Travel insurance with a heart or circulatory condition

Why you need travel insurance

If you’re planning a holiday and you have a heart and circulatory condition, you may need travel insurance before you book.

Travel insurance is not needed by law, but the Government recommends you get covered before travelling whether you have a pre-existing condition or not. Some countries require you to have cover before you can enter.

Insurance can cover the cost of treatment abroad, including surgery and medicines. It can also be used to pay for your stay while you’re treated, new flights, lost luggage, delays and if you have to cancel a trip due to a medical issue. Most conditions will be covered by your insurance, but how expensive and easy it is to get will depend on several factors.

How to get travel insurance

To get cover, insurance companies will ask you some personal questions about things like your age, your travel destination and your health. This includes any pre-existing medical conditions. This means you will have to let them know:

• any health condition that you currently live with
• any health condition or event you have had in the past few years (the exact number of years can vary between different insurers), such as a heart attack or stroke.

Insurers will also ask about:

• any medicines you currently take
• if you have had a device fitted, such as a pacemaker, implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD), or loop recorder
• any other treatments, like heart surgery or a stent.

Once insurers have this information, they will decide if they have a policy which is suitable for you, and how much it will cost you to buy.

It’s really important to tell your insurer about all of your past and present health conditions, any medicines that you take or treatments you’ve had, and whether you have a device implanted. If you leave out important information, it could result in a claim being refused.

It’s a good idea to talk to your GP before purchasing an insurance policy, as they will be able to help you answer the medical questions.

To help you find insurance providers you can use medical insurance directories such as MoneyHelper and the British Insurance Brokers’ Association (BIBA).

Travel insurance with a terminal illness

If you’ve been diagnosed with a terminal condition, it’s important to check the terms and conditions of any travel insurance policy closely, as many insurers do not offer cover to people with a terminal illness. This includes some insurers who otherwise specialise in covering people with health problems.

There are insurers available who offer policies for people with terminal illnesses. If you shop around, you may be able to find cover for your situation.

Covering family and friends with health conditions

If you're planning a trip with somebody – like a partner, family member or friend - who has a heart or circulatory condition, you may have to declare this on your own travel insurance for your trip.

This is in case you have to cancel your trip because of health problems for the person you were planning to travel with. Your travel insurance may not let you claim money back for your cancellation if this person’s health condition was not declared when you bought your insurance.

Covering conditions with the Global Health Insurance Card (GHIC)

The Global Health Insurance Card (GHIC) has replaced the European Health Insurance Card (EHIC). The GHIC makes sure UK citizens still have access to emergency and medically necessary care while travelling in the EU. This includes medically necessary treatment for a pre-existing or chronic condition.

Current EHIC cards are still valid if they’re in date, but you’ll need to apply for a GHIC when your EHIC expires. The GHIC is free of charge and you can apply via the NHS website.

It’s important to note that the Government always advises that anyone travelling overseas, whether to the EU or elsewhere in the world, should also take out travel insurance that will cover you for all accidents and illness.

Planning medical treatment in Europe

If you're thinking about having medical treatment in another country, it's important to understand how the system works and the risks involved.

You might want to have a planned medical treatment like a surgery in another country. This often happens because there’s a certain doctor or treatment you want.

Normal travel insurance providers will not cover this because it’s not for a holiday. There are some providers who may insure you if you’re getting a medical treatment abroad. If you’re having a medical treatment abroad, make sure you get insurance for this purpose.

If you need a planned treatment in Europe, you may be able to apply for NHS funding to cover the cost of your treatment. The most common way to do this is the ‘S2 route’ (previously called E112).

You can find more information about going abroad for treatment on the NHS website, including whether you may be eligible for funding, or have to pay the full costs of your treatment.

Getting help to find the right insurance

Insurance brokers are professional insurance experts who can answer your questions about finding different types of insurance and provide quotes for suitable insurance policies.

Insurance brokers usually receive a commission from insurance providers. This means that you will receive the benefit of a broker’s search before paying for a policy at no upfront cost.

If they find the right policy for you, their service could help you save money overall and avoid any complications from taking the wrong type of policy.

Brokers are legally required to tell you how much commission they earn if you ask them. So it can be important to ask and understand the total cost before agreeing to anything.

If you want to find a specialist broker or one in an insurance broker in your local area, the British Insurance Brokers’ Association (BIBA) offers a ‘find insurance’ service.

Making a complaint about your insurance

If you're unhappy with your insurance service or a policy claim, the quickest and simplest option is to try to sort your complaint directly with your insurer.

If you have tried this, and you want further help, or you think you've been treated unfairly because of a policy claim, you can contact the Financial Ombudsman Service. This is an unbiased public organisation that helps people sort out problems with financial service providers.

You can contact the Financial Ombudsman Service via their website, email or phone number.

Tips for travelling with a health condition

Before you can relax on holiday, there’s a lot to do before you go. Save yourself time and stress by following our tips before you book your holiday:

• Bring extra medicine and a copy of your recent prescription in both your hand luggage and any checked luggage in case your bags get lost.
• Check there are hospitals and clinics near your accommodation that can take care of you and your condition.
• Keep your insurance documents somewhere you can easily find them.
• If you have a pacemaker, tell airport staff before going through security.
• Make copies of important medical documents about your condition.
• Speak to your doctor in case you need to let your insurer know something specific about your condition.

Find more information on topics like whether you can fly, deep vein thrombosis and travelling with medicine on our holidays and travel page.

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Heart Helpline and other support

• Speak to our cardiac nurses by phone, callback, email or online chat on Heart Helpline (Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm).
• Sign up to our Heart Matters magazine and online information packed with health and lifestyle advice.
• Money Helper (which used to be Money Advice Service) is an independent body which promotes awareness of financial matters and has useful information about insurance. This includes information about buying travel insurance with a medical condition and using insurance brokers.
• The Association of British Insurers also has information about finding the right insurance for you.