Travel insurance.

[terrylorry]

I had a heart attack in 2008 had no treatment since then except for taking medication. And all been well. Do I have to declare this to get correct travel insurance.

[Popepaul]

Yes. The contract is uberimae fidei. You must declare all existing conditions. The insurer will charge an extra premium.

[MichaelJH Heart Star]

Yes, you need to declare all details as there is a reason you had a heart attack and why you are on medication. I have previously posted about insurance companies not paying out because of omissions or untruths.

Try StaySure and AllClear.

[Littlecook]

Yes ,because if anything happens and you haven't told them you want be covered, think of your self .

[MyHF]

the answer to this is simple. I was diagnosed with dilated cardiomyopathy and heart failure in October 2022. Insurance as a family to Turkey in October 2023 was £260. A quote for the USA was over £1500 the same time. Holiday to Tenerife in October 2024 insurance cost £46 for a family. Quote for USA is a little over £200 for the family (my wife has relatives in the USA.) so what I’m saying is, if what ur saying is true and everything is under control then why are u even worried? Get a quote, be honest and u definitely will be surprised!!

[MyHF in reply to MyHF]

Everything declared by the way!! Forgot to say that!!

[Thaifan]

yes you will have to declare it and state all medications or you could invalidate the policy if anything happens whilst you are away.

[Hoocher62]

Absolutely, if for some unfortunate reason you needed treatment for the same thing, failure to non disclosure could result in you being responsible for payment of any treatment i have had an ongoing policy with my bank as part of my current account for over 20 yrs. When I had ny HA in 2019 I asked this question. They agreed to include being covered for an extra premium of approx £ 230 per year. I don't think this is too bad, considering how much it would cost if something did happen.

[terrylorry]

Thank you all for the very helpful information. So now I know how to answer the question have you got any health conditions. I must declare the 2008 heart attack.

[Redfloyd in reply to terrylorry]

Even if you took antidepressants 40 years ago you have to declare it, insurance companys will check and invalidate your claim.

[Buddy00]

Any condition that is on your gp records needs to be declared, as this is the first thing to be requested should you need to make a claim.

[Broseley in reply to Buddy00]

I have made a claim and am still waiting. But my NHS records on the app only go back to 2006. Am I supposed to have declared any condition I have had before that? Also the conditions list has the comment "past" on most of them. It includes urticaria, thrush, warts, antidepressants (taken for 2 months only) etc. But most concerning to me, a misdiagnosis of degenerative joint disease in multiple joints made over the phone by a locum during covid, which turned out to be PMR! So I didn't declare it, but it's still on my records!

[Buddy00 in reply to Broseley]

It’s a minefield. I wish you could just send the insurance company your gp medical history and then they quote you. I always feel like they are trying to catch you out. Like yourself I found a wrong entry on my record. I made a big fuss about it because if I had needed to claim then I wouldn’t have been insured. The practice nurse put that I had ischemic heart disease , I ended up getting the cardiologist secretary involved and got it removed.

[Broseley in reply to Buddy00]

Well done you. I wrote to the GP practice and asked, but they said only the GP could correct it. They have such a backlog, it could take months.

[BlueDouble007]

Also try the British Insurance Brokers Association for a list of brokers to insure with.

[Lexi72]

hi terrylorry yes you need to declare even the statins. Should be no problem getting insurance (use one of the specialist insurers for pre-existing conditions). The problem with getting insurance is usually only if you do not have a settled diagnosis as the insurer cannot assess risk. Unfortunately it will impact on premium levels hopefully not too much (you can shop around) best wishes and have a lovely holiday

[terrylorry in reply to Lexi72]

Thank you very much for the good information i'm learning a lot.

