My dad had a suspected stroke in Mallorca a week last Saturday, ambulance to hospital, my Mum literally thought he was dead and said her good-bye to him (guh, it’s dusty in here), all very stressful. Turns out it wasn’t a stroke, it was some other kind of seizure, which is obviously good news. He’s out of hospital now, much better, but there’s been a monstrous series of f_k ups between the insurance and his GPs in the UK, which means they’re still out there, waiting to be flown home, a week after he was discharged from hospital.

Anyway, the reason the insurance want the stuff for the GP is that, like is common, they won’t pay out for existing medical conditions if they’re undeclared. My dad had a TIA (‘a mini stroke’) in 2005, this is on the GPs report to the insurers, so there’s now wrangling about whether they’ll accept the claim as it hadn’t been declared. We think they will, but, still, yet another level of stress that my folks don’t need, especially as two nights in ICU and two in a ‘normal’ ward, all in a private facility, will not be cheap…

So, the lesson is – if you’ve had any treatment for anything vaguely serious in the past, declare it to your travel insurers. It’s something that often gets overlooked, but could end up being a very, very expensive oversight.

Absolutely. My dad is triggers broom these days but he accepted many many years ago that he is uninsurable.

FIL has had a couple of suspected TIA’s and is exactly the kind to go on holiday risking all hell breaking lose if it happened whilst away.

Declare and be honest. No quick break is worth putting yourself and family through the mess it would cause

All the best for your parents, the main thing is he’s OK and hopefully can get home soon.

But a history of a TIA (‘mini stroke’) is a pretty serious event that would substantially increase the risk of someone needing an expensive hospital stay abroad, so rightly would increase premiums if declared – the underwriters certainly wouldn’t consider it only ‘vaguely serious’! Not to mention, from the information given, it’s plausibly linked to what happened, too. Anyway, I hope it all gets sorted – it sounds very stressful!

Not to mention, from the information given, it’s plausibly linked to what happened, too

The Spanish docs have linked the seizure to scar tissue in his brain (from the multiple MRI scans, so more ££££s) which they think is a side-effect of the strong arthritis meds that he’s been on for years (Metraxil, something like that?). Christ knows if the arthritis/meds are declared.

Anyway, like you say, the important thing is that they’re well and there is finally some movement on the repatriation front.

Methotrexate? I’ve not heard of that complication, but it’s not a drug I am too familiar with. Hopefully that means that the seizure’s unrelated to the prior TIA and they’ll pay out.

Scary. Hope all goes well.

Currently trying to sort medical insurance for a type 1 diabetic teen to travel to two EU countries. One trip with us, one without us. One of the trips includes their 16th birthday. Used to be trivially easy to sort this for them. Now all very complicated to put in place with no risk of falling through the cracks.

You could also not rely purely on paid healthcare and apply for a card.

https://www.nhs.uk/using-the-nhs/healthcare-abroad/apply-for-a-free-uk-global-health-insurance-card-ghic/

I’ve been thinking about this recently, I always tick ‘no previous medical issues’ or the like, but I’ve had pneumonia in the past and I take anti-depressants, I should look more carefully.

Another change in Travel Insurance that mostly went under the radar a few years ago, a lot of companies now exclude accidents when you’ve been drinking. I honestly don’t know if that means, they won’t cover you if you’re plastered and fall down the stairs, or if you’re hit by a car after a beer with diner.

You could also not rely purely on paid healthcare and apply for a card.

We’ve applied for the “G”HIC. With pre-existing conditions you still need both travel and health insurance. This thread is about the former though… I shouldn’t have muddied the waters.

Another change in Travel Insurance that mostly went under the radar a few years ago, a lot of companies now exclude accidents when you’ve been drinking. I honestly don’t know if that means, they won’t cover you if you’re plastered and fall down the stairs, or if you’re hit by a car after a beer with diner.

interesting! Had no idea. This is what my TI says:

“You drinking too much alcohol or alcohol abuse where it is reasonably
foreseeable that such consumption could result in an impairment of your
physical ability and/or judgement resulting in a claim. We do not expect you
to avoid alcohol on your trips or holidays, but we will not cover any claims
arising because you have drunk so much alcohol that your judgement is
seriously aected or you are suering from alcohol dependence or directly
or indirectly from the symptoms of alcohol withdrawal and/or you need to
make a claim as a result.”

