0:00:02 > 0:00:05We asked you who has left you feeling ripped off
0:00:05 > 0:00:08when it comes to your holidays, and you came back with a catalogue
0:00:08 > 0:00:09of travel disasters.
0:00:09 > 0:00:11It happens all the time that somebody else
0:00:11 > 0:00:13has paid less for the holiday that
0:00:13 > 0:00:14I've paid more for.
0:00:14 > 0:00:17The costs of these things are certainly going up and up.
0:00:17 > 0:00:21It always seems someone's trying to rip me off somewhere along the line.
0:00:21 > 0:00:23Whether it's a deliberate rip-off,
0:00:23 > 0:00:25a simple mistake or a catch
0:00:25 > 0:00:28in the small print, we'll find out why you're out of pocket
0:00:28 > 0:00:30and what you can do about it.
0:00:30 > 0:00:33Your stories, your money -
0:00:33 > 0:00:35this is Rip-Off Britain.
0:00:35 > 0:00:38Hello, and welcome to Rip-Off Britain where,
0:00:38 > 0:00:41this series, we're on the very sunny island of Tenerife,
0:00:41 > 0:00:43and it's gorgeous.
0:00:43 > 0:00:45We're here to investigate more of the problems that you told us
0:00:45 > 0:00:47you've had with your holidays.
0:00:47 > 0:00:50And today's programme is all about making sure that you'll
0:00:50 > 0:00:53be well-looked-after, should the unexpected happened.
0:00:53 > 0:00:55And that could be either before you've gone away, or indeed
0:00:55 > 0:00:58- whilst you're out there. - Let's face it -
0:00:58 > 0:01:02holidays, of course, are suppose to be a time when you can relax
0:01:02 > 0:01:05but, unfortunately, life and everything it's likely to throw
0:01:05 > 0:01:09at you just carries on regardless. So it really does pay to make sure
0:01:09 > 0:01:12that you want covered by every eventuality,
0:01:12 > 0:01:14however difficult that may be to think about.
0:01:14 > 0:01:18Because it really can save an awful lot of heartache and, quite frankly,
0:01:18 > 0:01:21money later down the line.
0:01:21 > 0:01:24The trouble is, you may think you're protected but, when the worst
0:01:24 > 0:01:26happens, it may turn out that you're not.
0:01:26 > 0:01:28That's what's happened to some of the people
0:01:28 > 0:01:30we're going to be meeting today.
0:01:30 > 0:01:33Their cases highlight what many would say is a quite scandalous
0:01:33 > 0:01:36state of affairs that could leave countless people at risk.
0:01:37 > 0:01:39Coming up...
0:01:39 > 0:01:41A surprising exclusion in the protection offered
0:01:41 > 0:01:44by some of the biggest names in travel insurance.
0:01:44 > 0:01:48Could you be amongst the people who are left dangerously exposed?
0:01:48 > 0:01:49I was absolutely mortified,
0:01:49 > 0:01:51I couldn't believe it.
0:01:51 > 0:01:55And I didn't know which way to turn, I really didn't.
0:01:55 > 0:01:58And how a tragic end to one family's holiday
0:01:58 > 0:02:02also left them thousands of pounds out of pocket.
0:02:02 > 0:02:07To be here with financial worries made a situation
0:02:07 > 0:02:10which was already sad so much worse.
0:02:13 > 0:02:15Now, something we're always told is as vital to have
0:02:15 > 0:02:19on your holiday as a toothbrush is your travel insurance.
0:02:19 > 0:02:22If something goes wrong while you're away, or even before you've left,
0:02:22 > 0:02:26then you want to be sure you won't end up losing out.
0:02:26 > 0:02:29Of course many times over the years on this series
0:02:29 > 0:02:32we've highlighted examples where I'm afraid that
0:02:32 > 0:02:34hasn't proved to be the case. And now, a great number of you
0:02:34 > 0:02:37have been telling us that you've experienced particular difficulties
0:02:37 > 0:02:39if you've ever had any kind of mental health condition.
0:02:39 > 0:02:42Indeed, in some cases, being refused cover altogether.
0:02:42 > 0:02:45And the complaints you've been sending us about this
0:02:45 > 0:02:48go back quite some time.
0:02:48 > 0:02:51Pauline White and her husband Reg,
0:02:51 > 0:02:54from Birmingham, have been married for 61 years,
0:02:54 > 0:02:58but during the last five of these, their vows to love each other
0:02:58 > 0:03:01through sickness and health have really been put to the test.
0:03:01 > 0:03:05It all started in 2013 after Pauline had booked
0:03:05 > 0:03:08a trip abroad to celebrate a special family occasion.
0:03:08 > 0:03:12Well, my granddaughter was getting married in Cyprus, Paphos.
0:03:12 > 0:03:15And, obviously, we was invited
0:03:15 > 0:03:18and I booked the holiday in January.
0:03:18 > 0:03:22And on the same day, or the day after, I booked
0:03:22 > 0:03:26up insurance, because that's what you should do.
0:03:26 > 0:03:29Pauline had paid £2,000 for the holiday with
0:03:29 > 0:03:31Thomson - now called Tui -
0:03:31 > 0:03:35and had booked travel insurance a company called insurepink.
0:03:35 > 0:03:37But one morning, ten weeks
0:03:37 > 0:03:39before the couple were due to fly out to Cyprus,
0:03:39 > 0:03:42Reg suddenly became seriously ill.
0:03:42 > 0:03:44I heard him coming downstairs
0:03:44 > 0:03:46and the usual procedure is,
0:03:46 > 0:03:48"What do you want for your breakfast?"
0:03:48 > 0:03:51And he opened the door and I couldn't believe
0:03:51 > 0:03:54because he just looked a different person, his face.
0:03:54 > 0:03:56And I said, "Are you all right?"
0:03:56 > 0:03:58He says, "No, something's happened to me."
0:03:58 > 0:04:01Although he didn't know it at the time,
0:04:01 > 0:04:05Reg had suffered a sudden and severe episode of depression.
0:04:05 > 0:04:08And having never experienced any mental-health problems before,
0:04:08 > 0:04:11the couple were thrown into complete disarray.
0:04:11 > 0:04:13He was anxious all the time,
0:04:13 > 0:04:17and he couldn't eat and he couldn't sleep,
0:04:17 > 0:04:20and he was having terrible nightmares,
0:04:20 > 0:04:22and he was walking around in the night.
0:04:22 > 0:04:25I just felt terrible. I felt helpless. I couldn't help him.
0:04:25 > 0:04:30I tried, but I just couldn't, because I didn't know what to do.
0:04:32 > 0:04:34As the weeks went by, despite taking medication
0:04:34 > 0:04:38and receiving help from support workers, Reg wasn't improving
0:04:38 > 0:04:41and Pauline began to think about their upcoming holiday.
0:04:41 > 0:04:44I remember me grandson saying,
0:04:44 > 0:04:47"Well, I don't think you'll be able to go," and I said,
0:04:47 > 0:04:50"Well, I'll give it another month and see how he is,"
0:04:50 > 0:04:52but he never got any better,
0:04:52 > 0:04:56so I knew then that we wasn't going to be able to go.
0:04:56 > 0:04:59I was devastated. We both was.
0:04:59 > 0:05:02Reluctantly, Pauline decided to cancel their holiday.
