A Guide to: Declaring Medical Conditions on your Travel Insurance

When booking travel insurance, it's essential to declare any pre-existing medical conditions to ensure you have the right level of cover for your trip. This guide will explain what qualifies as a pre-existing condition, why it's important to declare it, and what to do if your health changes after booking.

Do you have to declare medical conditions for travel insurance?

Yes, when you book travel insurance, it's important you make sure to declare any pre-existing medical conditions. This includes things like, chronic illnesses or conditions, recent tests or operations and mental health conditions.

If you're unsure about whether you need to declare a condition or not, then it's always best to check with your insurance provider.

Why do you need to declare medical conditions on your travel insurance?

When taking out travel insurance, you need to declare any pre-existing medical conditions to make sure you have the right level of cover for your trip. Insurers take note of these conditions to calculate risk, as having a medical condition can increase likelihood of a claim.

Failing to declare your medical conditions can invalidate your policy. If you withhold information, it could impact any future claims, potentially leaving you with substantial medical bills in the event of an emergency while you're away.

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What's considered a pre-existing medical condition for travel insurance?

A pre-existing medical condition is classed as any kind of health condition that existed before you took out your policy.

When it comes to booking travel insurance, different insurance providers have different questions that they ask to determine if you have a medical condition that needs to be declared.

Usually, the insurance company will want to know if:

• You have a condition you're waiting for an operation on
• You have a condition, even a minor one, that you've seen a doctor about in the past year
• You have a condition that you take regular prescribed medication for
• You have ever had a serious condition like, cancer, heart problems, or a stroke
• You are awaiting test results.

You can see the full list of questions that Holiday Extras may ask during the medical declaration on our medical insurance homepage.

Declaring regular prescribed medication

If you take ongoing medication, we need to know the condition it is treating. Even if your medication is managing the condition effectively, it must still be declared.

For example, if you take statins for high cholesterol, your cholesterol levels may now be normal, but you must still declare high cholesterol as this is what you are taking the medication for. Similarly, if you're on hormone replacement therapy (HRT), you'll need to specify the reason for taking it.

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How do I declare my pre-existing medical condition?

If you have a medical condition, simply select 'yes' when you reach the medical question while getting a quote online. You will then be guided through some further questions about your health where you will be able to add your condition. In some cases you may need to call our team to complete your quote over the phone so our team can ask some further questions.

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What happens if I get a new medical condition after booking insurance?

If your health changes after purchasing your insurance, you will need to let us know as soon as possible. Not making us aware of a change in your health could result in your claim being declined or a reduced payout.

Depending on the nature of the change, there may be an additional charge if your condition requires extra cover. Just give our team a call, and we'll be happy to help you.

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This guide is here to offer helpful tips and general advice, but for tailored guidance specific to your health and travel plans, it's always best to consult your doctor before you go.