Travel insurance query - new medical condition under review

Pow11890

Hi All

I just had a quick query regarding how travel insurance works. I can’t seem to find the paperwork/FAQs which addresses my query on my providers site.

I am travelling next week, and I took our my travel insurance policy over a month+  ago. I had declared all my pre existing medical conditions at that stage & it all went through fine. No further checks or info required. All granted okay. 

I have since then visited my optician for an eye test this weekend and they’ve now referred me to the hospital for further checks. Therefore it’s essentially an open for investigation item. It will remain open for investigation until post my trip as my hospital referral app isn’t until after. 

As insurance is granted at inception, do I need to worry about letting the provider know about this hospital referral? I was under the impression as it’s at inception I’m covered for any medical investigations which arise after? 

Or should I Be calling in and letting my provider know I’m now under investigation for an eye related Matter? I’m worried it’ll void my policy which I can’t afford to have as it’s too close to my pending trip next week. 

Any advice you can provide will be useful. Thank you in advance. 

sheramber

You normally need to advise of any changes. Read your policy document.

If you know what the referral is for  the company may be willing to cover you for an increased premium.

My husband's travel insurance did although his hospital appointment was for after our return.

 It will depend on what they consider the risk to be.

Not telling could result  in the whole policy being voided.
 

Pow11890

I know what the referral is for.

What provider were you using for your husband? I called in to my current provider and they aren’t willing to insure for any under investigation conditions. They advised I’ll be covered only for pre existing conditions. Anything which arises my new condition under investigation will remain uncovered. I’ve called around to a few diff providers & been faced with the same dialogue. 

elsien

I had the same with Staysure - excluded everything under investigation that didn’t have a definite label and everything indirectly related to it. But they didn’t void the whole policy. 

In which case your decision would be to think about how likely it is that you are going to have a problem that needs cover,  related to the investigation

sheramber

Pow11890 said:

I know what the referral is for.

What provider were you using for your husband? I called in to my current provider and they aren’t willing to insure for any under investigation conditions. They advised I’ll be covered only for pre existing conditions. Anything which arises my new condition under investigation will remain uncovered. I’ve called around to a few diff providers & been faced with the same dialogue. 

Our insurance was through American Express and was with AXA.

Whether  insurance will cover you will depend on their  assessed risk for the reason for the referral.

In my husband's case it was for a specific test. Once they knew what test it was they covered  him with a £50 additional charge on the premium.

heatherw_01

Under investigation conditions are usually not ever covered as they could be anything.

For example, say someone else had different vision issues and the possible outcomes were something mild and temporary or glaucoma.
You can see why they can't cover here and that is why they don't cover under investigation as it could be anything and they don't know how much it could cost to cover it until they know what it is.

Once you know what it is, after the investigations, they can cover it then.

It does suck, but this is how it usually works.

If you know that it isn't anything that could affect your trip, you could just go ahead with it, BUT if you had to cancel or had medical issues related to it, they wouldn't cover it.