Travel Insurance For Pre Existing Medical Conditions
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Welcome to Our Guide on Medical Travel Insurance
Travel insurance is a bit of a necessary evil and at the time of buying it, it may feel like a waste of money, as of course, you probably don’t plan on using it. Yet, should things go wrong on holiday, that piece of paper could be your saviour! The important part, especially if you live with pre existing medical conditions is to get the RIGHT cover. The last thing you want is to purchase a policy only to find out it doesn’t cover the things you need. The information we’re about to present you with, comes via Vicki, our Marketing Director, who has worked with many specialist UK travel insurance brands and over the last seven years has visited lots of support groups to help people with medical conditions avoid being caught out. So, you could say she knows a thing or two about the subject!
What Are Pre Existing Conditions?
Essentially, a pre existing medical condition can be anything you’ve received a diagnosis for or take prescribed drugs for, but each travel insurer has their own definition and will detail this in their ‘Medical Declaration’. Failing to mention your conditions could invalidate your policy, so do declare all your conditions and your insurer should tell you if it affects the policy or the price.
Why Cover Pre Existing Medical Conditions?
Firstly, there is no law stating you have to have travel insurance for pre-existing medical conditions in order to travel, although some tour operators and cruise lines will not accept you without a comprehensive policy in place. There are countless standard cover options at very cheap rates but don’t be fooled, it’s unlikely the price includes cover for medical conditions and if you have to cancel the holiday or receive emergency treatment abroad, you could be landed with a hefty bill! Having medical travel insurance cover on the other hand, is the best way to ensure you’re not left out of pocket.
5 Top Tips About Pre Existing Medical Condition Travel Insurance
1) Add your travelling companions to your policy. This way, they too can claim if your medical conditions cause any trip complications, for example, having to cancel the holiday because you’re unwell. If insured separately, the claims process can be tricky.
2) Purchase medical travel insurance through a specialist insurer. Not only do they tend to me more sympathetic but policies are specifically designed for people with medical conditions, so the cover is more tailored to individual needs. Standard insurers and travel agents cover medical conditions as an afterthought, selling or offering a basic policy, where the customer then has to phone a medical screening line to find out if their conditions can be covered and if so, top up and pay extra.
3) Underwriters don’t like USA, Canada and the Caribbean. Why? Because a) they tend to have very expensive, privatised healthcare and b) they’re thousands of miles away from the UK, so repatriation is far from cheap and medical claims tend to be on the high side. That doesn’t mean to say you can’t get travel insurance for pre-existing medical conditions to any of these destinations, but do expect higher premiums – get a quote before you book the trip!
4) Check the policy you intend to buy not only includes cover for any pre-existing conditions but things like, lost or stolen medication, cancellation, personal liability, personal belongings, personal accidents, travel delay, delayed baggage and any sports or activities you may be taking part in.
5) Check the excess on the policy. Cheap premiums can be very tempting but a high excess may catch you out if you need to make a claim. Also, using a European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) if you need medical treatment abroad may reduce the excess you have to pay on your policy.
Applying For Travel Insurance With Pre Existing Medical Conditions
To save you time and money searching for suitable travel insurance companies, we have selected a specialist product that can offer worldwide single trip and annual multi trip cover for all ages. We have found this cover to be highly competitive in price and offers a great range of benefits with reasonable excess. All medical conditions are considered even those up to a high level of severity. You can complete a medical screening right here online and get an instant decision, simply click the ‘Get a Quote’ button – we hope this helps you to get the cover you need and wherever you’re going, have a great time!