Holidaymakers urged to buy insurance for breaks in Britain

Cash-strapped holidaymakers who opt to save money by spending their vacations in the UK instead of abroad are being urged not to overlook travel cover. Although the number of Brits planning to spend their holidays in the UK this year is booming, travel insurance providers say there has been no corresponding increase in the number of policies taken out for UK travel, prompting concerns that travellers are forgoing insurance simply because they do not think it is relevant if they are staying in the country.

The insurance price comparison website Confused.com said only 2% of all travel quotes sought via its portal were for customers looking for UK cover. "The number of UK insurance policies sold is dwarfed by that of European and worldwide policies, and in our experience fewer people shop around for UK cover," said Steve Williams, head of travel insurance at Confused. "But travel insurance should be seen as a vital part of any holiday you are planning, whether it be in the UK or further afield."

Although Brits do not need travel insurance to cover them for medical emergencies in the UK, it is recommended in case of cancellations or curtailment, which could leave holidaymakers with lost deposits and reservation fees, or hefty cancellation charges. However, Williams said holidaymakers should be careful to avoid doubling up on insurance they already have – items taken on holiday may already be covered by home insurance policies, while people with annual global or European travel cover will automatically be covered for trips in the UK.

Direct Travel Insurance said the most common reasons for cancelling holidays were redundancy, family illness or jury service. Last year, more than 150 claims relating to holidays taken in the UK were made by its policyholders, with an average of £1,074 being claimed for cancellations. Hoburne Holiday Parks, which has seven holiday parks in the UK, has seen its bookings rise by more than a third compared with this time last year. The company offers its customers an optional holiday cancellation scheme for its family lodges, which can cost more than £1,000 during peak times. Under the scheme, the company will waive its contractual rights if customers are forced to cancel a holiday.

news source : http://www.guardian.co.uk/

Insurance industry accused of genetic discrimination

TONY EASTLEY: You've heard of age discrimination or discrimination on the basis of gender, but what about people suffering discrimination because of what's in their genes? A new study has found that the insurance industry is using genetic information to decide who gets cover and how much they pay.

Simon Santow reports.

SIMON SANTOW: About a thousand people who'd undergone some form of genetic testing were asked about their experiences with insurance companies. Ten per cent of them had run into problems.

KRISTINE BARLOW-STEWART: Life insurance was the most common domain of concern cited by these respondents.

SIMON SANTOW: Each was in good health and unaffected by the area of family medical history for which they'd been tested.

According to associate professor Kristine Barlow-Stewart from the Centre for Genetics Information at Sydney's Royal North Shore Hospital, there was plenty of evidence of discrimination. KRISTINE BARLOW-STEWART: There was a range of concerns cited. In some cases people had been denied insurance outright either on the basis of their family history or because of a genetic test result.

In other cases their insurance premiums were loaded excessively or in other cases exclusion clauses were inserted into their policies for claims of cover at the onset of particular illnesses.

SIMON SANTOW: Simply because they had answered yes to a question 'have you ever had a genetic test for cancer' or that sort of thing?

KRISTINE BARLOW-STEWART: Some of the insurance applications would have asked that question directly but regardless of whether they'd been asked that question directly or not, it is part of the contract when applying for a life insurance that you must tell the insurer all information that is known to you that is relevant to your risk assessment. That would include, of course, your family history but also the result of genetic testing undertaken by you or your close relatives.

SIMON SANTOW: Isn't there a certain irony in all of this that genetic testing of course is completely voluntary and if you didn't find out, you couldn't be discriminated against? KRISTINE BARLOW-STEWART: Yes, and of course that's one of the concerns that we have. In two cases in this study we now have confirmed evidence that fear of discrimination by insurance companies and other perhaps employers are preventing people from accessing genetic testing and deriving the benefits that they may get from that and then this is a very concerning issue.

SIMON SANTOW: Experts expect the problem of genetic discrimination to grow with the popularity of genetic testing and screening at a time when medical science is evolving and becoming even more sophisticated.

news source : http://www.abc.net.au/

EHICs do not replace family holiday insurance

People should carry a European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) with them when they travel abroad but it is not an alternative to travel insurance. That is according to the Post Office, which suggested that it is "essential" for Brits to carry their EHIC on holidays in other member nations of the European Union because it provides free or reduced-cost treatments.

