One in six forget to disclose medical conditions, or don’t realise they have to
Staysure polling reveals common points of confusion among British travellers when purchasing medical cover for their trips
New research from travel insurer Staysure has revealed that many British travellers could be at risk of large, unexpected bills abroad – not because they don’t have travel insurance, but because they’re unclear on what needs to be declared when they buy it.
According to Staysure, one in six UK adults either forget to disclose, or don’t realise they should declare, certain medical conditions. A quarter said they’d withhold information about a condition they didn’t consider serious, and 18% admitted they wouldn’t declare the condition if it was controlled by medication. While some fear this might make their policy more expensive, many are unaware that insurers routinely check National Health Service (NHS) medical records if a claim is made and, if an undisclosed condition came to light, it could invalidate the policy – leaving travellers to pay the full cost of treatment themselves.
Those costs can be high. Over the past two years, the average European medical and repatriation claim has risen 21% to £3,581, according to Staysure’s research. Long-haul claims now often exceed £5,000, with the most serious cases running well into six figures. In one recent example, emergency treatment and repatriation from India cost £177,929.
The findings also showed common points of confusion:
- Almost a quarter of people didn’t think high blood pressure or recent surgery needed to be declared
- Three in four didn’t realise menopause-related treatments counted as medical conditions for insurance purposes
- Many assumed that conditions controlled by medication didn’t need to be mentioned.
Older travellers are particularly at risk. Nearly a third of over-75s don’t take out travel insurance at all, often due to the perceived cost, despite being the group most likely to require medical help abroad.
Simon McCulloch, Chief Growth Officer at Staysure, said: “Declaring your medical history doesn’t always mean your policy will cost more – but it does mean you can travel knowing you’re properly protected. Taking a few minutes to go through your health details with your insurer can make all the difference if you need care abroad.”
Staysure recently issued a set of guidelines for people travelling abroad with weight loss injection medications.