Travel Q&A
1. Why should I buy travel insurance?
2. My holiday is not for another 6 months, when should I purchase my policy?
3. I'm travelling within Europe and have the European Health Insurance Card (EHIC), is this sufficient?
4. Do I have to disclose my pre-existing medical conditions?
5. What will it cost to cover my pre-existing medical conditions?
6. Should I disclose everything?
7. Who decides what pre-existing conditions can be covered and the premium I need to pay?
9. Are you able to cover every medical condition?
1. Why should I buy travel insurance?
A comprehensive travel policy offers a wide range of cover such as; cancellation, travel delay,
missed departure, help if your luggage is lost or delayed and importantly emergency medical expenses cover in case fall ill or have an accident abroad.
2. My holiday is not for another 6 months, when should I purchase my policy?
As soon as you book your holiday, if not before. The policy provides a cancellation cover which starts from the time you purchase the policy. So, if you need to change your plans due to an incident such as injury or illness to you or somebody due to travel with you, then you can submit a claim.
3. I’m travelling within Europe and have the European Health Insurance Card (EHIC), is this sufficient?
No; an EHIC only helps with potential emergency medical expenses, whereby it gives reciprocal access to state-provided healthcare, either at a reduced cost or free of charge. The level of healthcare provided under this scheme can vary from country-to-country. Some countries have privately-operated ambulance services, which you would need to pay for or restrict the range of medical services available. The EHIC scheme also does not cover the cost of your repatriation back to the United Kingdom, these costs can be substantial. The medical expenses cover provided by a travel policy would not have such restrictions and would reimburse you for costs that fall outside of the EHIC scheme.
4. Do I have to disclose my pre-existing medical conditions?
Yes, by disclosing your medical conditions, we can make sure that you get the best cover available including, wherever possible, cover for the conditions you declare. So you can travel or arrange your holiday safe in the knowledge that, should the worst happen, your policy will cover you for any emergency treatment or cancellation.
Our policy is different in this regard, as other policies automatically exclude pre-existing medical conditions, which means you will never be covered for claims arising from these conditions. Always check a policy, to see if this applies to you.
5. What will it cost to cover my pre-existing medical conditions?
Additional cost, if any, will depend upon factors such as the medical condition, age, whether you want to purchase a single trip or annual policy, and the location/duration of your trip(s).
6. Should I disclose everything?
Yes, by declaring everything, we can make sure that these conditions are taken into account. If you fail to disclose a medical condition it could result in your claim being rejected and leave you to cover medical costs yourself.
Some conditions, such as high cholesterol (if suffered in isolation), are covered at no extra charge, but you will still need to let us know about it.
7. Who decides what pre-existing conditions can be covered and the premium I need to pay?
We’ll ask you some brief questions about your medical history and if those answers require further assessment, we will transfer your call to a medical professional working at Mediquote (a specialist company). They will complete a full verbal screening and decide if your pre-existing medical condition(s) can be covered and, if so, what additional premium you need to pay.
8. Should I also consider the medical conditions of other people close to me, even if they are not travelling on the trip?
Yes, we highly recommend you do.
This is a question we regularly get asked. Whether it is an immediate relative, or anyone else on upon whom the trip depends, you will need to let us know. This is because if something happened to them it could affect your holiday; you may need to cancel your trip or cut it short which would be covered by your policy.
9. Are you able to cover every medical condition?
Unfortunately no, but it is very rare that we cannot provide cover, if you have very complex medical conditions or if you have received a terminal diagnosis we will be unable to offer comprehensive insurance, we will provide our guidance on other options available to you.