 Poster: A snowHead
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Hi All
Apologies if this comes under the 'teaching grandma to suck eggs' category, but was checking our Annual Travel Policy last night with regards to my recent knee problems, and found this little gem. A little bit of online quotes gave me similar statements
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During the last two years, has anyone travelling under this policy had any medical or psychological condition:
• which has resulted in symptoms, or
• for which any form of treatment or prescribed medication has been required, or Yes No • for which they have required any medical consultation, investigation or follow-up/check-up |
Now I guess that would cover a lot of people i.e. if you have been to Doc and had any prescriptions.
Now admittedly most common things, and quite a few I've never heard of, are all listed in the 'you don't need to tell us' section. However, thought it worth highlighting as it may be worth a call to your Insurance otherwise.
Ok chances are it's irrelevant, but should you have an accident and the Insurance Company ask for Medical Records, do not be surprised if they try and wriggle out of paying citing the 'failure to declare pre-existing condition'.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Boris, a useful reminder. I don't recall ever having taken out a travel insurance policy without having to make some enquiries and giving information about prior medical conditions - and the older one gets, the more likely it is that that will happen. On one annual policy we had (with Fogg, I think, who do the SCGB policies, though we went direct with Fogg as it was cheaper than joining the club) we had to get medical clearance before every trip. Just a phone call, not a huge hassle BUT it could certainly have been a big problem if we'd failed to comply.
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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So I took a trip to A&E a couple of weeks ago over my sprained ankle and am considering going back to GP as it doesn't seem to be healing very well. So I'm expected to declare this before I go skiing at the end of Feb?
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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halfhand, absolutely - don't even think about not declaring it, it's highly relevant.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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pam w, Ah booger 
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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And you will probably find if trying to get travel insurance incl snowsports cover on-line, pretty well any attempt to declare pre-existing conditions throws the system and it won't even give you a quote. Can't remember the offending companies but I recall it was more than one.
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Dubaian, well from experimenting, Insure and Go refused to cover me online for Patela Tendinitis (Jumpers Knee) for Winter Sports. AXA, current provider, signed it off on a phone call.
halfhand, I would to cover yourself - any fall and damage to said ankle and insurance company discover you have had treatment, you MAY find yourself out of pocket.
I by no means wish to give the impression that Insurance Companies are a bunch of evil gits who will do anything to get out of paying, and indeed the ones I have spoken to lately have been very helpful, BUT there are plenty of threads on here about companies not paying up due to some small print.
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My recent experience has been that using some online research to identify which companies look good, and then actually talking to them, is the way to go. All the online transactions require you to confirm that you have read and understood every single word of all their documents - so if you haven't, you have absolutely no recourse and moaning about "small print" will get you nowhere.
It seems reasonable to me that they require information on pre-existing conditions (and will sometimes exclude them from cover). They are there to make a profit, after all, not subsidise our health care. My OH's heart condition was always excluded from all our policies. So we had Carte Neige which would have evacuated him off the mountain, even if it was a cardiac event which gave rise to the requirement, and would have had to rely on EHIC and our own resources after that.
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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They can charge you extra to cover the "injury". Had an operation on my shoulder, which clearly needed to be declared. Cost an extra £12 each year. Not a lot really. This years cost an extra zilch as op was over two years ago 
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I always declare injuries - a few years ago I declared by daughter's operation and it cost me an extra £8, this year I declared her dented/broken wrist and it cost me a tenner, it doesn't seem much extra for no hassle should you need to make a claim. About half a glass of beer in VT!!
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Yes - tell them. There are also companies that specialise in insuring specific conditions - my daughter who has stable epilepsy found a very reasonable quote for a short trip abroad (not skiing I might add). She was surprised as she expected to be charged a horrendous amount.
Also I have a friend away skiing right now who has not declared a health matter currently under investigation on the basis she took the insurance out before she became ill. I think she will find that she's not insured to go though they would have paid up had she needed to cancel. ON my advice she has at least bought Carre Neige and has her EHIC.
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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| Megamum wrote: |
| I always declare injuries - a few years ago I declared by daughter's operation and it cost me an extra £8, this year I declared her dented/broken wrist and it cost me a tenner, it doesn't seem much extra for no hassle should you need to make a claim. About half a glass of beer in VT!! |
£18 more profit for them.
