Travelling with pre-existing Medical Conditions

Chances are that if you’re one of the 50% of people in the UK with a medical condition, which you take regular prescribed medication for, you have some questions about how this affects your insurance. Don’t worry, Medical Travel has the answers!

What is a pre-existing medical condition?

You’ve probably heard the term pre-existing medical condition before, but what does it mean for your travel insurance? A full explanation can be found in our policy documents here, but simply put a pre-existing medical condition is an illness or medical condition which has been diagnosed, investigated or treated in any way or at any time prior to your travel. So, it’s not a surprise that so many people are affected and have questions.

What happens if I don’t tell my insurance provider about my medical condition?

You risk leaving yourself and your travelling party without full protection should you need medical assistance while you’re away. It also means that any claim you make won’t be valid, bear in mind that healthcare costs can run in to tens of thousands of pounds, depending on where you’re travelling to. It’s not worth the risk.

Medical Screening

When you buy travel insurance, you’ll be asked some questions about your medical history, and the history of anyone else on the policy. These questions are designed to make sure that you get the right cover for you, so it’s vitally important that you answer them as honestly as you can.

There are some pre-existing medical conditions which most know they should declare - for example cancer, heart attack or recent surgery, but there are a few medical conditions which might catch you out.

5.4 million people in the UK are currently receiving treatment for asthma, but not everyone thinks to declare it as they should, because it’s often mild or they haven’t had an attack recently.

Mental health concerns are also often not mentioned, but if you’ve been diagnosed with anxiety, depression or any other mental health problem by a medical professional, you should speak to your insurance provider.

If you have diabetes but you’re controlling it with a healthy diet, that’s great news but just because you’re not taking medication doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t tell your insurance provider about it.

It’s very important to be open and honest about your medical history, for your own protection. If you’re arranging a policy for your travelling party, remember that you’ll need to know everyone’s medical history too. Not knowing isn’t an excuse, so have that conversation with your party so that you can relax and enjoy your time away.

Here at Medical Travel we’re confident that we can find a policy to suit you, so get a quote now or speak to our friendly and experienced team if you have any questions.

What if I have a serious medical condition?

Finding insurance can be tough if you have complex or a serious condition, you may need a specialist medical travel insurance policy. Our partner provider MIA offers specialist insurance at competitive prices.

MIA stands for Making Insurance Accessible because that’s what MIA do, every day. MIA can offer a bespoke insurance product, with all ages and medical conditions considered. If your medical team are happy for you to travel, we should be able to find a policy to suit you, even if you’ve been given a terminal prognosis.

MIA offer a unique flexibility that enables families and travelling parties to be on one policy, offering extended protection to those travelling with you, in case your trip is cancelled or cut short due to a medical condition or emergency. Each traveller is offered a priced based on their needs, not on the highest risk so you could save too.

If you’d like to find out more, we have a team of experienced people waiting to talk things through with you. Click here to request a call-back from one of our team.