0:05:02 > 0:05:05Amidst the disappointment, her only comfort was
0:05:05 > 0:05:08that the travel insurance she'd taken out did
0:05:08 > 0:05:11include cover for cancellation. So she called the company she'd
0:05:11 > 0:05:13bought it from, insurepink,
0:05:13 > 0:05:15expecting to be able to claim back
0:05:15 > 0:05:17at least some of the cost of the trip.
0:05:18 > 0:05:20But she was in for a shock.
0:05:20 > 0:05:23Oh, I phoned them up. I said that my husband
0:05:23 > 0:05:27had had a breakdown and we was unable to travel,
0:05:27 > 0:05:32and they said, "Well, we don't cover mental health."
0:05:32 > 0:05:35And I said, "Well, yeah, fair enough,
0:05:35 > 0:05:39"but when we took out this policy he was perfectly normal."
0:05:39 > 0:05:41And they said, "It doesn't matter.
0:05:41 > 0:05:45"We don't cover it under any circumstances.
0:05:46 > 0:05:49"Go and read the small print, and you'll see."
0:05:49 > 0:05:53Although astonished and frustrated
0:05:53 > 0:05:55that the policy could have such a blanket exemption
0:05:55 > 0:05:58for mental health, Pauline resigned herself
0:05:58 > 0:06:00to having lost the money,
0:06:00 > 0:06:04and she concentrated on looking after Reg who, five years on,
0:06:04 > 0:06:06still hasn't fully recovered.
0:06:06 > 0:06:10What happens to you when you're not very good?
0:06:10 > 0:06:13My stomach starts churning over.
0:06:13 > 0:06:15Right. As if what?
0:06:15 > 0:06:17As if I'm sitting at an exam,
0:06:17 > 0:06:19or waiting to sit an exam.
0:06:21 > 0:06:24- Terrible, isn't it?- Yeah.
0:06:24 > 0:06:28But, still, you're still better than what you was
0:06:28 > 0:06:29and there's a lot worse off,
0:06:29 > 0:06:33- so you got to keep your chin up and keep going.- That's right.
0:06:33 > 0:06:36- So...- Keep trying. - Yeah. Which you do.
0:06:36 > 0:06:38But in the years since Reg fell ill,
0:06:38 > 0:06:42there have been some significant changes to the way that people
0:06:42 > 0:06:45with mental-health conditions are treated, especially
0:06:45 > 0:06:47since the introduction of the
0:06:47 > 0:06:51Mental Health Discrimination Act back in 2013.
0:06:51 > 0:06:52The principle that a
0:06:52 > 0:06:55mental illness should be treated in the same way as a
0:06:55 > 0:06:58physical condition is becoming increasingly accepted as good practice.
0:06:58 > 0:07:01And that's the point reiterated by both insurepink,
0:07:01 > 0:07:03the company Pauline had bought her policy with,
0:07:03 > 0:07:06and indeed by the business that actually provides the cover,
0:07:06 > 0:07:09which is called the...
0:07:11 > 0:07:12They told us that while at the time,
0:07:12 > 0:07:14in common with other insurance providers,
0:07:14 > 0:07:17they didn't medically screen or cover people
0:07:17 > 0:07:19for mental health-related conditions,
0:07:19 > 0:07:21since then...
0:07:26 > 0:07:29And if Reg's circumstances had occurred now, it would...
0:07:30 > 0:07:32..to see if it would cover it.
0:07:34 > 0:07:36But that's little consolation
0:07:36 > 0:07:39for Pauline, who's spent the last few years getting used
0:07:39 > 0:07:41to a new kind of normal.
0:07:41 > 0:07:43What about when I walk in the room?
0:07:43 > 0:07:45I look forward to it.
0:07:45 > 0:07:49- Do you?- Yeah.- Oh. Why's that, then?
0:07:49 > 0:07:52You take all the responsibility away from me.
0:07:52 > 0:07:53SHE SNIGGERS
0:07:55 > 0:07:58I ain't got nothing to worry about.
0:07:59 > 0:08:02- But what would you worry about? - I worry about anything.- Oh.
0:08:02 > 0:08:06- What people think.- Do you?- Yeah.
0:08:06 > 0:08:09And the more she has considered the whole situation,
0:08:09 > 0:08:13the more convinced Pauline's become that she and Reg were
0:08:13 > 0:08:15treated very unfairly.
0:08:15 > 0:08:18Well, I'd just like them to pay out
0:08:18 > 0:08:23to people who have suffered like we have the same as they do
0:08:23 > 0:08:26for people that suffer with a stroke
0:08:26 > 0:08:29or a heart attack, and I think you're
0:08:29 > 0:08:34entitled to the same treatment as they get.
0:08:34 > 0:08:36Why not? Why shouldn't you?
0:08:37 > 0:08:41Pauline has been interested to hear of the case of Ella Ingram,
0:08:41 > 0:08:44who recently made headlines in her native Australia
0:08:44 > 0:08:47after successfully taking on a travel insurance company
0:08:47 > 0:08:51in similar circumstances. In 2012, Ella had cancelled a trip
0:08:51 > 0:08:54to New York after suffering an unprecedented and
0:08:54 > 0:08:58sudden episode of depression. Her insurer said it wouldn't pay out
0:08:58 > 0:09:02because mental-health conditions weren't covered.
0:09:02 > 0:09:05But, at the end of 2015, as she explained to Pauline
0:09:05 > 0:09:08when the two of them compared their experiences
0:09:08 > 0:09:12in an online chat, Ella was awarded a pay-out from her insurance company
0:09:12 > 0:09:15after a judge found it had discriminated against her
0:09:15 > 0:09:18on the basis of her mental health.
0:09:18 > 0:09:20- REPORTER:- Ella is finally going to get
0:09:20 > 0:09:23the 4,000 pay-out she's entitled to,
0:09:23 > 0:09:26plus 15,000 in compensation for hurt and humiliation.
0:09:26 > 0:09:28Since her case, and the publicity
0:09:28 > 0:09:33surrounding it, a number of Australian insurance companies -
0:09:33 > 0:09:36including the one with which Ella had her insurance -
0:09:36 > 0:09:40have changed their policies, meaning they no longer have blanket exclusions
0:09:40 > 0:09:44on all mental-health conditions, as they did when Ella made her claim.
0:10:05 > 0:10:08Oh, yes, that's...how I feel about it,
0:10:08 > 0:10:10that it's just unfair for other people.
0:10:33 > 0:10:37Inspired by Ella's story, Pauline's looking into what recourse
0:10:37 > 0:10:40she may yet have and, in the first instance,
0:10:40 > 0:10:43she's asked the Financial Ombudsman Service to look into her case.
0:10:43 > 0:10:47But in the meantime, despite a growing awareness of mental health and its effects,
0:10:47 > 0:10:50it seems that situations like Pauline's
0:10:50 > 0:10:54haven't been entirely consigned to the past.
0:10:54 > 0:10:57When our researchers checked through the small print of a range
0:10:57 > 0:11:00of travel insurance policies, we found that cover for any
0:11:00 > 0:11:04conditions of this kind, whether new or already diagnosed,
0:11:04 > 0:11:07can still be inconsistent, confusing or, in some
0:11:07 > 0:11:08cases, non-existent.
