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?

Try Insurewith

Probably does count as under investigation but I think the important time to tell them is before you actually travel - so I'd wait until then and hope that you've had a more conclusive answer.

Timing is not relevant. If something were to happen and a claim made on medical grounds they will ask for medical records. They would then find out that you had not declared the investigations. If you refuse access they will also refuse the claim. There is no win here other than telling the truth.

Im not sure how to categorise it. I had some private blood tests done as a wellbeing check. Out of those came some results which suggest a condition

So I wanted to see the GP to be referred to genetic testing (which is what is recommended for this particular thing). GP is therefore not willing (im guessing, no one has spoken to me) to accept what Ive said and is re doing the testing (they dont have copies of my private test results yet)

So I was just sent a text saying come for blood tests

I assume if the result comes back suggesting the same thing, then they will formally start referring me for further investigation. If the test result was an anomaly and these new tests dont say the same thing, then Im guessing it wont go anywhere?

You have to put everything down though, things that you suffered before but dont now, so no migraines, breaks or fractures, joint or nerve issues, conjunctivitis, viral infections, blood pressure, tonsillitis, urine infections,,,,,, too many to list, she has never had anything like that over the years, all the normal things people get and recover from?

You have to put everything down that you've ever had, it doesnt mean just things you have now. Ive put operations down from 30 years ago.

I have about 14 'conditions' on my policy, many of which are historical from around 20-30 years ago.

@bellac11
I did the telephone medical screening with Staysure for a trip earlier this year. They specifically asked about any instances where I had seen a health professional or received any sort of treatment in the last 2 years.
They were not interested in past illnesses eg. Something I had and received treatment for 8 years ago as that is a past condition which I no longer have.

Interesting. Im with staysure and it took me bloody hours doing those forms!!

I think I will check all this out if and when I need to update them about these tests.

I have about 14 'conditions' on my policy, many of which are historical from around 20-30 years ago.

That is really strange. I check my annual insurance quote every year (next due in November) and my policy is a specialist pre-existing condition one as I am disabled. I have never, on any of them, been asked about all conditions only ongoing ones where they are permanant, treatments within the last 2 years, and any current investigations. Nobody has ever asked me about things from 20 years ago.

@Ascendant15 surely timing is relevant for travel insurance as it only covers you when you travel which they won't be doing for some months, by which time they should have better information?

If the blood tests, that have not been declared, throw up something that requires cancellation of the holiday (as happened to my friends), the policy will be invalid and the money paid for the holiday will be lost.
Unless you are prepared to risk losing travel costs, you need to organise insurance and declare everything at the same time as you book. Sure it is unlikely, but unknown until the results come back.

Ah I hadn't thought about the cancellation element. Though my travel insurance said they wouldn't cover me at all (including for cancellation) when I told them I had an undiagnosed condition, which began in the middle of my annual policy and long after I booked my upcoming holiday, so I am not sure it makes a huge amount of difference.

No I hadnt thought about cancellation either.

So although my next trip abroad is in November, I also have trips booked for Feb and easter, so 3 potentially uncovered trips (abroad, we have other trips in the UK)

So if I ring them and because Im under investigation for stuff, I wont be covered. If I dont tell them (while still under investigation) and something happens, Im not covered.

So basically Im not covered!!
Is that for everything I wonder, non health stuff too, or just health stuff?

@bellac11
So if I ring them and because Im under investigation for stuff, I wont be covered.
They might cover you. Mine did. The thing under investigation is unrelated to my already declared conditions and arose after I booked my holiday. They agreed to cover it as long as I was fit to travel.

Hopefully that's just my insurer being excessively restrictive and you will be covered, just flagging that it's a possibility as it was a shock to me!

So, I have just rung, spent ages on the phone getting through and explained the situation. Its not related to my other conditions so it counts as a change to the policy (incurring £10 charge of course) but Im still covered so that is good

However I need confirmation in my GP notes that I am 'fit to travel' and that needs to reflect a discussion with the GP. I explained that I barely ever see a GP, never even had a discussion about this issue in itself, so Im going to do an econsult to set out whats been requested and hope the gP will enter something in the notes, but what a waste of time for a GP. She said to get back to them if I have problems with that

Also she couldnt confirm that I wont be charged again if I need to phone them and update that theres no further investigation or a new diagnosis to be entered.

