Travel insurance new medical condition

I'm travelling to New Zealand in February 2020, having booked flights in March 2019. Of course I took out travel insurance as soon as I'd booked the flights, with Aviva.

I've recently been diagnosed with gallstones after an emergency hospital admission, and last week I agreed with my surgeon that an operation to remove my gall bladder will be scheduled for March 2020 after I return from NZ - if it had been done before I'd probably have needed to cancel the trip as there wouldn't be enough recovery time before departure.

I advised Aviva of this today, and while they are happy to continue cover with no change to the premium they won't cover me for any claim relating to gallstones/gall blader issues while I'm away. I wasn't really expecting that, as I thought that anything medical that happens after the policy is taken out is still covered. Am I wrong, and would all insurers do the same, or is it something that only some insurers do? And if it's the latter, can it be challenged through their complaints process, and if necessary the FOS?
I'm a regular poster under my normal user name, but I keep this one for those times when I want to remain anonymous. So you don't need to treat me as a newbie, if I say something stupid feel free to ridicule me :D.

Comments

  • huckster
    huckster Posts: 4,787
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    What does your policy say about this ?

    From what I remember, most policies for a future trip, require the policyholder to advise of any change to health or anything which is a risk to those travelling.

    One option is that you don't travel and they cover for cancellation costs. This could be cheaper than paying for a private hospital operation, a hospital stay for a period, alternative accommodation while you recover in NZ etc.

    Think the Aviva are correct, but read the policy terms/conditions.
    The comments I post are personal opinion. Always refer to official information sources before relying on internet forums. If you have a problem with any organisation, enter into their official complaints process at the earliest opportunity, as sometimes complaints have to be started within a certain time frame.
  • uk1
    uk1 Posts: 1,839
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    Is it sensible to travel?
  • huckster wrote: »
    What does your policy say about this ?

    From what I remember, most policies for a future trip, require the policyholder to advise of any change to health or anything which is a risk to those travelling.


    It does, which is why I called them.

    One option is that you don't travel and they cover for cancellation costs. This could be cheaper than paying for a private hospital operation, a hospital stay for a period, alternative accommodation while you recover in NZ etc.
    That is an option, they said that cancellation is still covered. However, there isn't much of a claim anyway as the flights can be changed or cancelled so only the cost of doing that above the policy excess could be claimed, and nothing else has been booked yet.

    Think the Aviva are correct, but read the policy terms/conditions.
    I'm sure they are correct, I just wasn't sure if it was a standard thing in Travel insurance.

    uk1 wrote: »
    Is it sensible to travel?


    The surgeon seemed quite happy for me to go, I think that with sensible low fat diet the risk of another attack of cholecyctitis is quite small.




    Having done a bit more research it seems like NZ isn't likely to be a big problem anyway. There is a reciprocal healthcare agreement with the UK anyway (although I haven't yet establised exactly what that covers), but even better is the fact that as a NZ citizen, even though I haven't lived there for almost 30 years, I am eligible for public health treatment anyway, which is what the majority of Kiwis rely on. So it's really only the periods flying there and back and the 24 hours I'm spending in Singapore on the way out that could be problematic.
    I'm a regular poster under my normal user name, but I keep this one for those times when I want to remain anonymous. So you don't need to treat me as a newbie, if I say something stupid feel free to ridicule me :D.
  • uk1
    uk1 Posts: 1,839
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    pseudonim wrote: »

    The surgeon seemed quite happy for me to go, I think that with sensible low fat diet the risk of another attack of cholecyctitis is quite small.


    To be frank it isn't going to be your surgeon's problem if things go wrong. The risk may be low but the consequences potentially catastrophic.

    I speak from personal experience.

    Good luck.
  • uk1 wrote: »
    To be frank it isn't going to be your surgeon's problem if things go wrong. The risk may be low but the consequences potentially catastrophic.

    I speak from personal experience.

    Good luck.


    Indeed, and having thought more about the potential costs I'm starting to come round to your position. I need to discuss it with the other people on the trip (there are 3 of us on the same policy) but I think it's likely that we will cancel for 2020 and book for 2021 once I've had the operation and the surgeon is happy that all is OK - hopefully at that point insurers will be prepared to cover me fully again, and even if they exclude gallstones that won't be a problem because without a gallbladder there aren't any!
    I'm a regular poster under my normal user name, but I keep this one for those times when I want to remain anonymous. So you don't need to treat me as a newbie, if I say something stupid feel free to ridicule me :D.
  • Susan1942
    Susan1942 Posts: 1,401
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    edited 19 November 2019 at 9:47PM
    It is interesting what you say. I was going to the USA for my Nephew's funeral at the end of August. I had booked my flights with only 12 days prior to travel. In the meantime I developed a urinary tract infection This is a long standing problem with me. for about the past 5 years. I have been fully investigated fully and no underlying condition. I had an attack in May of this year which was treated with antibiotics
    I telephoned my insurance company expecting them to say that they would not cover me for the urinary infections, In fact they did because I had actually being prescribed an antibiotic this reduced my risk,
    I was away for 12 nights and had no problems during the visit. Incidentally I have just completed another course of antibiotics following another infection. Tired of it. Its a difficult one. You might have had time to have the surgery as some gallbladder ops are being done using keyhole surgery? Recovery after this would be much shorter.
  • uk1
    uk1 Posts: 1,839
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    pseudonim wrote: »
    Indeed, and having thought more about the potential costs I'm starting to come round to your position. I need to discuss it with the other people on the trip (there are 3 of us on the same policy) but I think it's likely that we will cancel for 2020 and book for 2021 once I've had the operation and the surgeon is happy that all is OK - hopefully at that point insurers will be prepared to cover me fully again, and even if they exclude gallstones that won't be a problem because without a gallbladder there aren't any!

    I'm suprised and genuinely pleased you've reconsidered.

    Gallstones can cause an infection in the gallbladder. If bad - and it can get bad with alarming speed - then the medical decision might be to remove the gallbladder which they wouldn't be able to do in some situations until they have cleared the infection. Gallstones can cause excrusiating pain. The gallbaladder as you know houses bile. The combination of those factors can cause an alarming and speedy deterioration best done in hospital

    It is a low risk but a risk that might be better faced in Blighty than New Zealand.

    Best wishes.
  • Susan1942 wrote: »
    You might have had time to have the surgery as some gallbladder ops are being done using keyhole surgery? Recovery after this would be much shorter.


    It will be keyhole (but always with the possibility that it could have to be converted to open if complications arise during the surgery). the issue is that full recovery to allow lifting of luggage can take between 6 weeks and 3 months, and the surgeon felt it was unikely that it could be scheduled soon enough to allow that much time before travelling

    uk1 wrote: »
    I'm suprised and genuinely pleased you've reconsidered.

    Gallstones can cause excrusiating pain.


    They can indeed, as I well know, having had to be given morphine by the paramedics before the ambulance took me off to hospital!


    It is a low risk but a risk that might be better faced in Blighty than New Zealand.

    Best wishes.


    I agree that it is likely to be low risk, but the potential medical costs, or even worse the cost of diverting a plane for an unscheduled landing, made the consequences unreasonable.



    The flights have now been cancelled, I'll be getting a refund for most of the cost from Singapore Airlines and I've put in an insurance claim for the rest. New Zealand will still be there in 2021, by which time gall stones won't be an issue.


    Thanks to all for their comments, and particularly to uk1 for encouraging me to crystallise (pun intended!) my own thoughts.
    I'm a regular poster under my normal user name, but I keep this one for those times when I want to remain anonymous. So you don't need to treat me as a newbie, if I say something stupid feel free to ridicule me :D.
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