Travel insurance: why disclosing pre-existing medical conditions is essential

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by: bythesea
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Date: Sun, 25 Jul 2010 Time: 5:44 AM
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Huge numbers of British tourists are risking the validity of their travel insurance policy by failing to declare their medical conditions, according to new research. The report, carried out by one of the UK's largest supermarket chains, suggests that more than 500,000 travellers went abroad last year without fully disclosing existing conditions. Around 250,000 of those felt it unnecessary to inform their insurance company about severe back pain, while more than 100,000 kept quiet about respiratory conditions.

A staggering 22% of people who did not disclose their medical conditions said that they didn't consider their condition or illness relevant. If any of those people were unlucky enough to need to file an insurance claim on their return to the UK then they were likely to be in for a nasty surprise; by failing to disclose relevant information they risked voiding their insurance policy completely, leaving them significantly out of pocket.

Travellers with pre-existing medical conditions should always check the medical section of their policy with a fine tooth comb as some cheaper policies will not offer cover if you or a travel companion have a condition that could put your plans into jeopardy. Some policies will also stretch that to include family member who aren't even making the trip, so always be sure to know where you stand and to disclose all relevant information.

In addition, those with pre-existing medical conditions should give consideration to going with travel health insurance from a specialist provider. Some companies offer cover for a large range of medical conditions including severe illness, so it's always worth shopping around for an insurance provider that cover all the bases.

The most alarming statistic to come out of the research is that 340,000 British holidaymakers travelled abroad without any insurance whatsoever in 2009. It's a hugely risky game with any short-term cost benefit heavily outweighed by the chances of an accident or illness landing such people with huge medical bills.

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