Travel Insurance

Travel with Confidence: Essential Tips for People with Bleeding Disorders

Don’t let your bleeding disorder hold you back from exploring the world! With careful preparation, you can travel safely and enjoy new cultures. Here’s what you need to know:

  • Get Travel Insurance for Pre-existing Conditions: Peace of mind is priceless. Travel insurance specifically designed for pre-existing conditions ensures you’re covered for medical expenses, even those related to your bleeding disorder. Without it, you could be responsible for hefty bills, even for unrelated medical care.
  • Declare Your Medical History Accurately: Honesty is key. When applying for travel insurance, fully disclose your bleeding disorder and any other pre-existing conditions. Answer all medical history questions truthfully to ensure your claim is valid.
  • Travel Insurance Providers: Several companies offer travel insurance for pre-existing conditions, including haemophilia, von Willebrand disorder, and often HIV and Hepatitis C.

Share Your Experience!

After your trip, we’d love to hear about your experience. Did your chosen travel insurance company meet your needs? Your feedback will help others in the community make informed decisions.

Need Help?

If you encounter any issues with travel insurance, contact us at [email protected]

Travel insurance companies

Each insurer will have its list of pre-existing medical conditions and you might have to pay a premium or get specialist cover. You will have to shop around to find the best insurance for you. Below is a comprehensive list of insurance companies that provide coverage for existing medical conditions.

What your travel insurance policy should cover

Health and medical emergencies
This is possibly the most important part of any travel insurance policy. If you do not take out adequate insurance, you must pay the costs for any medical emergency yourself. A medical emergency in another country can be very expensive, for example:
– £100,000: a stomach bug or infection treated in a hospital in the USA with return flights
– £100,000: a stroke in Southeast Asia, with emergency treatment and medical repatriation to the UK
– £15,000: a fall in Spain, resulting in a broken hip, hospital treatment and flights

Your travel insurance should cover:

  • Emergency treatment and hospital bills can be expensive. Check whether your policy covers treatment in public or private hospitals
  • Emergency transport, such as ambulance fees or emergency repatriation on medical grounds
  • Getting home after treatment if you cannot use your original travel tickets
  • Reasonable costs for a family member or friend to stay with you or travel out to accompany you
    home if required
  • Temporary emergency dental treatment for the relief of immediate pain
  • 24-hour assistance helplines to offer support and advice about appropriate treatment
  • Repatriation costs in the event of death abroad (the cost of repatriation can vary between £3,800 to as much as £17,000 depending on the country).

For more information, see: www.gov.uk/guidance/foreign-travel-insurance

Important requirements for treatment and travel

  • Get a letter written and signed by staff at your haemophilia centre (on headed paper) confirming that you are fit to travel, explaining the nature of the treatment you are carrying and why this should not be stored in the hold of the aircraft if you are travelling by air.
  • The letter should not be more than six months old.
  • The letter should ideally specify the brand name of the factor you will be carrying.
  • It’s a good idea to pass through security as early as possible to allow for delays.
  • Never put your treatment into the aircraft’s hold, as it may get lost.
  • Because of strict security at airports, getting a prior agreement to allow you to carry products as hand luggage from the airport and airline before you travel is helpful.
  • It is a good idea to contact the airport you are travelling from the UK to check the security requirements for travelling through security with your treatment.