Travel Insurance

[MoorsLover]

Hi all, now I'm sure this topic has been covered umpteen times, but I cannot find any responses to my particular query. I had a voluntary lung health check back in Nov 2023, which involved a CT Scan. The results of the scan showed no evidence for lung cancer. However, it did confirm "evidence of coronary disease". Never have I had any heart problems, still don't! I did consult my GP about the findings, and he said it was nothing to worry about and it was just down to old age! No further tests, actions (other than diet, exercise etc.), or medications were prescribed.

So, my question is: should I declare the diagnosis/condition on any medical insurance screening ? and if so, under what category? as all the heart disease conditions, seem to be for people who have had surgery or are on long term medication ..

[Happyrosie]

read the question very carefully and reply truthfully. Each insurer has their own different questions, but if for example they say “have you seen a doc within twelve months” you must answer “yes”, then they have supplementary questions which you can answer.

If my reply doesn’t cover things, can you quote a specific example along with the supplementary questions?

[DodgyTickerMum]

Hi, as tempting as it may be, not to mention a medical condition that isn’t currently causing you any problems when taking out travel insurance - do so at your peril. Were you to travel and then have issues relating to this, it could be deemed non disclosure of a material fact and the Insurer may refuse to deal with the claim. Heaven forbid, if you required I.C.U treatment or needed to be flown home - this could amount to tens of thousands of pounds.

Personally, I would rather have peace of mind and pay the additional premium. If you speak to someone at the Insurance Co. when obtaining your quote (rather than trying to do it on line) and explain its age related degeneration - hopefully it won’t impact the premium too much. Hope you get on ok.

[ollarcpen in reply to DodgyTickerMum]

I tried to speak to someone at the insurance company and even brokers on the yes/no questions, as there were some “buts”. All I got was the same questions, the same script from all of them. They have you by………..

[DodgyTickerMum in reply to ollarcpen]

They absolutely do seem to! I’m unable to get insurance at the mo, as still under a year since my O.H.S. Since then, I’ve also had a Loop Recorder implanted, as at risk of A.F post op.

Judging by the posts on here, it’s nigh on impossible to get insurance with one of those fitted - as it’s regarded as an ongoing test for an undiagnosed condition. If I’d known that prior to having the implant, I think I would have thought twice about having it done! I certainly wasn’t told that at the time. 🤦🏼‍♀️

[irishwife93]

It doesn’t sound like you have been formally diagnosed with a heart condition but if something were to happen and to came to light that it had been suggested you might invalidate your insurance.

I would suggest getting it investigated, following up with a different GP. My mother received the same reaction from her own GP when she began experiencing heart symptoms and he dismissed it as her age. She luckily saw a different GP who referred her for an angiogram. She has a small build up of plaque on one of her arteries and is now taking a statin. If left over time she could have had a HA.

I’m not trying to scare you as the tests may come out negative but GPs can be negligent with doing proper investigations, including the ones with lots of experience who know you very well. If nothing comes back then you can get travel insurance knowing you’ve got no issues to declare. Do bear in mind if you get any tests done before you go away and are waiting on the results at the time of booking your insurance, you will have to declare it. You could also ask Martin Lewis the money saving expert about insurance as he is quite good with knowledge of these rules.

[Buddy00]

If you don’t declare every medical condition that is on your gp records , then save your money and don’t take out travel insurance. It’s as simple as that. In the unfortunate event of needing to claim , the first thing the insurance company do is look at your gp record.

[Jonhel]

I had a similar dilemma earlier this year so I emailed my surgery and asked what I should declare on my insurance application. I acted upon their response and had an email trail of their advice. As others have said, it’s best not to leave anything to chance when it comes to insurance companies x

[Manderson27]

I would say actually talk to the insurance provider. Talk to a person and explain the situation with you. Online forms are fine if the issue is black and white but when it is a bit nuanced I have found that speaking with a person is much better. I have a LBBB but with no underlying heart condition and it was much easier to explain what it was and what the diagnosis meant when speaking on the phone to my insurance provider. They were very helpful and understood exactly what I was explaining. I also had them send me an email confirming that the insurance I had would cover my husband and myself completely for all our ailments. We then flew off to Jamaica for a couple of weeks knowing we had confirmation of full cover.

[Choccie55]

Have you tried a specialist company like InsuranceWith.com

[Ironfloor173]

I speak from over 40 years in the insurance industry. If you don't take out travel insurance you are taking a great risk. When you do, answer the questions fully and accurately. There is no need to volunteer information that the company doesn't ask.If you speak to someone and they give you information on something important, take their name and time and date of the call. Some are inexperienced and may guess the answers rather than admit they don't know or check with someone else.

If you have have connections with someone who own a small limited company, they could set up a group travel policy, where the premium is based on age and there is no underwriting.

[MoorsLover]

Thank you all for your considered opinions on this matter. It is a tricky one, but like many have said, I will attempt to declare it. I think that the condition I have is Atheroma. I have been using this in the medical declarations, as it seems to be the right fit. Depending on which companies you go with, the premiums are not too prohibitive. To this end, has anyone used any of the companies listed below? Any to recommend ? or steer clear of? ... Regards

List of Medical Insurance companies