0:11:08 > 0:11:10And when consumer campaigner James Daley
0:11:10 > 0:11:13did a similar comparison, he was particularly
0:11:13 > 0:11:17struck by some of the exclusions starting to creep into policies.
0:11:17 > 0:11:21So we looked at a number of travel insurance policies and found that
0:11:21 > 0:11:24some of them now have a blanket exclusion for any claims relating
0:11:24 > 0:11:28to psychiatric conditions while you're abroad.
0:11:28 > 0:11:31Others of them have said that they won't pay out
0:11:31 > 0:11:34for cancellation that is linked to a psychiatric condition,
0:11:34 > 0:11:37unless you pay yourself for an assessment by a doctor
0:11:37 > 0:11:39proving that that is the case,
0:11:39 > 0:11:41which seems a bit unreasonable.
0:11:41 > 0:11:44In other cases, we found that policies won't pay out
0:11:44 > 0:11:48unless your psychiatric condition results in inpatient treatment,
0:11:48 > 0:11:51so that obviously means it would be quite an extreme case -
0:11:51 > 0:11:53perhaps you've been sectioned -
0:11:53 > 0:11:56but there's going to be a lot of psychiatric conditions that develop
0:11:56 > 0:12:00while you're abroad which may not necessitate inpatient treatment.
0:12:00 > 0:12:03It might be just a visit to the doctors, and there's no good
0:12:03 > 0:12:05reason why they should be excluded.
0:12:05 > 0:12:06James is very concerned that,
0:12:06 > 0:12:10at a time when insurance companies should be becoming more inclusive
0:12:10 > 0:12:13on mental-health conditions, some may, in fact, be increasing
0:12:13 > 0:12:15the barriers in the way of people who have them.
0:12:15 > 0:12:18I don't think it's fair or reasonable to exclude
0:12:18 > 0:12:22psychiatric conditions from travel insurance policies, even if you do
0:12:22 > 0:12:24tell your customers clearly when they're buying.
0:12:24 > 0:12:28Actually, the likelihood that you're going to get a psychiatric condition
0:12:28 > 0:12:31for the first time when you're on holiday is fairly small,
0:12:31 > 0:12:34and is absolutely the kind of thing you would expect your
0:12:34 > 0:12:37travel insurance to cover the cost of.
0:12:37 > 0:12:41Another common complaint is that once you've declared to an insurer
0:12:41 > 0:12:44that you've had any sort of mental illness -
0:12:44 > 0:12:46as those who've had one, however briefly, are obliged to do so -
0:12:46 > 0:12:51then, even if you can get cover, the price of it will rocket.
0:12:51 > 0:12:53Well, later on in the programme, we'll find out
0:12:53 > 0:12:57why getting travel insurance for an existing mental-health condition
0:12:57 > 0:13:01can not only be tricky, but expensive, as well.
0:13:01 > 0:13:06Some of the prices that came back, as high as £128
0:13:06 > 0:13:08for a seven-day break. It's just ridiculous.
0:13:14 > 0:13:18Facing up to ourselves or our loved ones dying
0:13:18 > 0:13:20is something that, well,
0:13:20 > 0:13:22frankly, nobody really wants to think about.
0:13:22 > 0:13:25But, like it or not, it is something for which, financially at least,
0:13:25 > 0:13:27we should be prepared.
0:13:27 > 0:13:31And I'm afraid that that is at the heart of our next report,
0:13:31 > 0:13:35because if the absolute worst does happen while you're away
0:13:35 > 0:13:37and you don't have the right cover in place,
0:13:37 > 0:13:40then the costs, and indeed the stress of dealing with what's
0:13:40 > 0:13:46happened, makes an already terrible situation so much worse.
0:13:49 > 0:13:50It's official -
0:13:50 > 0:13:53the over-65s are amongst Britain's top holidaymakers,
0:13:53 > 0:13:56on average taking two foreign holidays every year.
0:13:56 > 0:13:59But whilst retirement for some can
0:13:59 > 0:14:01mean spare time and bit more cash,
0:14:01 > 0:14:04it can also mean ill health.
0:14:04 > 0:14:06And you may only discover too late
0:14:06 > 0:14:11that your standard insurance policy won't necessarily cover you
0:14:11 > 0:14:14for any treatment, bills or other costs that could arise from that.
0:14:14 > 0:14:17Brenda Meade from Glenrothes in Fife
0:14:17 > 0:14:21found that out the hard way after, in 2016,
0:14:21 > 0:14:24she and her husband Bernard booked a holiday
0:14:24 > 0:14:26to celebrate not only 50 years of marriage,
0:14:26 > 0:14:29but her 70th and his 75th birthdays.
0:14:29 > 0:14:33Because it was a big birthday for both Bernard and myself,
0:14:33 > 0:14:37we took two of our three children with us and their partners,
0:14:37 > 0:14:40just to make it more of a family affair.
0:14:41 > 0:14:43The family settled on the Spanish island of Minorca
0:14:43 > 0:14:45for their celebrations
0:14:45 > 0:14:48and booked a villa with a pool that everyone could enjoy.
0:14:48 > 0:14:51Once the accommodation was sorted,
0:14:51 > 0:14:54Brenda arranged travel insurance through Trust 2 Travel,
0:14:54 > 0:14:58a website specialising in providing cover for travellers
0:14:58 > 0:15:00with pre-existing conditions -
0:15:00 > 0:15:03in Bernard's case, for his diabetes.
0:15:03 > 0:15:08I went on to one of the insurance sites on the internet and picked out
0:15:08 > 0:15:11one that I thought would be sensible for us to take out.
0:15:11 > 0:15:16I wanted to make sure that we were covered for all angles.
0:15:16 > 0:15:20At just over £80, the policy cost more than if the couple
0:15:20 > 0:15:22had no health issues to declare.
0:15:22 > 0:15:24But it gave Brenda peace of mind
0:15:24 > 0:15:27that, should they need it, the policy would pay out.
0:15:27 > 0:15:32So, when the holiday came around and the family arrived
0:15:32 > 0:15:33at their Minorcan villa,
0:15:33 > 0:15:36there was nothing but excitement for the week ahead.
0:15:36 > 0:15:38The first thing everybody did
0:15:38 > 0:15:40except me was to jump into the pool,
0:15:40 > 0:15:42because of the novelty of it, I think.
0:15:42 > 0:15:45The rest of the holiday went very well indeed,
0:15:45 > 0:15:47and my husband had actually said,
0:15:47 > 0:15:50"This has been the happiest holiday and I want to do this again."
0:15:50 > 0:15:53But five days into their seven-day trip,
0:15:53 > 0:15:55Bernard started to feel unwell.
0:15:55 > 0:15:57He walked into the villa
0:15:57 > 0:15:58and I said, are you all right?
0:15:58 > 0:16:02And he said, "Not really," and went to lay on the bed.
0:16:02 > 0:16:07He said, "I've just got a bit of indigestion. I'll be fine."
0:16:07 > 0:16:10Brenda and Bernard's daughter Frances went to check on her dad.
0:16:10 > 0:16:14And he was just saying that he still had a wee bit of chest pain.
0:16:14 > 0:16:15I said, "Just rest up."
0:16:15 > 0:16:19I said, "You know that I love you." He said, "I love you, too."
