Parents’ travel insurance refusing to pay out - what can they do?

[89DaysToLoseIt]

well, more specifically, my mother’s insurance.

my mum and dad have had separate insurance policies for about three years now, after my mum’s insurance refused to insure my dad due to his health conditions. my mum stayed with them as they offered her a good price. a few months ago, they had to cancel a trip because my dad was taken ill.

my dad’s policy has paid out straight away after the submission of a medical report. my mum’s insurance is refusing to pay out on the basis of my dad (who’s not insured with them), having not disclosed his health conditions to them! what’s their recourse here?

What does her insurance policy say about cancelling due to health of fellow travellers?

I think this could well be a downside of having separate policies.

I often go away with my parents and we always book onto the same policy so if anything happens we are all covered together.

As far as I’m aware, nothing? They’ve not denied it on the basis of that being covered though. They’ve denied it on the basis of my dad being insured with them, but not disclosing his health conditions to them (which he did, and they refused to insure him!)

What's the exact wording they've used to decline?

There's got to be a misunderstanding here. If they refused to insure him, they aren't declining on the basis of him being insured but not declaring them...

It's possible they are declining on the basis of your mum failing to disclose his conditions, and therefore not having valid cover for the illness of fellow travellers because they refused to insure him, but we need the wording to confirm if what they've done is correct or not. If it's not, you can appeal.

They’ve said because the “insured person” failed to disclose their health conditions. They’re defining my dad as an insured person, which he’s not.

I work for a travel insurance company. Edited post as I have just seen the updated comments. What does the policy wording say about cancellation based on the health of other travellers

I guess the problem is that they are saying that your dad being taken ill is as a result of his health condition that they were not previously told about, which changes the terms of the insurance. The likelihood of his being unwell and having to cancel the holiday is higher than they were aware of when calculating the cost of the insurance.

Also to add the only reason they should decline the claim is if your mum was aware of the medical conditions (reason to cancel ) at the time of booking the trip. They can’t decline on the basis of failing to declare medical conditions

I can see why the Insurance has refused to pay out. Your Dad's health had an impact on your Mum and left her unable to travel. Obviously this is a factor in the risk assessment the insurance made.

They were aware.

He has had AF for about seven years now. This was always declared on the policy. He then had other issues, told the insurance company (on their joint policy) and they refused to insure him. At the same time, my mum obviously made them aware.

They are now saying he was insured but hadn’t told them - which is wrong.

But they’ve not done it within the terms of the policy. If they weren’t willing to take that risk, they should have cancelled both policies when the conditions were declared - they didn’t, and repeatedly reassured my mum she was still insured.

I think it is likely to be this. Some policies say something about cancellation for a relative with existing health conditions is only possible if prior agreement is given. So if she had wanted covered for this they would have given her price. At least tbat is how mine works.

That comment is completely incorrect. The only reason they should have denied the claim is if your mum was aware of the medical conditions or the reason they may have to cancel before they booked the trip.

They were aware of the conditions and told her she was still fully insured - which includes the cancellation due to other people’s health! They’re also refusing on the basis of my dad being insured with them and not declaring his health conditions (I’ve seen the email), which is untrue. We’ve sent them copies of everything from when they cancelled his policy a few years back and they’re still saying he was insured.

They have denied it on the basis of my dad being insured with them (untrue) and not declaring his conditions (also untrue).

Was The illness something unrelated to his health issues? What does it say in the policy about traveling companions and illness.

No, it was related. But again, they’ve not declined to refund on that basis. They’re saying it’s because my dad was insured and he hasn’t declared his health issues. That is untrue.

But even if your mum was going away on her own, if her dh fell ill she’d still cancel so I don’t get their argument. I have been screwed over by travel insurance in the past and my parents had to fight for their holiday cancellation to Canada when both got cancer diagnosis weeks before travelling. I hate them. Good luck.

Yeah it makes no sense. It feels like they’re throwing out any excuse they can to avoid paying.

The funny thing is my dad’s policy will refund my mum’s ticket/share if needs be. But they don’t want to do that yet, because her insurance company should be paying out. If it was on the basis of her having to declare his health conditions and failing to do so, it would be a bitter pill to swallow but they’d accept it. Like she’s said to them, is she supposed to declare the health conditions of everyone she knows?! Her sister is quite poorly, does she have to tell them in case she falls ill and she has to cancel a trip? It’s ridiculous

This is a bit of an eye opener, I will need to find out on my own travel insurance about this, Im with Staysure and my OH is with Saga.

Insurance broker here, get a copy of policy wording there should be complaints procedure in that usually in the last few pages. You have to lodge an official complaint to them first & there are strict time lines in which they have to acknowledge & reply. If your complaint is not upheld you can escalate it to the fca which is the regulator which should also be outlined in policy wording.

My dad is with Staysure and they’re the ones being brilliant! I think my mum is with either saga or viva

I believe they’ve made a complaint, a couple of times now.

But if this was the other way round would Staysure act the same way. To be honest all these policies are sometimes not even worth the paper they're written on but you have to have it.

I think so, because they specialise in cover and people with pre-existing conditions.