Travel Insurance - Validity of Cover

I've been with SAGA for years with annual cover, worldwide excluding the Americas.

But I wanted to convert this to worldwide, including the Americas. So I phoned to get a rough idea of cost ealier in the year, it wasn't huge, so I booked a holiday to Canada. Now I've come to actually renew the annual premium goes from approx £400 to £950. So I haven't renewed although I will double-check as I found the person I dealt with to be quite hard to understand.

Anyhow, I phoned Staysure for an alternative worldwide quote. This is for two of us, married couple, I'm 67 with AF and nothing else of note, and my wife with nothing worth mentioning, and she's 60.

Staysure quoted about £550 annual worldwide cover for the two of us, with all the usual terms, max 45 days any one trip, max 180 days a year away, small excess per claim etc. I also tried another recommended insurer and they came in at about £650.

But I haven't renewed with Staysure because the operator told me how travel insurance works. She was very emphatic, and said that if there was anything in my medical records that was not declared, then the whole policy would become invalid. So, taking that literally, if I have a problem with my AF or anything else serious when away, and they find I have not declared my Tennis Elbow (something which I had forgotten and which I didn't even know was in my medical records till I looked), then I wouldn't be covered for anything.

Does anyone know, is this correct?

I'm concerned that I may forget something minor and in effect not be covered.

Thanks

[BobD Volunteer]

My understanding regarding insurance of any kind has always been that it is anything in the last five years but I could be wrong. When I tried to get life insurance after I had prostate cancer they refused to cover me at all unless I was free from treatment or symptoms for five years.

[Hidden in reply to BobD]

When I went through the screening, a lot of htings they asked were in the last five years, but some were in the last year only, and one was any time in my life, can't remember what that was. But five years seems the main one.

[Hidden]

Koll, the best thing would be for you to ask for a print out from your GP to show anything at

all that you consulted about however minor. You will of course realise that insurance companies will look for any excuse at all not to pay out.

I found Allclear insurance company gave by far the best quote and when I had to claim just a few weeks ago for a cancelled cruise 2 days before departure (AF related ) it was settled promptly without a problem .

Sandra

[Hidden in reply to Hidden]

Thanks Sandra, I'll get my list and try Allclear.

[Maggimunro]

Same problem here. But there is a much cheaper and safer alternative. When I declared my A fib and upcoming ablation to my previous travel insurance company they wanted an extra £100 for the remaining 3 months of my policy but that didn't give any cover for my A fib!! I declined their offer of cover and took the advice of a friend.

Go to Nationwide and open a Flexiplus account. This costs £120 per year and for that both my husband and I get world wide travel insurance. I declared my ablations and Afib and so I pay a premium of an extra £100 per year. My husband is a mountain climber and it also covers him for extreme recovery (ie helicopters off mountains etc).

So for the princley sum of just £220 per year we are both totally covered. We went to Australia earlier this year and we were covered. We are both in our late 60's.

Hope this helps.

[Hidden in reply to Maggimunro]

Ah ha ... thanks, that could be the one, I'll look into it.

[Hidden in reply to Maggimunro]

ooh yes, it's got UK & European Breakdown and Recovery Assistance as well. We go abroad in our car every year, so this is looking even better 😀