Claim on holiday insurance

[velademar]

Hi this is to see if anyone has been through this process. We booked a holiday abroad with a travel operator last year to be taken in April this year. Unfortunately my husband ( who has bFTD) has deteriorated significantly since then in terms of cognition but also incontinence and I feel I couldn't cope with this now abroad at least, even though id desperately love some sunshine. Unfortunately I forgot about this due to other stresses and the payment was taken without me realising. I did find an e mail later from the tour company so it was my mistake and to cancel now would loose all the money. As my husbands dementia is a rare one, not Altzheimers or vascular, with no real prognosis, and he'd been doing OK last year I never updated our insurance company. So I'm looking at loosing the money I guess, as I'm sure insurance company will call this a pre existing condition. Seems trivial compared to other people's issues here but just wondered if anyone else had been through this. Thank you

 

[Sarasa]

Hi @velademar, I think it might be worth contacting the insurance company and see if there is any hope of getting some money back. Also the tour company as I'm not sure they should have automatically taken the balance of the holiday. I only realised at the weekend I had passed the date by which I should have paid the balance for a holiday I'm taking. The company hadn't reminded me or taken the money. It's all sorted now, but it made me aware I need to remind myself about when to pay the balance next time.
My mum was booked on a holiday with me and sister in law in 2019. Just after I'd paid the balance my brother became seriously ill so SiL couldn't go and mum's condition deteriorated so much she needed to move into care. It was a hassle but I did get the money back. However the company and the insurerers were aware that she had cognitive issues. If you haven't told the insurers about any health issues it might be tricky but worth a try.
I'm sure others will be along shortly with their ideas.

 

[velademar]

Hi @velademar, I think it might be worth contacting the insurance company and see if there is any hope of getting some money back. Also the tour company as I'm not sure they should have automatically taken the balance of the holiday. I only realised at the weekend I had passed the date by which I should have paid the balance for a holiday I'm taking. The company hadn't reminded me or taken the money. It's all sorted now, but it made me aware I need to remind myself about when to pay the balance next time.
My mum was booked on a holiday with me and sister in law in 2019. Just after I'd paid the balance my brother became seriously ill so SiL couldn't go and mum's condition deteriorated so much she needed to move into care. It was a hassle but I did get the money back. However the company and the insurerers were aware that she had cognitive issues. If you haven't told the insurers about any health issues it might be tricky but worth a try.
I'm sure others will be along shortly with their ideas.

Thank you @Sarasa Useful info there and I am working through my options today xxx

 

[velademar]

Thank you @Sarasa Useful info there and I am working through my options today xxx

 

[Waitinggame]

It is always a fight getting money from holiday insurance companies especially with regard to pre existing conditions but worth a try as suggested. Any chance the other stresses you mention could in themselves mean you are not well enough to travel thus ignoring your husbands condition. if his incontinence is recent there is perhaps a chance this could indicate a reason not to travel.although they may obviously link this to his pre existing condition.

 

[Newplodder]

Hello...we were in a similar boat last year. Hubby did not have a diagnosis at that stage, but the GP had told him not to drive. I cancelled the holiday we were due to go on, as I was feeling stressed and upset, as was my hubby. The holiday company refunded a small amount only (too near the departure date), so I claimed on the insurance. I did it online and just explained that him not being able to drive precluded us from getting to and from the airport. It wasn't one of the pre-existing conditions I had told them about, but it didn't matter. Technically, he didn't actually have a diagnosis anyway. I recall I had to fill in the GP details for them to check on what I'd said, I guess...but I don't think they did, as the insurance company refunded us everything except the excess within a week. You don't have anything to lose by claiming.

 

[Newplodder]

Incidentally, we used the refunded holiday money to pay for his MRI scan...else I don't think he would have a diagnosis yet....but that's another story!

 

[velademar]

Hello...we were in a similar boat last year. Hubby did not have a diagnosis at that stage, but the GP had told him not to drive. I cancelled the holiday we were due to go on, as I was feeling stressed and upset, as was my hubby. The holiday company refunded a small amount only (too near the departure date), so I claimed on the insurance. I did it online and just explained that him not being able to drive precluded us from getting to and from the airport. It wasn't one of the pre-existing conditions I had told them about, but it didn't matter. Technically, he didn't actually have a diagnosis anyway. I recall I had to fill in the GP details for them to check on what I'd said, I guess...but I don't think they did, as the insurance company refunded us everything except the excess within a week. You don't have anything to lose by claiming.

Thank you for this, worth a try and my husband's medical driving licence has just expired and wont be renewed so we have same situation I guess. Always worth a try, and perhaps as the other person said, my own stress and anxiety might be a good enough reason not to travel.