A quarter of travellers withhold medical conditions when buying travel insurance
Gigasure data shows UK travellers commonly withhold medical information to save money on premiums, avoid potential denial of cover, or because they are unsure what must be declared
New research from Gigasure, a UK insurtech travel insurance provider, reveals that 24% of UK holidaymakers knowingly fail to disclose pre-existing medical conditions when buying travel insurance.
The trend is contributing to a rise in rejected claims: the Financial Ombudsman Service reports a 19% increase in cases where insurers have declined payouts due to non-disclosure. Gigasure cautions that travellers often misunderstand which conditions will affect the pricing of policies and underestimate the financial consequences of incomplete disclosure.
Gigasure’s research highlights the key reasons travellers avoid declaring conditions:
- To save money on the policy (24%)
- Believing the information was not relevant (19%)
- Uncertainty about what must be disclosed (18%)
- Fearing disclosure could result in denial of cover (17%)
- Willingness to take the risk (13%).
The company notes that many common, well-managed conditions – such as hypertension, type 2 diabetes, and asthma – often have minimal impact on premiums but must still be declared to avoid invalidation of cover.
Gigasure reports the most frequently declared medical conditions to include high blood pressure, diabetes, arrhythmia, coronary artery disease, high cholesterol, hypothyroidism, musculoskeletal issues, prior coronary angioplasty, and osteoarthritis.
According to the Association of British Insurers (ABI), its members paid out £472 million across more than 500,000 travel insurance claims last year, with medical expenses accounting for the largest share – £262 million, averaging £1,528 per claim.
Ernesto Suarez, CEO of Gigasure, commented on the findings: “Whether intentional or otherwise, not disclosing medical conditions when purchasing travel insurance can mean the difference between being able to claim fully on the policy, and not. This can potentially leave the individual with hefty medical bills should they need to seek treatment while away, when the true cost of declaring the conditions at the time of purchasing could be just a few pounds.
“Each travel insurance provider has its own set of rules and criteria around its policies and it’s important that holidaymakers ensure they answer all questions correctly when going through the purchasing process,” he added. “Answering the questions incorrectly could mean that if you need to seek medical treatment abroad, you could be left thousands of pounds out of pocket if the insurance company finds that you didn’t share the right information with them.”
According to UK-based travel insurance solutions provider Aneevo, travellers aged 65 and over are venturing farther afield this winter, with long-haul and multi-country trips increasingly popular among this demographic.