Medical FAQs#

Can I just have cover for my medical?

Unfortunately, this is not something that we offer. The full policy has to be purchased, covering all areas from cancellation to possessions to medical in order to be covered.

I am travelling to Australia, how do I enrol in Medicare and why do I need to?

Medicare is really important as it will provide you with free or discounted healthcare and medicines if you were faced with a medical emergency. To enrol in Medicare you can download a form from the Australian Human Services website.

What does the Medicare card do?

The Medicare card will provide you with free or discounted healthcare and medicines if you were faced with a medical emergency whilst in Australia. To access the medicare system you must be enrolled with them, you can download a form from the Australian Human Services website.

How do I add/declare my medical conditions?

During the online quote process, we will ask you questions to determine if anyone on the policy has a medical condition or medical history that needs to be declared. If you've already purchased a policy, please chat to our friendly customer service team who will be able to help you.

Why do I need to tell you about my medical conditions?

To ensure proper coverage, it's important to disclose your medical conditions. While this may affect your premium, it's necessary for a valid policy. Failure to disclose could void your policy during a claim, which we want to avoid! At OpenTravel, we understand everyone has a medical history and use Protectif, a specialist screening tool, to fairly assess risks and offer accurate pricing for all policies.

What if I forget to declare a condition during the medical screening process or my medical information changes at any time?

If you forget to declare a medical condition or there's a change in your health, don't worry. We'll send you a summary of your information for review and if anything's missing or changed log into the Customer Area to make any updates. You can also ask your doctor to review your medical screening summary. Without this information, in the event of a claim, it might not be covered. We'd rather you let us know to ensure full coverage than risk a claim being declined due to undisclosed information.

How do I know what medical conditions to declare?

Please let us know if you or anyone on this policy has been diagnosed with or treated for:Heart or circulatory conditionsStrokes or high blood pressureBreathing or respiratory conditions (including asthma)Cancer (even if in remission)Diabetes (including diet-controlled)Irritable bowel disease (e.g., Crohn's, diverticulitis)We also need to know if you or anyone on this policy:Are currently taking prescribed medication (excluding common colds, flu, or contraception)Are awaiting tests, treatment, or a non-routine hospital appointment Have seen a medical professional in the last 2 years, including hospital or clinic visits"

If a pre existing condition has been excluded and a claim arose related to this would I be covered?

No. If a declared condition has been excluded from cover, this means the insurer will not provide cover for any claims relating directly or indirectly to that condition.

Can I have cover for Psychological conditions?

Yes, we can provide cover for psychological conditions such as stress, anxiety, depression and eating disorders, but only if these have been declared to us and we have accepted cover for these conditions in writing.

Do I have to pay my medical bills myself whilst abroad?

This depends on where you are travelling to and the sort of medical treatment that you require.Our policy wording sets out what to do depending on which country you have travelled to and can be found under the 'Medical Sections of Cover'. Please log into your Customer Area to check this information. If you need to make a claim, please refer to our claims information page.

The hospital I had treatment at are chasing me for payment - what should I do?

Please pass all correspondence received to the claims team who will handle it on your behalf. Please do not respond to the collecting agent, just forward on to the claims team.

I have received more invoices from the hospital abroad, can I send them to you?

No, please send anything like this straight to the claims team by clicking here. If you have an existing emergency medical expenses claim, please forward the original invoice to our claims team quoting your claims reference number and they will arrange payment of the invoice. If you have not submitted a claim, please start one by clicking here making sure you include the original invoice along with any supporting documentation requested for your claim.

Does my medical excess apply to my entire policy or just medical claims?

Your medical excess will only apply to claims which are related to the existing medical conditions that you declared, and for which an additional excess has been applied. For example, if you had to cancel your trip due to your condition then your medical excess would apply as well as the standard policy excess, however if you needed to cancel due to a completely unrelated event, then the standard policy excess would apply.

How can I get medical assistance whilst I am away?

Please contact our 24 hour emergency assistance team by calling them on 0333 005 1065. You will need to have your policy details and policy number to hand to verify your cover. Their role is to guide and advise you, and to liaise with the treating doctors where appropriate. If you have to make any payments relating to sickness overseas please remember to hold onto all the receipts as you'll need these when making a claim.

What happens if I miss my return flight due to illness or injury?

Don't worry, provided you have contacted our medical assistance service your policy will be automatically extended to cover you until it is agreed that you are fit to travel home. Our medical assistance service will liaise with you and, where necessary, with your treating doctor to decide when you are fit to travel.

Do I need to declare learning disabilities?

You do not need to declare learning disabilities as a medical condition, but you may need to declare any medical conditions that may come as a result of that. If you are in any doubt, please chat to our friendly customer service team who will be able to assist you.

