Tommy has over 15 years experience within the insurance industry, and his primary focus is helping travellers find the right cover for their medical conditions.
If you're off on your holidays with your loved ones, whether it's your family or friends, it's an incredibly exciting time. Yet when it comes to buying travel insurance, it can be tricky to decide if it's better to buy travel insurance for each traveller or encompass all your travelling companions into one, standalone group policy.
In this guide, we will explore the benefits of why sometimes, a group policy might be the better solution, when trying to find travel insurance for your next holiday away with your friends or family.
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What is a Group Travel Insurance Policy?
A group travel insurance policy is a comprehensive form of cover designed for multiple individuals embarking on a journey together. This type of policy encompasses the same range of protections you would find in an individual policy, including medical expenses, which are crucial in case of unexpected illness or injury while travelling.
It also covers trip cancellation or interruption, offering financial protection if your travel plans are forcibly changed due to reasons outside your control, and protection for personal belongings, ensuring compensation for loss or theft of luggage and personal items.
The real advantage of opting for a group insurance policy lies in its convenience and cost-effectiveness. Instead of undergoing the hassle and expense of securing separate policies for each traveller, one comprehensive policy can be purchased to cover the entire group. This is not only a more streamlined approach to travel insurance but often results in significant savings.
Consider, for example, planning a trip abroad with your partner and another couple. In such cases, a group policy is perfectly suited, offering peace of mind for all travellers under a single plan. Similarly, if you're organising a grand family getaway that includes your children and grandchildren, a group policy again stands out as the ideal choice, ensuring that everyone from the youngest to the oldest is fully protected.
On the other hand, for more intimate travel plans, such as a holiday with your partner and young children, a family travel insurance policy might be more appropriate.
What’s the Difference Between Group and Family Travel Insurance?
There are no real differences between the cover provided in group or family travel insurance. The main differences are in what situations you should purchase these types of policies.
Family Travel Insurance: Travel insurance providers typically define a family as a parent or parents travelling together with their child or children who are under 18 years old, for whom they are the legal guardians, and who all reside together in the same household.
Group Travel Insurance: In the situation where your children are older and have already moved out, you would need to consider a group policy, rather than a family policy, if you want to ensure that everyone is covered under the same travel insurance policy. Additionally, if you are planning to go away with friends, then a group policy would work here too.
Taking this into account can help you make an informed decision when choosing the most suitable insurance policy for your family's and friends' travel needs.
Why Should I Consider a Group Travel Insurance Policy?
If you or a travelling companion has a pre-existing medical condition, such as high blood pressure or diabetes, it's highly advisable to explore the option of your entire group obtaining the same travel insurance policy. This ensures that everyone is adequately covered and protected throughout your journey, granting you peace of mind and allowing you to fully immerse yourself in the delightful experiences that lie ahead.
While you might initially consider saving money by covering healthy travellers on one policy and travellers with medical conditions on a separate policy, this approach could leave you with a potential gap in your travel insurance protection.
By having everyone insured on the same policy, your cancellation cover will also account for all travellers in relation to your travelling companion's medical condition. Meaning, that should a member of your travelling party fall ill, and the holiday needs to be cancelled or cut short, everyone included within the policy would be covered.
This provides great relief for those travelling with pre-existing medical conditions, as it guarantees peace of mind for both you and your friends or family, especially in case the condition should flare up around the time of your holiday.
Having all travellers covered on a group travel insurance policy ensures that the cancellation cover is comprehensive and takes into account the needs and potential risks associated with pre-existing medical conditions. It's a smart and practical approach to safeguarding your travel plans and ensuring that everyone can enjoy their holiday worry-free.
What is a pre-existing medical condition?
Dr Sarah Jarvis is the Clinical Director of the Patient Platform, an active medical writer, broadcaster, and the resident doctor for BBC Radio 2.
A pre-existing medical condition means a condition that you have been diagnosed, or treated for, prior to you taking out your travel insurance policy. This may be a health condition you have now or one that you no longer suffer from, but have had in the past. Whilst you’ll need to tell us about most pre-existing health conditions if you have been diagnosed or treated for them (including repeat prescriptions) within the last 2 years, some conditions, such as heart or respiratory-related conditions, we’ll need to know if you’ve ever had them.
What if My Friends/Family Already have Travel Insurance Elsewhere?
It's crucial to understand that if your travelling companions have decided to purchase a travel insurance policy within the past 14 days, they are entitled to cancel their policy and obtain a full refund. This option is available as long as they haven't embarked on their trip or filed any claims against the policy. This grace period allows travellers to reassess their needs and possibly opt for a policy that better suits their travel plans.
Moreover, it's important to highlight that having multiple insurance policies for the same trip isn't problematic. The key factor to consider is whether each of your travel companions has sufficient protection for the duration of the journey. Adequate insurance ensures that, in the unfortunate event of needing to file a claim, they will be financially protected and not face unexpected expenses. Ensuring everyone is properly covered provides peace of mind, allowing you all to focus on enjoying your travels instead of worrying about potential financial risks.
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How do I Add People to My Travel Insurance Policy?
The most effective approach is to include your friends and/or family when you initially apply for and purchase your travel insurance policy, keeping things straightforward and hassle-free from the very beginning.
However, if you find yourself reading this and realising that you need to add your friends to your existing policy, don't worry! Just get in touch with your travel insurance provider and inquire about the possibility of adding them to your policy.
They will be able to guide you through the process and provide you with all the information you need to make the necessary adjustments. They will likely ask for your travelling companions' date of birth and request information about any pre-existing medical conditions they may have.
Remember, it's always better to be safe and ensure that everyone is adequately protected during your travels.
Choosing the perfect travel insurance for you, your family, and your friends is key to a worry-free, enjoyable trip. Whether it's a family or group policy, ensuring everyone is covered, especially for pre-existing conditions, is crucial. This guide helps you navigate your options for comprehensive coverage and peace of mind. Travel insurance aims to safeguard your trip, health, and happiness, letting you focus on making memories.
Get a quoteFrequently Asked Questions
A pre-existing condition is a diagnosed medical condition that existed before taking out a policy. We'll ask a series of questions about the medical history for you and any travellers on your quote. If you answer yes to any of these, you will need to tell us about the traveller's conditions. This could be a condition that a traveller has now or has had in the past. If you are not sure what conditions you need to declare, we have online support available to help you 24/7!
No. We can search for travel insurance quotes for all ages. However, the number of annual multi-trip quotes for older travellers may be limited due to age restrictions imposed by the providers that we search. If you are unable to get an annual trip quote, try a single trip quote instead.