To think travel insurance is an utter scam?

[ragingruby]

Before taking out annual travel insurance, declared health conditions of menopause and insomnia - both managed by medication. Have had some issues recently with piles. Got anusol from GP to manage.

About to travel later this week. Rang to advise of Insurance company, Staysure, re new condition (as their documentation notes you have to). They said they will continue cover but not for the pre-existing conditions and neither for the recent condition, the latter of which they said don't just emerge suddenly so I must have known about the piles for some time and hadn't told them.

I'm like 'what???'. I've just told you!

They wouldn't budge.

So, despite previously insuring the conditions of insomnia and menopause, both of which are being managed, they've decided now not to. Apparently I'm covered if I die and need repatriation or for medical aid if in a car crash though I suspect they will say if I was driving, I was likely not to have had enough sleep!

Not going to renew my cover with them next year. Renaming Staysure as 'StayAway'. What's the point?

I haven’t seen a medical professional about menopause or piles even though I suffer with both of them on occasion - so I’m not sure I’d declare them.

There are loads of conditions that do not result in an increased premium but they still need to be declared if you’ve seen a medical professional or been prescribed medication for in the last (usually) 2 years. DH has a list of significant pre existing conditions like you wouldn’t believe but adding things like a throat infection or cataract surgery didn’t load the premium at all. So it may not actually increase the cost but you risk any claim not being paid. I’ve found (and believe me I’ve done a lot of quotes) that if you declare a condition and there are no further questions about it then there is often no additional loading for that condition.
i realised last week that when I bought our travel policy I hadn’t told the them that he had covid 18 months ago for which he had prescribed medication- it added £15 to the annual premium. I didn’t tell them I’d had it because it’s not recorded on my medical records.

I took out insurance last year that needed any investigations in previous 2 years declared. 23 months previously I'd had post menopausal bleeding and had uss and biopsies...all clear but they had nothing on their website for post menopausal bleeding just dysfunctional uterine bleeding for which the only question is " have you developed anaemia with this" I phoned up and spoke with the screening team who were non medical and explained the potential diagnoses from PMB and they went to their medical team who still classed it as dysfunctional bleeding. So their databases are not very good.

If any of these appear on your GP medical records in the last 12/24 months (varies by insurer), then yes you need to declare them when taking out travel insurance.

I get that you’re being sarcastic, but ironically you are completely correct.

I don't know what people are struggling with on this thread.

If you have seen a medical professional (GP, nurse, specialist etc....) for any issue no matter how trivial most insurance will ask you to declare this if they happened in the past 2 years. So yes you should declare piles, menopause, althetes foot, verrucas etc..... IF YOU HAVE SEEN A MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL ABOUT THEM.

If you have not seen a medical professional then you won't have to declare them.

It is different for series illness like cancer, heart issues, diabetes, stroke, lupus (not an exhaustive list) these have to be declared whenever they have happened.

OK, I used to deal with these sorts of claims.

You slip over in the shower in Florida and knock yourself out. You then get taken to hospital. Due to the osteoporosis, you've fractured your hip rather than just had a bump on the head. The hospital scans, as it's a serious injury and they want to exclude bony metastases as well as assess whether you have adequate blood flow/aren't going to die on the operating table if they can help it for surgery. They see the osteoporosis and the growth on your lung. They've done bloods and see that you have liver disease.

The insurance company contacts your GP. You're known to have osteoporosis, a growth on your lung that's still undergoing investigation and you have liver disease, which could potentially at this stage, be due to alcohol. You could therefore have fallen over due to showering whilst pissed as a fart, especially if the tests also revealed that there is a notable blood alcohol level. That could also increase your likelihood of haemorrhage during surgery.

In the meantime, as a fractured hip can be fatal, they need to operate to save your life if not just your leg. You're going to be in intensive care for some time and certainly won't be fit to fly home for weeks.

You're not covered by the Insurance four times over. This is going to be hundreds of thousands of dollars and the hospital is already phoning your next of kin at 2am due to the time difference, demanding money.

I used to breathe a sigh of relief every time I checked a policy to see that people had paid the additional premium to cover their pre-existing conditions, because it only takes a slip, trip or some other dickhead in a vehicle to destroy them and potentially their next of kin financially and emotionally, whether they made it back alive or not.

The title of your thread is unreasonable - travel insurance is an important/vital part of holiday costs (even to EU countries as GHIC cover is patchy between hospitals / situations) and isn't a scam in itself.

However, you're the third person this summer I've heard from who have had Staysure remove cover for previously accepted pre-existing conditions after they've told them about something new before travelling. It seems absurd and of course there isn't time to explore this with their complaints department etc before travelling. Staysure is the problem here and it seems reasonable to conclude that the entire policy is a scam if they have withdrawn cover in any way after you have contractually agreed (by paying) to their original terms.

Incidentally, I have travel insurance with my bank account and it's paid out a few times without ever accessing my medical records, so it isn't a given that they "always" will if there's a claim, but obviously it's a risk if you don't declare something. I have declared pre-existing conditions (which haven't resulted in additional premiums - neither have the previous claims). Last year they repatriated me at huge expense (from an EU country), repaid hundreds in hospital fees (ambulance didn't take me to a public hospital so GHIC was irrelevant), thousands for the costs of the ruined holiday and didn't even take off the tiny £50 excess payment due to some tiny clause that apparently applied which I hadn't known about. Shop around if you can and find a better company. Travel insurance costs such a small amount compared to the rest of the holiday but it's worth getting right.

