Research by Sainsbury’s has shown that British travellers are putting their travel insurance in jeopardy by not informing their insurers of any pre-existing health conditions.
The survey for the supermarket, which sells travel insurance, revealed that more than half a million Brits last year went abroad without disclosing to their travel insurers information about a long-term medical complaint they had. Doing so could potentially invalidate any claim that they subsequently make.
245,000 holidaymakers failed to disclose that they suffered from severe back pain; 110,000 did not ensure that their cover took into account a respiratory condition and 50,000 were not honest about a heart condition.
When questioned about why they did not reveal their full medical history, various reasons cited included a fear that they would be refused cover, a belief that their condition was irrelevant or that it was an embarrassment to them.
Equally disturbing was the news that 8% of people who went abroad this year took out no travel insurance at all! Not getting proper health insurance could mean that travellers get hit with crippling costs should they fall ill abroad so it might save a few pounds before you travel but think about being hit with a $25,000 U.S. hospital bill like one of my very careless friends was last year. Not feeling so clever now Mr!