Reminder to declare diabetes before going on holiday

People with pre-existing medical conditions, including diabetes, are reminded to make certain that their travel insurance adequately covers them by declaring their condition before they go on holiday.

Diabetes often comes with many associated medical conditions, such as poor circulation, leg and foot ulcers, high blood pressure and cholesterol, and holiday-makers are reminded how important it is to tell potential travel insurers about every past and present condition to ensure appropriate cover.

Vicki Moses, of Medical Travel Compared, said: “As diabetes is a common life-long health condition it can be easy for those living with diabetes, who are used to managing their condition daily, to forget to notify their travel insurance company of it.

“Most travel insurance policies exclude pre-existing medical conditions, like diabetes, so it is essential that you fully disclose diabetes, along with all your medical conditions, even if the insurer doesn’t ask about it specifically.

“You can then make sure you get a policy that includes cover for diabetes so it will be possible to claim for lost or stolen medication like metformin, insulin or other prescribed drugs that you rely on to keep your condition stable, so you can continue your holiday with little disruption, if the unthinkable happens.

“Also, the cancellation and emergency medical assistance section of policies that include diabetes will often extend to unplanned complications, so you would be able to claim for out of pocket expenses if you’re unfit to travel or require hospital treatment abroad. Obviously, this is subject to the policy terms and conditions, but will give travelers a little more peace of mind.”

Vicki added: “Properly managed, diabetes should not be a barrier to travelling the world and we’re able to offer specialist insurers that will provide cover for people with both type 1 and Type 2 diabetes.

“As long as travelers take the right preparations to minimise any potential problems abroad such as: carrying diabetes ID and a letter from your doctor if you need insulin or an injectable medication, considering the effect any changes in time zones will have on the management of your condition, and taking twice your normal quantity of medical supplies split into separate bags, then there is no reason why diabetes should get in the way of you having a good time.”

There are a number of travel insurance comparison sites that can be searched online.

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