Travel insurance

gch6463

Am worried about my travel insurance. Our holiday had been cancelled so we changed destination and got a new travel insurance. At the time of booking I had no existing medical conditions, but I have found out since that I have a couple of problems. Just before changing the holiday I had to go to hospital but had not been diagnosed. Will i be able to get a new insurance or can I get insurance from elsewhere? Am really worried that I will not be able to get the cover I need for myself :mad:Thankyou

callum9999

gch6463 wrote: »

Am worried about my travel insurance. Our holiday had been cancelled so we changed destination and got a new travel insurance. At the time of booking I had no existing medical conditions, but I have found out since that I have a couple of problems. Just before changing the holiday I had to go to hospital but had not been diagnosed. Will i be able to get a new insurance or can I get insurance from elsewhere? Am really worried that I will not be able to get the cover I need for myself :mad:Thankyou

To make sure I understand your scenario, you:

- Bought travel insurance.
- Went to the hospital and was subsequently diagnosed with a condition.
- Changed holiday dates and/or destination so want a new policy.

Firstly, have you already cancelled the insurance? Unless it was tied to the specific package, you might be able to keep the same policy (and it would obviously be beneficial to do so as the condition wouldn't be seen as pre-existing).

Assuming you have already cancelled it, then yes you can definitely get a policy elsewhere. Whether that policy will be a lot more expensive or less comprehensive depends on what the condition actually is (I understand if you don't want to say, though unless it's intensely private, this is somewhat anonymous). If it's minor then there's a chance it will be covered as normal, but if not, you can either declare the condition and lose cover for it (i.e. if you break a leg you'd be covered as usual, if your condition flares up you won't be) or pay an additional premium. I think I've seen Staysure recommended on here a few times for pre-existing conditions (though I have no experience with them).

That's about all the advice I can give without more specific information, but you can stop panicking - I'm sure you'll come to some sort of arrangement! Read the article on here about travel insurance as well - it lists a few places to look for this type of cover.

gch6463

Hi,
Holiday cancelled by travel operator,changed destination and purchased travel insurance at same time. At time of booking I had no existing medical conditions so went ahead with it all. Even though I had been to hospital a few days before.
I have since found out that I have clogging in my arteries and high cholesterol and waiting for an mri.
Am worried that because I didn't tell them I had been to hospital that they will not cover me.
Thankyou for your reply..

callum9999

gch6463 wrote: »

Hi,
Holiday cancelled by travel operator,changed destination and purchased travel insurance at same time. At time of booking I had no existing medical conditions so went ahead with it all. Even though I had been to hospital a few days before.
I have since found out that I have clogging in my arteries and high cholesterol and waiting for an mri.
Am worried that because I didn't tell them I had been to hospital that they will not cover me.
Thankyou for your reply..

So you bought the first insurance policy, which was then cancelled, before you went to hospital but the second policy was bought after hospital?

They won't just not cover you for everything, but as you've not told them, they will likely deny any claim even vaguely related (no matter how tenuously) to the clogged arteries.

How long ago did you buy the policy?

gch6463

I bought the policy at same time as re booking holiday, no existing medical conditions at time of purchase. ...

PeacefulWaters

It's still not clear.

You were having tests. Then you bought a policy?

Did you disclose those tests when you bought it?

gch6463

I was being checked for migraine and while at hospital they did blood tests and decided to send me for mri. I had not been diagnosed with having any of these problems at the time or told that I was being tested for these conditions. I did not know at the time I was going to be told what I have. Yes I probably should have said at time of rebooking my holiday and insurance but unfortunately for me I didn't. It's my own fault I know. Just wanted to ask if I could possibly get cover from somewhere else if the insurer we are with will not cover me.....

callum9999

gch6463 wrote: »

I bought the policy at same time as re booking holiday, no existing medical conditions at time of purchase. ...

But were you asked if you were waiting for any hospital appointments/test results at the time? I'd imagine you were, and if so, then that is a pre-existing condition at the time of purchase.

The reason why I asked how long ago you bought the policy is I don't know how the insurer is going to react to this change in information. They may want to either cancel the policy or charge an unreasonable policy increase. I can't see any way of resolving this other than telling them now though (unless you're happy to have no coverage for artery-related illnesses - which sounds like it could be used to deny claims for a range of loosely related illnesses as well), and I don't know what your refund rights are if it's cancelled because you gave them false information.

Which company is the insurance with and how did you apply for it? The regulators are quite keen on insurers being crystal clear, so the exact wording of the question on the application is also quite important.

As I said at the very beginning, you will DEFINITELY get cover elsewhere if it's necessary, so stop worrying about that. I'm just trying to ascertain what you can salvage from your existing policy.

gch6463

Purchased policy 15th Jan 2016 was asked if I had existing conditions. I didn't have any conditions to report nothing concrete to go by so could not tell. Results came back 5th Feb. ....still waiting for mri...

callum9999

gch6463 wrote: »

Purchased policy 15th Jan 2016 was asked if I had existing conditions. I didn't have any conditions to report nothing concrete to go by so could not tell. Results came back 5th Feb. ....still waiting for mri...

Good luck with the MRI, but the exact wording counts.

PeacefulWaters

gch6463 wrote: »

Purchased policy 15th Jan 2016 was asked if I had existing conditions. I didn't have any conditions to report nothing concrete to go by so could not tell. Results came back 5th Feb. ....still waiting for mri...

Most travel insurers I know don't ask "have you got any existing conditions?", they ask a longer worded question that includes phrases like "have you undergone any tests for ...?" - if you didn't answer 100% honestly you have given them ammunition not to cover you at all for any event they can vaguely link to these tests.