Travel Insurance Dilemma
“My mother-in-law has unfortunately been diagnosed with a serious illness and could have only a few months to live, though doctors have advised that she could live for longer than that. My husband and I have already booked and paid for a very expensive holiday to Canada for the summer – and we haven’t yet bought Travel Insurance. If we buy Travel Insurance now, will we be covered if my mother-in-law takes a turn for the worse and we need to cancel the holiday?”
Paul Walsh, spokesman for Peopl Insurance
Most Travel Insurance policies have a prior knowledge rule which means you will usually not be covered for any claim which arises because of a risk which you already knew existed prior to the date of booking your trip and/or Travel Insurance. So, anything which you had prior knowledge of before you booked your trip – such as your mother-in-law’s terminal diagnosis – won’t be covered in the event you have to cancel your holiday.
Unfortunately, it appears you would not be covered if you buy Travel Insurance at this stage and find you must cancel the holiday as a result of your mother-in-law’s illness.
Your experience highlights the importance of taking out travel cover at the time of booking the holiday – even if there is a large gap between when you book and when you travel. If you had bought your Travel Insurance before you learnt of your mother-in-law’s illness, you would likely have been covered, assuming such cover is included in your policy.