Mental Health Travel Insurance: Why You Must Declare Conditions

Travellers are putting themselves at financial risk by not declaring mental health conditions on their travel insurance… 

• More than a third do not know a mental health condition needs to be declared
• A third also don’t think it should be declared at all
• Older generations showing highest gaps in knowledge

With an estimated one in four people experiencing mental health issues each year, new AllClear research reveals that customers are risking being left out of pocket during a claim by failing to declare their mental health conditions.

The survey* showed that more than one in three (35%) did not know mental health conditions needed to be declared. Of those who had mental health-related conditions, more than one in eight (14%) stated that they did not declare when last buying travel insurance.

Results by Age

The results varied by age. 21% of 51 to 60-year olds admitted to not declaring mental health on their travel insurance. This contrasts with younger travellers; 100% of those who had related conditions declared them.

Some travellers may not declare their condition simply because they feel they shouldn’t have to. More than one in three (34%) of all respondents felt that mental health should not be a factor that impacts the cost of buying travel insurance.

AllClear’s View

Chris Rolland, AllClear CEO, says the results are extremely concerning:

“As an industry, we need to do more to extinguish the taboos around mental health. At AllClear, we treat mental health exactly the same as we do physical health. Fair and sensitive questions are asked during the quote journey to understand a person’s medical condition – and if people would prefer to discuss their condition, our fully-trained, UK-based agents are available to help.

“We regularly see the dangers of travelling under-insured, where consumers are forced to foot the bill for medical treatment abroad or cancellation costs, because they’ve not declared their full medical history. Claims can easily reach tens of thousands of pounds,” he explains. “For minor conditions there may be little or no increase in premium.”

“Our mantra, as ever, is declare everything. Your medical history should not be seen as a barrier to travel.”

At AllClear, we’re proud to say none of our policies exclude mental health conditions from cover. We believe everyone deserves the right to travel, and only provide travel insurance which can cover all of your medical conditions, including any mental health issues you have, even if you’re still on a waiting list for treatment.

Do you need Mental Health Travel Insurance?

If you or someone you know is living with Mental Health it’s important to buy Mental Health Travel Insurance. Discover how AllClear can help you!

Benefits of AllClear Cover

Simple 3 step quote process

1. Call us or click a quote button on our site

2. Complete our simple medical screening process

3. Get your quotes

* AllClear survey, 2040 respondents, October 2019

Author notes

Written by Lydia Crispin, MA Content Creator at AllClear
Edited by Letitia Smith, M.Sc. Content Manager at AllClear