• 33% of Brits unaware they need to declare pre-existing medical conditions

• One in ten have previously had a claim declined

• More than three in ten unaware that being intoxicated can invalidate cover

A new study* from travel insurance specialist Staysure, highlights an alarming third of Brits are travelling with undeclared medical conditions.

With Easter holidays just around the corner, the study has revealed some worrying stats as over half of those surveyed (53%) didn’t think it necessary to declare a mental health issue to their insurer with an alarming 33% unaware they would need to cover their pre-existing medical conditions when they buy their policy.

Almost all those surveyed (90%) reported that they understood what ‘declaring all pre-existing medical conditions’ means. But when asked about specific ailments significantly less than 90% successfully identified conditions that would need to be covered such as osteoarthritis (37%), infections (30%), anxiety (22%), and headaches/migraines (16%). These could all be considered a ‘pre-existing medical condition’ by an insurer if you have experienced symptoms, take medication, or consulted your GP, or visited a hospital regarding them.

Not declaring pre-existing medical conditions and GP consultations to your insurer could invalidate your cover and potentially leave you with unexpected medical bills if you suddenly become unwell and require emergency medical treatment abroad.

Furthermore, the study revealed that 10% of the population believe there isn’t anything that can invalidate a travel insurance policy despite one in 10 Brits having previously had a travel insurance claim declined.

Sheffield topped the list with 25% of respondents from the city having had an insurance claim declined. Cardiff, Leeds, and London took joint second place with 11% respectively, with Manchester rounding out the top 5 at 10%. While a third of the country didn’t think they needed to disclose pre-existing medical conditions when buying insurance, that figure rose to 51% in Sheffield, highlighting the need for more awareness in various pockets of the UK.

Some of the reasons found for invalid claims were (14%) not checking the terms and conditions of their annual policy. 9% changed holiday plans without notifying their insurer and 8% flew against the advice of a doctor.

The study also showed that more than three in ten Brits (34%) didn’t know that being intoxicated often contravenes travel insurance terms and conditions where high levels of alcohol have been reported in hospital or police reports.

Simon McCulloch, Staysure’s Chief Commercial Officer says…

“It’s worrying to see these survey results. Travel insurance is there to protect you and your holiday investment against unforeseen events if something should go wrong while you’re away or if you unexpectedly must cancel your trip. Anyone embarking on a holiday should check the terms of their cover and update their insurer with changes to their health so they can amend the policy accordingly.

Even well managed conditions such as diabetes, high blood pressure, arthritis, and angina all need to be declared including recent GP or hospital visits. This is to ensure you have full protection should you need emergency medical care while abroad."

In the last 18 months Staysure paid over £118 million on more than 65,000 claims helping customers in their time of need. The highest paid claim was £353,779.

Top 10 reasons for invalid claims*:

1. Annual cover without checking the specifics for a trip – 14%

2. Changed holiday plans without notifying the insurer – 9%

3. Flying against doctor’s advice – 8%

4. Buying a policy for the wrong destination – 7%

5. Undertaking an activity excluded in cover – 7%

6. Lack of police report or supporting documents – 7%

7. Not declaring pre-existing medical conditions – 6%

8. Couldn’t claim cancellation, didn’t have a policy in place – 6%

9. Failed to follow terms & conditions of cover – 6%

10. Cancelling a holiday without notifying the insurer – 6%

ENDS

Notes to Editors

*Survey commissioned by Staysure - conducted by Censuswide in July 2023 of 2000 UK adults.

For further information, please contact Staysure’s press office at Borkowski

• lizzie@borkowski.co.uk // 07585551923

• Staysure@borkowski.co.uk // +44 (0)20 3176 2700

About Staysure

Founded in 2004, Staysure one of the Staysure Group brands who owns Staysure, Avanti, Payingtoomuch.com, ROCK and Petsure and is a trading name of TICORP Limited. Staysure is the UK’s most trusted travel insurance provider* offering a range of travel insurance policies for all ages specialising in cover for pre-existing medical conditions. Policies are tailored to the customer’s needs and medical screening is available both online at www.staysure.co.uk and over the phone.

*Based on 7 consecutive wins for best Travel Insurance Provider at the British Travel Awards and the number of 5-star Trustpilot reviews. Staysure’s customer ratings are at an ‘excellent’ 4.7 with over 350,000 reviews. This makes Staysure officially the most reviewed UK travel insurance provider on Trustpilot with more five-star ratings than any other provider.

Industry Awards

1. British Travel Awards 2016 – Best Travel Insurance Provider (1st Year)

2. UK Broker Awards 2016 – Personal Lines Broker of the Year

3. Moneywise Customer Service Awards 2016 – Highly Commended

4. British Insurance Awards 2016 – UK Insurance Broker of the Year

5. Insurance Times 2016 – Personal Lines Broker of the year and Broker Innovation of the Year Award

6. Best Companies 2016 – One to Watch

7. Insurance PR and Marketing Awards 2016 - Niche Marketing Campaign of the Year – Highly Commended

8. UK Employee Experience Awards 2017 – Voice of the Employee and shortlisted for Internal recognition

9. Finance Awards 2017 - Business of the Year

10. Moneywise Awards 2017 - Most Trusted Travel Insurance Provider

11. British Travel Awards 2017 - Best Insurance provider – GOLD (2nd Year)

12. The UK Employee Experience Awards 2018 - Employee Engagement Recognition and Wellbeing Award

13. Moneywise Awards 2018 – Most Trusted Travel Insurance Provider

14. British Travel Awards 2018 – Best Travel Insurance Provider – GOLD (3rd Year)

15. UK Broker Awards 2018 – Personal Lines Broker of the Year

16. Which? Recommended Provider – Travel Insurance May 2018

17. UK Broker Awards 2019 – Marketing and Customer Engagement

18. British Travel Awards 2019 - Best Travel Insurance Provider (4th Year)

19. British Travel Awards 2020 - Best Travel Insurance Provider (5th Year - no awards in 2021)

20. British Travel Awards 2022 – Best Travel Insurance Provider (6th Year)

21. British Travel Awards 2023 – Best Travel insurance Provider (7th consecutive year)

Staysure is a trading name of TICORP Limited. Staysure Travel Insurance is arranged by TICORP Limited which is registered in Gibraltar company number 111526. Registered ofﬁce: First Floor, Grand Ocean Plaza, Ocean Village, Gibraltar. TICORP Limited is authorised and regulated by the Gibraltar Financial Services Commission and trades into the UK on a freedom of services basis, Financial Conduct Authority FRN 663617

Staysure Travel Insurance is administered by Howserv Limited which is registered in England and Wales number 03882026. Registered office: Britannia House, 3-5 Rushmills Business Park, Bedford Road, Northampton, NN4 7YB. Howserv Limited is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority FRN 599282

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