I need to cancel my holiday - help!

[Stardust123]

Booked a holiday about 7 weeks ago and took out travel insurance about 3 weeks ago. Last week my Mom was taken into hospital suddenly and has had to have an emergency bowel operation. She is still in hos. but very poorly and recovering slowly. She is in her 70's. Dad who is nearly 80 is at home but not coping very well. Suffering from a bit of dementia and generally very unwell from the shock of Mom being ill and not coping with the day to day stuff. I am due to go on this holiday in 2½ weeks and really could do with not going because of above problems. Will my insurance cover this? My Mom had a bowel operation about 4 years ago but had been fine since so this was a problem that could not really have been predicted. Will they pay out if I need to be at home to sort things out ie. hospital visiting, making sure Dad's okay etc. The holiday has cost us 2 grand so I will have to go if I can't get the money back. Can someone help me please before I phone the insurance company??? Thanks.

If your dates are right and the first op should not have ment you could predict the second then imho you should be covered. (Not doubting you btw just saying.) It is likely they will ask for written confirmation from hosp. Do you have your policy/is it on line and you caould check that your adult Mother is a 'close enough relative' (usually is) and there are no date exclusions?
Hope she gets better soon.

My Mom had a bowel operation 4 years ago and had to have a colostomy. This operation now was from a result of scar tissue from the previous operation which had got all mangled up, but I have just read the policy and it mentions something about an illness that occurs as a result of a pre-existing medical condition. However, I don't think this operation could have been been predicted. What am I supposed to do each time I get insurance, go through a long list of everbody's ailments in the family? !! The policy is with Direct Line so I'm hoping they are pretty good and will cover me. What do you think?? Thanks as I am really worried.

Could you ask the GP to write, but not about your mum - about your dad? I think they'll class your mum as a pre-existing condition, but if you had to care for your dad, you might have a better case. Good luck.

Problem is that Dad has actually been under the Dr for his problems too, so they could class that as a pre-existing medical condition too ??!!

My dd has an ongoing condition that can worsen at anytime and our consultant has told us that just because its pre-existing condition it doesn't mean cancelling the holiday could be predicted. She told us she would write to the insurance explaining her condition has worsened to the extent that in her opinion the holiday should now be cancelled. Hopefully your GP could do this for you.

That really helps thanks, God I could do with a flippin holiday though!! But I will probably be happier if I cancel it, we are supposed to go in 2 weeks, I have 2 kids and have nothing done yet. I was already stressed out about the whole thing in light of recent events before this even happened. Thanks a lot. Any further comments/advice by anyone else would be appreciated.

Don't think your Dad will do it (IYSWIM) his condition from what youve said is pre-exisiting and has arisen because of your Mum.
Debbie I presume that would be OK if you had informed your insurance company of your daughters condition but not necessarily OK if you hadn't. They like to make their own minds up and recognise that your GP will be naturally 'sympathetic' towards you because of Dr/Pt relationship, hence they often require letter from hospital.
We did have a travel insurance policy that wanted telling about anything that needed Dr visit within last year. If I had to guess from what you've said hosp will need to write a letter and they will pay (as long as op wasn't predictable/planned due to colostomy). Good luck.