0:16:19 > 0:16:20I kissed him, and left.
0:16:21 > 0:16:25And though Bernard continued to take it easy, he didn't feel any better
0:16:25 > 0:16:29that evening and told Brenda he was going to have an early night.
0:16:29 > 0:16:31At nine o'clock he came into the room.
0:16:31 > 0:16:34He said, "I'm just going to bed, I'm tired."
0:16:34 > 0:16:36And that's the last words I had with him.
0:16:38 > 0:16:39He died in the night.
0:16:41 > 0:16:43It was just such a total shock.
0:16:43 > 0:16:44We just could not believe it.
0:16:48 > 0:16:51We were in this villa in this beautiful surrounding and it was
0:16:51 > 0:16:55just so surreal. It was just such a traumatic experience.
0:16:55 > 0:16:59Bernard had had a heart attack, linked to undiagnosed heart disease.
0:16:59 > 0:17:01He was taken to a local mortuary,
0:17:01 > 0:17:05and his devastated family was moved to a different villa,
0:17:05 > 0:17:07where they spent the remaining days of their trip
0:17:07 > 0:17:10making arrangements to get his body flown home.
0:17:10 > 0:17:13Flying home on Friday morning was very traumatic,
0:17:13 > 0:17:15as you might expect it to be.
0:17:15 > 0:17:20Six of us had gone out, and only five of us came back.
0:17:20 > 0:17:22This was a terrible end to what should have been
0:17:22 > 0:17:26a celebratory family holiday for Brenda, Bernard
0:17:26 > 0:17:28and the rest of their family.
0:17:29 > 0:17:32After we got back to Scotland, the international funeral directors
0:17:32 > 0:17:36had phoned us, and they said that his body was ready to be
0:17:36 > 0:17:40repatriated and that they could get him out on a flight -
0:17:40 > 0:17:42I think it was a few days later -
0:17:42 > 0:17:45but it would cost £4,000 to do so.
0:17:46 > 0:17:50It was only on rereading her policy that Brenda realised that,
0:17:50 > 0:17:54though it would meet some of these costs, she was going to be left
0:17:54 > 0:17:57with a substantial shortfall.
0:17:57 > 0:18:02My insurance policy only allowed £1,500 for repatriation.
0:18:02 > 0:18:06I have to put my hands up and say that's not something I even looked at.
0:18:06 > 0:18:10And though all of this was in the policy's terms and conditions,
0:18:10 > 0:18:12it had never really occurred to Brenda or Bernard
0:18:12 > 0:18:16that they might need to make this kind of claim.
0:18:16 > 0:18:20As it was, with her insurance covering only a fraction of the cost,
0:18:20 > 0:18:23Brenda was left with a shortfall of over £2,500,
0:18:23 > 0:18:26which she simply couldn't afford.
0:18:26 > 0:18:29It was just another blow to us, really.
0:18:31 > 0:18:34The average repatriation claim is between...
0:18:35 > 0:18:38..and it obviously costs far more from further-afield locations,
0:18:38 > 0:18:41such as China, South America
0:18:41 > 0:18:44or Japan, where costs can reach up to £17,000.
0:18:44 > 0:18:50So Brenda simply can't understand why any travel insurance policy that
0:18:50 > 0:18:52says it includes repatriation
0:18:52 > 0:18:56would cap it at the level that hers did.
0:18:56 > 0:18:58I have to wonder why somebody
0:18:58 > 0:19:01would think a repatriation
0:19:01 > 0:19:03was only worth 1,500
0:19:03 > 0:19:06when it was general knowledge within the insurance business
0:19:06 > 0:19:09that it was going to cost more than that.
0:19:09 > 0:19:14And, obviously, if it had been further away from home than Minorca,
0:19:14 > 0:19:16if it had been in the Americas,
0:19:16 > 0:19:20it would have cost an awful lot more money,
0:19:20 > 0:19:23so that £1,500 just wouldn't have covered anything.
0:19:23 > 0:19:26And her concerns are echoed
0:19:26 > 0:19:29by industry experts like financial journalist James Daley,
0:19:29 > 0:19:33who feels that a growing number of travellers could find that,
0:19:33 > 0:19:37if the worst happens, their policy falls short, too.
0:19:37 > 0:19:40Because it's quite an unusual occurrence, it's not something that
0:19:40 > 0:19:42people are claiming for every day,
0:19:42 > 0:19:45most people wouldn't have noticed that, over the last two years,
0:19:45 > 0:19:47some insurers have started to cap
0:19:47 > 0:19:50the amount that they'll pay out for this kind of claim.
0:19:50 > 0:19:53And it's only some insurers, but a growing number of policies,
0:19:53 > 0:19:57that have quite low limits for how much you can claim if you are caught
0:19:57 > 0:19:58out in those circumstances.
0:19:59 > 0:20:03When James took a look at no less than 489 travel insurance
0:20:03 > 0:20:05policies, many of them
0:20:05 > 0:20:10did have generous repatriation allowances of up to £10,000.
0:20:10 > 0:20:14But 50 policies had a cap of £3,000 or below,
0:20:14 > 0:20:17including certain policies from Debenhams and the Post Office.
0:20:17 > 0:20:22What's more, three policies from other companies set a limit of £750.
0:20:22 > 0:20:26And whilst that may cover the costs of a cremation abroad, if bringing
0:20:26 > 0:20:31a body home to the UK, it falls far short of the average costs.
0:20:31 > 0:20:33It is something that you need to watch out for
0:20:33 > 0:20:35when you're buying a travel insurance policy.
0:20:35 > 0:20:39You need to make sure you've got a policy that has a high enough limit
0:20:39 > 0:20:43to cover you in those rather unusual circumstances, because of course
0:20:43 > 0:20:47that's what insurance is for - it's to cover you for the unexpected.
0:20:47 > 0:20:51Around 6,000 British citizens die on overseas holiday each year,
0:20:51 > 0:20:54so it is still a comparatively rare event.
0:20:54 > 0:20:58But someone who knows only too well the associated costs is
0:20:58 > 0:21:01Paul Kane, who runs a funeral director
0:21:01 > 0:21:03specialising in repatriation from abroad.
0:21:03 > 0:21:06The further you travel and the more obscure the country is,
0:21:06 > 0:21:08obviously the cost will increase.
0:21:08 > 0:21:10The cost will cover the deceased being embalmed to
0:21:10 > 0:21:13international standards to be able to be flown from the country
0:21:13 > 0:21:16where they are, the cost of a simple coffin for the deceased to be
0:21:16 > 0:21:19placed in and returned back, the cost of the flight
0:21:19 > 0:21:23and the handling charges at both ends at the airport and liaising
0:21:23 > 0:21:27with the coroner and ensuring, if it's been taken care of, obviously
0:21:27 > 0:21:31the cost of the translation of the death certificate back into English.
0:21:31 > 0:21:34Paul has seen at first hand how much more complex the whole process
0:21:34 > 0:21:38can be if you're grieving but don't have the right level of cover.
0:21:38 > 0:21:39If you've got travel insurance,
0:21:39 > 0:21:42they will basically take everything off your hands.