Yes that's the whole point of insurance, you pay to insure against something happening and then the insurance company carries the risk.
So if you develop symptoms or a diagnosed condition AFTER booking a holiday and already have insurance in place then when you inform the insurer they will generally cover it, sometimes for a small fee. If they decide the risk is too great they can decline to cover and will refund the cost of your holiday as will be classed as cancellation as unfit to travel

I've had an interesting situation recently. I bought an annual policy a few months ago, well before I was due to travel. Since that point I've had a flurry of things come up, most of which are a named conditions and I can update my policy. Alongside one of these conditions I've had some odd symptoms. I think the timing of these means that they could be side effect of one of the other conditions, but the doctor wasn't convinced and did some blood tests.

Blood tests came back clear and the message I received said make an appointment for review if symptoms persist. I happened to have another appointment for something else so I discussed the blood test results. I explained I was going on a trip soon and wanted to have everything above board with the travel insurer so how should I phrase this. Frustratingly, the doctor said that they haven't made a diagnosis, but given when I'm travelling there isn't anything else that could be done in that timeframe anyway. I also explained that I think the symptoms are getting better and if they go away completely would I need to see them again - the answer was no. They haven't referred me for anything (I guess they would only do that if the symptoms don't resolve) and assuming the symptoms continue to get better then there would be no further investigation.

I phoned up my insurer to basically say that I'd had tests, they were back ok and the doctor hadn't ordered any more tests. But, because they hadn't given a named diagnosis then my insurer will class this as a undiagnosed condition unless there is 8 weeks between now and me travelling (and I guess the symptoms not getting any worse). As I'm due to travel before 8 weeks I have an undiagnosed condition and therefore they won't cover me!

In a bit of a panic I called an insurance broker who was very helpful and said that they could help if the doctor had not ordered any more tests and 'closed the case'. The problem is that I don't know how the GP has phrased it in their records. I'm not awaiting results but I also don't have a diagnosis. My hope generally is that the symptoms continue to get better, hence I wouldn't need to see the GP again and would never get a diagnosis.

Hopefully the symptoms continue to improve, but I'm worried that if I were to need to claim for any reason with this new insurer they could look at my GP records and it could come down to how the GP has phrased our conversation. I just want everything to be above board and this stress is ruining the run up to my trip!

The BMA says the patients consent is needed before medical records are released to insurers. They cannot just access them without permission.

I understand they would need consent, but I'm not sure I could really say no (and if I did, wouldn't that invalidate a claim?). I'd want them to see that I've been open with everything, but it feels like it would rely on how the GP noted things down from this last conversation. It was quite an extensive chat.

As a side note, in my various chats to medical people over the past few month's I've mentioned that I need to declare anything I've discussed with them with my insurer. Quite often the answer has been 'nah, you don't need to tell them about this', and I'm there thinking that actually I really do, even for the littlest thing.

I've had the same problem - my GP said I didn't need to mention menopausal anxiety unless medicated but the travel insurance form wanted to know anything I'd consulted my GP over

@oaky55 yes you're right you would need to give written consent for insurer to gain access to medical records however this would likely be a condition of them settling any claim you made.
I can understand why you're now worried so just contact your Medical practice and explain to her what you've said here and that you need to know how the GP recorded it. She'll hopefully be able to phone you back with that information.
Have a lovely trip

That's a good idea - and hope that they did record it in a way that reflects how I think the conversation went. Would the receptionist usually be able to look at medical notes for that? The GP wasn't one that I seen before and was quite brusque, though I realise their job isn't to worry about whether the travel insurance industry classes something as undiagnosed or not.

The whole process, both waiting for test results and then sorting out insurance, have occupied my mind so much recently, which to be honest can't have helped with me getting better. There have been times where its seemed preferable for the trip to somehow get cancelled and then all of this worry would go away.

This thread seems like a lot of people trying to do the right thing and it being a real challenge. Oh to be one of those who just buys and policy without giving it any thought (though that does rely on nothing going wrong on the trip)!

But that permission is in the T&C of your policy. Which is fair enough. My insurers ask for active conditions over last 3 years and any ongoing investigations. Given that I have some pretty serious conditions, I think the supplement I pay is very reasonable. The information I give them is exactly what is in my records. The last time I had to make a claim they took care of everything without any argument, which is exactly what is needed when you have a problem.

I’m insured through Barclays and have to tell them every time I see a doctor.

Declaring anxiety on your travel insurance won’t add much if anything to the cost of the policy. So just declare so there is no dispute when you claim.