AXA Updates Travel Insurance to Include Channel Islands Cove

Monday, Apr 13,2009, 4:36:00 PM Click:

AXA Insurance has updated its travel insurance policies to include medical cover for UK residents visiting the Channel Islands.

A recent Ministry of Health ruling has meant that people from the UK visiting the Channel Islands will no longer receive medical treatment free of charge after March 31 2009. The same ruling applies to Channel Islands residents visiting Britain following this date.

As a result, UK visitors will need to have travel insurance in order to ensure they can recoup the costs of healthcare if they happen to fall ill or get injured on a holiday or business trip in the Channel Islands.

AXA's modifications apply to all of its travel insurance products - those sold direct and through its commercial partners. Alison Patrick, head of travel at AXA, said:

"It's important for consumers and business travellers to be aware of these changes and ensure that they have cover if they are travelling to or from the Channel Islands this year."

She added: "All customers that have policies underwritten by AXA can feel safe in knowing that should the unfortunate happen while they are away, they will be covered for the cost of medical treatment."

The announcement follows warnings from the Department of Health that an estimated 3.3 million European Health Insurance Cards (EHICs) would expire at the end of March, although only 300,000 people had registered to renew them.

EHICs allow UK residents to receive free or discounted healthcare in certain European Union countries. However, travellers that carry an EHIC are also encouraged to ensure that they take out adequate travel insurance before visiting Europe in order to ensure that any medical costs they might incur on holiday are sufficiently covered.