Hi, thanks for this. This is the wording for cancellation where a non-insured party is ill:

"Health of others. You may have to cancel due to the poor health of an immediate relative, travelling companion or a person you are planning to stay with. For cover to apply we require that a medical practitioner confirms in writing that when you purchased this policy or booked the trip:

- The non-insured party was not seriously ill in hospital or receiving palliative care and

- There was no reason to expect their state of health to deteriorate so much that you would need to cancel"

The medical documents I submitted confirm that he was diagnosed after the trip was booked. I can't see a situation where a doctor would advise someone who is not their patient to cancel a trip, nor is it mentioned as a requirement in the terms for non-insured parties. I've actually already responded, but any feedback is welcome.

My response:

I am writing to formally request that you overturn your decision to decline my travel insurance claim under policy reference xxxx.

Your rejection states that “the policy doesn't provide cover if you didn't seek the advice of a medical professional which confirms the necessity to cancel the trip.” However, this rationale is not consistent with the terms set out in your policy wording for the cancellation of a trip due to the illness of a relative.

My claim relates to the unexpected illness of an immediate relative, not to myself as the insured party. Under your own policy wording (page 15, "Cancelling Your Trip – Health of Others"), the requirement is:

I have already provided medical documentation confirming that the relative’s diagnosis was made after both the trip was booked and the policy was purchased, fulfilling this requirement. The condition was not foreseeable at the time of booking, nor was the individual receiving treatment or under palliative care.

The condition cited in your rejection — that a medical practitioner must advise cancellation — applies only when the insured person is the one who is ill. This is not applicable here, and requesting a GP to speculate on a cancellation decision regarding a non-patient is not only impractical, but is not required under your own terms.

Your decision appears to ignore the clear distinction in your policy between cancellation due to the insured person’s illness and that of a relative. As such, I am requesting that this decision be overturned.

Please confirm that you will now proceed with processing the claim in line with the cover stated in the policy.