Dream holiday- insurance if someone is unwell?

[SimonsCow]

i have paid the deposit on a holiday this summer for me, DH and the kids. It is a LOT of money to us and I’m terrified that one of the kids will get chicken pox or something. Is there a type of travel insurance I can buy that would mean we’d get all the holiday money back rather than have one of us stay at home with the sick child and the other take the other children?

I think any decent travel insurance should cover you for this. It usually includes illness of close family members too (if someone who isn't going has a heart attack or something and you have to cancel). I'm fairly sure my annual Coverwise policy would cover this, for example.

Standard travel insurance covers exactly this. Make sure you declare all preexisting conditions including any of relatives that if they deteriorated could cause you to change your plans. Check the amount you are insuring for cancellation and curtailment, make sure it covers your costs

Get your insurance now, you never know what might pop up in life that could prevent you from going. A lot of people wait till they're about to go away, thinking they only need to be covered for the actual duration on their break. And don't forget to mention any pre-existing conditions any of you might have.

use a comparison site, put all your details in and then different tiers of cover will come up. Choose which one suits you best out of them.

Apologies if you already know this - don't mean to be patronising.
I'm sure nothing will happen and you'll have a fantastic holiday - but better safe than sorry.

Not patronising at all! Very helpful- thank you!

I know I sound dim but I have never taken my family abroad before or parted with so much money for a holiday so I’d like to make sure I am covered!

I used to work in this field and there's no way that I would step on a plane without decent insurance. I've dealt with too many cases that cost the insurers hundreds of thousands - and they were the lucky ones who got excellent treatment and it was paid for. Without insurance lots of overseas hospitals will hurry to discharge you even if you need ongoing care because you are costing them money. It's not just medical treatment, they would cover you staying until you are fit to fly or new flights.

A tip - I set up a whatsapp group with me and DH, in it, I create messages each for flight details, hotel information, and insurance. Attach the insurance policy, hotel booking confirmation, screenshots of boarding passes etc and emails and create a separate message with the insurance emergency number in it to find it quick.

Second tip. Before you even give your information to the hospital in an emergency, ring your insuerers to notify them of the hospital in and what you are in for. From that point on, you are covered. Up to this point, you could be liable and depending on where you travel to, some countries hospitals will give you a full MRI and battery of expensive tests if you so much as cut your finger and could run it into thousands and thousands - which you could be on the hook for!

It'll be the best £50 or so that you'll ever waste, hopefully!

If you have time before you go, get your kids the chicken pox vaccine. I did that for our DC when we planned a really expensive holiday.