
the workings of insurance when a claim may or may not be attributable to an existing
medical condition and it is uncertain whether the severity of the condition permits travel
anyway.
Following a few simple procedures clarifies the position immediately and to a large
extent removes areas of potential aggravation should a claim arise.
READ THE POLICY and if in any doubt about any medical condition, get a certificate from
your normal medical practitioner certifying fitness for travel. This certificate
demonstrates that you have acted in a responsible way and also makes it more difficult for
an insurer to argue that travel should not take place. This does not totally solve the
problem - but it goes a long way in helping obtain the right result for you should a claim
occur.
Paying particular attention to the wording of the declaration on most proposal forms
enables the policyholder to be in no doubt about how the insurer will view specific sets
of circumstances.
Costs obviously vary with age but holders of annual travel policies should remember
that circumstances change and health can deteriorate over time. What is perfect in January
may be less than perfect in June and the policy wording will cater for this with moving
time limits for people having treatment or waiting for minor operations.
The above tips are provided by Laterlife Travel Insurance in association
with Avanti Travel Insurance |
