Tag: medical conditions

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Travel Insurance

Ready for your trip? Three insurance questions to consider before you travel

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Before you travel abroad, it is absolutely essential to ensure that everything you need has been packed. However, something that can too often be overlooked is that it is also essential to have one way travel insurance in place prior to travel, as not only does it provide additional peace of mind, but it can potentially save you an incredible amount of money should you find yourself injured. Research has found that an injury abroad can cost as much as £230,000 (1.16 million AED), so the financial impact can be severe.

In order to ensure your travel insurance is as robust as possible and is as comprehensive as you require, it is vital you ask the following three questions:

1. Are previous/current medical conditions covered?

For many people, this is the most important question to ask. Most travel insurance companies will offer very cheap deals, but often such offers will come at the expense of covering pre-existing conditions. Such medical conditions can be small or major, but it makes sense you ensure you are fully covered, even if you feel as though it is unlikely your injury will be exacerbated.

2. Am I covered if I participate in extreme sports?

Some travel insurers are very open about the fact that they will not cover individuals should they actively participate in activities with a high risk factor, so if you plan on going skydiving, make sure you ask this question first to see where you stand.

3. Does my travel insurance give me access to a physician on the phone?

This is a question that is absolutely worth asking, even if it’s not something you’ve previously considered. In some instances, it will be the case that you will not actually require a trip to a hospital if you feel a twinge or a little under the weather. In these cases, it may actually be more beneficial to have a conversation with a doctor or physician. It may well be the case that access to a hotline of some kind is included with your insurance policy, but it is certainly worth asking the question ahead of time.

Have other questions or queries about your policy bazaar travel insurance? Get in touch today and we’ll do our best to provide the answers you need.

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Travel Insurance

5 things you need to know about travel insurance

When you go on a trip, it is crucial to have travel insurance. It doesn’t matter how long you’re going on holiday for, you must have it.

You may be wondering why multi trip travel insurance is so important and how it can assist you on your travels, keep reading to find out more.

What is travel insurance?

Travel insurance protects you financially when you’re travelling on a holiday. It supports you with a variety of things depending on the kind of policy you choose.

If you choose a comprehensive policy, you are likely to be protected from lost items, health requirements and unforeseen circumstances such as a flight change.

If you decide against travel insurance, be prepared to have a lot of spare cash to spend if anything goes wrong.

The cost of travel insurance

The price of your travel insurance policy can vary depending on how long the trip is, the policy holder’s age and the type of coverage you are looking for.

You may look at some travel insurance plans and think that it is a lot of money, however, it could be worth it. If an issue arises while you’re travelling, whether it be a lost item or specific health requirements, it can cost you a lot of money without insurance.

It is worth paying the price of a travel insurance plan than ruining your trip due to huge unexpected bills.

Make sure to read the fine print

As COVID-19 has caused unexpected lockdowns and brought travel to a halt, you must check with your insurance provider to see whether they will protect you during the pandemic.

As many borders have been closed and flights have been cancelled, it is critical to read the small print of policies and, if in doubt, ask the provider.

Alongside guidance on the pandemic, make sure you read the general fine print of any policy. You may find that the specifics of the policy are not suited to your requirements and it is better to find that out before you sign up.

The best time to get travel insurance

You can technically book travel insurance on the day you intend to leave, however, it is recommended to choose a travel insurance policy at the time you are booking your holiday.

By booking both your holiday and insurance at the same time, you have the chance of getting your money back if you need to cancel your holiday due to unforeseen circumstances.

Again, remember to check the policy and what you are covered for before becoming completely dependent on it.

Declare any existing conditions

Finally, it is extremely important when booking travel insurance that you declare any medical conditions to the insurer. Even if your condition hasn’t affected you in years, you must declare it.

If you don’t declare your pre-existing health conditions, you are at risk of your policy being completely invalid.

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Health Insurance Travel Insurance

3 travel insurance myths busted about pre-existing health conditions

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A lot of people are confused about just what medical conditions and which part of their medical history they have to declare when taking out a travel insurance quote. There is a misconception that only medical conditions a person is currently taking medication for need to be declared at the point of signing up for travel insurance, but this is not true. In this article, we bust some of the myths surrounding travel insurance applications and your medical history.

Myth 1: If I declare any pre-existing health conditions it will make my travel insurance more expensive.

Although this is partly true, declaring current health conditions you are suffering from doesn’t always mean a massive hike in your travel insurance bill. It all depends on what type of illness you have, and if it is likely to require emergency treatment in the near future. This is due to the fact that the insurance company will need to make sure you are fully covered for a medical emergency, and if you do fall ill whilst abroad then won’t have to worry about paying large medical bills.

Myth 2: There’s no need to declare a condition I have recovered from

A lot of people are unaware that it is important to declare any health problems in their past even if they have fully recovered from them. Just because you are healthy now, doesn’t mean that your previous illness could not return or affect other parts of your body at a later date.

Myth 3: I don’t need to declare a one-off medical episode

Yes, you do, if that condition has been confirmed as a medical condition, even if it isn’t causing any ongoing health concerns, it is always better to be truthful in case it flares up again. Otherwise, you could be left with large medical bills should you fall ill whilst travelling and it is connected to your previous one-off medical episode.

Summary

These are the three most popular myths surrounding declaring your medical history when applying for travel insurance, and hopefully this article has made things clearer with regards to what you need to declare to avoid problems further down the line.

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Travel Insurance

Why adding activity cover to your travel insurance policy makes sense

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When it comes to annual travel insurance, it can be tailored to cover many additional things such as extra cover for skiing trips or for going on a cruise for example. However, what about those activities that are more extreme, can they be covered too? Extreme sports and other riskier activities are becoming more popular than ever before, such as parasailing or bungee jumping, and for these types of activities you will need to get an activity pack added to your policy. These types of add-ons are ideal if you need to cover dangerous or hazardous activities that you may want to take part in whilst on vacation.

What type of activities can be covered?

Almost all dangerous or potentially hazardous activities can be covered by the addition of extra insurance cover. Activities such as abseiling, adventure racing, hot-air ballooning, climbing, hiking, dog sledding, hang gliding, caving, sailing, mountain biking and parachuting are just some that can be covered but there are hundreds more.

Make sure you get the right coverage

Although these activity packs are a useful addition to your travel insurance policy, not every insurance policy has them, so you should check the wording on your chosen policy before you sign up for it. In addition to which, some travel insurance policies have different packs for different activities, so you will need to double check everything is in order before you sign.

Make sure you’re honest with regards to medical conditions

Due to some medical conditions preventing you from being able to take part in certain high-risk activities, you may also find they will preclude you from adding the extra insurance cover to your policy. So, if you were to go ahead and take part in a dangerous activity in spite of your medical condition, and something went wrong, then you may not have enough insurance to cover your medical bills.

The bottom line

Dangerous sports and other hazardous activities can make for a great vacation, but it is doubly important you have the right level of travel insurance before you leave home, otherwise you could find that your holiday of a lifetime becomes the stuff of nightmares.

Photo: Free image by Pixabay