Asthma Travel Insurance

Why do I need specialist insurance that covers asthma?

Asthma is a common condition in the UK, and with 1.1 million children and 4.3 million adults actively receiving treatment, it’s not something you should forget to tell your travel insurance provider about. 

Unlike most standard travel insurance policies that will include a limited amount of cover for medical expenses, specialist travel insurance covering asthma is there in case you need to make a claim for any asthma-related issues during your trip.

Asthma is classified as a pre-existing condition - and Medical Travel Compared has helped many people with a range of different pre-existing conditions find competitive cover to suit their needs. 

In fact, with us - you can compare cover from a wide variety of leading travel insurance providers within minutes. We make it simple for you to shop around for the right policy to suit you so you can sooner get back to the more exciting part of planning your holiday.

Is asthma a pre-existing medical condition?

As asthma is a respiratory condition, we’ll need to know if you’ve ever suffered from it, no matter how long ago. But don’t, worry, when telling us about your condition we’ll ask you a few quick questions (https://www.medicaltravelcompared.co.uk/travel-insurance/medical/online-medical-screening/)  about your asthma so that we fully take into consideration how it’s impacting you.

Some examples of the questions you could be asked are:

• Have you ever had a diagnosis made of COPD (eg chronic bronchitis or emphysema)?
• How old were you when asthma was diagnosed?
• How many medicines are prescribed for your asthma (count each inhaler as one medicine)?
• Do you use nebulisers as part of routine maintenance of asthma?

This gives providers more of an insight into your medical background - enabling them to offer you a policy that should provide suitable cover. 

Do I need to declare asthma on travel insurance?

If you suffer from asthma – you’ll need to declare it in order to ensure you get the right level of specialist cover from one of the many asthma travel insurance providers available when you get a quote.

Travel insurance for asthmatics is accessible once you have declared it during the Medical History stage of the quote application process. As well as general asthma, you can also declare mild asthma and cardiac asthma as pre-existing medical conditions.

Once you declare the type of asthma most relevant to your medical history, you’ll need to answer a few questions in order for us to determine the nature of your specific condition. This will help us to provide a variety of quotes for cover most suited to your individual needs.

What does travel insurance for asthma cover?

Specialist asthma cover will usually cover the following:

• Emergency Medical Expenses and Repatriation- if you require medical attention as a result of asthma, or if you need to be repatriated back to the UK in an emergency.
• Lost, Stolen or Damaged Personal Belongings- including any medication, like ventolin inhalers, for example.
• Cancellation and Curtailment- the insurance provider will cover you in the event of needing to cancel your holiday or cut it short for a certain reason (usually medical).
• Travel Delay- this won’t always be included, check with your provider.
• Personal Liability- if you cause accidental damage to another person or someone else’s property - cover is provided.

Again, we work with plenty of specialist asthma travel insurance providers - and you can compare cover in minutes thanks to our quick and easy-to-use online comparison tool.

If anything were to trigger an asthma attack whilst on holiday, providing you have taken out an asthma travel insurance policy, you should be able to access a 24-hour emergency medical assistance line from abroad 

Should you be deemed unfit to fly or travel due to breathing difficulties before your departure date, you will also be entitled to claim for holiday cancellation. Insurance provider terms and conditions will vary – so make sure you check the cover limits of the policy you intend to purchase.

Does asthma affect travel insurance?

Declaring the fact that you suffer with asthma will affect your travel insurance premium. Again, this varies from case to case. For instance, severe asthma is more likely to have an effect on your specialist asthma travel insurance premium than mild asthma.

The higher the risk of you potentially incurring medical expenses as a result of your specific condition, the higher your premium is likely to be. The purpose of the questions that you will be asked in order for us to form a portrait of your medical history, is to assess that risk factor.

However, pre-existing medical conditions like asthma, are not the only thing that affect your premium. Other factor like destination, can also impact your premium – especially if healthcare costs are particularly high in that country.

Travelling with asthma

Travelling abroad with asthma shouldn’t make you worry about not enjoying your holiday. However, in order to ensure your holiday runs as smoothly as possible – it’s highly advised that you sensibly plan your trip in a way that enables you to manage the symptoms of your asthma.

For example, travelling abroad usually means entering different climates. The weather conditions of a certain destination can offset asthma, especially if there is high pollen count, or poor air quality.

Asthma can also be brought on in cold climates for some people, too. Therefore, you might want to research what the weather is going to be like at your destination of choice before you book.

Planning your activities is also beneficial. If you know you’re going to be doing physical activities that involve swimming frequently, or even winter sports – then it’s probably best to make sure that you have your asthma medication close to hand.

Travel insurance for children with asthma

It’s common for children, particularly under the age of five, who have asthmatic symptoms not to be given a confirmed diagnosis of asthma. 

This can cause difficulty for parents when applying for asthma travel insurance as undiagnosed conditions cannot be covered. However, there is a way around this. Check the exact medical term stated on your child’s medical records.

Travelling with an asthmatic child

As with adults, asthmatic children shouldn’t enjoy their holidays any less if they suffer with the condition.

Again, with careful planning and consideration, your child’s asthma can be kept under control for the duration of your trip. You need to make sure that you look after their various prescriptions and medication – taking them everywhere you go.

Bear in mind that the air pressure/quality on board an aircraft might have the potential to offset your child’s asthma. Encouraging them to drink water to avoid drying of their airways is one way in which you can help. 

Asthma travel insurance made easy – compare quotes right here!

Comparing travel insurance that covers asthma and respiratory conditions is easy with Medical Travel Compared. Use our in-built medical screening system to declare your medical conditions just one time.

You will be asked some relevant questions and the answers you provide allow us to assess your current health situation. We will then search our panel and list suitable asthma holiday insurance options in price order for you to review. Often, if asthma is mild and well controlled the insurers on our panel will not charge you any extra to cover it!

If you require information and advice about air travel and asthma triggers, you may find this article about ‘Travelling with Asthma’ produced by the NHS helpful, or you can visit Asthma UK.