Coronavirus COVID-19 Notice

Please note, our policies do not provide cover for cancellation, abandonment or curtailment claims if the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) advises against all or “all but essential” travel. Our policies will also not cover any claims caused by or relating to Coronavirus, COVID-19, Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS-COV-2), any mutation of Coronavirus, COVID-19 or SARs-COV-2 or any pandemic or fear or threat of any the above. We also can not cover any claims relating to any fear or threat concerning these viruses. This general exclusion applies to all sections of cover except for the Emergency Medical Expenses section.

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Over 50’s Annual Travel Scheme

Especially for members of the Women’s Institute

Worldwide Cover, No declaration of medical conditions: £235.00

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About Open Travel Insurance

The Open Travel Insurance Scheme provides tailored travel insurance, underwritten by Union Reiseversicherung AG, UK to members of the Women’s Institute. Our aim is to provide a quality service at a competitive price, to a standard that provides true peace of mind to the frequent traveller. In working with the WI we have delivered a travel insurance that members can rely on; easily accessed Online or via our Travel Team who are ready to assist.

The scheme is open to all WI members providing they are between 50 and 74 years of age and reside in the UK.

For those outside of this scheme’s 50-74 age bands…

A full suite of cover is available via our sister business CoverMyStay.

Visit CoverMyStay.com

About the Scheme & Eligibility

  • Open to members of the Women’s Institute aged between 50 and 74 and their families
  • UK Residents
  • You must be ‘Fit to Travel’ defined as:
    – If you had contacted your medical practitioner prior to booking your planned trip, and before the trip departure, he/she would not have advised against travel and/or between booking and departure any and all pre-existing medical conditions must be stable and well-controlled both as to the individual condition and treatment(s) thereof and/or there exists no known likelihood of any medical tests, investigations or major variation of treatment or medication between booking travel and the date of departure or whilst travelling
    – Travel is solely for leisure purposes
    – You do not have a chronic breathing condition
    – You have not been given a terminal prognosis
  • At time of policy purchase no insured person can be aged over 74 years
Start Your Cover

Over 50’s Annual Travel Scheme

The Open Travel Insurance scheme is available to all WI members aged between 50 and 74 years of age residing in the UK.

Once a scheme member no upper age limit will apply provided cover is not lapsed.

What’s included

  • Full Worldwide Cover
  • No medical screening information is required
  • No limit to the number of journeys
  • A total of 183 days can be spent overseas during any period of insurance
  • Any single trip can last for up to 65 days (45 days for Caribbean, USA or Canada travel)
  • Winter sports cover up to 17 days
  • Members can opt to include partners, spouses and children (until their 21st birthday)
  • Pre-existing medical conditions are covered as long as members are fit to travel and not terminally ill

The package of benefits at a glance

Cancellation £5,000
Curtailment £5,000
Medical and additional expenses+ £5,000,000
Extra overseas accommodation in event of injury/sickness £5,000
Emergency dental treatment £750
Repatriation of mortal remains to UK Up to £2,000 for local burial/cremation* Covered
Emergency medical repatriation and evacuation* Covered
Compassionate overseas visit* Covered
Personal accident benefit* death, loss of eyes/sight/limb £15,000
Personal baggage: single item £350 up to maximum £1,500
Delayed baggage (more than 12 hours)* £150
Personal money, travellers cheques £500
Cash limit up to maximum £250
Loss of passport £250
Delayed departure: every 12 hours* £50 up to maximum £200
Extended delay £2,000
Missed departure £1,000
Catastrophe cover £300
Legal expenses* £25,000
Personal liability* £2,000,000

Please note: all benefits are subject to £50 excess except those marked with an asterick (*) The benefit marked with a cross (+) is subject to £50 excess unless a European Health Insurance Card is used Benefits are subject to conditions, limitations and exclusions detailed in the membership agreement.

Policy Pricing

The annual cost is the same for all members. All premiums are payable annually in advance and must be paid by direct debit.

Members can join at any time. However, the full annual cost will be payable even if they join midway through the insurance year which runs from 1st November.

Membership of the scheme automatically renews each year on 1st November for all existing members.

Annual premiums for the Open Travel Insurance Scheme for year commencing 1st November 2019:

Single £235.00
Couple £325.00
Single Parent £325.00
Family £345.00

Start Your Cover

Download and complete the Application Form and Direct Debit Mandate. Complete both forms and send to:

Open Travel Insurance,
Tollgate House,
96 Market Place,
Romford,
Essex,
RM1 3ER

No cover can be incepted until the Application Form (including the Direct Debit Mandate) is received and accepted by underwriters.

Demands & Needs Terms of Business
INSURANCE PRODUCT INFORMATION DOCUMENT
Policy Document
Benefits Summary

Print out & post Application

Print Application Form

Here are the answers to some frequently asked questions:

There is no cover under this policy for:

– Cancellation, abandonment or curtailment claims if the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) advises you not to travel, for example where the FCO advise against all but essential travel to an area affected by Coronavirus, COVID-19, Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS-COV-2) or any mutation of Coronavirus, COVID-19 or SARs-COV-2.

– Any claims as a result of Coronavirus, COVID-19, Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS-COV-2), any mutation of Coronavirus, COVID-19 or SARs-COV-2 or any pandemic or fear or threat of any the above. Except for the Emergency Medical Expenses section. This will only apply if you did not travel against the published advice of the FCO, any local government, local authority or WHO.

