Travel insurance with pre-existing conditions

Have peace of mind with medical travel insurance

Ever get the feeling that some insurers are just waiting to catch you out? When we say your pre-existing medical conditions are covered by your travel insurance – they’re covered!

Go ahead, relax and embrace your next adventure, knowing we’re here 24/7 should you need a helping hand.

After extra peace of mind on your next adventure? Take a look at our Covid travel insurance.

We can cover most medical conditions. But if we can’t cover you, you may find the Money & Pensions Service directory helpful. They list specialist medical insurance providers – of which we are a listed provider. The directory can be found online, or by calling 0800 138 7777.

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 medical travel insurance is important

Liz¹ bought her cruise travel insurance as soon as she’d booked her holiday. But before her trip, she was unexpectedly taken into hospital and was diagnosed with a new condition.

Liz contacted us and updated her policy as soon as she could to make sure she was covered for any potential claims relating to her new condition.

Unfortunately, the day before she was due to go, her GP advised her not to travel.

Liz was understandably disappointed and rang us to claim for the cancellation of her holiday.

Having updated her policy with her new medical conditions, Liz was covered to cancel her cruise. After accepting the claim, the money was transferred to her bank account within three working days.

Having the correct policy to cover you for any conditions you have is vital. Like Liz, it puts you at ease that should something happen, you’re covered.

What does our travel insurance cover?

We know that not all pre-existing health conditions travel insurance policies are created equally. So, it can also be hard to compare and decide which is the best cover for you.

Here’s a summary of some of the most popular features of our cover.

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.

What health conditions can you cover with travel insurance?

We look to cover the following medical conditions for travel insurance (but not limited to):

• Mental health conditions
• Neurodegenerative diseases
• Digestive conditions (bowel or stomach)
• Chronic pain
• Heart conditions
• Cancer
• Back pain
• Allergies
• Breathing conditions
• Eye conditions
• Neurological conditions
• Kidney conditions
• Autoimmune disorders

What health conditions do I need to declare on my travel insurance?

When it comes to declaring your medical conditions on your travel insurance, it’s important to understand what you need to declare to make sure you’re covered.

You’ll need to tell us if you’ve ever had…

• any circulatory or heart/cardiovascular conditions, even if the problem has been cured or is managed by medication.

Having any of these conditions at any point in your life can increase your risk of something going wrong while you’re on holiday. Make sure you mention if you live with any conditions such as high blood pressure and high cholesterol – however minor you think they might be.

In the past two years…

It is important to let us know if you’ve had any of the following or are awaiting:

• Symptoms of a medical or psychological condition
• Taken, been prescribed or awaiting surgery or treatment, including medication and procedures
• Medical investigations or consultations
• Non routine check-up and follow-up appointments

If you need to make a health related claim, you’ll be asked for your medical record from the past two years, so it’s important that your travel insurance matches your history.

Is it safe for you to travel?

We need to know that it’s safe for you and everyone on your policy to travel to make sure your policy is valid. Please make sure you can agree to all of the following statements:

You (and anyone on your policy) are:

• Fit and able to undertake your planned trip
• NOT travelling against the advice of a doctor (or would be if you asked their advice)
• NOT travelling with the intention of having medical treatment, tests or consultations abroad

Covering your medical conditions is straightforward and can easily be done online or over the phone. We’ll take the time to explain everything and answer any concerns you have. We’ll never rush you.

When can’t we offer travel insurance for pre-existing health conditions?

While we consider all pre-existing medical conditions, there might be times when we’re unable to provide cover.

If this happens, we’ll talk you through your options as you may have the option to buy a policy that excludes your medical conditions or offer alternatives.