60% of travellers withhold medical information

by Richard Kilner

Story link: 60% of travellers withhold medical information

AllClear, the medical travel insurance specialist, has warned that 60% of travellers are invalidating their insurance by refusing to reveal pre-existing medical conditions.

Sometimes information is simply not volunteered as the traveller does not recognise its importance, but it is also the case that some travellers deliberately withhold relevant information from their insurer.

It is thought that fear about losing coverage or the increasing cost of premiums are the primary causes of information being withheld.

AllClear’s Chris Blackman warns that travellers are unaware that by not being accurate when taking out insurance they could risk paying a hefty bill should they become ill overseas.

The firm has calculated that the average cost of repatriation due to illness is more than £25,000.

Last month Check Safety First revealed its research showed that one in ten travellers were failing to take out any travel insurance at all, suggesting that there is a significant problem regarding the public’s attitude to the importance of insurance.