I'm 72 years old now and I have decided to have a train trip to Scandinavia so it's very important to me to get the travel insurance correct. I have dyslexia so I find the insurance forms complicated for instance they ask if I ever had high blood pressure or high cholesterol I have not but I am taking these medications Atorvastatin tablet 20.mg

Perindopril tablet 2.mg Aspirin tablet 75.mg for the last 16 years after having a heart attack which affect blood pressure & cholesterol so not sure how to answer so after all this good information I'm going to have to do it over the phone I want to answer as truthfully an honestly as I can but sometimes the question's won't allow me to answer as I would like to.

[Lexi72 in reply to terrylorry]

I have also got a UK global health insurance card(equivalent to the old EHIC). This does not cover everything so is not a substitute for travel insurance)but in many countries covers you for health cost at the same cost as a resident. Train trip to Scandinavia sounds great have you thought about the fast trains in France and Spain? I want to go to Avignon and Barcelona

[terrylorry in reply to Lexi72]

Hi Lexi72 I have not been to Spain by train but 2006 went to Switzerland by train. London to Paris on Eurostar then to Dijon by TVG (french fast train) stopped the night in Dijon following day train to

Lausanne. Switzerland it was fabulous. Hope you get to Spain by train. PS thank you again for your kind help.

[Happyrosie in reply to terrylorry]

One of the questions is probably “are you taking any medication?” So your answer would be “yes” and go from there. In my case I’m taking a cholesterol drug so that was a “yes” but I answered “no” to the question “has your cholesterol level been raised?”.

In your case, if your blood pressure was never raised then you say “no”. But I bet it was at some stage!

You might find it easier to apply by phone rather than filling a form in online. In my experience the staff are helpful.

[terrylorry in reply to Happyrosie]

Hi Happyrosie Thank you for your helpful reply. It's a strange thing but my blood pressure has never been recorded high I used to have a medical examination every three years because I was a HGV driver and it was always normal

[Anothernewbie]

Yes. Insurance will not be valid if you don't.

[Digger0]

Yes, otherwise they will say you have not told them everything!

[NotAllWhoWonder]

Absolutely.

[Zerohere]

I travel to Spain and I total probably spend around 3 months a year on average, my issue started over 2 years ago.

I wasn’t put any medication till June of this year and after an angiogram in September was diagnosed with narrowing of the arteries on one side of my heart.

I was told twice during the 2 years I couldn’t travel, after 10 months as it took that long to see a cardiac nurse, whereby I was told that I was now under investigation for angina and would undergo a series of tests.

This was then followed by a phone call 2 days later to tell me that she had referred my case to a consultant who didn’t think I had angina but something suspicious was going on.

I was then offered an ultrasound and it was my decision whether to have it or not, I elected to have it as I thought I may have had a chest infection, I’ll add here that I had no symptoms or experienced any symptoms since the original episode 10 months previous.

So my travels continued 6 months later I had the ultrasound which I was not informed of the result and because I’m fit and healthy carried on life as normal.

I then received a letter out of the blue to have a echocardiogram, at this session I was informed the ultrasound was clear, the echocardiogram proved inconclusive and only then did I inform my insurers as I was put on medication.

They didn’t invalidate or increase my insurance premium at this stage and I flew to Spain for a month.

I had an angiogram in September of this year and because of the diagnosis and subsequent prognosis I have to have bypass surgery the insurers have now excluded any heart related conditions from the policy.

I carry aGHIC card when in Spain, and have recently had a quote from all clear to cover any additional expenses that may occur I will be in Spain for the New Year.

[Bikafella]

It is difficult to find a travel insurance company that will not charge an extra premium for declared pre existing conditions. I insured through Forces z. Pension Society (via PJ Hayman) that do not require you to declare any conditions BUT repeat BUT there are some conditions that they will not consider you for any cover AT ALL - such as 1)having been given a terminal diagnosis 2) COPD 3)some types of cancer (you'll need to check their website) These things are only required to be declared if you make any claim. I did not need to disclose previous liver transplant or Colitis or Aortic valve replacement. ALSO you must be fit to travel when you make the booking and you will not succeed in a claim if you have been declared unfit to travel. I made a claim for a random infection preventing me travelling and had to cancel last minute with no problem in settling after claiming.