Pre-existing Travel Insurance Guide Discussion

katejo

You have to answer the questions which the insurer asks. They usually have specific categories of more serious conditions which must always be declared. In addition my insurer (Insure & Go) requires me to declare any conditions for which I have had a hospital referral in the past year or two years (forget which). This included declaring a wrist fracture from which I had made a full recovery more than 4 months ago. If you then need treatment abroad for something which is related to a condition which you haven't declared, they may not pay up.
If you buy an annual policy and then develop a new condition, you have to contact the insurer and declare it.
If you book a single trip, you must buy a policy as soon as you have booked (or before you book). If you decide to wait until just before the holiday and then become ill before then, you won't be covered.

Katiehound

I think you have to remember that all insurers (of whatever) will try hard to wriggle out of paying, so it is in your interests to declare everything.
You might find they decline to pay up if you have a claim if there are 'material facts' of which they were unaware

EssexExile

Just answer all the questions truthfully & you're covered. I found them quite reasonable recently when they had to pay me £6000, once they had all the paperwork they wanted (that took forever, thanks BA) they paid out quickly. No wriggling involved.

koru

Matteo1 wrote: »

Hi there, I don't quite understand this pre-existing conditions thing....if I want to be covered for an existing hernia condition (for example,) and I am on Statins, or have some other unrelated condition which I have seen a doctor for, does it mean if I don't declare the Statins or the other conditions, I won't be covered for the hernia? Or if I declare nothing and break my leg, then I'm not covered because I haven't declared existing conditions? In other words is it all or nothing....basically if you have any conditions at all you must declare them otherwise they could decline to pay out for anything at all?

Some policies are worded in a way that makes clear that it is up to you whether to declare pre-exisitng conditions (under whatever definition the policy uses), and that if you don't, you are not covered for any claim related to that condition.

Others could be interpreted as meaning that any non-disclosure means no cover for anything, but I doubt that would hold up, legally. If the non-disclosed condition was not connected with your claim, I doubt the insurer could use this as an excuse not to pay the claim. However, as others have said, why take the risk about whether they could argue some sort of connection?

This is one of the reasons I prefer to use Eurotunnel or ETA, which do not require any disclosure. They exclude cover for conditions that don't meet certain, clearly-defined tests. If you do meet the tests, then you can be confident you are covered.

Gayle.finlay

Can anybody help me I am going on holiday in July to Jamaica with husband and father in law gas just been diagnosed with terminal cancer ,I am having difficulty with holiday insurance as they are saying that it is classed as a pre existing condition and cannot get cover even though he is not coming on holiday

HoofeHearted

You can't get insurance for any terminal prognosis.

You may be able to get insurance, without cover for cancellation due to FIL death.

Jka94036

Hi
I have taken out travel insurance with Staysure for my holiday to Greece. Since taking out that policy I was admitted via A&E to hospital with abdominal pain. They suspected gall bladder stones but the scans showed no issues, but the blood tests showed that I had some sort of infection/inflammatory process going on. They put me on antibiotics and was discharged the following day referring me back to my GP with a course of antibiotics to finish. I am now symptom free and latest blood tests were all normal. GP told me that the hospital diagnosis was unspecific abdominal pain and that the cause was probably an infection but no real firm condition. I have no more investigations or treatment planned.
I need to inform the insurers obviously but worried they will play hardball as no distinct 'condition' was diagnosed
Thanks

Ganga

Jka94036 wrote: »

Hi
I have taken out travel insurance with Staysure for my holiday to Greece. Since taking out that policy I was admitted via A&E to hospital with abdominal pain. They suspected gall bladder stones but the scans showed no issues, but the blood tests showed that I had some sort of infection/inflammatory process going on. They put me on antibiotics and was discharged the following day referring me back to my GP with a course of antibiotics to finish. I am now symptom free and latest blood tests were all normal. GP told me that the hospital diagnosis was unspecific abdominal pain and that the cause was probably an infection but no real firm condition. I have no more investigations or treatment planned.
I need to inform the insurers obviously but worried they will play hardball as no distinct 'condition' was diagnosed
Thanks

I would contact your insurers and put them in the picture,tell them you had an infection and tests ruled out gall stones etc. and was cleared up by antibiotics,this will at least keep you onside with your travel insurance provider in case anything flared up whilst on holiday.

Lady_Vernon

Hi
I read the full new guide for getting travel insurance with pre existing conditions and, as usual for MSE, found it really helpful.

I went through the application process with all of the companies recommended, and found the whole experience of thoroughly depresssing as I had to repeat the details of my health condition and found many of the operators lacking in empathy or even basic tact in dealing with the sensitivity some people may have in discussing depressing details of their health condition.

The one company I found to be totally different was World First. Not only did they treat me as a human being, but even better, their quote was the only reasonable one I found!

I went from initial quotes of £900 for a 5 day trip, to £250 for annual cover!

I think this is because they only deal in Travel Insurance, as opposed to all insurance. Obviously, different insurers will be better or worse for different conditions, but I highly recommend checking our World First insurance before all the rest.

Thanks MSE..as without your site I wouldn't have heard to them. ( but maybe you could list them first on your links to check out, as they did seem to be a different type of insurer).

Lady_Vernon

Hi
I'd try World First insurance. I have a pre existing condition (similar to yours) , and found them extremely good, reasonable, and completely different in approach to the rest. It might be because they are travel insurance specialists, as opposed to doing all types of insurance.
Definitely worth a shot. Best of luck.