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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To lie on travel insurance application?

87 replies

Amoamasamat · 02/06/2017 22:12

Just bought annual travel insurance for the family. There were the usual questions about prior medical conditions. Thankfully we have none, except dh was diagnosed with depression several years ago and still takes a medium level dose of ADs. He's not now depressed thanks to the ADs but he is still being 'treated' i.e. receiving medication although hasn't seen his GP for a year. (He actually believes the ADs right an imbalance of chemicals in his brain and that he will take ADs for life.)

Without really thinking I ticked the NO box for mental health condition.

So, we lose our luggage, the airline goes bankrupt or dh breaks his arm doing a back flip into the pool - is our insurance null and void due to my lie? Unless a claim is mental health related, would the insurance company ever know?

OP posts:
NotSuchASmugMarriedNow1 · 02/06/2017 22:13

They won't pay out anyway, regardless of what box you tick.

PlayOnWurtz · 02/06/2017 22:14

Yup. My understanding is any lies or untruths invalidate insurance policies

specialsubject · 02/06/2017 22:15

Is it worth it? There is a small risk of stuff that means goodbye house. If that happens they will take a good look at what you declared.

Hope not, but why chance it?

tigerdriverII · 02/06/2017 22:15

You could amend it. I think the only consequence of disclosure is that any claim relating to depression will be excluded. Having your bags nicked or tripping over etc isn't going to be affected.

Hoppinggreen · 02/06/2017 22:15

Generally insurance companies would rather not pay out so you lying on the form would possibly give them the chance not to in the event of a claim.

nocoolnamesleft · 02/06/2017 22:16

You might get away with it for a non-health-related claim, but you've invalidated any health claim.

Nicknacky · 02/06/2017 22:17

Don't lie, it's not worth it. Just suck up the increased premium.

Oldraver · 02/06/2017 22:18

They will take a dim view of any lie and invalidate your insurance. Do you really want to risk it ?

PigletWasPoohsFriend · 02/06/2017 22:19

is our insurance null and void due to my lie?

If your claim is anything to do with health then they most probably won't pay out.

Original poster
Amoamasamat · 02/06/2017 22:21

How would they know?

If for example dh breaks his arm and needs a cast, would the insurance company really have access to all his medical records?

OP posts:
Instasista · 02/06/2017 22:21

well you could take the risk. I've had 3 health claims paid and they wouldn't have known anything about my medical history as they didn't ask for any records. They just paid on receipt.

But you may as well give them a call and amend it as it's such a minor point im sure the premium won't go up

Instasista · 02/06/2017 22:22

No OP but if it's a big claim they might get more interested in digging

Domino20 · 02/06/2017 22:23

Just tell them. All it will change is they will exclude any treatment arising from this condition. I doubt it will even change the premium. It's highly likely that any lie, if discovered, will invalidate policy.

Excited101 · 02/06/2017 22:25

Insurance companies have people employed to just find out who's lying so they can avoid pay outs. Chances are that if you're lying, they won't pay out. It doesn't matter the ifs and whys and what's.

Onetedisbackinbed · 02/06/2017 22:28

If you lose your luggage or the airline goes bankrupt how would they ever find our about his depression? Of course they'd pay out, what justification wold they have for enquiring after his medical history?

EnglishGirlApproximately · 02/06/2017 22:29

For what little it's likely to add to your premium I wouldn't even take the risk. Most insurers will consider a policy void if there is anything not declared, even if it isn't relevant to the claim. You're thinking about minor things that might happen, but serious accidents happen frequently. In the event of you needing medical repatriation, extended hospital treatment, a major operation etc you could be looking at a bill running into hundreds of thousands.

DancingLedge · 02/06/2017 22:30

Yep, before they pay out on a health claim(other the one so tiny it was hardly worth claiming) they will get copy of GPs medical record. In its entirety. And may well not pay out .So as someone already posted, goodbye house, hello bankruptcy.

Why not just ring and tell them? It might cost a little bit more, they might exclude any depression related claims, or, you know what, they genuinely might not be bothered.

user1492287253 · 02/06/2017 22:32

yes they would. my ddad suffered from depression. he had a heart attack in the us. the very first thing the insurers did was get a complete set of his medical records. fortunately as i work in insurance everything had been disclosed and so the claim was met. $200000 for intensive care and $120000 dollars for full intensive care repatriation from the west coast to the uk.it would have bankrupted us

i

PolarBearGoingSomewhere · 02/06/2017 22:34

If you're going to lie on insurance you might as well not have insurance.

Just tell them!

poisonedbypen · 02/06/2017 22:35

When DD was on antidepressants it raised the premium slightly. Any health related claim they will get a copy of your GP records & your insurance will be invalid. It happened to my parents, don't do it. They only lost the cost of a cruise and their (business class as that was all that was available) flights home, but it could have been much worse.

poisonedbypen · 02/06/2017 22:35

When DD was on antidepressants it raised the premium slightly. Any health related claim they will get a copy of your GP records & your insurance will be invalid. It happened to my parents, don't do it. They only lost the cost of a cruise and their (business class as that was all that was available) flights home, but it could have been much worse.

FuckingDingDong · 02/06/2017 22:41

And if they find out, they will put a marker against you and you'll never get insurance again. No house insurance, no car insurance. Either that or fucking massive premiums. They might even put a fraud marker against your name - no more mortgage, no more credit cards, no more mobile phone or bank accounts.

228agreenend · 02/06/2017 22:41

I wouldn't risk. Just give them a ring, and say you realised afterwards you ticked the wromg box. It may affect the premium slightly, but probably not hugely.

FuckingDingDong · 02/06/2017 22:43

say you realised afterwards you ticked the wromg box
Do this. Because you were filling in the details for someone else, it is an easy enough oversight.

WeAllHaveWings · 02/06/2017 22:44

Travel insurance isn't like car insurance, you don't have to have it. In the event of something serious happening (which is the reason to take out insurance!) you'd Have no policy. Phone and tell them you made a mistake.