These Two Health Conditions Could Send Your Travel Insurance Premium Soaring by Over 1,000%

Travelers might see their insurance costs increase by over 1,000 percent when disclosing two specific preconditions, according to research conducted by consumer site Which?.

Informing an insurer about a pre-existing medical condition usually increases the price of an annual travel insurance policy by over twice as much, raising the cost from £40 to £90, says comparison site Go.Compare.

However, people diagnosed with bipolar disorder or personality disorders might have to shell out an additional £446 when disclosing these conditions, which represents an increase of up to 1,159 percent from their initial quotes.

Who compared quotes before and after disclosing pre-existing medical conditions for three actual individuals?

The quotations were compared from 12 prominent insurance providers; out of these, seven offered standard coverage options whereas the remaining five specialized in policies covering pre-existing conditions.

Comparisons of the costs were made for people suffering from bipolar disorder and personality disorders, as well as epilepsy. diabetes - And the most affordable yearly European plan was chosen for all quotations.

The average premium increased from £58 to £426 for the traveler dealing with bipolar disorder and personality disorders – an increase of 715 percent – with the priciest plan reaching up to £715 and the least expensive one priced at £184.

In the most extreme case the cost surged from £38.48 to £484.52.

Nevertheless, when the holidaymaker with epilepsy disclosed their condition, the premiums increased by only 23% on average. The providers added merely an additional £10 to the price, raising the premium from £67 to £77.

But it’s worth shopping around as the cheapest quote was just £52 while the most expensive was more than double this at £110.

The traveler who had diabetes experienced the least rise in cost, with prices increasing only 6% on average – from £129 to £136 – after disclosing their condition.

The cheapest came in at £76 while the most expensive cost £169.

Insurance specialists at medical screening firms Protecif and Verisk said the stability of a condition is often key to insurers, including when it was diagnosed, ongoing treatment and the side effects.

Sam Richardson, deputy editor of Which? Money, said: ‘Though it may be tempting to omit a condition in order to get the price down, it’s never worth the risk. Failing to declare something in advance could see your policy invalidated.

‘While comparison sites are a great starting point, these won’t always include specialist providers - so it’s essential to obtain these quotes separately before making a purchase.’

L.evans@.co.uk

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