Do I need to declare deafness?

No, deafness is not a medical condition and will not need to be mentioned.

Do I need to declare cancer if over 5 years ago?

If you have ever had cancer, and have had the all clear, even if over 5 years ago, it will still need to be declared on your travel insurance policy. If you are in any doubt, please chat to our friendly customer service team who will be able to assist you.

Do I need to declare heart conditions (including heart attacks) if over 5 years ago?

Yes, any heart condition that you have ever had, even if over 5 years ago, will still need to be declared on your travel insurance policy. If you are in any doubt, please chat to our friendly customer service team who will be able to assist you.

How do I let you know about any health changes?

If anything changes, please log into your Customer Area and complete a Change in Health.

Am I covered for cosmetic surgery?

No. Our policies provide cover for emergency medical expenses during your trip, and as cosmetic surgery is elective (instead of an emergency) it is not covered under any of our policies.

I can't find my medication in your list/my medication is not being accepted

Many medicines have at least 2 different names: - the brand name — created by the pharmaceutical company that made the medicine - the generic name - the name of the active ingredient in the medicine Please try both and if you are still unable to find it, please chat to our friendly customer service team who will help you further.

I can't find my condition in your list

If you cannot find your medical condition on our list, try typing just the first few letters of the conditions. If this still doesn't bring up your condition, at the bottom it will say 'Unable to find your condition?' Click here and follow the instructions to add it in! Alternatively, you can chat to our friendly customer service team who will be able to assist you.

I need to see a doctor - what do I do?

If you need to see a doctor whilst on holiday, do not hesitate to do so, there may be a charge for this, however if you are in Europe and have a EHIC/GHIC card this means that you should not have to pay an additional cost. You can contact our assistance team on +44 (0)123 456 7890, the team is available 24 hours a day, every day of the year.

I am on a clinical trial - can I get cover?

You will need to declare the medical condition or reason for you being on clinical trial, our medical questionnaire will advise you if we are able to provide you cover

Do I need a medical report?

Medical reports are only required if you are admitted to hospital for treatment and our emergency assistance team require medical reports from the hospital. They will always advise if they were to need one and the reasoning why.

Who do you use for medical screening?

At OpenTravel we understand that everyone is different, and shouldn't be labelled or pigeonholed just because they have a certain condition. That is why we use the specialist Protectif Medical Risk Rating on our policies.Protectif has been created to capture more detail about a customer's individual circumstances and condition, allowing it to more accurately assess the risks and offer a fairer price.The system works by asking you to list your prescribed medication and then the conditions they are linked to, which ensures nothing is accidentally forgotten, and also helps treating doctors if you are taken ill or injured abroad.

How do I go back one question?

At the moment our current system does not support the ability to be able to go back during the medical screening. We completely understand this is incredibly frustrating, however we are currently in the process of developing a newer version of our medical risk rating tool, where this function will be available which will be coming to you later in 2024! Until then, chat to our friendly customer service team who will be able to help you.

Is this private medical care?

No, Travel Insurance is not Private medical insurance; we cover emergency medical treatment which cannot wait until you return home from your trip, with the aim of ensuring you are well enough to return to the UK, which may include cutting your trip short, or to continue your trip as planned.

Am I covered for treatment in a private hospital?

Our policy covers urgent treatment during your trip. Sometimes, the best care is in public hospitals worldwide. They may not be fancy, but they're safer than some private hospitals, where unethical practices can occur. If there's no public hospital easily accessible, we may consider treatment at a private facility, but our 24 hour medical team must approve it first.

Why do you need every medication I take listed?

It is important that you disclose all medication that you are prescribed as your travel insurance needs to match your medical history. This is to avoid any claims being denied relating to a medical emergency, or medication related.

I don't know my height and weight, can I skip this?

Unfortunately not, we require this to calculate your BMI, this is needed to accurately screen your medical conditions and provide you with the best possible medical cover.

What's a 121 and why do I need it?

A 121 screening occurs when the medical screening that we have gone through for you requires more in-depth questions to be asked. This is sent over to our in-house medical team who will then go through the screening with you on a 121 basis to confirm if we can offer cover.

Do you provide a guarantee of payment?

Yes, our Medical Assistance team will work with the hospital/clinic and, where cover is agreed, issue any guarantee of payment necessary. Please contact them directly on 0333 005 1065.

Do i need to go through medical screening again if i want to buy another policy?

Unfortunately, at the moment we are unable to transfer the medical screening results from one policy to another so a new screening will have to be completed when purchasing a new policy.

