Experts have told holidaymakers who take medication prescribed by a doctor to be aware when getting travel insurance
When buying travel insurance, people who take prescription medicines have been issued a warning (Image: Getty )
The summer holidays are upon us and it’s now or never for those heading abroad who haven’t yet purchased their travel insurance. While it can seem like a task that can be put off, it’s a crucial part of your trip to protect you and your family in the event of illness or an accident.
But travel insurance experts have warned that common mistakes while buying a policy could easily end up costing you thousands of pounds. And they have highlighted one which is commonly made by travellers which leaves them unprotected while away.
Grant Winter, compliance officer at specialist travel insurance provider, Good To Go, said the biggest mistake people make on their policies is failing to declare pre-existing medical conditions to the insurance provider – especially those they might have had for years.
He said that people who have diagnosed conditions which they may take prescribed medication for, often don’t realise that they still need to be declared.
Grant said: “Failing to declare pre existing medical conditions when taking out travel insurance can result in your policy being invalidated should you need to claim on your insurance, meaning your claim may not be paid in full, or declined completely.
“In many cases, people simply forget about a longstanding medical condition, or don’t think it’s necessary to declare. These conditions often include medical conditions where the person has been taking medication for years, like high cholesterol or high blood pressure.”
He said that there is an easy guideline everyone should follow to ensure they are not caught out while thousands of miles from home. He said: “A simple rule of thumb is that if you’re taking prescription medication for something, you will need to declare it.”
Grant also detailed other travel insurance mistakes that are made when taking out these important policies. Here’s his guide to getting the cover you need.
Check your travel dates
Grant said: “Entering incorrect travel dates can result in you being uninsured for part of your holiday, and therefore unable to claim should you need medical treatment on these dates.
“This is also important if you’re doing a multi centre holiday, and visiting multiple countries, where you will need to confirm when you will leave and return to the UK, and the countries you will be visiting.
If you have an annual policy, whilst you don’t need to tell your insurer when or where you will be travelling, you will need to book your trip in advance, and it must start and end in the UK for the policy to be valid.”
Never make intentional omissions
Grant explained: “People will sometimes omit medical conditions, or information about the nature of their holiday, as a way of saving money on their premiums, but this is a false economy, which can result in medical bills of hundreds, or even thousands of pounds, should you need to claim.
“It’s never a good idea to intentionally omit information, so always remember to disclose medical conditions, or activities which may be excluded, such as skiing. Failure to declare any of this important information could result in your policy being voided.”
Getting private medical treatment
Grant shared: “Unless specifically stated, your travel insurance is unlikely to cover you for private medical treatment whilst on holiday.
“Of course in an emergency, if there are no public hospitals within a safe distance of your location, then private healthcare will also be covered. To avoid risking a declined claim, if you have the choice and the situation isn’t an emergency, you should call your insurer’s emergency helpline for advice on where to get treated.”
You risk ending up with a medical bill that won’t be covered if you are not careful and honest when buying travel insurance(Image: Getty)Always update changes to your circumstances
Grant said: “Changes to your health or personal circumstances between the time you took out your policy and the time you travel, need to be shared with your insurer before your date of travel. Otherwise they will not be covered by your policy.
“This is especially true in the case of annual insurance policies, where there is more likelihood of your circumstances changing in the duration of the policy.
“You will need to tell your insurer if you speak to a medical professional about an illness or symptoms which have not been previously declared on your insurance, even if this has not yet been officially diagnosed. When in doubt, speak to them through a live chat, or call their helpline.”
Dont’ forget past, or ongoing diagnoses
Grant added: “It can sometimes be confusing to know what you do and don’t need to declare on your travel insurance, especially when it comes to past medical conditions, or ongoing diagnoses.
“You may not be suffering from a condition any more, or experiencing symptoms, but past instances of cancer or a history of heart conditions, for example, will need to be declared with your insurer. Similarly, if you’re in the process of being tested for an illness but have not yet been diagnosed or if you visit a medical professional to discuss an ongoing illness, you will need to make your insurer aware, as it is not possible to provide cover for undiagnosed conditions.
“In the event that you need medical care due to a past illness or an ongoing but as yet undiagnosed condition that you did not declare, you risk being left uncovered by your insurance provider.”
For more information about Good to Go’s travel insurance, including cover for pre existing medical conditions and over 60’s, click here.