Travel Insurance
Below a list of contacts where Travel Insurance for people with disabilities may be purchased.
Key Points When Travelling...
In order to have a relaxed and enjoyable trip it is important to remember some key points before you make further plans for your travel.
Book travel insurance before you book your holiday. It is advisable to book your travel insurance prior to booking the holiday to ensure you don’t pay a deposit for the holiday and then find you cannot acquire suitable insurance. Remember the cheapest quote isn’t always the best. Check the excess costs and exactly what you are covered for before making a decision.
Tell insurers about your condition(s). Insurers should be made aware of any disability or pre-existing health condition you may have to ensure you are suitably covered during your trip. Insurers are entitled to differentiate between people with and without a disability and may charge more if they can show that insuring someone with a disability is a greater risk. They may, on some occasions, ask for a doctor to confirm that someone is well enough to travel.
Cover all the family on the same policy. It is advisable for all family members to be covered on the same policy to avoid complications in the event of a claim.
Find out about cover for pre-existing conditions. Some companies will cover pre-existing conditions. Some can arrange annual policy cover, which is useful if you are likely to make several trips in a year. Please note – if you have an annual policy, the insurer should be informed if there is a change to your condition during the period you are covered.
Make sure your medication is sorted. Carry a doctor’s note for all items of medication to avoid delay at customs. Take spare medication in case of delay or lost luggage, but keep this separately.
Stay hydrated during travel. If you have hydrocephalus it is important to drink plenty of fluids whilst flying to avoid dehydration. You may wish to take a CD-Rom of your latest scan; your neurosurgery unit may be able to provide this for you.
For more information about travelling click here.
Travel Insurance Contacts
Many non-specialist insurance companies will offer travel insurance for people with health conditions, especially if your condition is stable. If you cannot find one to provide the correct cover for your needs, here are some suggestions of specialist companies:
(Please note that Shine does not accept any liability for the quality of service provided by the organisations listed here.)
Age UK: 0800 389 4852
Colombus Direct: 0800 068 0060 or 0203 056 7994
Freedom Insurance: 01223 446914. Freedom will donate to Shine for every policy purchased by Shine members, their families or anyone else who uses our link, at no extra cost. Just enter the referral code “Shine” online, or quote “Shine” if you call.
JD Travel Insurance: 0344 2474749
Makesure: 0203 873 6718
MIA Ltd: 0800 999 3333
SAGA (for over 50s): 0800 015 8055
The following travel insurance companies have been suggested by Shine members or staff but people’s circumstances differ so a company one person suggests can be very expensive for another, as well as having different criteria. Recent surgeries or waiting for test results may impact insurance premiums and in some cases you may be refused. There is no guarantee that all or any of these will be able to offer you cover, but we hope these suggestions help:
Able2Travel: 01892 839501
AllClear: 0845 250 3200
Free Spirit: 02392 419 070
World First Travel: 0345 9080161
Other handy references
The British Mountaineering Council - You will need to become a member to use their services.
A handy comparison website: www.payingtoomuch.com 01243 784000