Covid-19 travel insurance advice (1 Viewer)

[simmojunior]

I am supposedly going with three friends to Panama in early January. We have booked flights, car hire and accommodation. The flights are currently not cancellable and the accommodation will not be soon. I still hope probably against hope to be able to go. However, I would like some good insurance that covers reasonable costs or cancellation if the following likely scenarios:

• If I test positive in Panama, I will need insurance to cover the cost of a rebooked flight and quarantine accomodation;
• Cancellation I test positive immediately prior to travelling, I will need insurance to cover cancellation.
• Cancellation if Panama goes onto the red list before travelling or UK goes into lockdown preventing me going to airport
• Costs of quarantine hotel if Panama goes red when out there
• Cancellation if Panama goes into lockdown or bans arrivals from UK (or transit locations)
• Transit locations prevent flights coming from UK or Panama
• Cover if the UK government changes advice to against all but essential travel (depending on reasons, I probably will still travel)
• Cover if one of my friend's test positive when out there causing me to quarantine
• Cover if one of friend tests positive in advance and cannot travel driving up my costs or possibly causing me to cancel
• Hospital costs if I get ill with COVID (unlikely I'm triple jabbed)

I probably will not get cover for all these but want as many as possible. The most important is covering costs of quarantine if I am already out there or if Panama goes on red list (happy to isolate at home as can work from home). Does anyone have any advice?

I would also like some advice on testing. Can we bring a rapid test with us for the pre-departure test? Anyone recommend a reliable company?

 

[Jos Stratford]

Battleface

 

[simmojunior]

Battleface

Battleface is good if FCO advice changes but gives you very little Covid cover?

 

[Jos Stratford]

Covers illness from Covid if under 60, and several of your other points.

But I think you will struggle to find insurance that pays of the destination country goes into lockdown or for red list hotel quarantine. That's just a gamble you have to take now, don't book accommodation etc until the very last moment if doesn't refund.

 

[Jos Stratford]

Covers illness from Covid if under 60, and several of your other points.

But I think you will struggle to find insurance that pays of the destination country goes into lockdown or for red list hotel quarantine. That's just a gamble you have to take now, don't book accommodation etc until the very last moment if doesn't refund.

How about your credit card? Mine has free travel insurance that covers Covid medical and associated expenses.

 

[Andy Adcock]

Covers illness from Covid if under 60, and several of your other points.

But I think you will struggle to find insurance that pays of the destination country goes into lockdown or for red list hotel quarantine. That's just a gamble you have to take now, don't book accommodation etc until the very last moment if doesn't refund.

I think I'd be quite concerned that the trip won't be possible at all if things continue in the current direction.

 

[Mysticete]

I would also like some advice on testing. Can we bring a rapid test with us for the pre-departure test? Anyone recommend a reliable company?

I went to Panama this past summer, and the canopy tower was pretty good at setting up a pre-departure test, having the testing people come to the lodge a day or so before.

 

[DMW]

Covers illness from Covid if under 60, and several of your other points.

But I think you will struggle to find insurance that pays of the destination country goes into lockdown or for red list hotel quarantine. That's just a gamble you have to take now, don't book accommodation etc until the very last moment if doesn't refund.

I haven't researched in detail, but this is my broad understanding too. It seems easy enough to find policies that cover you if you or a companion get Covid and either need to cancel travel or cover medical expenses, but it's probably somewhere between difficult and impossible to find cover for inability to travel due to lock downs, quarantine or contrary FCO advice. My insurer basically laughed when I asked if the latter group of circumstances was covered.

There is a possibility that the UK government will reverse the red listing soon, on recognition that the Omicron variant is already widespread in the community and we're all going to get it in the coming months anyway. There seems also to be a serious consideration of scrapping mandatory hotel quarantine and just requiring people to quarantine at home, which will obviously be removal of a major barrier to travel for many.

 

[simmojunior]

Thanks all. I have done some research online and gone with Southdowns. I agree that the trip may not happen but will travel if possible.

 

[louisthedog]

How about your credit card? Mine has free travel insurance that covers Covid medical and associated expenses.

What's your credit card provider? Sounds interesting, but have you read the small script? Many so-called 'covid cover' only cover in the event that you fall ill. They don't get involved if you need to cancel due to government regulations regarding quarantine or lockdowns

 

[Jeff Hopkins]

What's your credit card provider? Sounds interesting, but have you read the small script? Many so-called 'covid cover' only cover in the event that you fall ill. They don't get involved if you need to cancel due to government regulations regarding quarantine or lockdowns

I don't think any insurance company will cover that, unless possibly you get a "cancel anytime" policy. And maybe not even then.

 

[Jos Stratford]

What's your credit card provider? Sounds interesting, but have you read the small script? Many so-called 'covid cover' only cover in the event that you fall ill. They don't get involved if you need to cancel due to government regulations regarding quarantine or lockdowns

Just double checked mine. I have free medical/travel disruption insurance on my card that includes covid cover for unlimited number of trips per year, each a maximum of three months.

The covid cover includes medical/repatriation if you get ill abroad, plus travel disruption costs if you have to cancel due to failing a covid test or needing to isolate prior to travelling. It does not cover governmental regulations such as closing of borders.