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What does travel insurance cover

All travel insurance policies are not made equal and as such, being able to view multiple policies at once can be an attractive offering to directly compare what’s on offer. For healthy individuals travel insurance is a relatively cheap holiday must-have and increased premiums can hike prices up significantly for those travelling with equipment, medicines or for people with an illness.

As standard, travel insurance should cover you for a few key circumstances to allow you peace of mind when you’re enjoying your holiday:

Medical expenses

Travel insurance can help provide funds when an unexpected medical and dental expense is incurred on your trip. Your travel insurance provider may also help you find appropriate doctors and relevant healthcare facilities for your condition. Depending on your policy, some brands offer cover for medical evacuation including airlift travel to a medical facility.

Lost or damaged items

Your travel insurance policy should cover you for any stolen or lost luggage and the contents up to a point. For example, if you were carrying cash with your lost luggage or traveller’s cheques this should be factored into your coverage.

Cancellation or delay

Cancellations and delays are fairly frequent, specifically with flights and can cause subsequent problems for travellers. An adequate travel insurance policy should cover your cancellation, delay, or even cutting short of your trip for relevant and insured reasons eg illness.

Personal injury

Should you suffer a personal injury abroad, travel insurance can cover accidents or damage caused by you, and may also help get you home if you’re injured or fall ill abroad.

Business travel insurance

When travelling for business rather than leisure, there can often be several extra considerations when purchasing adequate travel insurance. Business travel insurance is created by brands with professionals in mind and caters to their specific travel needs. For example, such policies sold as business travel insurance will include regular coverage for medical expenses, lost luggage, and cancellations, but with the addition of a few extras. Extras may include specific coverage for business equipment and merchandise. Some business travel insurance policies may also cover the fees for sending out a replacement business colleague if you have to personally leave a trip early. For some people, a standard travel insurance policy may be sufficient but you’ll need to read the finer details to ensure your priorities are suitably covered.

Travel insurance for over 80s

As we age our susceptibility to developing illnesses increases. There are many diseases which rise in incidence with age and other conditions that can be associated with more generic wear and tear. The most common conditions that can be attributed to ageing include hearing loss, back pain, arthritis, diabetes and dementia. If you are over 80 and looking for travel insurance you will more than likely need to pay extra for adequate coverage and your choice of providers may be limited.

Nowadays, certain brands have specific travel insurance policies for over 80s and seniors and it can be best to go with an insurer that specialises in covering people with existing medical conditions and can finely tune the exact level of coverage you need, avoiding a one-size-fits-all-all option.

Regardless of age, if you have a preexisting medical condition you should always declare it to your insurance provider as failure to do so may void your travel insurance policy when you need to make a claim. Depending on the plans you have booked for the year ahead, you have the choice between a single-trip travel insurance policy or an annual multi-trip policy.

Like with most products, paying annually could offer a financial saving and annual travel insurance allows you to go on multiple trips per year, although it is worth noting that there will be a limit on the number of days you can be away per trip.

If you are looking for travel insurance for over 80s and only have one trip currently in mind, a single-trip travel insurance could be a better option for you and be more specifically tailored for your exact trip.

Travel insurance for cancer patients

When travelling with cancer, adequate travel insurance is a necessary purchase to ensure a comfortable and safe trip. It is no surprise that travelling before, during and after a cancer diagnosis has a significant impact on the level of the travel cover needed as well as the price. For those who have just received a cancer diagnosis, there will likely be several diagnostic tests including biopsies and imaging scans to help stage and find out the source of the cancer. Once on a two-week NHS cancer pathway patients often find appointments for such tests come thick and fast and it would not be advisable to travel during this period.

If you are living with a chronic or recurrent cancer you may receive treatment on a watch-and-wait basis. If this is the case, in some instances, despite having active cancer you will not receive treatment for some time. Whilst waiting for future treatment you may have an upcoming trip that should always be discussed with your oncologist. There are several highly specialist travel insurers that will require you to confirm your oncologist is happy for you to travel, in instances where this is not the case, any purchased insurance will likely be void.

For many people, the unwanted side effects of cancer treatment dissipate gradually once the treatment has been completed and this is generally the best time to start considering a trip rather than during the treatment itself. For some people, a general pattern of side effects can be noted once in a routine with chemotherapy appointments, however, more severe side effects such as pulmonary embolisms (clots in the lungs), altered liver function and anaemia can come on quickly and without warning. With this in mind, it is worth considering that no two chemotherapy cycles and side effects may be the same.

Conditions that need declaring to travel insurers

When purchasing diabetic travel insurance, you are obligated to inform your insurer about any additional medical conditions or illnesses you’ve been diagnosed with or have been treated for. In terms of conditions that need declaring this includes any injuries or surgery that you have had in the last five years. Regardless of whether or not you have made a full recovery, you will still need to declare these pre-existing conditions and interventions. You should declare any of the following:

Terminal conditions

Your insurer needs to know about terminal illnesses such as motor neurone disease and Parkinson’s disease.

Heart conditions

Be sure to provide details about your heart condition and any medical kit you are taking on your trip.

Diabetes

You must tell your insurer if you’re living with either type 1 or type 2 diabetes.

Asthma and respiratory problems

Inform your insurer about any medical condition that affects your breathing.

Chronic illnesses

A chronic illness is a long-term condition that may not be curable, for example, multiple sclerosis, chrons disease or cystic fibrosis.

Joint and bone inflammation

Declare any conditions that cause problems with your bones and movement, like arthritis, this may be especially relevant for serving personnel looking for military travel insurance who have a physical role in the forces.

Circulatory conditions

Circulatory conditions affect a person’s blood flow, this category includes strokes, high blood pressure and high cholesterol.

Cancer

Insurers need to know if you have cancer, whatever stage it is or whether it’s in remission. Cancer and its treatment can cause a wide range of side effects and symptoms that may affect your trip. Do note that you should never travel with a cancer diagnosis without your oncologist’s consent and without so, any policies may be void.

Psychological disorders

Psychological disorders include anxiety, depression as well as eating disorders and drug or alcohol- abusive behaviours.

Conditions you’ve had testing for

If you are currently undergoing medical investigations or tests for something that hasn’t been diagnosed yet you will need to highlight this.