0:21:42 > 0:21:45They will tell you immediately if there's something that you'll
0:21:45 > 0:21:48have to pay to help the repatriation along, but they will
0:21:48 > 0:21:51basically appoint a local funeral director to work with us in the UK
0:21:51 > 0:21:57and then we will liaise together to return the loved one as soon as possible.
0:21:57 > 0:22:00And while all of this is a useful reminder to check the small
0:22:00 > 0:22:01print on your policy,
0:22:01 > 0:22:05James Daley believes the insurance companies have a responsibility
0:22:05 > 0:22:08to make sure that the policies they're selling are up to the job.
0:22:08 > 0:22:11Most of us don't really know how much we're going to need.
0:22:11 > 0:22:14It's very difficult to understand how much it might cost to
0:22:14 > 0:22:18transport a body back to the UK while you're on holiday.
0:22:18 > 0:22:21I would expect that insurers keep their limits at levels
0:22:21 > 0:22:25which are going to cover people for the unexpected.
0:22:25 > 0:22:27Well, the company that runs
0:22:27 > 0:22:29Trust 2 Travel, International Travel and Health Care Limited
0:22:29 > 0:22:31told us...
0:22:37 > 0:22:39So I'm glad to say that it will be recompensing Brenda
0:22:39 > 0:22:43for the difference between what she paid to bring Bernard home
0:22:43 > 0:22:45and what she'd been covered for.
0:22:45 > 0:22:48It added that it's also reviewing previous claims to
0:22:48 > 0:22:50ensure that there have been no similar incidents.
0:22:52 > 0:22:53And though, of course,
0:22:53 > 0:22:56that doesn't ease the grief that Brenda still keenly feels
0:22:56 > 0:23:00from her loss, it does at least mean that she's no longer out of pocket.
0:23:00 > 0:23:05I think anybody would understand that, to a marriage that had lasted
0:23:05 > 0:23:09over 50 years - and I'd known him since I was 16 -
0:23:09 > 0:23:13to go on holiday and be on such a high and come back and be
0:23:13 > 0:23:20on such a low, then to be hit with financial worries made a situation
0:23:20 > 0:23:25which was already sad so much worse.
0:23:32 > 0:23:35Inside one of the biggest shopping centres in the UK,
0:23:35 > 0:23:37we held our annual pop-up shop.
0:23:37 > 0:23:41It's your chance to drop in and quiz our top consumer experts,
0:23:41 > 0:23:43including holiday guru Simon Calder,
0:23:43 > 0:23:46who answered dozens of your travel-related questions
0:23:46 > 0:23:49and unexpected health problems were a common theme here, too.
0:23:49 > 0:23:52Theresa and Sophie, very nice to meet you.
0:23:52 > 0:23:54What seems to be the problem?
0:23:55 > 0:23:58John Clarkson and Joe Tuan both contacted us
0:23:58 > 0:24:02after sudden illnesses not only caused havoc with their holidays,
0:24:02 > 0:24:05but left each of them seriously out of pocket.
0:24:05 > 0:24:06In John's case,
0:24:06 > 0:24:10a visit to the GP meant he didn't even get as far as the airport.
0:24:10 > 0:24:12John, start by telling me what your problem was.
0:24:12 > 0:24:15Well, mine was before we went on holiday.
0:24:15 > 0:24:19Went to see the doctor and the doctor told me not to fly
0:24:19 > 0:24:21because there was a suspected...
0:24:21 > 0:24:24- Well, he knew what it were. - Which was?- Cancer.
0:24:24 > 0:24:29So he gave me a letter saying not to fly.
0:24:29 > 0:24:31John called the airline to cancel his flights,
0:24:31 > 0:24:35hoping he could get a refund on the £182 that he'd paid.
0:24:35 > 0:24:38But despite his unfortunate circumstances,
0:24:38 > 0:24:41he was told that the tickets were non-refundable,
0:24:41 > 0:24:43so he wouldn't be able to get anything back.
0:24:44 > 0:24:47- You were wanting your money back, is that the point?- Well, yeah.
0:24:47 > 0:24:49Because you couldn't take the holiday.
0:24:49 > 0:24:52John is convinced that his seats were then sold on to someone
0:24:52 > 0:24:54else, meaning that while he lost his money,
0:24:54 > 0:24:59the airline would have doubled its profit by selling his seat twice.
0:24:59 > 0:25:03But however unfair that might feel, Simon says the airline would
0:25:03 > 0:25:07have made its refund policy clear in its terms and conditions.
0:25:07 > 0:25:10The airline you booked with, when you booked it, it said,
0:25:10 > 0:25:12"If you cancel this, you're not getting your money back."
0:25:12 > 0:25:16- Yeah.- So while Simon sympathises with John's frustration,
0:25:16 > 0:25:19he isn't at all surprised by the airline's response.
0:25:19 > 0:25:22We are living in a fantastic time in terms of cheap flights,
0:25:22 > 0:25:26but there is a price to pay and that is, when things go wrong,
0:25:26 > 0:25:29you can't expect necessarily to get the kind of service,
0:25:29 > 0:25:32the kind of people addressing your problems that you would
0:25:32 > 0:25:36expect, and that's regrettable but it's just a fact of life.
0:25:36 > 0:25:39The only way to protect against this kind of unexpected loss,
0:25:39 > 0:25:42of course, is to have adequate travel insurance in place
0:25:42 > 0:25:44which will pay out in the event of cancellation.
0:25:44 > 0:25:47An avenue John is now going to pursue.
0:25:47 > 0:25:50Meanwhile, Joe has discovered the hard way just how much not
0:25:50 > 0:25:53taking out that kind of protection can cost.
0:25:53 > 0:25:57It was during a trip to the Egyptian Red Sea resort of Hurghada when
0:25:57 > 0:25:58disaster struck.
0:25:58 > 0:26:01I was very ill one night in bed, sweating,
0:26:01 > 0:26:02and couldn't get my breath.
0:26:02 > 0:26:06Joe was rushed to hospital and treated for pneumonia.
0:26:06 > 0:26:09And after a week in hospital in Egypt,
0:26:09 > 0:26:12he was declared fit to fly home by the doctor.
0:26:13 > 0:26:16- So you were all right to fly home? - Yes, I'm OK to fly home.
0:26:16 > 0:26:18And I get onto the plane...
0:26:18 > 0:26:20But upon arrival at the airport,
0:26:20 > 0:26:26and after a checkup by a doctor there, everything suddenly changed.
0:26:26 > 0:26:29The captain come along and asked us, "What's the problem?"
0:26:29 > 0:26:32He said, "Well, look, it would cost £80,000 to land this plane."
0:26:32 > 0:26:34He said, "I'm sorry, we've got to get you off."
0:26:34 > 0:26:38Concerned that Joe might fall ill again, leading to a costly detour,
0:26:38 > 0:26:42he refused to let him fly, so Joe was forced to get off
0:26:42 > 0:26:44and book another flight with a different airline.
0:26:44 > 0:26:47But the earliest he could get was three days later.
0:26:47 > 0:26:51- And you want your money back for the flight which you lost?- That's right.
0:26:51 > 0:26:54- And the hotel and the taxi. - Right, over to you, Simon.
0:26:54 > 0:26:56- Angela is the captain of that flight.- Yes.
0:26:56 > 0:27:02She is thinking, right, from here, if we need to divert, that is
0:27:02 > 0:27:05- going to cost an absolute fortune. - That's right.
