More than a million Britons could be voiding their travel insurance by not informing their provider of pre-existing medical conditions.
Travellers have been told to let their insurance provider know if they have a pre-existing medical condition, or their cover could be worthless.
Research by Sainsbury's Bank found that almost 1.3 million Britons travelled abroad in the last year but did not inform their provider of a condition. Additionally, half a million people were found to have gone abroad with no travel insurance whatsoever, despite having a condition.
Fear of being refused cover and higher premium costs were cited as the main reasons for not disclosing a full medical history to providers, with 15 percent and 19 percent mentioning these factors, respectively.
Sainsbury's said that consumers should have nothing to fear from giving their provider full details of their health. Premiums may rise slightly, but most conditions will be covered.
"The purpose of travel insurance is to ensure that if a disaster does strike, you'll receive the necessary care and support," said Sam Marrs, Sainsbury's travel insurance manager. "Withholding key information such as any medical conditions could, however, mean your cover may be invalidated and in the worst of cases, this could mean facing large hospital bills or arranging your own repatriation."
