FAQs

Please give our call centre a call on 0333 006 9756.

Please give our call centre a call on 0333 006 9756 and make sure you mention your reference number/s and surname.

Travel Insurance Facilities PLC are authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. We are a specialist travel insurance provider offering full cycle travel insurance solutions.

Subject to medical screening, we can on some occasions offer cover for people with multiple medical conditions, however all the conditions will need to be medically screened separately.

A doctor will tend to weigh up the pros and cons of a patient’s health before issuing them with a Fit to Travel letter. They will take into consideration how long you will be travelling for, what forms of transport you will be using, whether there are adequate medical facilities nearby should you fall ill or need treatment whilst away, and whether it is safe to go on holiday with your condition.

As all insurance is based on risk, the insurer needs to know the probability of the patient needing to seek medical attention whilst insured by the policy.

There is a significant difference in the cost of medical care in the USA in comparison to Europe and indeed, the UK. The average cost for medical treatment in the USA is often more than double that of Spain, Singapore, Egypt or Turkey – the next most expensive destinations for health care.

In the USA, patients are expected to have a private medical insurance policy to cover them should they need treatment. As residents of the UK, we have the National Health Service and as such have no need for such policies. When we travel to the USA, they will still perform the same number of tests and treatments as they would to someone with a private medical insurance policy, so your travel insurance cover – which would pick up this cost – has to have higher cover limits or a higher premium to cover the risk of this happening.

The policy excess is the amount of a claim paid by you, the insured. Similar to car or home insurance, this excess is the first amount paid before any cover detailed by the insurance policy kicks in.

For example, if your medical treatment bill came to £200, and the policy excess was £50. You would pay the first £50, and the travel insurance company would pay the remainder £150.

Often higher excesses can be applied if the insurer feels that something in particular presents a higher risk of a claim.

Please note- Excesses are applied per person per claim

We strongly recommend that you are open and honest with your travel insurance company regarding any pre-existing medical condition you may have before you purchase the policy or depart the UK on your trip.

In the event of a claim, if you have not declared a medical condition to the insurer and the Claims handling agent feels as though this undeclared condition has led to the claim, they have the right to void your entire policy or even take legal action for fraud.

We recommend that customers make sure they answer questions that we may ask you fully and accurately, ensuring that any information disclosed to us is not misleading.

Make sure you have included details of all travellers, including children and infants, all medications being taken and all conditions diagnoses within the last two years. It’s also worth checking that you are covered for all sports and activities you plan on undertaking during your trip, and if not – making sure you have the appropriate activity pack to cover them.

No, this isn’t the case. If you declare everything to your insurance company, not only will you have informed us of everything and as such, any claim that takes place is seen as an unexpected event, but our team will be able to advise you on policies which could better suit your needs or offering conditions for certain risks.

Yes. All medical conditions, including those that are well controlled, stable, or that you are not taking medication for should be declared to us. Not disclosing all relevant information could later result in a claim being denied, or your policy being declared void.

If this is a new but stable condition, you will have to declare this to us. You can call our customer service team on 0333 006 9756 to ensure that this is added to your policy.

No one is covered to travel:

• Against the advice of their doctor
• In the knowledge that they may need treatment whilst on their trip
• If they are under investigation, awaiting, or receiving hospital treatment or test results (unless already agreed under the policy)

There are usually policy-specific conditions and exclusions detailed in the main travel insurance contract (for example, your policy summary or wording) which can also relate to falling ill before you are due to travel.

If you fall ill and are unable to go on your trip, this is what the cancellation section of your policy is for. This section is active from the moment that you purchase your policy, right up until you depart for your trip. You will have to ask your doctor to confirm that you are unfit to travel on your planned trip, and then submit a claim to us.

Should the worst happen and you fall ill or find yourself in need of emergency assistance whilst abroad, your travel insurance policy will sometimes not only cover the medical expenses of the incident, but also some additional expenses which have arisen as a consequence. For example, the cost of accommodation for someone to stay with the ill/injured or the cost of a new plane ticket back to the UK.

Insurance companies have to draw the line somewhere, which is why things such as kennel fees, (should you fall ill and come home later than expected) are often not covered under your travel insurance policy. It is worth keeping in mind that a travel insurance policy does not cover all costs associated with an incident which happens whilst abroad. It only covers those which are set out and detailed in the policy wording and for which an appropriate premium has been paid.

The EHIC card replaced the old E111 back in 2006, and is a form or card which confirms a traveller’s status as resident of the European Union. Countries within the EU have formed agreements which mean that discounts on the cost of medical treatment can be obtained within the other country, and on a reciprocal basis. Often, these agreements are only fully subsidised in the event of a serious emergency and often will not cover higher costs of things such as repatriation. As such, the EHIC does not cover the same amount of things as your travel insurance policy would, but often reduces the amount of medical costs incurred. This is why insurance for trips to the European Union are often cheaper than worldwide.

Every individual traveller needs their own EHIC card, even babies, children and infants. You can obtain an application form online, or through the Post Office.

Our travel insurance policies will waive your excess if you used your EHIC card when seeking medical treatment abroad, so it is well worth making sure yours is valid before you travel!

Almost everyone is familiar with their bank or credit card provider offering travel insurance cover as part of their standard service. However, despite the numbers of people going on holiday with this insurance, it is important to double check what cover it provides, and the small print or minor details of the policy, as they can wildly differ from a third party insurance policy.

For full details of exclusions please refer to the policy wordings.

If you have not told us about your medical conditions, you will not be covered for any claims under the Cancellation, Curtailment, Medical Expenses, Hospital Benefit and Personal Accident sections if they arise directly or indirectly as a result of the medical condition itself.