If you are someone with a health condition wondering if you need to bother disclosing it on your travel insurance, this blog is for you. And the answer is yes, you do. Using some advice from the British Insurance Broker Association (BIBA), let me explain why.
The cost of your travel insurance will depend on a variety of factors from your age, your health, where you are going and for how long. To determine these things, you will be asked a series of questions. It is vitally important that you are honest in all your answers when taking out your policy. There is no point trying to hide certain health conditions or medical history. If you do not declare the full extent of your health condition and you go on to make a claim for something arising from that condition, you are unlikely to be covered.
For any medical conditions which are stable, well medicated and considered mild forms of illness, premiums are likely to be very low or may not be added at all. Don’t think that leaving it out of your form will reduce the price of your travel insurance because it’s likely that it won’t. And even if it did, it would be a futile policy as it wouldn’t cover you for any incidents relating to that condition.
Remember, most travel insurance claims are made for emergency medical expenses which can often be extremely expensive. You don’t want to miss out on compensation because you missed out on a few details. Having an appropriate travel insurance policy, and inputting all the correct details, will give you financial protection in case of medical emergency as well as peace of mind.
If you have a serious or ongoing medical condition it is especially important that you get full insurance protection. The best course of action is to go to a specialist travel insurance broker who will be able to give you specific advice.
In the rare case that you buy a travel insurance policy and are subsequently diagnosed with a medical condition, you will need to disclose this to your insurance provider.
If you are travelling with a medical condition, the following tips should be useful on your trip:
- If you feel comfortable doing so, it might be a good idea to discuss your travel plans with your doctor before booking your trip. They might be able to give you some reassurance or advise against something that might be too risky.
- Check the availability and location of medical institutions in your holiday destination. On some islands you may have to travel to the mainland for treatment.
- If you are currently taking medication for your condition, make sure you have enough for the whole trip.
- Always pack your medication in your carry-on luggage with an emergency supply in another bag.
- It is worth taking a ‘summary of diagnosis’ with you on your travels. That way, if you were to fall ill, you can give it to the attending doctor to assist them in treating you.
- Take your doctor’s phone number with you in case you want to phone them for clarification or to speak to a doctor you are being treated by overseas.
So long as you declare all your medical conditions there will be no issues with your travel insurance policy, and you will be covered.
Other things to check on your policy documents are things like what activities you’re covered for and any other specifics that could invalidate your policy – for example, not having the right safety equipment for certain activities, or doing activities under the influence of alcohol. A quick scan of the policy summary should tell you about any excess fees and other details that are worth knowing about before you travel.
Following these tips will also ensure that your holiday, gap year or backpacking adventure is as stress free as possible. For more advice about travel please visit the FCDO website.
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