Travel insurance is one of the cheapest forms of insurance, yet one that so many people choose not to take or simply overlook.

Because of recent COVID-19 restrictions, you need to check your travel policy carefully as most will now include only emergency treatment for any pandemic, so cancellation as a result of a pandemic will be excluded as will protracted hospital treatment.

Travel insurance will exclude any pre-existing medical conditions or prescribed medication unless declared to and accepted by the underwriters. Some conditions such as a recent heart attack, stroke or cancer will still be excluded, but most conditions will be accepted. Some will be accepted at standard terms whereas others may incur an additional premium. In any event, it is essential that you declare any and all conditions and medication so that the insurers can make a correct assessment of what they will cover and at what cost.

Do not fall into the trap of not declaring a condition because it is controlled by medication. So many times we see that a client is taking medication for hypertension but they say that they don't have high blood pressure because they are taking medication. That does not mean that the condition does not exist, only that the symptoms are suppressed.

You may feel it intrusive to advise your insurers of your conditions or medication but if they are not declared not only will the condition be excluded from cover, but any other conditions may be excluded too, even if they are not directly related. For certain clients, the additional cost may sometimes be seen as expensive, but that is usually because there are several conditions notified, but when compared to the total cost of a holiday and the potential medical costs that could be incurred, it is worth paying, otherwise you could find yourself in serious debt if you are unable to make a claim for something that could otherwise have been covered for a potentially small, or even no, additional cost.

As an example, a couple in their late 60’s travelling to Australia for 4 weeks could pay as little as €25 more to include hypertension for one person and diabetes for the other.

As with any other insurance policy, you need to ensure that you have the correct cover for your needs and be aware that some policies offer only minimal cover so it is worth researching costs and cover, particularly if you intend to take part in potentially hazardous pursuits or some water sports. Some insurers offer cheap premiums but it will inevitably be reflected in the cover that is included.

Travel policies offer different levels of cover and it is important that the cover that you require is actually included in your policy. Ibex has experts who will review your proposed trip or trips and recommend the most suitable policy to meet your needs, and in some cases, it may be more beneficial to arrange an annual multi-trip policy than a single trip policy, especially if you are planning a long trip of 4 weeks or more when it may even be cheaper to purchase an annual multi-trip policy than a single trip policy.

Travel insurance is mainly designed to protect against cancellation, curtailment or abandonment of your holiday and medical expenses incurred due to accident or illness whilst travelling, and provides only nominal cover for valuables, or with some policies there is no cover at all. This means that you if you do take valuables with you, you should check that they are insured under your main home insurance “All Risks” section.

Also, travel policies normally include a benefit in the event of permanent disability, and many people are surprised to see what they consider to be a small amount of cover for this element, but as with valuables, this is not the main purpose of this policy. For higher levels of cover, you need a personal accident policy, which Ibex can arrange.

In the unlikely event of having to make any claim it will be necessary to provide evidence of your itinerary so it is important that you keep your booking receipts, travel documents and airline boarding pass stubs until you have returned home and know that no claim will be needed. In the case of a claim for loss or theft, you MUST report the event to the local police in your resort area and obtain a police report; without this, any claim will be rejected without recourse to appeal.

You can travel safely and securely in the knowledge that travel insurance policies include a 24/7 contact number for emergencies assistance whilst abroad and this is only a phone call away.

If you have any queries, please don't hesitate to call into one of our offices in Almancil or Tavira to get the most suitable policy to meet your needs or call us on 800 860 708 / 289 399 774 for Almancil or 281 325 842 for Tavira. Or if you prefer, send an e-mail to ptnews@ibexinsure.com