Do you declare EVERYTHING for travel insurance?

[Squeekey]

Just that really.

I would always declare my daughter's health condition as it's serious, will affect whether we get coverage etc, but do you really declare everything everyone in the family has seen a Dr for in the last 2 years?

Last time I phoned up about insurance (phone needed because of daughter), they spent about 20 minutes asking innane questions about my husband's 5 minute trip to a Dr 9 months ago for foot pain.

I'm perfectly happy to accept that I won't get coverage for anything we don't declare, but in reality what do people do? I keep, I think I had a phone appointment with the GP last year for antibiotics for a chest infection - according to the insurance rules I need to declare it.

I'm considering that I might benefit from antidepressants for the first time to get me through a very very stressful few months and I can feel my mid plummeting, but I can't face having it over analyzed for donkeys years by insurers.

What do people do?

Well just a word of caution there, I tried the GHC card when in Rome at a public hospital and they still said that I would have to pay them, over 300 euro, because of 'brexit'. I think they were wrong but I couldnt argue as I didnt have enough language skills and they just kept insisting. I was in a lot of pain with what I think was a UTI or Kidney infection or stones, just needed antibiotics. Had to go to a private clinic and pay 100 euro. Couldnt claim antying back because it wasnt as high as my excess

So I dont trust the card now.

This is my thing. I'm well versed in dealing with my sinus infections. Worst comes to the worst I need antibiotics and a day in bed.

It wouldn't be nice on holiday but also, in September in the heat I'm very unlikely to have a flare up.

@RedRiverShore5 I have insurance through my bank, for things like that, would that be enough?

I miss the days I was covered by my parents bank insurance 😂

You have misunderstood.

If you don't declare condition X and then have unrelated issue Y while travelling, they can and will still refuse to pay out for issue Y even if unrelated. The insurance money is thrown away, you have no cover for any risk.

If you declare condition X you can choose to either pay an "All Risks" premium which covers both X and Y or a lower premium that covers all possible unrelated (Y) risks but not X.

We have insurance through our bank and declare everything, including my HRT medication. So far, they haven’t charged us extra.

Their system has just changed so that you only have to make one online declaration at renewal time and after that they don’t require you to notify them of any changes until the next year’s renewal.

I ve never seen these types of travel policies, who offers those??

Only seen health insurance that do this but its not an option, its that stuff that they consider "on going" or happened within 5 years, wont be covered

So if you were healthy at renewal but then developed a heart condition etc, you re still fully covered?

Which bank please?

@Pollensa76 no, I know that much. My dad was healthy when he got his travel insurance and then developed a load of issues and he's had to pay for specialist.

I have annual travel insurance provided along with home insurance by Direct Line. I have never been asked to declare any pre-existing conditions and there is no indication in the policy notes or terms and conditions that anything would be excluded. All that I am aware of is that it only covers us up to the age of 65, and we had a note in 2020/21 about Covid.

I think this thread has done a great job that highlighting so many people are poorly insured and at risk of having their policy invalidated if they were to claim. It really is a PITA declaring loads of stuff though - I have a lot of random, not particularly serious medical conditions and visits to doctors I need to declare every time I get insurance. I keep a list and just add to it and that makes it easier next time.

I did claim last year though, for a fracture overseas - and the insurer did indeed comb my medical records before refunding me. The claim was probably well over 8 grand total, so pretty low value for them and they still checked. Imagine how thoroughly they check for a £200k claim.

Btw - anyone who is under investigation and can't get anyone to cover them, try a specialist broker. BIBA has a list of loads of them. Depending on what it is, you should be alright to find someone to cover you as they are better at positioning the situation to the underwriters. It's worked to me before when I've had this situation and hasn't even cost all that much. And you might have to ring a few brokers - don't give up if the first ones say no.

@tedgran @biscuitsandbooks for info, the NHS app is not available in Scotland

@tedgran @biscuitsandbooks for info, the NHS app is not available in Scotland

I just checked out Co op Everyday account, offers Travel Insurance but goes onto say that any pre existing conditions will not be covered, obvious really but it does imply that anything else would be...

As its a fixed fee account, they can hardly increase premiums, at £15 per month and car and phone cover, its good vfm for anyone with a pre existing condition.

So even the specialist ones are refusing me because it's technically a condition that I've not had a diagnosis for

It's chronic sinus infections for crying out loud!!! What a joke

Yes otherwise I risk it being invalid and useless

Yes, you need to update them before you go and also before you pay the final amount if you have only paid a deposit.

Basically, you have to declare everything possible so that they can't wriggle out of paying.

Just had a thought.

If I have a family policy that we take out with the specialist providers (the overall that pretty much want to know inside leg measurements), and I give them everything I can to ensure my daughter is covered, then we use that for any health claims for her and any things like lost luggage for all of us.

I then get a separate policy for me and husband where we can tick a few boxes and it won't be over analyzed that I had a UTI or something! If I make a health claim (highly unlikely), it'll be on that.

Though how I'm supposed to lost everything for daughter is being me. I thought I had, but even reading this, there's stuff I left out because it feels so pathetically minor!

I have no idea what I'm supposed to do about my elder daughter who had some investigations and appointments at the hospital for stomach pains, they couldn't find anything wrong, said it might be anxiety, and eventually discharged her. She still has the pains from time to time. Does she have an 'undiagnosed condition' or not even?

Urgh.

@Squeekey the way I've read the previous posts, you have to declare everything

If your flight is delayed or your bags get stolen, is what you declare for health insurance relevant still? If it is, it feels travel insurance needs to be in two unrelated categories: health and everything else.

They would have no justification for getting your health records for a lost luggage claim surely?

@Squeekey that's what I'd have thought!! I'm so unlikely to have a flare up of my sinuses on holiday, and even when I do it's antibiotics not a hospital stay.

Surely if I just keep quiet they'll never know??? The worst I'd have is lost luggage

Well, this is what DL's policy booklet says but I don't know if this is for the add on with home insurance:

Pre-existing medical conditions
At the start date or renewal date of your policy or
when you booked your trip, whichever is later,
you must tell us about any pre-existing medical
conditions. The definition of a pre-existing
medical condition is whether any insured person
have or have had any of the following

https://www.directline.com/assets/pdf/travel-policy-document.pdf

Is anyone able to help with this because the insurance company couldn't give me a straight answer.

We were waiting for test results when I got a quote. If I'd gone ahead and bought the insurance, I'd have to update them when the results came through, and they could increase the cost or then decline cover.

Presuming that I booked a holiday, is the purpose of the insurance, and either they declined, cover or was financially, could I claim for the costs of cancelling the holiday?

I didn't want to be in the situation, where cover could be pulled at the last minute and we'd have the choice to lose the cost of the holiday or travel uninsured.

Thanks - I don't think I've ever received anything that detailed but will definitely ask on renewal.

Yes. Both DDs have medical history - not serious. Think along the lines of bandy legs, so not impactful to holidaying in any shape or form, but necessary to declare as recently diagnosed.

I ring them, it always takes a while and puts the insurance up by about a tenner.

It's worth it, an elderly relative died on holiday and had good insurance, all health issues declared. It made life so much easier for the next of kin.