All travellers covered under this policy must be Fit to Travel as defined on the website page ‘About the Scheme & Eligibility’. If you are in any way unsure of your fitness to travel (and/or others insured under the policy) you (they) should visit your (their) Medical Practitioner for confirmation. This includes confirmation that the Medical Practitioner is not aware of any likelihood of a cancellation or curtailment of travel as a result of tests or investigations or a major variation of treatment or medication.

If you wish to seek an alternate policy cover, one under which you may declare pre-existing conditions, in order to obtain a bespoke quotation please visit www.covermystay.com or contact us on 0800 542 7161.

We will confirm the commencement date of your insurance once we have received and approved your Application Form and Direct Debit Mandate. You can start your cover at any time but the premium remains the same from the agreed commencement date to the next anniversary of the scheme; being 1st November annually.

You have the right to cancel your policy at any time by written confirmation, though no refund of premium will be made outside of the 14 day ‘cooling off’ period (from the date you receive the policy documents). However, if a service has been provided under the policy within those 14 days then no premium refund will be made.

Just ask your doctor to complete and sign the medical certificate included in the cancellation claim form. You will need to send this to us along with your overseas trip booking invoice, receipt and cancellation invoice.

Be sure to obtain a doctor’s letter confirming that you need to curtail your trip and return home. We will also need your holiday booking invoice and receipt to support your claim.

Immediately arrange for any treatment you need, but please be sure you contact us as soon as possible for authorisation before incurring any medical expenses over £750. You must obtain a detailed receipt for all the treatment that you receive.

Please get written confirmation from the doctor who is treating you, that you are unfit to travel at the scheduled time. What should I do if another party is responsible for some of my claims costs? You must contact us if you are able to recover any part of your claims costs from any other party, for example if you have another insurance policy, cover through a state healthcare system or are legally entitled to recover costs from another third party. We will only pay our proper share. Important note: If you need to stay in hospital, someone must contact Emergency Assistance Facilities on +44 (0) 203 829 6745 as soon as possible to advise us of the details. Should you incur any additional expenses for travel and accommodation, please keep your receipts.

If travel is undertaken against the advice of a Medical Practitioner the policy will not respond to any claim event.

If you lose your baggage or it is stolen, report this to the police immediately and get a Police Report. If your baggage is lost or damaged whilst being carried by an airline, railway, coach or ship, report this in writing to the carrier as soon as possible (at least within three days). Make sure you receive a Property Irregularity Report or similar documentation. Please keep copies of any correspondence you send or receive, as well as the retained portion of the travel tickets and baggage tickets.

In the event of your baggage being damaged, obtain an estimate for the repair. If the article is not repairable, get a letter of confirmation from the repairers. Please retain the damaged item wherever possible.

To support a claim for damaged and lost items we will require receipts showing the purchase price and date of purchase.

If your baggage is delayed for more than 12 hours, get written confirmation of this from the carrier. You will also need receipts to support your claim for any emergency purchases you have to make.

Report it to the police immediately and get a Police Report. If you incur costs when obtaining replacement documentation e.g. extra travel, unplanned accommodation or statutory charges, be sure to keep all your receipts.

Report this to the police without delay – certainly within 24 hours of discovering the loss.
Please get a Police Report.

If you have lost Travellers Cheques you should report this immediately to the local branch, agent or issuing authority and apply to them for a refund. If, for any reason, you are unsuccessful in getting a refund, you will need a letter from them confirming this fact.

If you have lost your foreign currency you will need evidence of conversion from the bank, such as a currency conversion bank slip.

If you have lost sterling or cheques you will need confirmation of cancelled cheques and bank statements.

If your transport breaks down, please make every effort to reach the point of departure from or return to the UK on time. Should you still miss your flight, train, coach, ship, ferry or cross-channel train, get a receipt for any alternative transport needed to reach your destination. If public transport let you down, please obtain written confirmation from the carrier explaining the cause.

Please obtain detailed confirmation from the carrier (or their handling agent) explaining the reasons for the delay, its precise duration and the original itinerary.

We will require the name and address of the person injured; a full description of the injuries suffered; plus full details of the accident – including how, when and where it occurred.

If you are travelling to any of the countries in the European Economic Area*, a European Health Insurance Card entitles you to free health benefits. Application forms are available from any main Post Office. If you obtain a European Health Insurance Card before you travel – and use it to reduce the cost of a claim for medical expenses – we will not deduct the normal excess charge from your claim.

*Includes Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Republic of Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden and UK. Switzerland by special arrangement.

A Chronic Breathing Condition means the following:

  • Severe Allergic Asthma, Asthma with fixed airflow obstruction, Night time (Nocturnal) Asthma, Obstructive Sleep Apnea
  • Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD)
  • Chronic Bronchitis
  • Cystic Fibrosis/Bronchiectasis
  • Emphysema
  • Lung Cancer
  • Lung Hernia
  • Pleural Effusion

Pneumonia If you are unsure as to the nature of a condition you should contact your General Practitioner.

A Terminal Prognosis means a terminal illness with a life expectancy of below one year at the start of the overseas journey.

As an insured member of the Open Travel Insurance scheme you will be contacted in advance of your policy renewal (the scheme anniversary date, 1st November) and unless otherwise advised we will automatically renew your policy via the held bank Direct Debit Mandate. This provides continuity of cover should you be on a overseas journey. Should you change or amend your banking details the onus is on you to inform Open Travel Insurance ensuring a premium payment by Direct debit can be taken. Failure to do this will mean your policy will not be renewed and therefore cover will cease at the scheme anniversary date.

Call us: 0800 221 8800

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OpenTravelInsurance is a trading name of Butcher Robinson & Staples International Limited
(a registered Lloyd’s of London insurance broker), authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority.