Travel insurance on HRT??

[museumum]

Does everybody on HRT declare perimenopause on their travel insurance? have you had problems?

I can't add it to my Admiral insurance - they won't insure me - and refer me to specialists for people with medical conditions (!?!)). The policy is for a year for the whole family so I'm considering just risking it till it's up for renewal.
I have no symptoms and tbh went onto oestrogen patches quite readily without serious issues (I already had a mirena).

I'm worried obviously that I'll break my leg skiing and they'll use this not to pay up, or not to pay up for a cancelled flight or something unrelated....
But how likely is that? Has everybody else declared perimenopause as a medical condition and moved to a specialist insurer? I'm 48 so statistically it would be surprising if i wasn't in perimenopause.

Thanks.

I don't know which companies people are using but they do seem very particular! I've never seen menopause listed as a 'condition' but then I wouldn't even look.

The one I've used has a tick box of conditions that are potentially life threatening. They then ask if you've had any investigations or are awaiting test results. They ask if you have any pre existing conditions you want to declare . The company I used asked if you wanted cover for the existing condition.

The issue I feel that is more important is they also ask if any family members are waiting for an appt or tests/ results. If you have to cancel because of an elderly parent (for example) who becomes ill and you decide not to travel, you may not be covered.

I totally agree but when they refuse to pay you for your broken leg because you didn't declare you were on HRT then that's where the problems start.

Would they?
Do you know that for sure?
Do they demand access to all medical records for claims?

I hadn't either but reading horror stories of companies refusing to pay out I looked to see if it was on admirals drop down list and it was.

I put in that I was on medication because it is medication but then there was nothing asking what the medication was.

I think some of the algorithms for the websites are a bit strange

OP here.

I have now spoken to Admiral and they have cancelled my policy and refunded because for some reason it was a policy that could not have any medical conditions added and yes, menopause does count, but no it wouldn't change the premium, if i had a policy that allowed medical conditions. So I'm off to try again to book a policy for our whole family.

Interestingly there is quite a danger here in having a 'no conditions' on an annual policy in that they could set you up with a policy that you can't have conditions on so anything that arises within the twelve months can't be added on and they have to cancel it (as i just have).

A previous poster mentioned that I MUST have 'medical problems' in order to be on HRT. I was offered estrogen patches it by my GP as a long term user of a progesterone hormonal contraceptive (mirena) after a discussion of general issues like libido and some mild joint pain and fatigue and hormonal bloating and breast tenderness. Nothing I'd consider a 'medical problem'.
Maybe I'm wrong to consider HRT similarly to an extension of the hormonal birth control I was on previously, maybe I have been blase about it... but I do feel better on it (although I'm definitely not 'ill' without it).

Menopause increased my premium. Didn’t ask any questions but bumped it up quite a lot.

Glad you spoke to a human as at least you have an explanation. Travel insurance is a nightmare and you do need to get it right. As I said I have an admiral insurance policy which allows extra conditions. My husband has coronary artery disease picked up on a trial he was in. He's really fit and well so would not have caused problems for years but he's now on aspirin and statins so we have to declare.

Year's policy with admiral for Europe for us both is £135.

well, yes it does, that is the definition of a medical condition. Most menopausal women don't have symptoms, most menopausal women don't take prescribed medication.

If the menopause is making you ill, and you see a doctor and get medication, then you have a medical problem.

The menopause itself doesn't require medication, does it. Medical problems associated with the menopause might do though

Around 80 to 90% of women experience menopausal symptoms

Couple of sources:

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK285446/#:~:text=During%20menopause%2C%20approximately%2085%20percent,of%20varying%20type%20and%20severity.&text=Types%20of%20symptoms%20experienced%20include%20the%20following.&text=Vasomotor%20symptoms%20are%20recurrent%2C%20transient,body%2C%20sometimes%20followed%20by%20chills.

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/hundreds-of-thousands-of-women-experiencing-menopause-symptoms-to-get-cheaper-hormone-replacement-therapy

No, I have never declared perimenopause as it is not a medical condition.

I’ve never even considered advising my travel insurance company, it’s not an illness. I declared my M.S and they accepted it without any charge, so I don’t see why HRT should make a difference, pretty sexist if you ask me. I also carry all my medication with me in my hand luggage, after once having a flight delay of 13 hours and the majority of it was in my suitcase. Do you have to tell them about the contraceptive pill, it can also cause DVT? 🤷‍♀️

You need to declare the medical intervention not the menopause. Most women do not take medication. My insurance states you do not need to declare contraception but do need to declare hrt, but they say it will not add to the cost unless the hrt is known to interact with another medication you are taking. I'm not on hrt because the side effects/risks aren't worth it

Taking something that's prescribed to relieve symptoms doesn't turn it into a medical condition.

Exactly. Taking nuprofen for period pains doesn’t turn my periods into medical conditions. A medical condition requires an abnormal physical or mental state. Peri & menopause are totally normal even if they can be challenging. Just like aging and puberty.

What about my example above about hay fever. It's very common and requires medication. Should it be declared?

Well I’ve been totally stitched up by Post Office travel insurance then. It added £100 to an annual policy. I don’t have anything else to declare, don’t take any other medications, and it didn’t ask for any actual details of HRT.

Usually no…
Hay Fever is covered as standard.
There are no health questions for Hay Fever to answer as long as:

• You have not been referred to a specialist due to worsening or destabilising your Hay Fever in the previous 12 months.
• You have never had any hospital admissions with this condition.
• You are not on a waiting list for treatment for Hay Fever.
• You are not awaiting the results of any tests or investigations into this condition.

@museumum FWIW I take HRT because my Mirena alone didn’t alleviate my symptoms (not menopause) so I don’t think you’re wrong.

I told the insurance company and it added 10% to my premium!

menopause is not an illness whether anyone takes HRT, paracetamol, herbs, or whatever helps hot flushes or night sweats.
The BMS says it is wrong to label it as an illness/disease.

It's not a medical condition

No, clearly the menopause is not a medical condition. But if you have symptoms that require prescribed medication, then that clearly is a medical condition. Most menopausal women do not have symptoms that require medication. And do not have a medical condition. Some women are unwell and require medication. That is a medical condition.

If you need to have HRT perscribed, that is a medical condition. If your insurance asks if you have a medical condition and you do not declare it, then your insurance is invalid

I recently bought an annual family policy with Admiral and declared menopause and HRT prescription. I'm sure it told me that those didn't affect the premium, can't remember the exact wording