I need to get a sexual health check up and wondered if that would be covered with my insurance

This travel policy only covers emergency medical expenses for illnesses or injuries that happen during your trip. It doesn't cover general check-ups or routine medical care.

I am awaiting surgery which will be before i am due to fly, will this effect my cover?

If you have a change in medical circumstance before you travel you will need to let us know, so we are able to update your medical screening. As per the policy wording, this could lead to either an increased premium/excess and exclusion on the condition or in some circumstances withdraw cover. Please update this information in your Customer Area.

Do I need to declare menopause or HRT?

No, we do not expect this to be declared to us.

I had a policy with you before, do I need to go through the medical again?

Sorry, but we can't move the medical screening from one policy to another. We understand it's a bit of a hassle, but we'll need to do the screening again. This ensures we have the latest information and don't overlook anything.

I have answered a question incorrectly, how can I change it?

It depends on what needs to be changed. If you log into your Customer Area, you can change a lot of the information online.Some changes such as to an email address, DOB or medical will need to be done through our team. Please chat to our friendly customer service team who will be able to assist you.

Do you cover people who have not had the COVID vaccination?

You don't have to get a COVID vaccination for the policies. But if you don't have the required vaccinations for the country you're visiting, the policy won't cover cancellation or medical expenses. Click here to visit the NHS site for up to date information regarding vaccines.

I have an undiagnosed issue and am waiting for a MRI scan, can you provide a quote?

This will depend on the condition that you are needing to declare. In some instances we are able to offer a policy however the condition may be excluded from cover and anything directly or indirectly related to it. In other instances, we may not be able to provide cover. Please chat to our friendly customer service team who can help you further.

My medical condition has not been recognised, how can I add this?

Our system at present holds over 4000 medical conditions and 1500 medications. Which means there is at times conditions and medications that may not be available. If you cannot find the medication, we are happy for you just to screen the condition that you take that medication for. Alternatively, if you can't find your condition, please chat to our friendly customer service team who will get the information we need for our dedicated medical team to help with finding a solution for this trip whilst we work away in the back ground to get it added for your next insurance policy!

In the medical screening some questions refer to 'procedures'. What is your definition of a procedure?

We define 'procedures' as providing treatment for a condition, rather than for investigative purposes. i.e. we would not need to know that you have had a colonoscopy but we would need to know the outcome if anything is diagnosed following this.

I am waiting for test results as part of my routine monitoring, can you cover me?

We understand as part of someone's ongoing conditions that these do require regular monitoring be it by blood tests or even scans. If this is part of your routine monitoring of a condition then this is something we can cover. If you are ever in doubt, just chat to our friendly customer service team who can help you.

Can you please clarify what "cancer drug therapy" includes?

Any medication (oral/IV/Injections) that you are receiving to maintain or manage your cancer

What is a medical premium?

A medical premium is an extra premium added to your regular insurance cost. It's there to cover the additional risk presented by any health conditions you tell the insurance company about.

Why do I have a medical excess and a normal excess on my policy? what does medical excess mean?

To keep your premiums lower, we apply a medical excess to claims related to disclosed medical conditions, in addition to the standard excess.Please note that the excess waiver does not cover the medical excess.

I've completed my medical declaration online, and it's asking me to phone in why?

There could be a number of reasons as to why we asking for you to phone in. Please don't be alarmed. Give us a call on 0333 005 1062, quoting your reference number and a member of dedicated team will happily go through the details you have inputted online to find the source of the problem.

How long is my medical declaration valid for at quotation stage?

All medical declarations are valid for 30 days. After this period, the medical declaration will need to be recompleted.

Why do we have to disclose medications, and not just conditions?

We know we are different, and recognise the other medical risk rating tools do not ask for medications. However, in our 25 year experience in travel insurance and medical declarations. We have found declarations that are done with our in house medical risk rating tool Protectif give better and more accurate screenings as it is prompting you for everything that we need to make a valid assessment.

Why am I unable to edit my medical declaration, I've simply answered a question wrong?

At the moment our current system does not support the ability to be able to edit an incorrect answer that has been inputted. We completely understand this is incredibly frustrating, however we are currently in the process of developing a newer version of our medical risk rating tool, where this function will be available which will be coming to you later in 2024! Until then, chat to our friendly customer service team who will be able to help you.

Can OpenTravel provide cover for my conditions?

During the online quote process, we will ask you questions to determine if anyone on the policy has a medical condition or medical history that needs to be declared. If you've already purchased a policy, please chat to our friendly customer service team who will be able to help you.

I wasn't able to ring emergency medical assistance, what do I do?

As soon as you are able, give them a call so they can help you. They can liaise with the hospital for any follow up communications as well as making sure that you have received the care and medical intervention required. Please call them on 0333 005 1065.