Travel insurance for medical conditions

When you’re buying travel insurance with pre-existing medical conditions included, it’s important to give us as much information as possible. This means that you also need to tell us about conditions you have, just in case. This way, you can go away knowing you’ll be covered for any unexpected flare-ups.

There are many medical conditions that are routinely managed using medicine and other forms of treatment. Some conditions are controlled so successfully and have such a minimal effect on lifestyle that it’s possible to forget they exist. For this reason, some people believe they do not have to declare them, or consider them too trivial to mention when applying for holiday insurance. The following are some examples of common conditions that are often overlooked, but need to be declared:

• High blood pressure
• Respiratory problems
• Inflammation of joints
• Neurological conditions (for example stroke or epilepsy)
• Treatment and conditions related to cancer (usually within the last five years)

It's very important that you tell us about any existing medical conditions you have when you apply for holiday insurance with medical conditions included. This is because it’s unlikely that we will pay any claim for medical expenses, trip cancellation or cutting short a trip if it relates to a medical condition that you have not told us about (and that we have agreed to cover).

Please note that for the purposes of travel insurance with pre-existing medical conditions, you should also tell us about any mental health or psychiatric conditions you may have, such as anxiety or depression. By telling us about all of your pre-existing mental and physical conditions, we can tailor your policy to you, and make sure you have the cover you need in case something doesn’t quite go to plan.

If you fail to declare a medical condition, your claim could be rejected, and you may be forced to pay any medical bills yourself. No matter how minor your medical condition is, it’s always worth declaring. 

Sadly, travel insurance which covers pre-existing medical conditions doesn’t cover everything. For example, a travel insurance policy from Allianz Assistance does not cover anyone travelling:

• Against medical advice or anyone who is not deemed fit to travel on the planned trip.
• To obtain and/or receive any elective surgery, procedure or hospital treatments.
• Knowing they will need medical treatment during the trip.
• If they’ve been told they have a terminal condition.

In addition, we do not cover you for any directly or indirectly related claims that arise from a pre-existing medical condition, unless the condition has been declared and accepted by us.

You can get a quote for travel insurance which covers pre-existing conditions to see if we’re able to cover you. You can also read our policy documents online to see the full cover and exclusions. If there is anything you don’t fully understand, please get in touch. 

When you’re booking travel insurance policies with medical conditions included, it’s important to know that pregnancy is not considered to be a pre-existing medical condition. But, there are certain things that you should be aware of before you travel while pregnant.

Firstly, you should consult your doctor before you book your holiday to make sure they’re happy for you to travel. You should also check with your carrier’s policy on travelling whilst pregnant, because different restrictions will be in place depending on whether you choose to travel by plane, boat or coach. For example, most airlines will not allow you to fly after 36 weeks of your pregnancy. 

• An indirect medical claim is referred to as a medical problem that is more likely to happen because of another medical problem you already have.
  
  For example, if you suffer with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease or other lung diseases, you are more likely to get a chest infection. Similarly, if you have high blood pressure, high cholesterol or diabetes, you are more likely to have a heart attack or a stroke and, if you have osteoporosis, you are more likely to break or fracture a bone. 

When you take out holiday insurance with medical conditions included, you will not be covered for any directly or indirectly related claims arising from the health of a travelling companion, someone you were going to stay with, a close relative or a business associate if, at the time your policy was issued:

• You were aware they have been receiving medical treatment or consultation at any medical facility for a medical condition in the last 12 months.
• You were aware they have been awaiting medical treatment or consultation at any medical facility or have been under investigation for a medical condition.
• You were aware that a doctor had diagnosed them as having a terminal condition, or that their medical condition was likely to get worse in the next 12 months.

It’s easy to declare your pre-existing medical conditions with our medical screening process; simply click ‘Get a Quote’ and select your type of cover (Single Trip or Backpacker), before filling in some basic information about you and your trip.

You’ll then be asked to declare your conditions. To do this, all you need to do is type the first three letters of the condition into the box and select your condition from the dropdown menu. Once you’ve declared all of your conditions, check the information you’ve provided and press ‘Finish.’

If you have any questions about the medical screening process or you’re unsure what pre-existing conditions are not covered, please call us on 0371 200 0428 (from 9am to 5pm - Monday to Friday). 

Sadly, if you fail to declare a condition, you won’t be covered.

At Allianz Assistance, we want to do everything possible to make sure you’re covered for your trip, which is why we need you to provide us with as much information as possible during the medical screening process. This then allows us to create a holiday insurance policy with all your pre-existing medical conditions covered. If you’re in doubt, please declare your condition.