Some useful insights here from Everywhen on travel cover;
Many people leave travel insurance until just before they set off, but it’s best to arrange it as soon as the holiday booking is made, according to insurance experts, Everywhen. Depending on the level of cover, the holidaymaker can then be protected if something unexpected happens before the travel date, such as illness, an injury or changes in personal circumstances.
A spokesperson for Everywhen said: “Travel insurance isn’t just for what happens while people are away on their holidays or trips, it can provide protection against any complications that may occur before travel, such as needing to cancel the trip or if the holiday agent ceases trading, as well as covering things like travel disruption and lost belongings.”
It’s also worth getting the cover in place early because buying a policy isn’t always a simple price-comparison exercise. Age, destination, the type of trip, and pre-existing medical conditions can all affect what cover is available, and what’s included.
Travelling with a pre-existing condition
One question often asked is can you get travel insurance after a pre-existing health problem such as having suffered a heart attack? What’s defined as a ‘pre-existing condition’ varies slightly by insurer but, typically, the process of getting insurance after a heart attack or if living with a heart condition, can be a little different. Insurers will treat every case as unique and will want to take steps to understand the applicant’s health in detail so they can offer the right level of cover.
Upon application, a complete a medical screening will be requested. This helps the insurer to understand things like when the heart attack happened, what treatment has been administered, any ongoing symptoms, and whether further tests or procedures are ongoing. For some conditions, including terminal illness or where treatment is continuing, insurers will still offer cover, but, they will usually require the client to speak directly to the insurer’s appointed medical team, to make sure that the proposed policy is suitable.
People with pre-existing medical conditions seeking travel insurance should locate and produce recent medical letters, medication lists and details of any upcoming appointments related to the condition. Producing these important details should speed up the process and help the applicant to more easily recall any information needed for the application.
Most importantly, it is best not to omit anything when applying for travel insurance and to avoid distorting any of the details. Disclosing everything, even if some things may not seem important, is the best way to ensure that the right policy is provided, especially if costly medical support should be needed during the holiday.
Travel insurance booked in good time should also provide cover for lost or stolen luggage, travel disruptions, such as delays or missed departures, unexpected events that could involve cancelling the trip and supplier failures, such as an airline unexpectedly going bust or an hotel closing its doors.
Everywhen’s spokesperson concludes: “Getting cover in place early gives the holidaymaker the confidence of knowing that whether it is a curveball before the trip even starts or something that crops during the vacation, complicated or simple, it’s all covered.”
For further information on travel insurance, go to: www.everywhen.co.uk/holiday-insurance/travel-insurance
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