0:27:05 > 0:27:07The thing that Angela wants to do
0:27:07 > 0:27:09when she's in charge of that plane is not...
0:27:09 > 0:27:14- Go!- Exactly.- Go without taking any risks.- That's right.
0:27:14 > 0:27:17While Simon says it might not have been Joe's health that posed
0:27:17 > 0:27:19the most risk for the airline,
0:27:19 > 0:27:22but the fact that he was travelling without any travel insurance.
0:27:22 > 0:27:24If he had bought a policy,
0:27:24 > 0:27:27Simon reckons Joe might have been able to get the insurance company to
0:27:27 > 0:27:31provide the airline with reassurance that he was fit to travel.
0:27:31 > 0:27:35She is expecting, as an airline captain, to see
0:27:35 > 0:27:40something from the travel insurers saying, "Here's what the state
0:27:40 > 0:27:45"of play is, we are the assistance people, we know that he's all right."
0:27:45 > 0:27:47They say, "Joe's going to be turning up in a wheelchair at this time,
0:27:47 > 0:27:50"be nice to him, make sure you've got enough oxygen onboard.
0:27:50 > 0:27:52"We've got people meeting him at the other end."
0:27:52 > 0:27:54Now, she hasn't got any of that
0:27:54 > 0:27:56because you haven't got any travel insurance.
0:27:56 > 0:27:59In the end, travelling without insurance cost Joe not only
0:27:59 > 0:28:04a new flight, but £3,000 in fees from his stay in the Egyptian hospital.
0:28:04 > 0:28:06You've never taken out travel insurance?
0:28:06 > 0:28:08Never in my 76 years of my life.
0:28:08 > 0:28:09It perfectly, perfectly reasonable
0:28:09 > 0:28:12if you take a decision not to be insured,
0:28:12 > 0:28:15but then don't expect the things that come with being insured, Joe!
0:28:15 > 0:28:19- I know, I know. I know.- And it seems old habits are hard to break.
0:28:19 > 0:28:23- And I've been away four times since that.- OK.- Insured?- No.
0:28:23 > 0:28:28- Oh, silly boy!- No! No! I don't believe in it.
0:28:28 > 0:28:29I think it's just a rip-off.
0:28:31 > 0:28:35Well, over in our gripe corner, travel insurers proved a hot topic, too.
0:28:35 > 0:28:38But the issue here was not whether or not to get it,
0:28:38 > 0:28:41but how much it can cost.
0:28:41 > 0:28:46My gripe is about the cost of travel insurance for people of my age group.
0:28:46 > 0:28:53While I was in Spain last year, I met a lady in the hotel who's 86.
0:28:53 > 0:28:58She had arranged her travel insurance out in Spain.
0:28:58 > 0:29:02It cost her £30. Here, you're talking over £1,000.
0:29:02 > 0:29:09When I went for a weekly insurance, the cheapest quote was £786.
0:29:11 > 0:29:15These insurance companies do not cater for the older people.
0:29:17 > 0:29:18And though it can be pricey,
0:29:18 > 0:29:22the right travel cover can prove invaluable, as travel expert
0:29:22 > 0:29:25Emma Coulthard is hearing from Chris and Marion from Mold.
0:29:25 > 0:29:28Having holiday insurance on their recent cruise saved them
0:29:28 > 0:29:30thousands of pounds.
0:29:30 > 0:29:34Unfortunately, I started having pains in my stomach.
0:29:34 > 0:29:39I went to see the ship's doctor and he took me to a hospital in Bahrain
0:29:39 > 0:29:41with a member of the ship's crew.
0:29:41 > 0:29:44Eventually they did say it was appendicitis and that it was
0:29:44 > 0:29:47so large that they would have to remove it.
0:29:47 > 0:29:50Though they remain unhappy with some aspects of how the matter was
0:29:50 > 0:29:53handled by the cruise company, Chris and Marion were much relieved
0:29:53 > 0:29:57that - thanks to their insurance - the medical expenses,
0:29:57 > 0:30:01accommodation for Chris, and flights home were all covered.
0:30:01 > 0:30:03- And how is your health? - Oh, I'm fine now, thank you.
0:30:03 > 0:30:06Thank goodness you had travel insurance!
0:30:06 > 0:30:09Because this is the sort of situation where it really
0:30:09 > 0:30:11kicks in for you when you're ill abroad.
0:30:11 > 0:30:14Well, since filming, the couple has received another
0:30:14 > 0:30:18£1,200 from their travel insurance company towards the cost of the
0:30:18 > 0:30:19holiday they had to cut short.
0:30:25 > 0:30:27Still to come on Rip-Off Britain...
0:30:27 > 0:30:30Why this woman is now battling not just an illness
0:30:30 > 0:30:32but an entire industry, as well.
0:30:32 > 0:30:34I thought I was being discriminated against,
0:30:34 > 0:30:37I felt that they were discriminating personally against anyone
0:30:37 > 0:30:38with a mental-health condition.
0:30:42 > 0:30:46Our travel expert, Simon Calder, is full of the secrets to save
0:30:46 > 0:30:47you money on your travels.
0:30:47 > 0:30:50He's got plenty of tips on everything from how to avoid
0:30:50 > 0:30:54the crowds to the best way to steer clear of those tourist traps.
0:30:54 > 0:30:57This time, a city that now frequently heads the list of
0:30:57 > 0:30:59top travel destinations.
0:30:59 > 0:31:02St Petersburg, the most beautiful city in Russia.
0:31:02 > 0:31:04And yes, I have checked!
0:31:06 > 0:31:08It might be Russia's second-largest city,
0:31:08 > 0:31:12but many would say it's by far the country's cultural capital.
0:31:12 > 0:31:16Often known as the museum city, with over 100 museums,
0:31:16 > 0:31:18many of which offer great entry deals.
0:31:18 > 0:31:21Just make sure you book tickets via the museum's official
0:31:21 > 0:31:22website in advance.
0:31:22 > 0:31:24And you don't even have to venture inside to be
0:31:24 > 0:31:26inspired by the city's splendour.
0:31:26 > 0:31:30The buildings themselves are pretty spectacular, too.
0:31:30 > 0:31:33But it's not just above ground that the city excels.
0:31:33 > 0:31:36The main public transport system, the St Petersburg Metro,
0:31:36 > 0:31:39is not only a superb piece of engineering,
0:31:39 > 0:31:42but something of an art gallery in itself.
0:31:42 > 0:31:46The St Petersburg Metro, the underground railway,
0:31:46 > 0:31:50is really a series of subterranean palaces that together
0:31:50 > 0:31:53comprises perhaps the city's greatest work of art.
0:31:53 > 0:31:57The system can seem daunting, overwhelming at first,
0:31:57 > 0:32:01but just seek the locals' advice and you'll be rattling around,
0:32:01 > 0:32:03enjoying this amazing creation in no time.
0:32:05 > 0:32:07But if you want to bring back a souvenir of your trip,
0:32:07 > 0:32:10beware of the strict export laws.
0:32:10 > 0:32:14Every time a plane leaves Russia for the West, I reckon there's
0:32:14 > 0:32:18usually at least one hapless tourist onboard who's had
0:32:18 > 0:32:22all their expensive purchases confiscated, leaving them
0:32:22 > 0:32:23hundreds of pounds out of pocket.
