Annual Travel Insurance & Pre Existing Conditions

[Portugal1000]

I just wanted to share my experience with you. Some years ago my husband has high cholesterol, nothing too serious and all ok now. I never ever thought about the fact that this would need to be declared as a pre existing medical condition. So for years I have had my annual insurance on my bank account.Never had to claim. Just speaking to a friend and subject came up and she said it had to be decalred otherwise any illness that can be remotely connected to high cholesterol is not covered. As you can imagine there are a whole host of things. So contacted my insurance and they said I would have to pay an extra £48 even though he no longer has it. Just scares me to think what might have happened if we had ever had to make a medical claim. When you actually look at the pre existing conditions that you are meant to declare, there is stuff on there that you just wouldn't think about.
Anyone had to pay extra for this sort of thing?

 

[mackay_j]

Good post. I am sure many did not know this.

The whole thing is absurd. If you have a condition which is serious but not on the list they do not put the insurance up- I am trying to get an email from my insurers at the momment for evidence that I have told them info about a contion that they donot have on the list. As my problem means I have to have my immune system taken down with drugs -thus I am open to infection. But my condition is very rare so not on any list thus no increase in premiums- go figure. And I am really struggling to get that email!

 

[jen_uk]

That's really worrying to think we could have medical bills refused due to something you don't even have any more I've just tried to find a list of what is classed as a pre-existing medical condition and I can't even find one.

 

[wayneg]

The whole system is a nightmare. DW has slightly high blood pressure(probably due to living with me) Some companies load the premium, some don't charge a penny more, some will cover her but exclude any claim relating to the condition.
I would get quotes elsewhere, are you anywhere near end of your cover?

 

[princess jackson]

I believe childhood asthma, which you can grow out of!!

 

[Portugal1000]

I am in a bit of a strange situation as I took out another annual insurance policy with Columbus as I was worried about Ash Cloud and Virgin Strikes. I did mean to cancel the one with my bank and never got around to it, so actually have 2 annual insurance policies at the moment. I know I could only ever claim on one. So I will check with Coloumbus as it may be cheaper to add the pre existing medical condition with them.

 

[Dimplenose]

DH was successfully treated for cancer 17 years ago. We always declare the condition - sometimes we get charged a little extra, sometimes charged nothing extra but a note is made, sometimes they just say it is so long ago we don't need to mention it.

It changes year to year and is not getting progressively less relevant as time goes by. I'm assuming that the powers that be produce some sort of risk chart each year that the companies use to make their decsion.

Anyway just to be safely covered we always phone up and therefore always lose the online discounts - but a small price compared to not having proper cover.

 

[pigby]

DH has recently been diagonosed with a heart condition and we declared it for our trip to DLR this April - we had to pay £100 extra which covers him for a year - so will also cover our Florida trip in a month. They did say though that we could opt not to take it and if anything happens that did not relate to this specific condition then we would still be covered. However I didn't want to take the chance - didnt want to be faced with the possibility of selling our house to pay for medical bills

 

[Mrdudecool]

I am on meds for depression and had to declare this to our insurance. Was an extra £18 for the policy but I suppose its worth it if anything happens as then they could just refuse to cover you as they say you didn't declare. Honestly not worth not having the right insurance.

 

[WiganTony]

The whole insurance system can be a nightmare. I was recently diagnosed with Glucose Intolerance, and rang the inurance company to advise them and see if we could have it added onto our current Annual Travel Insurance policy (started last October).

The upshot was that I was told that the policy I had taken out (via a third party website) could not be upgraded to cover the condition. I was, however, more than welcome to take out another of their policies that only provided the same level of cover as the existing one, and then pay an additional premium of £10 for medical screening which would then mean I was covered.

When I queried this, they helpfully advised that I was more than welcome to travel on the existing policy but would nopt be covered for any issues/incidents arising from the Glucose Intolerance - and I suspect that they would use any opportunity to link this condition, however tenuously, to any claim so as to avoid payment.

Furthermore, when I asked if their policies covered travel delay due to ash clouds etc, or airline failure, a resounding no was the answer.

In the end I went to another company who covered me for the medical condition and included for ash cloud disruption and scheduled airline failure for much less than the original pirates - oops, insurance company!!

 

[Portugal1000]

What scares me is like you said, all the things that could be linked to a pre existing condition when really there is no connection. I have been sitting here trying to think of things we have visited doctor about recently that I would not normally even consider mentioning.

 

[WiganTony]

All I can suggest is to read the small print in the policy wording very carefully.

In my case, I read the wording before I contacted the insurance company and although there is wording regarding pre-existing medical conditions (which I do agree with), there was no mention that cover for these could NOT be provided retrospectively.

I wrote to them pointing this out and noting that when someone takes out an annual policy they aren't generally expecting some condition to materialise, but they just keep reiterating the clause about pre-existing medical conditions not being covered for travel. However, if I were to cancel due to this condition, I would be able to make a claim!!

Talk about being stitched up every which way!!!