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£18 more profit for them.
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so? A child with a damaged wrist on a snow holiday s a worse risk for an insurance company than one without. Are you suggesting Megamum should have ignored the requirement to advise the company?
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You know it makes sense.
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Should you need to make a claim, Caveat emptor.
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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blahblahblah, I had a long think before calling my insurance to let them know about my patellar tendonitis, but given the chances of a skiing leading to another knee injury, I personally felt I needed to (no pun intended). I can quite easily see a claim for a knee injury being refused due to not declaring a pre-existing condition.
I can understand people not wanting to call - their choice, and have no problem with additional premiums, for the reasons pointed out.
I started this thread to highlight the issue rather than anything else - up to personal choice to declare or ignore
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Poster: A snowHead
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Should you need to make a claim
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the whole thing's a waste of money if you don't. Not sure what point you are making?
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Without seeing the wording of the document its hard to say, but for MM investment, what was covered? Would a fall that caused the broken wrist to break again and require airlifting off the mountain?
Or, did some bod at the end of a phone pick a random number?
If MM got a insurance document package that specifies the broken wrist and what would be included/ excluded that would be of interest to everyone here.
If people are on Prozac, should they declare it?
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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If people are on Prozac, should they declare it?
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depends - but yes, on every policy I've taken out recently.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Well if they were taking it to treat depression and were going somewhere near high cliffs - err yes
Of course the companies are making money out of you, but very occasionally you may need to claim, and at that point I personally want to make sure I'm in the clear and not stuffed. You and others may disagree as is your right.
As pam w, points out - all insurance is a con, if you don't claim. I've been happily paying car insurance for 15 years and never needed it - glad I kept paying though as yesterday and stuffed car into island in the ice.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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This thread reminded me that I had noticed a serious change to the terms and conditions when considering renewing my annual insurance policy a couple of weeks ago.
The original policy (including 'ski cover') had no maximum holiday length duration other than 31 days per holiday. The renewal kept the 31 days for other holidays but imposed a new limit of 15 days ski cover per period of insurance (i.e 15 days total in 12 months). Also I noticed that the maximum age of the policyholder had been reduced from 74 down to 65. Neither of these changes had been 'highlighted' by the insurer but I found them when reading the new policy in detail. I suppose that if I had been over 65 years old on renewal they might have mentioned it, but somehow I doubt it. If I hadn't spotted the reduction in the number of days ski cover and just renewed, I would have been uninsured when skiing later in the season.
I would like to see a Government approved minimum level and terms of insurance (in all areas) at which all insurance companies can then compete against each other on price. As it stands, without reasonable intelligence and considerable effort, it is virtually impossible to compare one insurance offer against the other. Obviously the insurance companies rely on this to 'suck you in' at a good price, so that they can refuse to pay out when you claim!
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Obviously the insurance companies rely on this to 'suck you in' at a good price, so that they can refuse to pay out when you claim!
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I wouldn't agree with that, at least with the good companies. I've recently had to make my first claim in yonks, and they've been very good, as they have in the past when I've helped with claims from others. They are in a highly competitive field - probably a perfect market, in economic terms, so that's good for us as consumers, provided we are careful. There are more reports on SHs of companies who have been good when claims are needed than of the reverse.
I don't think more government involvement would be an improvement.
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They all tried to sting me after my pnuemo thorax and insurance went up to over £300 per trip if it involved an airplane which basically left me just going uninsured for a while as I just couldnt afford that every holiday and didnt see the point in getting insurance if it wasnt going to be valid anyway.
One day my bank phoned up to blag me to take out a plus bank account and I said I would if they sorted holiday insurance for me which included this condition, after a few days waiting they agreed to do it at no extra charge. If your getting it through your bank or an organisation that makes money out of you in other ways then youve got a better chance of adding it on for free as they dont want to loose you as a customer for their other departments
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didnt see the point in getting insurance if it wasnt going to be valid anyway.
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but if you'd broken you leg on the piste you'd have been covered? My OH's cardiac conditions were excluded - perfectly reasonable IMV - but it was still worth having the insurance for accidents - or other illnesses.
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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I did wonder about things like that at the time but assumed they would use it as an excuse to get out of paying for anything, even unrelated injuries. I always expect the worst when it comes to insurance conpanies
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FAQ