0:32:25 > 0:32:28So, to avoid that, don't buy anything that anyone tells
0:32:28 > 0:32:31you has any historical or cultural significance.
0:32:31 > 0:32:33If it's as valuable as you're told,
0:32:33 > 0:32:36you'll need an export permit for it.
0:32:36 > 0:32:39And if you really can't resist that purchase, then make sure you
0:32:39 > 0:32:42keep receipts to show customs officers, should they ask for it.
0:32:42 > 0:32:45Without one, it will most likely be taken off you.
0:32:49 > 0:32:51Now, earlier in the programme we heard how Pauline White
0:32:51 > 0:32:55and her husband Reg were unable to claim on their travel insurance
0:32:55 > 0:32:59for a cancelled holiday after Reg suffered a nervous breakdown.
0:32:59 > 0:33:01All because, at the time, his policy
0:33:01 > 0:33:05simply excluded all mental-health conditions altogether.
0:33:05 > 0:33:07Well, since then,
0:33:07 > 0:33:09as was the case for the woman we're about to meet, you
0:33:09 > 0:33:13might find companies still refuse to give you cover or, if they do,
0:33:13 > 0:33:17they may charge you an awful lot more than they would someone else.
0:33:18 > 0:33:21Buying travel insurance for your holiday seems these days to
0:33:21 > 0:33:23be easier than ever.
0:33:23 > 0:33:26Cheap-as-chips annual policies mean you can get basic
0:33:26 > 0:33:31cover for unlimited yearly trips to Europe for as little as £9.
0:33:31 > 0:33:34But those costs can soar as soon as you declare any
0:33:34 > 0:33:37sort of pre-existing condition.
0:33:37 > 0:33:39And if it's one that fits under the very broad
0:33:39 > 0:33:43definition of mental health, things can be even trickier...
0:33:44 > 0:33:48..as Liz Watson from south London recently discovered.
0:33:48 > 0:33:52I always knew that I suffered with some kind of mental-health problem.
0:33:52 > 0:33:53From, like, a young age,
0:33:53 > 0:33:56I always found it quite hard to fit in with people.
0:33:56 > 0:33:58I was always very anxious.
0:33:59 > 0:34:04Eventually, around five years ago, Liz was diagnosed as bipolar.
0:34:04 > 0:34:07And since that diagnosis, along with a combination of medicine
0:34:07 > 0:34:11and therapy, not much gets in the way of her living as normal
0:34:11 > 0:34:13a day-to-day life as possible.
0:34:13 > 0:34:14Or so she thought,
0:34:14 > 0:34:19until she tried to book travel insurance ahead of a trip to Spain.
0:34:19 > 0:34:22I was really, really looking forward to going on a holiday this year.
0:34:22 > 0:34:26It has been a tough year, so it was really important to get away
0:34:26 > 0:34:28and have some time to myself.
0:34:29 > 0:34:34Liz turned to a company she used before to get travel insurance - BUPA.
0:34:34 > 0:34:37She outlined various pre-existing medical conditions, mostly to
0:34:37 > 0:34:42do with her digestion, and the company was happy to give her a quote.
0:34:42 > 0:34:45But when she went on say that she had recently been diagnosed as
0:34:45 > 0:34:50bipolar and suffered from anxiety and depression, all that changed.
0:34:50 > 0:34:53I went through all of the issues that I'm having currently,
0:34:53 > 0:34:55medically, and they told me
0:34:55 > 0:34:59that I was completely covered for all pre-existing conditions.
0:34:59 > 0:35:02I did mention to the lady I am bipolar and she asked me
0:35:02 > 0:35:07a series of questions, one being, am I on medication for the condition?
0:35:07 > 0:35:08Which I said, "Yes."
0:35:08 > 0:35:12And she came back onto the phone and said, "Unfortunately, we are
0:35:12 > 0:35:16"now unable to cover you for any pre-existing medical conditions."
0:35:16 > 0:35:17It seemed to Liz that
0:35:17 > 0:35:21while a pre-existing physical condition was something her
0:35:21 > 0:35:25insurer had been perfectly happy to cover, a mental-health problem
0:35:25 > 0:35:29put her into a higher category of risk it wasn't prepared to take on.
0:35:29 > 0:35:30And she didn't think that was right.
0:35:30 > 0:35:32I thought I was being discriminated against
0:35:32 > 0:35:34and I felt that they were discriminating
0:35:34 > 0:35:37personally against anyone with a mental-health condition.
0:35:37 > 0:35:39And she told me that she'd logged the complaint
0:35:39 > 0:35:43and that I had to wait two to three days to hear a response.
0:35:43 > 0:35:46So I came off the phone really angry, annoyed, upset,
0:35:46 > 0:35:48and they did actually come back to me
0:35:48 > 0:35:51and say, they were sorry that I felt discriminated against.
0:35:52 > 0:35:56With the holiday looming, Liz began to search for an alternative
0:35:56 > 0:35:59policy that would cover her pre-existing medical conditions.
0:35:59 > 0:36:02And after her search online found comments from others who'd
0:36:02 > 0:36:04also struggled to find a policy,
0:36:04 > 0:36:08she headed to a website specialising in bipolar, that listed a handful
0:36:08 > 0:36:11of companies which were prepared to insure people with the condition.
0:36:11 > 0:36:14But those policies didn't come cheap.
0:36:14 > 0:36:16So I did some shopping around and, to be honest, I thought
0:36:16 > 0:36:18it was really unfair, some of the prices that came back -
0:36:18 > 0:36:25as high as £128 for a seven-day break. It's just ridiculous.
0:36:25 > 0:36:30Some other ones I was quoted was like 100, 97, 85,
0:36:30 > 0:36:32and I finally got one for £64.
0:36:33 > 0:36:36Whilst Liz was relieved to have found a policy that would
0:36:36 > 0:36:42insure her, it was a lot more than BUPA's original quote of just £21.
0:36:42 > 0:36:45So just the mention of the word "bipolar" and her other mental
0:36:45 > 0:36:50health conditions appeared to have sent the quotes she'd received off the scale.
0:36:50 > 0:36:52Even the one she went for was a threefold
0:36:52 > 0:36:55increase from the amount she'd paid before.
0:36:55 > 0:36:58And though adding any pre-existing condition to an insurance
0:36:58 > 0:37:02policy can add to your premiums, Liz believes that people living
0:37:02 > 0:37:06with mental health conditions are being unfairly penalised and asked
0:37:06 > 0:37:10to pay higher amounts than those with physical health conditions.
0:37:10 > 0:37:12To get a sense of whether she's right,
0:37:12 > 0:37:16our researchers called ten of the leading travel insurers to ask
0:37:16 > 0:37:20them if they would provide cover for someone with a bipolar diagnosis.
0:37:20 > 0:37:24Only four of the ten we spoke to - the AA, Cedar Tree,
0:37:24 > 0:37:28Saga and Just Travel Cover - said they definitely would provide cover.
0:37:28 > 0:37:31Five of the companies couldn't give an answer over the phone,
0:37:31 > 0:37:34as they required further medical information.
0:37:34 > 0:37:35Just one - Aviva -
0:37:35 > 0:37:39told our researcher that it definitely wouldn't provide cover.
