When it suits you and your healthcare provider says you’re okay to travel, a mental health condition doesn’t need to prevent you from travelling and taking out travel insurance.
It is always highly advisable to take out suitable travel insurance before you travel outside the country – whether you have physical, mental or no pre-existing health conditions at all – because you never know what could happen in an emergency whilst you’re away – the medical cover especially, is important, and can be astronomical if you have to pay out, without cover in place.
It’s therefore vital that you declare any/ all mental health conditions you have, as you would with any other medical conditions – in order to take out the correct travel insurance policy.
- If you have a condition, that you don’t declare, you may not be covered at all.
- If you have no pending appointments regarding your mental health condition(s), then your premiums shouldn’t be any higher.
- If your condition was identified more than six months ago, this also shouldn’t add to your premium. This is because; if it was less than six months ago, you may still be getting used to new medication and will likely have pending appointments. Even if you are, this will not necessarily lead to your premiums increasing.
- If your medication has been changed in the last eight weeks or if you have been hospitalised with your condition in the last two years – this may increase your premium.
- If your condition has never caused you to cancel a holiday, then again, your policy should not be affected by your health.
- Some policies may exclude medical cover if you were intoxicated at the time of an accident or illness.
- If your insurance company finds out that you were dishonest or withholding information about your health, your policy may become void, you could be charged a fee or if your claim has been settled already, there may be legal proceedings brought against you or you may struggle to get insurance in the future. Disclosing all your conditions is vital!
Your travel policy will always be personalised to you and your health, as well as your age, destination, travel activities etc. so as long as we know your medical history, we can get you the best travel cover for your trip.
Talk to your broker, who will take you through your medical screening and can answer any questions you have regarding how your mental health affects your travel insurance.
Remember to;
- Pack all the medication you’ll need for the duration of your holiday, as well as a copy of your prescription.
- Consume alcohol in moderation – otherwise it may interfere with your medication. And alcohol can be a depressant.