Underactive Thyroid and travel insurance

clairebear81

Im just watching The Martin Lewis Money Show and he touched on insurances that you get with bank accounts for a monthly fee. There was a man that had epilepsy and wasnt asked about this when he started using the travel insurance and has since found that he wouldnt have been covered had anything happened to him whilst abroad.

My question is that i have a halifax reward card which includes travel insurance, i wasnt asked at the time about any medical conditions, i told them i had a underactive throid but was told it would be ok. i wondered if anybody knows if my underactive thyroid would affect the insurance in the same was as the man with epilepsy?

Thanks

luci

All PEMCs should be declared to the insurance company. Even if the Halifax said it would be OK, there should be a note on your policy stating that you have declared it.

I would suggest ringing them again.

rs65

I used to have travel insurance with a bank account. I advised them of my other half's underactive thyroid and they noted their records and confirmed that any issues with this would not be covered.

I am pretty sure there was no option to have cover for the condition (other than buying proper travel insurance).

luci

rs65 wrote: »

I used to have travel insurance with a bank account. I advised them of my other half's underactive thyroid and they noted their records and confirmed that any issues with this would not be covered.

I am pretty sure there was no option to have cover for the condition (other than buying proper travel insurance).

It must depend on the bank account, or most accurately, the underwriter.

I have just declared 2 new conditions to the Nationwide / UK Insurance. I was given the option to cover all my PEMCs for an additional premium or decline cover for all of them.

rs65

luci wrote: »

It must depend on the bank account, or most accurately, the underwriter.

Yes, should've said mine was also a Halifax account. Can't recall the u/w though.

[Deleted User]

clairebear81 wrote: »

i wasnt asked at the time about any medical conditions, i told them i had a underactive throid but was told it would be ok. i wondered if anybody knows if my underactive thyroid would affect the insurance in the same was as the man with epilepsy?

i would assume so. your case sounds exactly the same as mine (same bank, same account, very similar circumstance), just replacing one condition for another. if you told them, and they said it was fine, but it turned out later that it wasn't fine, sounds like mis-selling to me. good luck with the reclaim

bill
(the man with epilepsy off the telly)

NowRetired

My wife has an underactive thyroid and is also not covered for it with travel insurance.

She has had this condition for over 30 years but as she says, as long as she keeps taking the tablets what can go wrong?

The only time she has claimed on travel insurance was when she had a suspected broken bone in her foot and the travel insurance co paid what we had to pay for the x-rays and stookie and crutches.

jonesMUFCforever

clairebear81 wrote: »

Im just watching The Martin Lewis Money Show and he touched on insurances that you get with bank accounts for a monthly fee. There was a man that had epilepsy and wasnt asked about this when he started using the travel insurance and has since found that he wouldnt have been covered had anything happened to him whilst abroad.

My question is that i have a halifax reward card which includes travel insurance, i wasnt asked at the time about any medical conditions, i told them i had a underactive throid but was told it would be ok. i wondered if anybody knows if my underactive thyroid would affect the insurance in the same was as the man with epilepsy?

Thanks

I think he was asked just that the bank employee took upon themselves to ignore it or falsely say that it would be covered.
What the bank should have done IMO is phone up the travel insurance department with the customer present - they could have covered him at a premium - at least he would have had clarity.

Phone them up - if they ask for extra premium to cover you - decide whether it is best for you - if they won't cover you complain about a miss-sale.

lisyloo

All PEMCs should be declared to the insurance company.

Unless you have insurance that covers all PEMs (I do).

I believe nowadays it's the obligation of insurance companies to ask any relevant questions (not just say you should have ploughed through the Ts&Cs).

She has had this condition for over 30 years but as she says, as long as she keeps taking the tablets what can go wrong?

I do too.
Her level could change (I presume like me she has blood test to check).
You can also throw up tablets and then of course they don't work (I always re-take).
But I agree in the case of this condition provided you take the tablets then that's pretty much makes you normal with no complications.

Insurance companies don't like taking "extra" risks though as their premiums are priced for a normal healthy individual.

luci

lisyloo wrote: »

Unless you have insurance that covers all PEMs (I do).

So do I, but I felt it was safer to say that all PEMCs should be declared as policies that cover all of them are few and far between.

I actually have two travel insurance policies as one has a section of cover that the other one doesn't.

BobQ

Out of interest which insurers cover PEMCs?