Do I have to declare anything for travel insurance?

[sunflower1]

I have not been diagnosed with anything but do I have to declare I have had lots of tests etc on my travel insurance? Thanks

[findasolution]

If you look at the small print on your policy you will probably find you do have to declare recent tests at hospitals etc whether or not a dignosis was made. In my view it is always best to declare everything particularly if you want to avoid that all embracing clause "known or should have known" being implemented in the event of a claim.

I took out Travel Insurance quite recently and disclosed my liver disease problems and tests etc in detail. The Insurers included it for cover without additional premium being paid and that allowed me to take the cruise holiday without fear of what might happen if I had a problem or flare that required treatment.

Good luck

[number1]

Im a post liver patient and I recently took travel insurance with a company called "Insurancewith" they were brilliant and when I had to add a coponent as my health had changed since taking out the policy they didnt charge me an extra bit

[falamanala]

I agree with findasolution. You should declare the tests but you may find it harder than you think to get cover without a diagnosis having been made. There is usually a medical screening question asking if you are awaiting any test results, which would be the catch.

I have been struggling to get travel insurance despite being at the very early stages. I was diagnosed with chirrosis in January but the cause is unknown and still being investigated. I have varices but they have not bled and are being treated with propanolol, I had a portal vein thrombosis last year which was the start of my journey down the road to a chirrosis diagnosis. The thrombosis has been treated and the consultant has taken me off the warfarin recently - so I dont consider myself as high risk to insurers. Spoke to aviva who immediately excluded anything liver related from my policy (!) and then I spent days ringing other insurers to try to get some cover.

You may be best considering a single trip policy on this occasion as if you try to get an annual multi-trip you will need to inform the insurer every time your situation changes, tests, diagnosis etc etc. Wait till things settle and you know what you have and at what stage then you will be better able to inform the insurer.

[Bolly]

It varies insurer to insurer. The Post Office has a good basic travel insurance and the 6 health questions you have to answer only refer to pre-existing conditons such as heart/respiratory/stroke/cancer and diabetes. As you've not been diagnosed withe anything then you can answer NO to all these and travel as normal.

You do have to say if you are waiting to be referred to a hospital doctor, but you aren't, as you have seen the liver specialist and been told there is nothing wrong. Your next appointment there is a follow up, not a referral.

You do have to say you are waiting for tests (ie the scans) but as you have dates for these you can book a holiday after them and then not have to say you are waiting.

[Sheana]

You don't have to declare tests once results are known and nothing was found but if you are still waiting for tests you have to declare them so best to wait till results are known. Best to declare everything as insurers will do anything to avoid paying a claim. Ask British Liver Association for list of companies to try who specialise in pre-existing conditions eg Avanti,Good to Go, Free Spirit, It's so Easy. They will often still refuse but are better than normal companies.It is posssible to get insurance with Liver problems but they often really load the insurance( ie 5-10 times what they would charge a person without pre-existing conditions) especially if you are going to eg USA, Carribean, India etc also if you are going for a long time. They work on a point system and as soon as you hit a certain amount of points they won't cover so if you just have Liver then it's not so bad but e.g Liver + high blood pressure + gallstones+ aged 66+ then it's a problem. They don't like varices. I also had a policy cancelled simply due to the fact that I tested anaemic for 1 month in the past 12. Short hols (2 weeks) to Europe not so bad. Get European health card as well as travel insurance.Call centre staff often clueless eg can't even spell the conditions you tell them about.Insurance is an area the govt need to address as ,by taking out insurance the public is trying to be responsible, but insurers only want to insure those who will never make a claim. As we live longer with more health conditions it is going to become impossible to get insurance.

[sunflower1]

Thanks everyone for your advice, I have insurance with my bank account so will call them I think. As I said I have Had tests but been told I do not have liver disease. My holiday is already booked, will just wait for all my results to come back before I call my bank. Thanks all.

[tyleri]

I agree with previous comments that the single trip insurance policy is probably best when you have any health condition.

I would caution that I believe a full disclosure and a transparent approach is best when obtaining an insurance policy.

Of course many claims are for comparatively straight forward matter e.g. one consultation with a doctor and perhaps antibiotic for throat infection. Should the insurance company not be willing to pay out for a technical reason the payment of the bill may be within your means.

However if the medical emergency involves surgery or repatriation back to the UK for medical care the insurance company could well ask for confirmation through your medical records of all you have declared and anything you have omitted on your proposal details before accepting liability.

Sadly a friend of mine died whilst on holiday and liability was only agreed once the persons medical records had been examined.against the details provided before the trip. This included tests which had been ordered by a consultant even though the tests were clear.

As i said earlier I think full disclosure and transparency is needed for the traveller's peace of mind and a happy holiday.

[sunflower1]

Hi Tyleri,

Thanks for your response. I will definatley call my bank and discuss my tests with them before i travel.

Sorry for your loss.