Travel insurance for chronic pain.

Have peace of mind with travel insurance for chronic pain

When you’re living with chronic pain, having confidence in your pre-existing health conditions travel insurance is important. You’ll want to know you’re protected if something goes wrong on holiday.

Wherever you are in the world, it’s great to know that you’re able to call our medical emergency helpline 24/7. It’s practical help when you need it most.

Flexibility to change details online

When you buy a policy from us, you can manage it yourself by logging in to your My Avanti account. Here you can:

• access policy documents
• update traveller details
• change your single trip dates (limits apply)
• renew an annual policy if you have no changes to make
• and more.

If you have questions about Covid-19 and how it affects your holiday plans, visit our Covid-19 help page.

Why covering your health condition with travel insurance is important

Richard¹ needed to claim on his travel insurance twice in the past year. He was very happy with the supportive and speedy way both of his claims were handled.

Choosing a travel insurance policy to meet your unique medical history is vital.

That way, like Richard, you can leave home knowing you’re covered if anything were to happen when you’re on holiday.

How do I declare chronic pain on my travel insurance?

First, we’ll talk through the conditions you have.

Chronic pain can be caused by:

• Autoimmune disorders
• Neurological diseases
• Digestive disorders
• Back problems
• Fibromyalgia

Don’t worry, we’ll never rush you, so you can tell us in your own time how chronic pain affects your daily life.

We appreciate that chronic pain takes different forms. We understand you might have fibromyalgia, controlled by a combination of medication and Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT), or perhaps you have back pain caused by a slipped disc.

By carefully listening to the nature of your pre-existing health condition(s) means we can help you find the right level of cover. That way, you can enjoy your holiday knowing you’re protected with travel insurance that’s just right for you.

I’m waiting for an investigation into the cause of my chronic pain. Can I still get travel insurance?

Until you have received a diagnosis, we wouldn’t be able to cover you for pre-existing medical conditions.

Once you have received a diagnosis, we may be able to cover you, as long as your doctor has advised you’re safe to travel and you are not travelling with the intention of receiving treatment or having tests or consultations when you’re abroad.

We may be able to provide you with standard cover without pre-existing medical conditions, to find out more get in touch with our friendly team. Alternatively, the British Insurance Brokers Association (BIBA) can help you to find alternative travel insurance that is suitable for your medical condition.

How to buy travel insurance 

Sorting travel insurance might feel like a hassle – but with us, it doesn’t have to be. 

1. Get in touch

 Tell us about your trip so we can get things moving. 

We’ll ask: 

• where are you going? 

• when are you travelling? 

• do you need cover for a single trip or multiple trips? 

2. Simple medical screening

This part’s important. We’ll guide you through a short medical screening to understand your health needs. You’ll need to tell us about: 

• any conditions you’ve had symptoms, treatment or tests for in the last 2 years 

• any heart or circulatory conditions, past or present 

You can do this online, or over the phone if you’d rather speak to someone. 

3. Get your quote

Once we know a bit more about you and your trip, we’ll walk you through your quote. 

Choose from our three levels of cover and add any extras like cruise and winter sports cover if they suit your plans. 

If we can cover your medical conditions, they’ll be included in your quote – so you’ll know exactly where you stand before you go. 

Get a quote

I’ve already bought travel insurance for my pre-existing medical conditions. Do I have to update it if I’m diagnosed with something else?

We need to know about any changes to your health, so you have the confidence to travel knowing you’re fully protected by your travel insurance.

If you have a new diagnosis or any other changes to your medical condition, let us know before you travel, so we can update your policy. If you forget to let us know about any changes to your health, your policy may be made invalid and your claim not be accepted, should you need our help further down the line.

Is my chronic pain covered by my Global Health Insurance Card (GHIC)?

If you’re planning a holiday to Europe, you’ll need to take a free GHIC (or an EHIC) as a condition of our travel insurance.

When the United Kingdom left the European Union, the GHIC replaced the EHIC as the means for accessing free or subsidised healthcare in selected European countries. Before you travel, make sure you check that your destination is covered by GHIC, just so you’re ready if you do need any emergency or necessary treatment for your chronic pain during your trip.

Remember, your GHIC is not the same as having good health conditions travel insurance. For example, it won’t cover you if you need to cancel your holiday.

Your GHIC helps reduce your medical costs where subsidised healthcare is available. If you can use your GHIC and have to pay a subsidised fee for your treatment, we’ll remove the excess fee on medical emergency claims for you.