Switched On Insurance Adds COVID-19 Cover To Travel Policies And Calls On The Government To Lift FCO Travel Restriction
Switched On Travel Insurance updates policies to cover emergency medical expenses related to COVID-19 if contracted while abroad, but warns travel policies are in limbo while the Foreign and Commonwealth Office’s exceptional travel advisory notice remains in place.
Switched On Insurance is today calling on the Government’s Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) to change its advice against all but essential international travel to allow travel insurance to be fully reinstated and give peace of mind to millions.
This follows a recent update to its policies to cover emergency medical treatment for COVID-19 provided not diagnosed or known before travelling.
Mark Allsopp, Switched On Insurance’s Head of Travel, said: “As the travel industry gears up to support British holidaymakers who wish to head abroad this summer, we’ve taken the step to update our policies to provide cover for COVID-19 related medical expenses should policyholders fall ill with the virus when they’re abroad.”
However, as the vast majority of travel insurance wordings include a standard clause that means cover isn’t valid for destinations where the FCO advises against travel, the current blanket ban means that some elements of protection remain dormant until travel is allowed again.
Mark, said: “We’re very supportive of the steps the Government is currently taking to open up travel in the safest way possible via air bridges and hopefully the removal of quarantine periods. But fundamentally, when the opportunity to travel feels like it’s within touching distance, we believe now is the time for the FCO to provide a clearer indication to all on when their advice will change to allow those who wish to head away to be fully covered by their travel insurance.
“It’s also important not to forget that it remains the case that travel insurance covers a whole host of factors outside of those related to the coronavirus. Things can still go wrong before travel leading to cancellation claims, and when you’re away injuries can still occur, and personal items may get lost or stolen. As such it’s absolutely the case that when someone is planning or booking a trip travel insurance remains a must have.”
Notes:
Any Switched On Insurance travel policy purchased after the 19th May will provide Coronavirus cover under the Emergency Medical and Repatriation Expenses section only. This will only apply if you do not travel against the published advice of the FCO and are not travelling to a country where the WHO has declared a pandemic or epidemic (other than a previous declaration of pandemic or epidemic that predated FCO advice allowing travel to that country).