Travel insurance advice - common misperception.

[theblether]

This applies to UK policies, other countries - check out this issue with your insurer. To be brief. When traveling to Thailand ( ànd other destinations ) your insurance policy starts when you leave your home country. 

 

If you have 30 day insurance cover and your flight manifest shows you are out of the country for 31 days, no part of your vacation is covered. 

 

The insurance company attitude is that you don't get to decide when the policy activates. I think we all see the sense in that. The misperception is that you have cover for part of your vacation and you take the risk for the last day ( or longer ). Wrong. 

 

Your claim will be denied as you did not declare the risk period. You have to declare the entire period you are out of your country including the day you return. 

[Regyai]

Some clauses such as cancellations (eg due to the bereavement of close family members) etc  mean the policy starts at the date of purchase.

[scubascuba3]

Annual insurance would cover that issue, usually pretty cheap, just get one with enough consecutive days, 30, 45, 60

[Etaoin Shrdlu]

The OP is correct.

 

When completing a proposal form for insurance, the prospective insured is obliged to answer all questions truthfully and accurately. This would include any questions regarding trip duration. If the length of the trip was not correctly declared, it is possible for an insurer to invalidate coverage from policy inception due to the proposer's failure to accurately complete the proposal form. This is a fundamental principle of insurance and is pretty much universally true.

 

Some insurers may be more lenient than others when it comes to simple, minor miscalculations or unintentional mistakes on the proposal form and a good insurance broker can often help sort this type of problem. But it is essential to complete an insurance proposal form truthfully and correctly in order to avoid the issue that the OP describes. Don't give the insurer an easy out.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[theblether]

5 hours ago, Regyai said:

Some clauses such as cancellations (eg due to the bereavement of close family members) etc  mean the policy starts at the date of purchase.

 

Correct. However the period of travel is a different issue, as explained. 

[theblether]

5 hours ago, scubascuba3 said:

Annual insurance would cover that issue, usually pretty cheap, just get one with enough consecutive days, 30, 45, 60

 

Correct. The gist of my OP is to.ensure people realise that insurance companies won't accept you taking the risk for a few days. You are either covered for the entire trip or you are not covered at all. 

[theblether]

I'll add. Those of you that have insurance via your bank account or credit card benefits, be aware that they are particularly sensitive to this issue. I told a friend of this issue and he notified AMEX of his intention to travel for 12 days longer than standard coverage. He was informed that he had zero coverage for any part of his trip. 

 

 

[Etaoin Shrdlu]

I know of at least one insurer here in Thailand that requires the prospective insured to submit copies of air tickets along with the proposal form when applying for single trip travel insurance.

 

I'm sure that insurer would reject a proposal form where the period of coverage selected was not sufficient to cover the entire length of the trip evidenced by the tickets. Not all insurers may do this, however.

[VBF]

3 hours ago, theblether said:

I'll add. Those of you that have insurance via your bank account or credit card benefits, be aware that they are particularly sensitive to this issue. I told a friend of this issue and he notified AMEX of his intention to travel for 12 days longer than standard coverage. He was informed that he had zero coverage for any part of his trip. 

 

 

I have annual insurance via my bank account in UK. Their standard is to allow 30 days per trip, but you can extend it to 60 on payment of a supplement which I do.

My next trip in February will be for 59 days total absence from UK. Plus, because it's annual cover my already bought ticket is covered immediately.

[Scouse123]

All the above is good to know and good information.

 

Some stuff in there I wasn't aware of.

[theblether]

On 12/8/2023 at 7:09 AM, VBF said:

I have annual insurance via my bank account in UK. Their standard is to allow 30 days per trip, but you can extend it to 60 on payment of a supplement which I do.

My next trip in February will be for 59 days total absence from UK. Plus, because it's annual cover my already bought ticket is covered immediately.

 

Good thinking re the 59 days. I always book for at least one day less than my coverage. The simple reason being it allows for flight delays. Another issue is I always leave one day before my visa expires. I was caught out years ago with a flight delay ( CNX - HAT YAI ) and when I did the border run I was given a one day overstay fine. Irritating as it was out of my control. 

[NextG]

18 hours ago, theblether said:

 

Good thinking re the 59 days. I always book for at least one day less than my coverage. The simple reason being it allows for flight delays. Another issue is I always leave one day before my visa expires. I was caught out years ago with a flight delay ( CNX - HAT YAI ) and when I did the border run I was given a one day overstay fine. Irritating as it was out of my control. 

Flight delay is not an issue. Your original ticket is what they would want to see in any claim. So even if you were delayed, the trip would still be covered.