Travel insurance for joint replacements.

Leave your worries at home with travel insurance for joint replacements

When you tell us about your joint replacements and any other health conditions, we’ll help you to create personalised travel insurance you can trust. Then, if anything goes wrong, we’ll always aim to put it right.

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 keeping your travel insurance up-to-date is important

A few days before rebooking his dream cruise, Richard¹ needed to tell us about a new health condition so he could add it to his travel insurance policy.

We got to work fast and confirmed our underwriters could accept the new condition as part of Richard’s cover.

Happily, he was then able to go ahead and book his Golden Anniversary Cruise.

Having travel insurance that’s kept up-to-date, like Richard’s, means you can relax and feel protected even before you set off.

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.

Do I need to tell you about my joint replacements when I’m buying travel insurance?

It’s really important that you let us know about your joint replacements along with any other pre-existing health conditions you may have. That way, we can build a level of cover that’s just right for your personal health and travel needs.

To make sure your policy is fit for your needs, we’ll ask you a few simple questions to get to know you a little better.

We’ll ask how your health condition affects your life day-to-day, if you’ve had surgery or if you’ve had any other contact with medical professionals about your replacement in the past two years.

Is it safe to fly with a joint replacement?

Before buying your travel insurance, you’ll need to speak with your doctor to check that it’s safe for you to travel.

If your doctor has told you it’s unsafe for you to travel, you won’t be covered by your travel insurance. If you are fit to fly, we’ll find you a policy that covers your needs.

I’m the only one in my family with a pre-existing medical condition. Is it best to get travel insurance together or buy separate policies?

There are actually several perks to having all your family on one policy. The greatest benefit is that every person on the policy is covered if one of you has to cancel due to a medical emergency. If family members take out separate policies, this might not be the case. A family or group policy often works out cheaper too.

I haven’t had the joint replacement surgery I need yet. Can you cover me?

If you’re on a waiting list for a hip, ankle or knee replacement, we can still offer you cover. We just wouldn’t be able to cover you if you needed to cancel your holiday or cut it short because of any medical reasons related to your joint replacement.

What questions will you ask me about my joint replacement(s)?

We will ask you some questions about your joint replacement(s) alongside any other health conditions you have, so we can help you to find a policy that meets your needs.

We understand talking about your health can be a sensitive topic, which is why we’ll never rush you through the questions. It’s important that we get it right. We just want you to feel safe knowing you’re protected by cover personalised just for you.

Some questions we may ask include:

• Why did you need a joint replacement or resurfacing?
• How many joint replacement or joint resurfacing operations have you had?
• Do you use mobility aids as a result of your joint condition?
• Has your joint replacement ever dislocated?
• Are you waiting for further joint replacement surgery?

Is my joint replacement 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 joint replacement 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.

I’ve already bought travel insurance for my joint replacement. Do I need to tell you if my condition changes?

Yes, it’s essential to let us know if your health condition changes or you’re diagnosed with something new.

If you forget to tell us about any changes to your health, this may affect your policy being valid, and a claim being accepted should you need our help further down the line.