Which is fair enough I guess, although obviously open to interpretation/argument. I do like a few beers on holiday of course although would never get too bladdered!

I always tick ‘no previous medical issues’ <snip> and I take anti-depressants,

Me too.

But as I haven’t had any symptoms for 10+ years and haven’t visited my GP for 10+ years I don’t feel too guilty about it. I recon the odds of having a related medical issue are as close to zero as you can get.

Sounds like a worrying scenario, hope it all gets sorted smoothly and they get home soon.

I have just bought travel insurance for the first time since Long-Covid related illnesses. I was worried it would be difficult/expensive.

However, I used a comparison website, answered the questions honestly/accurately (eg I did not mention my back surgery 30 years ago as it only asked for details of the last five years) and was happy to get a series of quotes, for not much more than I paid a few years ago, within 5-10 mins.

Annual Travel Insurance bought, GHIC applied for and now looking forward to the first foreign holiday in nearly 4 years …

I’m sure many folk go abroad without declaring anything as they forget. MIL and FIL certainly did when they were here. MIL used to say in hospital that she didn’t have this and that (it was on her records).
We declare our meds and my son’s T1 – never had any premium increases – MrsF on AD’s for anxiety – never had a premium effect, just takes longer to fill in the forms. Main issues with a T1 is any hospitalisations through it.

Indeed it is the right thing to declare.

Our changes challenge is that the insurers have usually not heard of the condition, and the related health issues, and therefore multiple pages and explanations are needed, usually ending with “computer says no” reply…

I used a comparison website

Which one?

When you’re in Spain as a tourist,if you fall ill ,it’s too easy to end up in a private facility which will cost (you or your insurance) a fortune, almost all the obvious doctors (ie the ones with big doctor signs in most Spanish tourist destinations) are private facilities.

Spain does have full state healthcare like we do,Inc accident and emergency health centres etc,at which treatment would be covered by your free ghic card, but as a tourist these places are often hard to find especially when you really need them.but it’s worth looking on the Google maps and finding your nearest Spanish state medical facility just in case. They’re called centre de salut.

We’ve had cause to use the Spanish state facilities twice over the last few years and the help was quick and efficient,just show them your ghic/ehic card and your passport and treatment is given without delay and with no charge.

Whilst the ghic/ehic card will get you similar levels of care as you would get in the UK,what it does not cover (which private insurance would) is repatriation costs to get you back to the UK,or costs for accomodation for a longer stay in the country etc etc.

You could also not rely purely on paid healthcare and apply for a card.

While you should carry this when abroad.

Do not mistake it for a substitute for medical cover.

We had a few issues with my old man and a motorcycle crash. His motorcycle touring holiday specific insurance excluded the motorcycle rider from the policy (best in class in MCN no less)

But the pillion would have been covered.

Soon as the docs got wind it may revert to the ghic. anything that was considered more than stopping him dying was haulted till costs were covered.

(After an ambulance out of the Alps due to a French driver deciding that the wrong side of the road was a better place to be)

Worth noting that, even if you answer questions about previous stuff when you get quotes, you very probably need to separately declare specific/individual conditions to the insurer once you’ve taken the policy out.

As ever, read the policy.

Our changes challenge is that the insurers have usually not heard of the condition, and the related health issues, and therefore multiple pages and explanations are needed, usually ending with “computer says no” reply…

MrsMC was born with a disability, and we struggled to get life insurance at one point. Until I (no life insurance background but a general insurance background) sent them a letter explaining the condition with a suggested wording for an exclusion which they accepted.

We’ve found Staysure Premiums and customer service good for declared medical conditions, that others may not cover. They even gave us an unsolicited refund for a extra premium we paid on line – they made contact to say they were going to refund as we didn’t need it over our existing policy

MrsMC was born with a disability, and we struggled to get life insurance at one point. Until I (no life insurance background but a general insurance background) sent them a letter explaining the condition with a suggested wording for an exclusion which they accepted.

