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Travel Insurance is often over looked or neglected when planning a trip overseas, even today, thousands of Britons will travel abroad this year with NO Travel Insurance – quite literally taking the risk of their life.
Having travel insurance means that your holiday or business trip is protected should the worst happen? For a relatively small premium, you an cover the cost of medical fees, legal fees and liability, evacuation or repatriation, lost documents such as passports, travellers cheques etc.
With so many policies available, you need to be aware of what your policy will and will not cover should you need to use it. If you have specific requirements, you must ensure your adviser is aware of this so they can find the best policy for your needs.  |  |  | | Competitive Travel Insurance designed for UK citizens travelling overseas and within the British Isles. | Specialist European Only Travel Insurance designed to cover Pre-existing Medical Conditions. | Comprehensive European and Worldwide Travel Insurance for both UK and European Citizens |
Understanding your policy...We believe that when it comes to Travel Insurance, there is too much focus on cost and not enough on cover. Following consumer demand, many insurers have cut their travel rates to remain competitve, however as a consequence, your policy may not cover some of the things you assumed were covered...
Single Trip policies
This is where a customer would buy insurance specifically for one trip. To do so, the customer will need to know exactly where and when they intend to travel. The insurance provided will cover this single trip only and must be extended if the trip is delayed at all.
Note: You should buy your travel insurance in advance, after you have booked your holiday. This is because you may have needed to cancel or delay the holiday due to unforeseen circumstances - you may be able to claim on your policy for this!
Annual Multi-trip policies
Unlike the Single Trip option, these policies are suited more towards the regular traveller. The policy covers you for any number of trips (often limited to a number of days per trip). This means you do not have to bother arranging insurance before you travel. This is the most common and cost effective way to insure yourself when travelling.
Note: Although the policy is referred to as an Annual Multi-trip, it will not provide year long cover when outside of your country of origin. For this you will need either extended travel insurance or medical insurance.
Medical Screening
Most insurance companies use a telephone medical screening service to determine the risk they are taking. If you or someone travelling with you has a medical or psychiatric condition, you must first inform the screening service at the point of application. They will ask specific questions pertinent to your application, dependant on your reply; they may exclude, limit or load the premium for a certain condition.
If unsure of what best to do, contact your policy adviser to discuss, Tel: 0845 408 5444
Pre-existing medical conditions This is often an understated area on all policies. Unless otherwise specified, pre-existing medical / psychiatric conditions will not be covered. Before buying a policy, you will be asked about your present and previous state of health - it is important that you disclose all material facts regarding your health. In some cases, when a condition has been disclosed, the insurer will cover any claims arising from or related to that condition. If you are in any way unsure about this, speak to your policy adviser for assistance. In most circumstances, if you have a more serious condition, you should consult your GP before considering any form of travel. If he recommends that you do not travel, you will not be able to obtain reputable insurance cover. We can in some circumstances cover existing medical conditions subject to underwriting approval; to do this your enquiry will need to be made by telephone so we can pass you on to the relevant parties. If you are travelling to either France or Europe, we may be able to cover pre-existing medical conditions in full without the need for a policy loading. Click here for details . Geographical area
Most policies divide the world into two or three categories for the purpose of pricing, these are;
1) European cover only 2) Worldwide (excluding USA / Canada) and 3) Worldwide (inc. USA/Canada)
Increasingly, due to spirralling costs, many providers are categorising trips to New Zealand and Australia sperately.
You should carefully consider which of these areas is going to be applicable to your needs. You may incur an administration charge if you need to 'upgrade' cover from European to Worldwide, so it is best to consider your options ahead of time.
Making a claim on your policy
Should you have needed to make a claim on your policy - you must contact the insurer immediately. If you have been hospitalised as a result or illness or injury, try to get a family member to contact the insurer - alternatively the hospital treating you can assist (as they will be submitting bills etc.).
If you are unhappy about the manner in which a claims was handled or your claim has been declined, notify your policy adviser as soon as you return home, they will advise you of the best course of action.
Note: A common error is with smaller claims for personal items, to return to the UK and try to sort things out then. You may find your claim being thrown out altogether. Inform them immediately and follow any instructions given.
Evacuation and Repatriation
This is a core element of your policy - ensure it is suited to your needs.
In the event of serious illness or injury and local medical facilities are not sufficient to meet your clinical needs, your insurer will pay for you to be moved by air ambulance or land ambulance to a more suitable treatment centre. In some cases, this may result in the return to your domicile country for treatment. Additionally, they will pay for you to e evacuated should this become necessary.
Children Travelling without Parental Guardians
As a golden rule, children can only travel with their accompanying adult guardians - irrespective of age.
If your child has need to travel independently, you may need to purchase an extension of cover to allow independent travel. Speak to your adviser if unsure.
Note: This is a common error for families with teenage children. The child does not qualify for any benefit unless travelling with named guardians. The cost of adjusting your policy in minimal, but could save you a small fortune!
Winter Sports Cover
As more and more people enjoy travelling overseas for Winter sports, travel insurers have had to equally adjust.
Many policies offer a limited amount of benefit for winter sports activities. However, this normally consists of extending medical benefits only. Should you require specific cover for skiing equipment and the like check your policy first - or speak to your adviser?
Business Travel
If you intend to use your policy for business use, check with your adviser first. Dependant on the nature of your business, there may be certain caveats placed on the policy. Benefits may vary slightly as well; covering possessions such as lap top computers and even the cost of a replacement employee can be claimed.
Business Cover can be bought as both Single Trip and/or Annual Multi-trip, individually or as a group.
Insurance Premium Tax
You may notice that the rate of Insurance Premium Tax (IPT) is higher on your travel insurance policy than it is on other general insurance policies. The rate applied to Travel Insurance is 17.5% as Insurance Premium Tax, this is to make it equal to VAT which may be applied if you purchase cover through your holiday booking agent. If bought separately, VAT is not applied, however to keep pricing fair and even, the Government raised the IPT to match VAT. IPT on other General Insurance policies is currently 5% (accurate at time of print)
Hazardous Holiday Activities
Most standard policies do not cover any Hazardous Holiday Pursuits such as white water rafting, hand-gliding etc.
If you need cover for such activities, you may need to arrange a specialist insurance plan which is designed for such activities. Telephone 0845 408 5444 (during office hours) to speak to an adviser about this type of cover.
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Travel Insurance 
