Have you claimed on holiday insurance? How easy was it?

[archibald]

We've always (I hope) had a robust insurance in place case of mishap but thankfully have never had to claim on it. Which begs the question how easy is it to claim if you need to? Was your cover sufficient or did you have to pay some yourself. I know that there's often a crossover between holiday and home insurance, but do they sort that amongst themselves? How easy is it?

We've insured with boots (medical stuff) this year having used staysure and nfu in the past. Hoping that we don't need it!

[Dougie]

I claimed for medical expenses when i fell in Universal and fractured my elbow. Was with Barclays and they paid up straight away.

[boltyboy]

Claimed for conjunctivitis treatment with LV dead easy no problems.

[Lee-Anne]

My son snapped his leg just before we were due to fly to LA a couple of years ago. I called NatWest whilst he was having surgery and revived the full refund about 3 weeks to a month later. Just sent them a doctors letter. We re booked and went a couple of months later.

[Posiesmum]

I’ve claimed twice. Once I was admitted to Florida Hospital with suspected kidney infection. Rang insurers before going, claim settled easily, though hospital required a 10% deposit on a credit card, which was refunded.
Last time, December, I attended the urgent care Center for a UTI. Paid there, then reclaimed from insurer. All done over the phone as it was under £300, I didn’t even have to send them the documents. £ in my account within 24 hours. Both claims with RBS insurance as part of our bank account. Highly recommended.

[2waterford]

My ds broke his leg skiing a few years ago and paid up very quickly, which included £4000 for a helicopter evacuation off the mountain

[nothingless]

We have all-year-round travel insurance through our bank, and had to claim on it twice last month - first we couldn't fly because my daughter had pneumonia, we claimed for that and got our money back no problem.We booked new flights a few weeks later, and a few days before we were due to go, I got a nasty case of the flu! So we had to claim a second time. Both were for Ryanair flights, both times it was so easy and hassle free, everyone was so friendly, and we got every last penny back. So so glad we had the insurance - we would have lost nearly £1000 if we hadn't!

[katrinalynn]

Medical insurance with Cedar Tree. Daughter took an ear infection while on holiday in Dom Rep last July. Total bill $700, all paid for by Cedar Tree before we left the hospital. Taxis were paid in cash and claimed back easily using receipts. Cost me only £50 of an excess.

[smithlane]

My parents were insured with Boots when my Dad had an angina attack halfway up Table Mountain in Cape Town.
There were brilliant in not only sorting out the medical bills straightaway but extended accommodation for my Mum as well as new flights home for them both

[Silvercat]

We had travel insurance with Holiday Lite (which is one of Moneysupermarket's) in 2018, and when we had to return less than 24 hours after arriving in Florida because my mum died of sepsis (which she didn't have when we left, or we wouldn't have gone!), I tried to claim but received a horrible, impersonal letter that they didn't bother to sign or personalise in any way, saying they were declining the claim as my mother had died of a pre-diagnosed condition. I sent them a strongly worded email first of all saying how disgusted I was with the letter that they had sent to me, and then asking how they thought the sepsis was pre-diagnosed? Mum had been recovering from a chest infection but was improving - until she very quickly developed sepsis which caused her organs to fail in a 12-hour period (she was 81). They didn't bother to apologise or explain, but they did however approve my claim in full after that.

The whole thing was a huge faff, mostly around trying to get a doctor's report on mum's health from her GP. As I wasn't registered at her surgery, (I live 20 miles from her house), and this surgery has a pool of doctors so mum could have seen half a dozen different ones over the years, they all gave me the runaround for a good 6 weeks before I got a bit firm and asked to speak to the practice manager, at which point one of the docs sent me a report!

I had used this holiday insurance company several times before, but never again, it put me right off them! I now have a travel policy through my bank account.