Travel insurance impossible because I've seen my GP?

[SnuggleBuggleBoo]

I had no idea it would be this strict. I thought I'd have to tick the usual 'no heart attacks/strokes/diabetes etc' things off for them and that'd be it, but they're all crying about me having seen the GP within the last 2 years! Is that really that unusual? Where can I find normal reasonably priced insurance company that's happy to take a risk on me?

Insurance companies get a really bad rap when they don't pay out for stuff. But as this thread demonstrates, it's likely that now often than not, it's ignorance on the part of the customer that's the problem, not the insurers.

@Photio

Yes they did (this was a few years ago though).

I declared that I had seen my GP with symptoms & they'd ordered further tests but I hadn't been told of appointment dates or I was waiting for test results to come back.
It was just a 'need to know' thing as no firm diagnosis had been made but I made them aware that was being investigated & they put it on my notes but didn't charge for them.

The insurers have got a list of current medication & conditions, GP & consultant names.
I also have conditions that are monitored by an annual blood test but not needing treatment as yet - those are also listed.
I also make sure I have 'fit to fly' letters from consultants before I travel. Those letters list the medications that they have prescribed.

I'm a paranoid 'glass half empty' person. You read so many horror stories of people invalidating their insurance because they've not declared things. I'm shit scared it might happen to me.

This why you must organise your insurance at the latest on the day you book your holiday. If you have to cancel due to illness or accident you can't claim if your insurance isn't already in place. This happened to friends. They didn't declare pre- existing conditions before they booked. Then one of them had a medical problem and they had to cancel the trip. They lost all the money.

I have it with a different bank. It is useless. You really need to check the small print (like I did). Each year I get sent an annual "package" summary that specifically tells you to go and read the small print. The small print says that is you have any medical conditions etc., you MUST contact them and this may mean you ahve to pay a "small surcharge". When I enquired, the small surcharge was more per year than the specilaist insurer that I use!

I guarantee you that you simply haven't read he small print.

A lot don't even bother about insurance! https://www.gocompare.com/travel-insurance/guide/why-holidaymakers-skip-insurance/

If you consider that you then have to add those who think they are insured and aren't because they didn't declare something or deliberately failed to inform, then as much as 50% (possibly more) of the Brits you meet abroad are uninsured!

@Ascendant15

They asked for her condition (genetic metabolic) and no further questions were needed as it's managed by diet and her epilepsy was fine also.
They didn't ask if any of us had seen a gp within the last 2 years but they asked about consultants etc, and it was fine.

I have needed my travel insurance in the past and IME the £90 I paid on top of my existing policy with my bank (I told them all my medical history) saved me £6K in medical bills plus they reorganised flights and accommodation for me and DH at no cost. So good value.

Just booked with staysure.

Had to pay a bomb but worth it for the piece of mind.

@Ascendant15 I also have travel insurance with my Nationwide account. I have high BP and a fairly recent diagnosis of ADHD. I contacted NW to inform them and was told it's noted but there was no additional charges.

Have you actually done the medical interview OP? It is absolutely standard practice and from what you have said it won't result in a premium.

With my bank policy you can have 1 condition and 2 medications without paying a premium, over that and you pay a small fee for each condition and then a little bit more if you take more than 2 medications for it. It seems entirely reasonable to me.
I have 2 chronic conditions for which I take 5 medications plus I had surgery less than a year ago for something else. £90 for a year's cover, worldwide. Unlimited number of trips. Set against the cost of a holiday it isn't that expensive.

Of course if you are being investigated for a potentially serious illness that will be a problem. That is why you buy your insurance before you arrange your holiday, so that if anything happens before you are due to go, you are covered.

I search on price comparison sites and go with the cheapest.

The onus is for you to declare by choosing an insurance that covers medical conditions. If you didn't declare your insurance would have been void

@Cheeseandlobster

Where did I say I didn't declare???
Of course I declared my daughter had a metabolic disorder and epilepsy. That's one of the main reasons I got health insurance in the first place!
I said nobody asked if we'd seen a gp within the last 2 years. They asked about consultants that's it and of course I said yes to that and no further questions were asked.

See I can't get any sensible quote for travel insurance since I was diagnosed with cervical cancer. Think it's because I do long trips at a time but they coming up ridiculous prices like 2k ( no I'm not going to the usa) Thing is I had a radical hysterectomy 15 months ago and had NED ever since. So the likelihood of me suddenly needing emergency cancer treatment is prob as low as everyone else seeing as I'm checked for it more often.

What I've ended up doing is taking out the built in travel insurance on my revolut card. It won't cover me for pre existing conditions ( only the cancer I have nothing else) but ok if I fall and break leg

You surely ticked the box as to whether you had any pre existing conditions.

Almost no one gets to adulthood without any pre existing conditions

So what did you say?

Well my next trip abroad is November. So now Im in a quandry about how to proceed. Technically, I havent been referred to a specialist, Ive just been given some blood tests (not even back yet) to determine whether I ight have a condition.

Is that technically under investigation?

I had to call up the insurer and go through a list of gp trips over the last 12 months for all of us, very tedious.

however the quote then increased by about £1 and all was well.

it never used to be this complicated. I think they are hoping people don’t bother to declare so that they can then reject the claims.

I have a Dc with an existing condition, we get reasonably priced insurance from Coverwise .

I just recently got travel insurance with an undiagnosed condition. Will ask dh who with as I can't find the email (helpful). Fwiw this is for neurological and cardiovascular diagnosis, not just piles of low vits etc. Had to call them and let them know what tests I've had and the results and the referrals I'm waiting on.

Ou can get insurance it's just that some conditions cost more. My annual policy costs over £500.
However it's true they don't like it if you are awaiting diagnosis. I rang my insurer (staysure) because I am awaiting diagnosis of something. Because this was a new condition since I took out the insurance and since I booked the holiday and totally unrelated to my other conditions, they agreed to cover me subject to my medical records having a note that I was fit to travel.

*Well my next trip abroad is November. So now Im in a quandry about how to proceed. Technically, I havent been referred to a specialist, Ive just been given some blood tests (not even back yet) to determine whether I ight have a condition.

Is that technically under investigation?*

Yes @bellac11 blood tests are investigations. So unless they are part of a screening programme then you probably went to GP with symptoms and that was what sparked the blood tests. So if you had some medical emergency abroad and one of the warning signs of it was the symptom you'd gone to GP about them insurance medical examiner will say this was pre-existing condition, although undiagnosed, which you didn't tell them about and therefore they did not agree to cover.
So I'd say once you get the bloods back and speak to GP it will be safest to update insurers

Did they agree to cover you, just not for pre-existing medical conditions? Or, did you just not declare them? My understanding is that your whole insurance cover is void if you don’t declare.

Just renewed with Saga thought might have an issue as I've had a couple of medical episodes in the last year but given the all clear in both cases after examination. Gave Saga the details and renewed at more or less the same price as last year.

@bellac11

Of course plenty of people don't have any pre-existing conditions. My husbands 90 year old grandmother hasn't got any conditions, the most she's received is antibiotics and painkillers.

It's important to note that if you fail to declare any investigation or pre existing conditions it won't just be that thing that's not covered. The whole policy could be invalid because you withheld information.
Insurance companies really don't want to pay out and will want to see all medical records before they do. Always tell them everything or you might as well not bother getting insurance.