Yes, get a letter from your doctor or at least confirmation that you are unfit to travel. Then you will need to cancel in writing which you should send recorded delivery. This late, I would call them too and get a cancellation number. Ask for a cancellation invoice.

Then contact your insurer for a claim form or download one from their website. There should be a section on it for your doctor to complete.

Send all the information, but remember to keep copies of everything.

luci

Thank you for that info.

I will try and get an appointment with the GP tomorrow as I realise that time is running out - we are due to go on the 21st.

I had really hoped I would be feeling better but the way I feel at the moment the last thing I want to do is get on a plane.

Pippa

Hope you feel better soon.

Let us know how you claim goes as the info will be useful for other members.

luci

That's really rotten luck Pippa. I hope you feel much better soon.

Thanks for your good wishes.

The annoying thing is that we have started to holiday in this country again and had that been the case this time we would probably just have waited to see how I was feeling and been prepared to lose the £300 or so on a cottage if we didn't go but don't really want to lose the £900 that this holiday to Croatia has cost.

I think the worst symptom is my uncontrollable IBS and the chronic tiredness.

Pippa

Do you have an annual travel insurance policy? If so, you are likely to be covered in the UK provided you have at least 2 nights pre-booked accommodation.

luci

Yes, we do as part of our bank account so we are covered for holidays in the UK. We are all booked for next year - all in the UK but hopefully won't have to cancel any of those as by then I would sincerely hope my thyroid has been sorted. Very annoying really as up until 3 months ago it had been pretty stable.

Pippa

I know insurers can be difficult when it comes to pre-existing conditions. I'm not covered for anything which could be considered as relating to my heart, although my heart attack was over 10 years ago. The fact that I take regular medication is considered to indicate the problems could be on-going!!!

I'm not covered for anything which could be considered as relating to my heart, although my heart attack was over 10 years ago. The fact that I take regular medication is considered to indicate the problems could be on-going!!!

Not wishing to detract from the problem that Pippa has outlined but Aslemma has highlighted what is becoming a major problem for a lot of people.

I have type2 diabetes and obviously have to declare it. I now take Simvastatin and Metformin which has raised my premium by 20%. I might add that I was given the choice by my doctor who suggested that it would be beneficial to me in the long term. The insurance company were not interested that it was voluntary.

As we age then most of us will suffer from raised blood pressure, cholesterol and such. In the vast majority of cases there is no risk that the insurers will ever have to pay out for anything that can be related to these conditions. Indeed even if you suffer from nothing they increase our premiums just because we are older. No matter that our lifestyle is much more sedate. We are less likely to fall off mountains than people 30 plus years younger, yet they are happy to cover them for nothing.

The problem I see here for Pippa is if her insurance will actually cover her. I suspect the insurers will try to wriggle out of this claiming she has not declared it previously.

Here on HT we often see complaints that TOs are the rip off merchants - In my opinion the TOs are pussy cats when you compare them to insurance companies.

fwh

Reading my insurance policy t&c (lloyds tsb) has a list of conditions that are covered - and mine is in that list and in fact was declared at the time of taking out the policy. I haven't contacted them before because all that has happened really is a change in the dosage of medication which is obviously not kicking in as quickly as I (or my GP) would have liked.

I think I probably need to contact the insurance company tomorrow - if they won't pay out even with a GP's letter then there is probably no point in me actually taking it any further. Don't really want to lose £900 but on the other hand don't want to be in a foreign country not feeling at all well.

Thanks all,
Pippa

One step at a time, but if the insurer declines the claim you can go through their complaints procedure and then take it to the Ombudsman.

luci

also check if you paid with credit card, if insurance does not pay out you might still get something back through cc company xphx good luck and take care. xphx

Sorry you feel so rotten (from an IBS sufferer, it causes havoc with my life!), but please be careful what your doctor writes.
The key to even hoping for a claim to go ahead is whether your doctor is actually willing to say you are unfit to travel, rather than you saying you don't want to go while you are feeling so bad. If he won't declare you unfit then it will be seen as your choice not to go.

As your condition was declared it would appear that the insurance company have already factored it in and charged you accordingly so you should be OK Pippa, but be assured that if they can find an excuse not to pay they will use it. As Athensfan says, it is vital that the doc confirms you are unfit to travel or you won't have a chance in hell. Start the ball rolling straight away and do let us know how you get on. In the meantime take care of yourself and remember we are all behind you.

Update - GP has advised not to travel and is happy to sign certificate.

Got forms from insurance company and also cancellation confirmation from Thomson. Hopefully we will get most if not all back less excess.

Medication has been upped so hopefully that will do the trick but doesn't work immediately so whilst sad to have to cancel holiday it is for the best. I'll probably find that I feel fine when we should have been away but a decision had to be made now really.

Thank you for all your good wishes - will keep you updated on the progress.

Pippa

That's great news Pippa. One less thing to worry about.

Hope the meds kick in soon.

luci

take care and get well soon xphx

Thanks all.

We are looking to go somewhere for a few days a little closer to home - probably the North Norfolk Coast or the Suffolk Coast. We live on the Essex/Suffolk border so neither are too far away. If we have a cottage I can do as much or as little as I want!

Pippa

That sounds like a great idea Pippa. Go and enjoy it.