We had a formal recorded conversation with the life insurers for this reason. Unfortunately it’s still ended up with a ‘anything related to the condition’ exclusion from them… 🙁

Staysure are my go to insurer for travel. Due to the enlarged prostate declaration, I usually end up paying double the from premium quoted. Anything prostate related is usually excluded from cover despite the large increase.

My wife has a health condition, it’s managed and a complete pita, but would cirtainly complicate almost any treatment. As a result most regular travel insurance companies won’t insure her and those that will are expensive. It usually takes about 3-6hrs of numerous form filling /telephone calls to even get a single quote.

Sorry to hear about your dad IHN.

………..

We’ve applied for the “G”HIC. With pre-existing conditions you still need both travel and health insurance

Eh? Would you like to elaborate?
What’s the difference between health and travel insurance?

“We do not expect youto avoid alcohol on your trips or holidays, but we will not cover any claims
arising because you have drunk so much alcohol that your judgement is
seriously aected or you are suering from alcohol dependence or directly
or indirectly from the symptoms of alcohol withdrawal and/or you need to
make a claim as a result.”

Crap! There goes my clubbing trip to Ibiza!
Kidding, the last time I drank to the point of serious impairment was on my birthday thirty-odd years ago.

Certainly no plans on traveling abroad anytime soon, but there’s useful information here I should really keep in mind.

I hope the OP’s folks get a positive outcome to this situation soon.

Hope your dads ok and you manage to get him home soon. Medical insurance is if business and brits tend to be naive when it comes to assuming Policies are binary ie once bought you can assume it’s 100%. Ask any American about co payments. They will always look for exemptions.
I think the NHS is missing an income source by not offering a policy which you could buy with the knowledge that your health background is known and covered.

Probably another reason to get the full access to the NHS app to find out what your doctor actually put in your notes Vs how they may have translated that into patient friendly terms.

What’s the difference between health and travel insurance?

Health insurance may cover the medical costs but not the associated repatriation/extra accommodation etc.

When my elderly FiL fell over and hurt himself abroad, he stayed an extra month before being able to come home. Had he not been staying with his son (who was able to drive him back here), it would have been a rather expensive and difficult process, he was barely mobile even then.

Cheers for the good wishes. Sounds like the company has accepted the claim *phew*. Well, I assume they have as they’ve just put them in a hotel, and are flying out a doctor to accompany them back, and they’re all coming back Business Class. Ker-, and very much, -ching, my dad won’t want to get the bill for that lot…

@kelvin
Moneysupermarket

Ta

What’s the difference between health and travel insurance?

Travel insurance covers more than just medical claims

And… travel insurance doesn’t necessarily cover all medical claims… especially if you have an existing condition that could require fast action.

Health insurance may cover the medical costs but not the associated repatriation/extra accommodation etc.

Weird. I don’t think I’ve seen one without the other in the context of this thread. Can you actually buy health insurance for abroad that doesn’t include/get called travel insurance. And can you actually get travel insurance that doesn’t cover health?
I guess you might do, but it would be pretty pointless.

My dad is on a whole array of medication for high BP and Brain leak in ’99. Just before COVID he asked the gp what he should put on his insurance. Was met with blank stares as there was nothing about his brain bleed on his notes. Turns out they only digitised the last 7years worth of notes. What was more concerning is they have been repeating a prescription for a lot of drugs without checking or knowing why.

Between them insurance for my parents is now as expensive as the holiday but that’s because they declare everything.

Can you actually buy health insurance for abroad that doesn’t include/get called travel insurance.

Yes. Normally for longer or repeated stays abroad, but also for those with pre-existing conditions.

And can you actually get travel insurance that doesn’t cover all health for all people?

Yes. But without a pre-existing condition… you don’t need to be aware of that. Carry on as you are. Sorry for mudding the waters of this thread, I shouldn’t have mentioned it.

Nettles – That’s good news.

FYI if anyone is just after basic travel insurance, even if it’s for a MTB trip to the Alps etc, World Nomads is very good. They won’t cover you for pissed up antics, they don’t even ask about pre-exsiting conditions, because they don’t cover them and you can add MTB cover for about £26 a week.

I use them, and then rely on the ‘free travel’ insurance I get with my bank and the GHIC to fill in the blanks.