Find the right travel insurance
How to choose a travel policy that won’t leave you high and dry on holiday
Do you always need travel insurance?
If you’re going on holiday in the European Union and have an EHIC (European Health Insurance Card), you can get free or low-cost medical treatment, but beware not all treatment is covered. The UK government has said it wants the EHIC to continue once we’ve left the EU in 2019 but it hasn’t yet been formally agreed.
In most other countries, if you need a doctor or need to go to hospital and you don’t have travel insurance you’ll have to pay. Remember that travel insurance also covers you for lost or damaged luggage, delays or if you have to cancel your holiday.
Single or multi-trip?
As a rule of thumb, if you holiday three or more times year, an annual (multitrip) policy is likely to be cheaper than buying cover for each trip.
Pre-existing medical conditions
Most of us don’t sail through life without some kind of illness, but you may find it harder and/or more expensive to get travel insurance if you have or had an illness or health condition. It all depends on how serious the illness, how badly you’re affected and whether you’re still being treated. The important thing is to be truthful about any health problems you’ve had. Insurers used to ask quite vague questions that meant you didn’t know whether to declare every cough or cold, but these days the questions are more specific. If you’re not upfront, the insurer could refuse to pay out a claim or may only pay a percentage of the cost of your treatment. ■ Depending on your medical condition, you may find it easier to get cover from a specialist insurer, such as Holiday Extras (see page 141), All Clear, Avanti Travel, Fit2Travel, Free Spirit and Staysure.
Will I be penalised for being older?
Don’t assume that if you’re older you won’t be able to get insurance. Many policies will cover you up to the age of 80 or 85 and some have no upper age limit. Having said that, not all companies are competitive so it’s worth shopping around. Use a price comparison site or ask a broker to find you the best policy.
Travel insurance through your bank account
If you have a bank account that you pay for, you may get travel insurance as part of the package. These policies vary widely and some are basic but others offer quite good cover. The most important thing is to tell the bank’s insurer if you develop an illness or medical condition.