Derek Slap

Insurance Committee Raises Proposed Bill From Sen. Slap RE; Travel Insurance Covering Suicide

HARTFORD – The legislature’s Insurance Committee today voted to draft a bill submitted by state Senator Derek Slap (D-West Hartford) that would prohibit insurance companies in Connecticut that offer travel insurance from denying an insurance claim because an insured’s family member or friend committed suicide, thereby cancelling the vacation and losing any deposits the family may have already made.

Sen. Slap introduced the bill after hearing from a constituent whose family vacation was cancelled after a family member committed suicide before the trip; they had travel insurance, but their claim was denied by the insurance company because the insurance company did not consider that family death a coverable event.

“It’s amazing to me that some insurance companies will cover the cost of lost or stolen luggage, or will cover a refund if you’re called away to jury duty or get hospitalized with appendicitis, but the tragedy of a suicide is not deemed a coverable event. That makes no sense, so I’m seeking to close a loophole,” Sen. Slap said. “These specific circumstances may be few and far between, but when they occur, they are emotionally devastating to individuals. The economic impact is a distant second concern, but it should still be addressed.”

Sen. Slap’s bill, Senate Bill 89, “AN ACT CONCERNING TRAVEL INSURANCE AND SUICIDE,” seeks to amend Title 38a of the Connecticut General Statutes, which pertains to insurance policies offered and sold in Connecticut.