Insuring a happy holiday

The biggest cause for travel claims is medical emergencies – not, as most believe, lost stolen or damaged baggage. Last year Norwich Union alone paid out over £23 million for medical emergency claims

A recent report commissioned by Norwich Union has revealed that a quarter of all British holidaymakers travel without insurance and are putting themselves at risk of big bills for medical emergencies and lost property.

Many travellers to Europe now rely on the new European Health Insurance Card, which has replaced the old E11, in the belief that this will fully cover the costs of a medical emergency. However, whilst the card will let you access medical treatment on the same terms as the local residents, it will not cover any of the additional costs often incurred as a result of needing to access medical treatment within the EU.

For example the EHIC card will not cover the cost of your rescue back to the UK. If a helicopter or air ambulance is required to transport you back to the UK it can cost as much as £2000 (from America the cost of repatriation alone could be as much as £25,000). The new card is also not valid in some popular ski destinations such as Bulgaria and Romania.

It is also important to remember that a travel policy will also provide you with Public Liability cover in the event of you causing an accident or damage to third party property. As the world becomes more litigious this cover is increasingly important with damages awards escalating.

So having made the decision to take out valuable travel insurance cover what do you need to do to ensure you are covered in the event of a claim:

• Always check if pre- existing medical conditions are covered under the policy. These should always be referred to the insurer before taking out a policy.
• Check the activities covered under your policy, like all policies there will be exclusion although often more hazardous activities and winter sports can be added to your policy for an additional premium.
• Check the territorial limits of your policy. A policy issued for Europe for example will not cover a weekend break to New York.
• It is always advisable to check the Foreign and Commonwealth Office website before travelling www.fco.gov.uk/travel.

As a regulated and authorised independent insurance broker we have the expertise to arrange an appropriate policy for whatever your individual needs may be.