Travel Insurance and Full Disclosure

SunnyExpat

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Messages
2,230
Type of diabetes
Prefer not to say
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Tablets (oral)
I suspect google hasn't been your keyboard friend today.
Maybe it's time to retire gracefully?
 

AndBreathe

Master
Retired Moderator
Messages
11,323
Type of diabetes
I reversed my Type 2
Treatment type
Diet only

SunnyExpat

Well-Known Member
Messages
2,230
Type of diabetes
Prefer not to say
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
Would have thought the word "actually" was superfluous, unless of course you don't trust the comments.

Rule 1 of the internet. Mandy is a sweaty bloke.

Rule 2. remember rule 1.

Rule 3. You need rule 3?
 

Mike d

Expert
Messages
7,997
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Other
Dislikes
idiots who will not learn
Rule 3. You need rule 3?

Yes please ....
 

SunnyExpat

Well-Known Member
Messages
2,230
Type of diabetes
Prefer not to say
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
Rule 3 remember rule 1, it's not changing.

Unless you really are a Japanese samurai, as your avatar depicts.
 

Mike d

Expert
Messages
7,997
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Other
Dislikes
idiots who will not learn
You know I'm not (if you bothered to look), no more than you're a hamburger.

My profile is up there, yours is not
 
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phoenix

Expert
Messages
5,671
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Pump
If you stay within the EU, reciprocal cover isn't awful.
..
Just to point out that you only get back what locals would get back and that can in some EU countries mean a large bill unaccounted for. This is the case in France where you may have to pay 20- 30% of your expenses plus the costs for board and lodging in hospital. Other EU countries may also charge. Since 2014 you can no -longer claim this 'co pay' back on return to the UK. http://www.nhs.uk/NHSEngland/Healthcareabroad/EHIC/Pages/EHICchanges.aspx
It's also worth knowing that there are specific to France additional to EHIC insurance policies that can be bought with no age limits and no medical screening and no need to declare pre-existing conditions. (it is just specific French policies because it is illegal to ask these questions for 'top up insurance' .It does not necessarily apply to the general EHIC plus policies that are also available)
It's very fortunate for us because insurance for my father to travel anywhere else in the world is far too expensive to be tenable .
 
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SunnyExpat

Well-Known Member
Messages
2,230
Type of diabetes
Prefer not to say
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
Just to point out that you only get back what locals would get back and that can in some EU countries mean a large bill unaccounted for. This is the case in France where you may have to pay 20- 30% of your expenses plus the costs for board and lodging in hospital. Other EU countries may also charge. Since 2014 you can no -longer claim this 'co pay' back on return to the UK. http://www.nhs.uk/NHSEngland/Healthcareabroad/EHIC/Pages/EHICchanges.aspx
It's also worth knowing that there are specific to France additional to EHIC insurance policies that can be bought with no age limits and no medical screening and no need to declare pre-existing conditions. (it is just specific French policies because it is illegal to ask these questions for 'top up insurance' .It does not necessarily apply to the general EHIC plus policies that are also available)
It's very fortunate for us because insurance for my father to travel anywhere else in the world is far too expensive to be tenable .

Very good advice.
We tend to forget just how much the NHS actually provides in the UK.
 

Billy Ruffian

Well-Known Member
Messages
49
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Diet only
I recently contacted my travel insurers (I use that which comes with my bank account) with the information I had been diagnosed with T2. They were happy for me to continue to cover me for anything that didn't stem from the diabetes (apart from the usual hazardous sports exclusion etc.). As I am not yet on any medication and the GP considers my glucose levels well controlled, I was happy with that. Insurance companies are in the business of not paying out and will try hard to maintain this, so if I had not declared and, for example, broken a leg in a non-diabetes related accident, I suspect that I would not be covered.
 

SunnyExpat

Well-Known Member
Messages
2,230
Type of diabetes
Prefer not to say
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
I recently contacted my travel insurers (I use that which comes with my bank account) with the information I had been diagnosed with T2. They were happy for me to continue to cover me for anything that didn't stem from the diabetes (apart from the usual hazardous sports exclusion etc.). As I am not yet on any medication and the GP considers my glucose levels well controlled, I was happy with that. Insurance companies are in the business of not paying out and will try hard to maintain this, so if I had not declared and, for example, broken a leg in a non-diabetes related accident, I suspect that I would not be covered.

The ombudsman has made several rulings that would suggest you should be covered for non related illnesses regardless. The problem arises though if the insurer initially refuses, and you have to find the means to cover the cost in the interim, so always worth disclosing initially, but equally always worth complaining later if any difficulty does arise.
 

