Travel Insurance following back operation

IBM01

Hi,


I have a friend who has endured back pain for a few years so asked their doctor for referral to a specialist. An MRI showed a prolapsed disc and they had a keyhole type surgery to remove the piece of disc that was pressing on the nerve. The operation was totally successful.


They have just booked flights to visit friends in mainland Spain and upon looking into travel insurance was asked about any pre-existing conditions. They explained about the back operation and was told that as they had seen a specialist and had undergone an operation in the last 5 years they could not be offered basic level insurance and had to purchase the Gold Standard which of course is considerably more expensive (nearly 10 times more!)


Hence they are concerned and was asking the following:


1) Whether their operation constitutes a 'pre-existing condition' and actually needs to be declared? Especially considering the problem has been solved and they are fully rehabilitated. It is worth adding that the condition whilst unpleasant resulted in them having little time off work other than when required to see the specialist etc. So in reality even in the unlikely scenario they experience a recurrence it wouldn't result in them being hospitalised, just inconvenienced by the pain.


2) Whether anyone knows of an insurer who is happier to accept such surgery without hiking the premium?


3) Whether they could just travel for the 7 days and take the risk of having just their EHIC with them i.e. not apply for travel insurance?


4) Whether in next year or in the future they will still have to declare they had a back operation or whether providing they have no recurrences they no longer have to refer back to an old condition if it has been successfully treated and no longer exists?


As ever, any replies and advice gratefully received.


Thank you

Wammer

1. Yes it is a PEMC just the same as someone who takes tablets for HBP and no longer has HBP still has a PEMC.

2. How long ago was the surgery? https://www.eta.co.uk will cover PEMCs provided there has been no change in medication in the past 12 months. It would be worth calling them to clarify.

3. Not worth the risk as they wouldn't be covered if something totally unrelated happened such as an accident or illness.

4. This would be down to the individual insurer. Direct Travel cover PEMCs that are "fully resolved". However during a conversation with them to declare PEMCs they asked about back problems. I said the OH had back problems more than 20 years ago and that had to be declared and medically screened. It is safer to declare it and have the insurer decide if it is relevant or not.

InsideInsurance

Different insurers have different definitions of pre-existing condition and so there is no universal answers that can be given to your question.

If they are comfortable that this issue is sorted and are happy to take the risk then they could have the condition excluded from cover which would significantly reduce any hike its causing in premium. It can be done by either choosing an insurer that excludes all pre-existing or phoning one that does offer cover and ask them if you can exclude this one condition.

Wammer

All the insurers I have asked about excluding only some conditions have said that you can't cherry pick, it's either pay to cover all of them or none of them.

If anyone knows of an insurer that allows you to exclude only some of your conditions I would appreciate if they posted the company here.

InsideInsurance

Wammer wrote: »

All the insurers I have asked about excluding only some conditions have said that you can't cherry pick, it's either pay to cover all of them or none of them.

If anyone knows of an insurer that allows you to exclude only some of your conditions I would appreciate if they posted the company here.

Both my "free" policies with my prior and current bank allowed you to cherry pick, they wanted to charge an additional premium for one of the wife's conditions and so just that one was excluded, both policies were written by Aviva.

Wammer

Thanks. From experience, Nationwide FlexAccount and Direct Travel Insurance were all or nothing.