The cost is likely to be higher than for someone without medical conditions.
My advice would be to check the price of travel insurance before booking your trip in case the cost means that you are unable to take the trip you want. It can be less expensive to get travel insurance cover for some countries due to varying healthcare costs. For example, France may be cheaper than Spain and Australia significantly cheaper than the USA or Canada.
For certain medical conditions (such as terminal and life limiting conditions), insurance providers will ask for a letter from your GP confirming your diagnosis and that you are fit to travel. My advice is to leave plenty of time to obtain your travel insurance in case a letter is required.
You will be asked to disclose your medical condition(s). My top tip is to have all that information to hand when you are applying for a quote so you can accurately answer all the questions.
Insurers do not ask to see your formal medical records when you apply for travel insurance, but may request them if you make a claim.
Another question that travel insurance companies have to ask and which you may find distressing to answer, is whether your medical condition is terminal. You might want to consider having a friend or relative with you while you do this or ask them to make the call for you.
Medical screening provides the insurer with all the relevant facts to make a decision on whether they can offer travel insurance.
It is used to calculate a risk score, which is determined from the questions you answer during medical screening. There will be a score for each of your medical conditions. The total score may also be affected by where you are travelling to. This is then used by the insurer to determine whether they will cover you and on what terms.
All of this may sound daunting. However, you will just need to answer a series of multiple-choice questions that takes a few minutes. Some of them might seem personal, but your answers are completely confidential. It is very important that you answer the questions as accurately as you can to ensure that you are covered. If you do not answer the questions, correctly, it may affect any claim.
In my experience, many people with medical conditions are able to obtain travel insurance through a specialist provider. You will be assessed on an individual basis, which will take into account a number of things like your health, age, where you are travelling to and how long you are going away for.
If you find it difficult to talk about your condition, you might want to consider asking a friend or relative to be there while you make the call or they could do it for you as long as they have all the relevant information to hand.
It is also useful to know that most travel insurance companies use a medical screening process to determine if they can cover you.
Most standard travel insurance policies do not cover serious medical conditions which means, you wouldn’t be able to claim if you needed emergency treatment abroad or if you had to cancel your trip as a result of your condition.
A specialist policy, such as Free Spirit, will cover your medical condition(s) (subject to medical screening) so that you have full protection both before and during your trip. As with all policies, terms and conditions will apply so you will need to read the policy wording.
If you already have travel insurance in place, it is worth checking it covers your existing medical condition(s).
When you saved your quote, you will have been sent an email with your saved quote details and a link to retrieve your quote. Click on the link within this email and you will be taken to your saved quote.
If you have any problems retrieving your quote, please call us on 02392 419 080 and we should be able to retrieve your quote for you.
You should check the GOV.UK website at least six weeks before you travel to see if you will need any vaccinations or other preventive measures. You may also like to speak to your G.P.
Please note that we will not cover any expenses incurred as a result of a tropical disease where you have not had the recommended inoculations and/or taken the recommended medication.
You must report any loss or thefts of passports to the local police as soon as possible. You will need the crime reference details which they will provide you with. You also need to report the loss or theft to the British embassy, consulate or high commission of the country you are in. They will be able to provide you with an emergency travel document. You can get details of your local British embassy, high commission or consulate by calling +44 (0)20 7008 1500 or by visiting the GOV.UK website. Please contact the British embassy, high commission or consulate before arranging travel to see them as you may need to book an appointment first.
Free Spirit covers all types of cruises on both Single Trip and Annual Multi-trip policies, including Caribbean cruises, Mediterranean cruises and short break cruises.
If you are visiting multiple countries on your cruise, please make sure you select the correct geographical area when getting a quote.
Visit our Cruise page for more information.
