Travel insurance for a hernia.

Travel confidently with travel insurance for a hernia

Tell us about your hernia and any other medical conditions, so we can offer personalised travel insurance that fits your needs.

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 having personalised travel insurance can make a difference

After booking her cruise holiday, Liz¹ was unexpectedly taken into hospital for two days.

When she told us about her new medical diagnosis, we added it to her policy so she was covered for all eventualities.

The day before she was due to travel, her GP sadly advised her not to go. Liz was disappointed, but was relieved that she had updated her policy and was covered for cancellation.

Just four days later, the claims money was in her bank account.

When you have personalised travel insurance like Liz, you’re protected for mishaps from the moment you book your holiday.

Do I need to have had both my Covid jabs to be covered?

As long as you’ve had the vaccines you’ve been offered for Covid-19, you should be covered. If you haven’t been offered both doses yet or you’re medically exempt then you can also be covered.

If you’ve refused any doses of the vaccine or haven’t been able to have a dose you’ve been offered, you won’t be covered.

When I’m buying travel insurance, do I have to tell you about my hernia?

You’ll need to tell us about your hernia along with any other health conditions so your travel insurance policy is fit for your travel and medical needs.

If you forget to mention your hernia or any other pre-existing conditions you have, we wouldn’t be able to cover you for a medical emergency, should you need to claim further down the line.

We understand that talking about your health can be a sensitive topic. But don’t worry, we respect your confidentiality and promise to only use the information you give us to build a policy that’s just right for you.

Will you cover me to fly if I have a hernia?

We should be able to cover you as long as your doctor has confirmed it’s safe for you to fly.

If you ignore the advice of your doctor and travel, your policy won’t be valid and we wouldn’t be able to cover any claims.

I haven’t had my hernia surgery yet. Are you able to cover me?

Depending on the type of hernia you have, you may still be able to get travel insurance.

If you’ve recently had a laparoscopic repair of either a hiatus or inguinal hernia and have been signed off from treatment by your doctor, we may be able to cover you.

If you’re waiting for laparoscopic repair of a hiatus or inguinal hernia, but haven’t had your surgery yet, we may be able to offer a policy to cover you for things such as medical expenses (including the cost of you getting you back home) and baggage loss. However, the policy would not cover you for cancellations or having to cut your holiday short due if your claim was related to your hernia.

If you’re waiting for a non-laparoscopic hernia repair, we’re sorry but we wouldn’t be able to cover you for this or any other pre-existing health conditions.

I’m the only one in my family with a pre-existing medical condition. Is it better for us to have our travel insurance together or separate policies?

It may work out cheaper to buy travel insurance as a family, but there are other benefits too.

If you have to cancel your holiday due to a medical emergency, everyone on your policy should be able to claim back the full cost of the holiday, just as long as it’s within your policy limits. With separate policies, it might be that only the person with the pre-existing medical condition is able to claim for cancellation.

What sort of questions will I be asked about my hernia?

To get personalised cover, you’ll need to tell us about your hernia and any other pre-existing health conditions you may have. To get to know you better we’ll ask you some questions about your health and how it affects you day-to-day.

Here are some questions we are likely to ask:

• What type of hernia do you have?
• Do you take regular medication for your hernia?
• Have you ever had a procedure to widen a narrowing of the oesophagus (food pipe)?

Is my hernia 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 hernia 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.