Are you TRAVELLING? Then errors when you take out travel insurance could leave you with a huge bill.
Packing the right clothes, plenty of SPF and, of course, your passport — these are the things high on your priorities when you travel.
But how many of us ensure that we have the correct travel insurance?
And regardless of whether you’ve bought the right travel insurance, are you confident that you've filled out the mountains of forms correctly?
Because failure to do so could leave you with an unexpectedly hefty bill, like this unlucky couple who were left with a £36,000 bill after one of them had a heart attack on holiday.
Peter and Julie Haynes were holidaying in Cyprus, and made sure that they had adequate travel insurance.
And to be extra cautious they chose a specialist insurer, AllClear, who reportedly cover all ages and health problems.
They filled in the forms online, taking almost an hour to do so making sure to list their medical history as Peter, 74, suffered from angina, high blood pressure and had undergone heart surgery too.
But after buying the £180 policy, they left for their holiday with peace of mind.
However whilst in Cyprus, Peter suffered from a heart attack, and needing a triple heart bypass, doctors had to rush him to a private hospital 100 miles away running up a huge £36,000 bill.
While Peter was recovering from his heart attack in Nicosia, his wife Julie claims she received the devastating news that AllClear would not be covering the bills, and was shocked to learn why.
Despite thinking they’d filled out the forms thoroughly, there were two pieces of Peter’s medical history that were missing.
Because despite Peter declaring four heart and circulatory conditions and answering extra questions — he had forgotten to note two conditions — both heart and circulatory related — he was diagnosed with 10 years earlier.
Peter explained: "I really tried hard to fill in the forms honestly. These conditions were bunched in my mind with other heart problems I've suffered over the years."
Peter regrets not asking his GP for help, and suggests getting a letter outlining your medical history as opposed to relying on your own memory.
Reports that one in five Britons travel without insurance entirely will shock many, particularly when you can see the heft bills that could devastate the average person.
If you are travelling within Europe, you should ensure you have an up-to-date European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) which is free and covers some healthcare — but shouldn’t be used as a substitute for insurance.
And if you’re travelling outside of Europe, you should be extra vigilant with your travel insurance policy making sure to declare all medical conditions.
There are steps travellers can take to avoid the possibility of a claim being disputed: “The majority of claims are disputed for one of three reasons,” explains Garry Nelson of AllClear Travel Insurance.
“Failing to declare all pre-existing medical conditions; failing to inform your insurers exactly where you are travelling to; and cancelling a trip without fully understanding the terms of your policy’s cancellation cover. Understanding what you are buying is key.”
*** IT IS IMPORTANT TO PROVIDE WITH AN ACCURATE INFORMATION TO INSURANCE PROVIDER BEFORE YOU PURCHASE BEFORE YOUR TRAVEL INSURANCE.
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