Most travel insurers accepting H1N1 claims

According to the ABI, most companies will now accept claims without a doctor's letter.

Travel Insurance News - 27/07/2009

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Travel insurers that belong to the Association of British Insurers (ABI) will accept the claims without requiring their policyholders to provide a letter from their GP.

What they will require for certification instead is the unique ID number that claimants are given by The National Pandemic Flu Service helpline, and also the label from the anti-flu drugs that were prescribed by the helpline – bearing the claimant’s name and the date the prescription was issued.

Not all travel insurers are ABI members, however. Ninety per cent of insurance companies belong to the association, and consumers can check on the ABI website to see whether their insurer is a member.

Last week, Nick Starling, who is the director of general insurance of health at the ABI, said: “While the outbreak of swine flu is causing concern, people should not overreact or panic and travel insurance is there to help.”

He explained that travel insurance normally covers the cost of a holiday cancellation due to illness, and also the cost of medical treatment received abroad and costs that arise because of illness-related delays.

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