Bottom line is, if its on your medical records, declare it as the insurance company will check.

That said so many of the least serious things are not listed and phoning does t help as it answered by sales muppets!

OP is right about companies trying to weasel out of paying by looking at medical records.
I have a friend who went to the doctors about some fatigue. He didn’t think to mention it and whilst he was away he had a bleed on the brain. Insurance refused to pay out!

I have had annual cover with Staysure for a good few years. They are very highly rated and as I have an annual policy for myself and DC, their snow sports are covered. Of course you have to declare all health issues, it does not necessarily translate to your premium being higher. What it does mean that they will actually pay out rather than some random having to set up a 'Go Fund Me' because you have not taken out adequate cover or not been truthful.

All insurance is a grudge purchase, if not needed it seems just money for nothing. However- if/when you do need it then it is money well spent. I have some health conditions and pay £50ish a year for the 2 of us to cover Europe and Turkey. As we tend to go away about 5 times a year this is not bad value, includes snow sports. Also pretty cheap to upgrade for US etc.

Just add, I recently had a flare up of an ongoing condition, no chanhe in treatment but had to visit GPnfor fit note. Let Staysure know and premium remained the same.

Some people seem to be being a bit obtuse here. No you don't have to declare menopause, verrucas or piles if you have not needed to seek medical advice about them. There will be nothing on your medical records about that.

If you've been for a GP appointment in the last 12/24 months however, there will be information about that in your medical records. Even if it could be completely unrelated to any medical emergency you might suffer while travelling, if you haven't declared it then you might invalidate your insurance.

Eg, my DD had antibiotics for an ear infection 6 months ago. She hasn't had any trouble since but I still declared it.

Charlatans the lot of them ! Recently had to cancel a holiday the day before due to a fall causing a hospital admission and a back injury. Due to a telephone consultation with my gp 4 years ago about low back pain , that resulted in advice to take pain relief , my claim was denied .
Despite 2 months off of work needed this year and not one day off taken 4 years ago ! Disgusting !
Awaiting the ombudsman!

I had some chest discomfort and heart palpitations. GP sent me to hospital. Checked out. All fine. Stress.

The insurers said they'd not cover me for heart attack or stroke because of this.

When I said I'd been checked out and healthy which is more than can be said for some, why won't you cover me even with an increased excess they still refused. They offered an annual policy at £700.

Needless to say I didn't take their cover. I just feel they want your money but no risk at all. It's a fucking joke. Who'd take insurance knowing heart attack or stroke abroad would not be covered.

I wouldn’t declare things like that. Whilst I know you’re meant to it’s just batshit and the chances you needing to pay for medical treatment are next to nil whilst away. You have to play the same game they play.

But it does affect the premium as I got quotes both with declaring and not declaring and all the ones where I declared were higher despite the fact that like you say it isn’t going to cause any further issues.
obviously because I’m a rule follower I declared and paid the higher premium but it definitely rankled

It depends what your conditions are. Certain conditions don't effect the premium. Yours obviously do as its a higher risk.

It is the chance you take. For everyone saying they would not declare minor things, your insurance will be invalid, whatever you claim for. Many moons ago as a student, I worked as a call handler for a break down company. Insurance call handlers were in the same room, including travel insurance. Valid claims were paid, but people who withheld information, exaggerated claims or were untruthful were quickly found out. Even if you are claiming for something unrelated, your insurance is invalid if you have withheld information. Insurance is such a tiny cost compared to most holidays, unless you have significant health issues, I am not sure why people bugrudge it so such.

He should have declared everything that would be on his medical records. The first thing insurers do if you make a claim is look at your gp record. If there is anything on there that you have not declared, your policy is invalid. It doesn't matter what it is. By not declaring it you have not accepted the t&c.

We had the same issue with staysure. Had an annual travel policy and halfway through DH was diagnosed with high blood pressure. Advised Staysure but they said they don't cover pre-existing conditions even though it wasn't a pre-existing condition when the policy was taken out. And they won't refund what's left on the policy even though it's not fit for purpose. Very cross.

they insist on excluding the conditions I'd honestly advised them about!

This is the bit I don't understand
However silly/trivial it seems I can just about see them excluding something you hadn't told them about, but presumably you asked why they've now excluded something you had advised them of and which was previously covered ... so what did they say?

FWIW I have an annual policy with Staysure myself, and had to advise them of a "new" issue just a couple of months ago. As it happens there was nothing extra to pay for this one, but there was never any question of cancelling existing cover for other conditions, which is why I'm confused over hat's happened to you

So do all women have to say menopause if they have been through it, my menopause was fine and I didn't see the doctor about it, I also have a small pile as many people do but I have never seen a doctor about that either. I would mention my basal cell carcinoma that has been cut out recently, I suppose that would invite a large extra premium even though it's gone and is hardly likely to affect anything on a holiday

Read the thread! No you only need to declare stuff you have seen a medical professional about. Nothing else. Just anything in your medical records.

Perhaps insurers think that the kind of child who falls off a scooter is at risk of falling off a bike next year?

I think that's fair enough

Loads of potential reasons for fatigue

Why should the insurers pay out if the customer has misled them?