AndBreathe

Master
Retired Moderator
Messages
11,323
Type of diabetes
I reversed my Type 2
Treatment type
Diet only
I recently contacted my travel insurers (I use that which comes with my bank account) with the information I had been diagnosed with T2. They were happy for me to continue to cover me for anything that didn't stem from the diabetes (apart from the usual hazardous sports exclusion etc.). As I am not yet on any medication and the GP considers my glucose levels well controlled, I was happy with that. Insurance companies are in the business of not paying out and will try hard to maintain this, so if I had not declared and, for example, broken a leg in a non-diabetes related accident, I suspect that I would not be covered.

Have they actually said they are covering you for non-diabetic incidents only? Does that mean they will not cover you for anything diabetes related? If that is the case, I would want clarification on that.

If, for example, someone with that insurance policy condition/exclusion, were unfortunate enough to suffer a heart attack or a stroke, say, I wouldn't like to be the one having to fight my corner as to whether diabetes contributed to such an event.

At the point of claim, insurers have a slightly conflicting duty of care, in that they should pay all calid claims, but at the same time, must protect their commercial shareholders by resisting claim payouts, where there is a reason to question it. If there is doubt, or ongoing discussion, there could be delays settling bills, which isn't what one needs when one is under the weather.

I advise you ask your insurer to confirm you are completely covered, under the normal policy conditions of the standard policy. If not, I would advise you consider shopping around. Myself and many others have found we are covered as if a "normal person", with no exclusions (aside from naked hang-gliding, surfing with sharks or other considered hazardous pursuits. Nor have I ever had a premium loading.

It may be worthwhile looking at your policy documents to find the underwriter. A couple of the big banks underwrite their own cover, with the balance usually using AXA, Aviva or Legal and General.
 
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MellitusTrap

Well-Known Member
Messages
155
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Insulin
... Well that escalated very quickly.

A couple of years ago I remember taking travel insurance via an affiliate of diabetes.org.uk (directly through that website).

I paid and got a "e-receipt" and never received a certificate (or e-certificate) of insurance.

Anyone else had a similar experience?
 

AndBreathe

Master
Retired Moderator
Messages
11,323
Type of diabetes
I reversed my Type 2
Treatment type
Diet only
... Well that escalated very quickly.

A couple of years ago I remember taking travel insurance via an affiliate of diabetes.org.uk (directly through that website).

I paid and got a "e-receipt" and never received a certificate (or e-certificate) of insurance.

Anyone else had a similar experience?

The regulations now require insurers to provide certain documentation to their customers when they complete the contract (i.e. pay the premium), including key features and a policy documents and often they will provide a copy of your online application form so that you have the chance to check, in your own time, that you have fully disclosed and that they have noted all the relevant details.
 

Daphne917

Well-Known Member
Messages
3,320
Type of diabetes
Type 2 (in remission!)
Treatment type
Diet only
Whenever we apply for insurance for my husband they offer to 'discount' his existing condition but I always ensure that it is included - being on Warfarin and a having a pacemaker and heart that will occasionally beat at 180 beats per minute means that he needs to be covered for every scenario! It cost us £55.00 for a 4 day visit to Geurnsey - £5.00 for me and £50.00 for him to be covered. We were quoted £300.00 for him to travel to Canada so we're still thinking about that!!
 

dbr10

Well-Known Member
Messages
2,237
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
What I like about Forums, is I get to find out what is in the Daily Wail.

I'd never know otherwise as there is no chance I'd ever buy the rag.
Just appeals to peoples' worst prejudices.
 

dbr10

Well-Known Member
Messages
2,237
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
I recently contacted my travel insurers (
Mine has an interesting scam going. I contacted them to add a new condition, and also inform that that an old condition no longer applied. The new condition can be added to the policy straight away (and charged for of course) but the old one cannot be removed until renewal. Plus a £7.50 fee for the change.
 

Diamattic

Well-Known Member
Messages
678
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Insulin
I purchased travel insurance last summer for the coming year. They stated in the terms and services that they may refuse claims related to a previously diagnosed illness regardless of what it may be UNLESS it has been stable for min 8 months, and they defined 'stable' as no change in medication or treatment options as verified by your doctor.

So this means if you just had a heart attack and went away and had a heart attack they would not cover you. But also if you have T1D they WOULD cover me because my treatment has never changed (its always been insulin, injected with meals) and as long as I did not have a hypo that put me in the hospital i would be considered 'Stable' and covered.

They said even if i wasnt stable they would cover everything non diabetes related anyway so I think its still worth buying if thats the case.