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It pays to add travelling companions to your policy!
Are you aware that being insured separately to your travelling companions could in fact leave a gap in not only your travel insurance policy but your companions too? Travel insurance only covers for the persons named on the policy, which means, if your companions are insured with a different provider, that insurer is not obligated to pay out a claim if it’s in anyway related to you or your pre-existing medical conditions. Therefore your companions could face out of pocket expenses in the event of having to cancel the holiday or having to stay with you and arrange flights home at a later date should you become unwell, and vice versa.
But my companion doesn’t have any medical conditions
If you’re applying for specialist travel insurance because you have medical conditions to be covered, it's worth adding your companions to your policy, even if they do not have any medical conditions themselves. It’s often assumed that ‘well’ travelling companions can get cheaper cover elsewhere; however, you will find that specialist insurers don’t tend to load the premium and will add travelling companions on at a standard rate. This is a huge advantage, as your companions will not be charged for your pre-existing conditions but will receive the same cover benefits as you should something go wrong!
My travelling companion already has cover elsewhere
‘But My partner already has cover with the bank’ - We hear this all the time, and as explained previously, being insured on separate policies by two different insurers can leave both parties vulnerable. It’s worth knowing that if your companion has paid out for a policy within the last 14 days, they have a right to cancel and get a refund, providing they have not travelled or made a claim against the policy. However, it doesn’t matter if two policies are in place, but the important thing is, that your travelling companions are covered for your pre-existing conditions and not left out of pocket in the event of a claim.
How to add companions to your travel insurance policy
The best way is to include them at the time you apply and buy your cover. However, if you’re reading this article and thinking, I really need to add my travelling companions to my existing policy, then simply phone up your travel insurance provider and ask to add them and pay the additional premium. If your insurer informs you that they will need to set up a new policy for your companion(s), ask them to ensure that the two policies are linked together providing cover for each other’s eventualities in an event of a claim.
- Medical Travel Compared's tip is, ‘if you’re travelling together, be insured together!’