That being said, Rachel Croft, head of travel insurance at the Post Office, warned holidaymakers that they should not feel the EHIC replaces any need for a comprehensive holiday insurance policy. "It won't cover costs such as mountain rescue, repatriation or lost baggage - so we urge people to ensure they are fully covered against all eventualities," she said.

To highlight the importance of being fully prepared for the worst, it pointed to several case studies suggesting that skiing accidents typically cost travellers between £4,000 and £10,500. Last month, moneysupermarket.com urged people with travel insurance to check their policies to see if they are covered for flight delays as a result of bad weather.

news source : http://www.world-first.co.uk/

Brits scrimping on holiday insurance

Some 80 per cent of domestic holidaymakers do not take out travel insurance, according to the latest research from World First. With all figures showing domestic holiday traffic will increase sharply this summer – by as much as 30 per cent, according to Continental Research statistics - it is important these primary holidays are protected. Key advice from World First is that consumers at least take out cancellation cover to safeguard their 'staycation' holiday.

There are significant losses to be made if a UK break is cancelled for whatever reason; most hotels charge two thirds of the holiday cost and nearly all self catering, holiday and camping parks charge a full 100 per cent "Our advice has always been to ensure you are fully insured wherever you take your holiday," comments Martin Rothwell, managing partner, World First Travel Insurance. "However, a study of our own statistics has revealed that a worrying number of people forget to take out any cover at all if they are taking a domestic break.

"At a time when all of us are watching what we spend, financial protection is more important than ever before." “People simply forget that they could be charged for a holiday they cannot take and there could still be major cost implications during a domestic break. "For example, most long distance ambulance trips home following an accident whilst on holiday are not covered by the NHS; they are covered by our policies."

news source : http://www.travelbite.co.uk/news/

Mondial Assistance responds to new regulations

According to a report filed by e-tid.com, the Financial Services Authority (FSA) introduced new rules on 1 January requiring the sale of connected travel insurance to be conducted by authorised or exempt companies only. The new regulation means consumers can no longer buy insurance as part of a holiday package unless their agent, tour operator or online retailer acts as the Appointed Representative (AR) of an insurer or insurance broker.

Ben Smart, UK sales director for Mondial Assistance, said: “Offering travel insurance to customers allows travel agents and companies to deliver added benefits as well as enable them to reap the rewards of ancillary revenue. The new regulations made it imperative for us to act quickly to maintain this revenue stream for our clients and help them provide an uninterrupted level of service to their consumers.”

Towards the end of 2008, Mondial Assistance won a new contract with leisure travel group, TUI Travel UK & Ireland, to provide a complete travel insurance solution. It was shared that Mondial will provide underwriting capacity for both the UK and Ireland through its insurance arm: Elvia Travel Insurance International. In addition, Mondial will provide claims management and international medical assistance for travellers. In-branch sales and compliance training will be delivered in partnership with Citybond Suretravel, who will also act as the medical screening provider for the contract.

Travel companies, for instance airlines in the US, are increasingly looking at a la carte ­pricing. It is being said that already airlines in other regions of the world are taking notice of what the US network carriers are doing.

news source : http://www.m-travel.com/news/

Brits cutting travel and other insurance cover

Five million Britons will reduce spending this year by cutting back on their insurance cover, it was learned in a recent LV= survey. Of that number, 2.2 million, or nearly 45 per cent, said that they would be reducing or cancelling their home insurance cover, in order to reduce their overall spending. The next most likely to be cut is flood risk insurance, with 29 per cent of the respondents in the study indicating that it would be the first aspect of their policy to go. This result was somewhat surprising, given the significant increase in flood damage claims in the past few years, with amounts averaging £17,000 per claim.

John O’Roarke, who is the managing director of LV= general insurance, commented: “Home contents insurance is not legally required but anyone who has suffered a flood or break in will know how important it is to have cover in place.” Motorists who are feeling the impact of the credit crunch are saying that they plan to cancel their comprehensive cover to say on spending. Over the last year, there was a 10 per cent increase in motorists choosing third party fire and theft insurance as opposed to comprehensive cover when they renewed their policies.