0:37:39 > 0:37:41And when we later checked that with the company,
0:37:41 > 0:37:44it confirmed that its standard policy doesn't currently
0:37:44 > 0:37:47provide cover for any pre-existing mental-health conditions,
0:37:47 > 0:37:51though it would cover ones that develop after a trip is booked.
0:37:51 > 0:37:55However, it said that by the end of March 2018, subject to screening,
0:37:55 > 0:37:59more pre-existing mental-health conditions will be covered, too.
0:37:59 > 0:38:02And though there's no law stopping insurance companies from
0:38:02 > 0:38:06excluding people with mental-health conditions, campaigners
0:38:06 > 0:38:09would like to see the ones that DO take a different approach.
0:38:09 > 0:38:11Liz has come to meet Mark Rowland from the
0:38:11 > 0:38:14Mental Health Foundation to find out more.
0:38:14 > 0:38:16Do you think these kind of exclusions towards people
0:38:16 > 0:38:20with mental health, to do with travel insurance, are justifiable?
0:38:20 > 0:38:22Well, under the current legislation,
0:38:22 > 0:38:26it's illegal to discriminate against anybody on account of disability,
0:38:26 > 0:38:29and mental health is constituted as a disability,
0:38:29 > 0:38:33but the insurance companies are allowed to decline people insurance
0:38:33 > 0:38:38cover if they can prove that there is evidence of a reasonable risk.
0:38:38 > 0:38:41And that's where we're saying the insurance company needs
0:38:41 > 0:38:45to understand what the real risk is, what's the proportionate response?
0:38:45 > 0:38:48But the way that individuals like you are being treated is
0:38:48 > 0:38:51clearly wrong and unfair and it needs to change.
0:38:51 > 0:38:53Am I the only person to have experienced something like
0:38:53 > 0:38:58this from such a big company, or have you found other cases the same?
0:38:58 > 0:39:01You're certainly not the only person that's experienced that.
0:39:01 > 0:39:03Right across the board, many insurance
0:39:03 > 0:39:08companies are entirely excluding mental-health conditions from
0:39:08 > 0:39:12individuals and consumers, so that they're not able to get them at all.
0:39:12 > 0:39:16You know, when you consider that two out of three people living today
0:39:16 > 0:39:18will experience a mental-health issue in their lifetime,
0:39:18 > 0:39:24it doesn't make any business sense to be excluding that potential customer base.
0:39:24 > 0:39:28So, unfortunately, your experience is all too common.
0:39:30 > 0:39:33Another organisation showing the same concerns is the
0:39:33 > 0:39:35Money And Mental Health Policy Institute,
0:39:35 > 0:39:38which recently released figures suggesting 21% of people
0:39:38 > 0:39:42who've experienced mental-health problems had ended up
0:39:42 > 0:39:46travelling without insurance because it would've cost them too much.
0:39:46 > 0:39:49And a further 15% found the costs so high
0:39:49 > 0:39:52they chose not to travel at all.
0:39:52 > 0:39:54But the industry itself is confident that the vast
0:39:54 > 0:39:57majority of people with mental-health conditions will have
0:39:57 > 0:40:00no problem getting travel insurance.
0:40:00 > 0:40:01While stressing that point,
0:40:01 > 0:40:05the Association Of British Insurers went on to tell us that, as can be
0:40:05 > 0:40:09the case with physical conditions, too, there are some
0:40:09 > 0:40:12mental-health issues that may be treated as a risk factor
0:40:12 > 0:40:13by travel insurers.
0:40:13 > 0:40:18That's because treatment overseas might involve significant costs.
0:40:18 > 0:40:21It added that if you're having difficulty obtaining insurance,
0:40:21 > 0:40:25then using a broker service or a specialist provider can help
0:40:25 > 0:40:27get cover to meet your needs.
0:40:27 > 0:40:29Meanwhile, when we contacted BUPA,
0:40:29 > 0:40:33the company that wouldn't cover Liz when she said she was bipolar,
0:40:33 > 0:40:37it told us that while it's sorry for the distress she's been caused, it
0:40:37 > 0:40:42does cover mental-health conditions such as bipolar where possible.
0:40:42 > 0:40:45It said, with its premier and gold travel insurance policies,
0:40:45 > 0:40:49checks are made to see if customers can be covered for any
0:40:49 > 0:40:53existing physical and mental health conditions while they're abroad.
0:40:56 > 0:40:58But Liz is determined to ensure that
0:40:58 > 0:41:01anyone who's had a mental-health condition
0:41:01 > 0:41:04can still get travel insurance at a reasonable price.
0:41:04 > 0:41:07And after setting up a petition calling on the industry to
0:41:07 > 0:41:11make that happen, she says she's been contacted by thousands
0:41:11 > 0:41:14of people who've had similar experiences to her own.
0:41:14 > 0:41:17I think there needs to be a complete change across the whole
0:41:17 > 0:41:19insurance industry as a whole.
0:41:19 > 0:41:22I think it needs to be reformed.
0:41:22 > 0:41:25I think they need to stop discriminating against people
0:41:25 > 0:41:26with mental-health conditions
0:41:26 > 0:41:31and I think, you know, if enough people get behind the campaign,
0:41:31 > 0:41:34we could really make a difference in this country.
0:41:41 > 0:41:44Rip-Off Britain wouldn't be here without your stories,
0:41:44 > 0:41:47and we've got plenty of ways you can get in touch.
0:41:47 > 0:41:48Send us an e-mail...
0:41:52 > 0:41:54..or write to us at...
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0:42:07 > 0:42:10And even if you haven't got a story you'd like us to investigate,
0:42:10 > 0:42:13you can join in the conversation on our Facebook page.
0:42:13 > 0:42:15Just search BBC Rip-Off Britain.
0:42:18 > 0:42:21Well, I'm very sorry to say that already we've reached
0:42:21 > 0:42:24the end of the programme, but we're especially grateful to the
0:42:24 > 0:42:27people who've shared their stories with us today.
0:42:27 > 0:42:30Now, clearly, they've been through some incredibly tough times,
0:42:30 > 0:42:32but you know their experiences are a very important reminder to
0:42:32 > 0:42:36all of us to make sure that the travel insurance you've got
0:42:36 > 0:42:38is actually going to help you out when you need it most.
0:42:38 > 0:42:41Absolutely, because I think it's really impossible not to feel
0:42:41 > 0:42:44real sympathy for people like Pauline and Reg, who discovered way
0:42:44 > 0:42:48too late that mental-health conditions can be treated
0:42:48 > 0:42:53very differently by the insurance industry than physical ones.
0:42:53 > 0:42:55But let's hope that we see less and less
0:42:55 > 0:42:59cases of that in the future, as the industry just moves on.
0:42:59 > 0:43:02It's always particularly difficult to see people left out of pocket
0:43:02 > 0:43:05because of something that they can't do anything about.
0:43:05 > 0:43:08But no doubt cases like the ones we've heard today will spur
0:43:08 > 0:43:10the rest of us into checking the small print
0:43:10 > 0:43:13and exclusions on our own policies.
0:43:13 > 0:43:17And, on that cautionary note, thank you very much for joining us.
0:43:17 > 0:43:20- We'll see you again soon. Until then, goodbye.- Goodbye.- Bye-bye.