What you need to know if illness stops you from travelling

There are few things worse than being struck down by illness on holiday, but getting sick before you can even go and having to cancel your trip is up there.

To avoid losing out on any non-refundable flight or hotel bookings, you need to make sure that you buy travel insurance as soon as things are booked, rather than waiting until just before you travel.

Tim Riley, MD of adventure travel insurer True Traveller, told Wanderlust, “If you fall ill before your holiday and can’t travel, you’ll only be covered if you bought your insurance when you booked your trip. That’s why it’s vital to arrange travel insurance at the same time as your flights and accommodation – otherwise, you won’t be protected if sickness strikes before you go.”

In case it hasn’t been drilled into you enough, make sure you declare all pre-existing conditions, treatment and medication. Conditions are scored according to their severity – for example, more and more travellers are using weight-loss management drugs like Wegovy and Mounjaro, which might not necessarily affect your premium.

You also need to make sure you declare mental health conditions like depression or anxiety.

“If someone has recovered from cancer and has been in remission for a while, they typically pay little or no additional medical screening premiums. It’s important for people who are in remission to realise this and speak to their insurer, as many mistakenly think that they can never travel again after diagnosis, or even worse, decide to travel without insurance at all,” Tim added.

“However, I cannot stress enough how crucial it is to declare all conditions. When uncertain, always declare. For minor ailments, it typically won’t cost you extra anyway.”

Pre-travel tips for your health

Visit the dentist

Tim said, “No one ever wants to go to the dentist, but if you’re away for more than a few weeks, somewhere rather remote, it is important to see your dentist before you leave.

“Dentist treatment is very similar across the world, aside from very remote areas in Africa and parts of Asia, where you’d probably want to get to a large city to get treatment. Costs do vary wildly though, and in North America dentistry is extremely expensive.

“Most travel insurance has limits as to how much you can spend on dentistry, and usually it’s only for emergency treatment to relieve pain. We pay out hundreds of dental claims each year, and usually the amount paid out doesn’t cover the whole cost of treatment anyway, so, do yourself a favour and book a dental appointment before you set off.”

Get vaccinated

Tim said, “If you’re off to the wilderness wherever in the world, make sure you’re jabbed, as if you’re not, you are putting yourself at unnecessary risk.

“Do check the Travel Health Pro website for specific advice for your destination, but really as a minimum you should ensure you get a Polio, diphtheria & tetanus vaccination booster if you haven’t had one in the last 10 years.”

All content is for informational purposes only and does not constitute advice. Consult with your travel insurance provider for specific advice.