According to the findings of the LV= study, this figure will likely increase, as 37 per cent of the respondents stated they planned to cut back on car insurance costs in 2009. Twenty-two per cent have indicated that they will reduce or eliminate travel insurance cover as well. Thanks to www.financemarkets.co.uk for the above quotes, for more information on this article please visit their website.

news source : http://news.carrentals.co.uk/

CSA Travel Protection Celebrates Mardi Gras With Fun Facts

SAN DIEGO, Feb. 12 /PRNewswire/ -- The celebration known as "Mardi Gras Carnival Season" kicks off Friday, ending when the last reveler heads home on Fat Tuesday, February 24. CSA Travel Protection (CSA), a company dedicated to providing value-driven travel insurance and emergency assistance services, provides the following list of fun facts about Mardi Gras.

1. Mardi Gras is the direct French translation of "Fat Tuesday." It refers to the last day before the season of Lent begins.

2. The first American Mardi Gras was celebrated near modern-day New Orleans on March
3, 1699.

3. The official colors of Mardi Gras are purple, green and gold (representing justice, faith and power).

4. In New Orleans, private social groups called "Krewes" put on parades during the season's festivities.

5. Fat Tuesday is a legal holiday in Louisiana.

6. More than 60 parades and hundreds of private parties, dances and masked balls are scheduled annually in the New Orleans metropolitan area during Mardi Gras.

7. The Zulu Parade, put on by the oldest and most prestigious, predominantly African American Carnival club in New Orleans, will celebrate its 100th year in 2009.

8. The term "Throws" refers to plastic beads and cheap trinkets thrown by masked krewe members from floats as they pass by parade goers.

9. Mardi Gras, the day, is actually the last day of a long celebration of parades and merriment that begins 12 days prior to Fat Tuesday.

10. In 2005, more than one million revelers attended Mardi Gras in New Orleans.

Travelers heading to New Orleans or other Mardi Gras and Carnival destinations are reminded to protect themselves from unforeseen circumstances that could potentially postpone or cut-short their trip. While travel insurance can't stop the unexpected from happening, it can protect and support travelers when mishaps occur, such as flight delays and missed connections.

CSA offers its customers convenient protection when traveling, with additional benefits like No Out-of-Pocket Medical Expense. If a traveler develops an acute illness while on their covered trip, a one-time medical expense will be paid for treatment under $1,000*. Travelers can call their travel agent to purchase, or request more information on, this CSA Travel Protection exclusive.

About CSA Travel Protection

CSA Travel Protection is dedicated to providing affordable travel insurance and emergency assistance services to protect travelers' valuable investments and provide the peace of mind one deserves while traveling. Since its inception in 1991, CSA has developed a reputation for standing behind its customers and evolving products and services to meet their needs. Through superior customer service, extensive experience and industry-leading innovation, CSA is with its clients every step of the way whenever and wherever they are needed.

* When using CSA's designated provider network of 30,000 physicians and 850,000 service providers worldwide.

news source : http://sev.prnewswire.com/

The Crafty Traveller: A cheaper way to cover your tracks

Doing without travel insurance or buying the cheapest policy on offer is a temptation if you're trying to cut back on the cost of your holidays this year. But either approach is a false economy. If you have an accident abroad and are uninsured, you could be liable for medical and repatriation costs running into tens of thousands of pounds.

Buy a policy on price alone and you may find that it has stingy levels of cover, punitively high excesses that make it pointless to claim for, say, a doctor's bill, and endless exclusions that severely reduce the chances of any payouts anyway. Yet decent policies are available at very reasonable rates to most travellers, and there are ways to save on travel insurance without skimping on the cover.

BOOK IT DIRECT

The websites of airlines such as easy-Jet, Flybe and Ryanair automatically add travel insurance to bookings. If you don't want the cover, you have to deselect it. By doing so and taking your custom elsewhere, you'll save money. A week's insurance for a family of four travelling to Europe with online provider Travel Insurance Web (www.travelinsurance web.com) - recommended as a 'best buy' by the consumer organisation Which? - costs £16 to £20 depending on the age of the parents but £47.96 on Flybe's website.

It's a similar story for long-haul travel, with insurance for an individual going to the United States costing half as much with Travel Insurance Web as it does with online agents such as Lastminute.com and Expedia. You are also likely to pay heavily over the odds if you book your insurance through a conventional travel agent or tour operator rather than direct with a travel insurer.

news source : http://www.dailymail.co.uk/