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Do I Need Arthritis Travel Insurance?
Arthritis travel insurance covers you if you have any of the various types of arthritis and wish to travel with peace of mind. This type of insurance covers you for medical emergencies, even those related to COVID-19, which is vital to prevent unexpected medical bills and give you the support you need if you have any medical problems while on holiday.
Did you know that 10 million people in the UK live with arthritis? The two most common types are rheumatoid arthritis, which currently 700,000 people within the UK live with, and osteoarthritis, which 8.5 million people within the UK live with.
Every year we help people get rheumatoid arthritis travel insurance, as well as osteoarthritis travel insurance and psoriatic arthritis travel insurance. The issues caused by travel with arthritis can include swollen joints, aching muscles and cartilage breakdown. So it’s important to make sure that you can travel to your favourite places knowing you are fully covered in case you need to seek medical attention while abroad.
We recognise that arthritis has many forms and varies in its symptoms and severity. We tailor your policy based on the type of arthritis you have and its severity to ensure your policy meets your needs at a fair premium.
Why it’s Important to Declare Your Arthritis
When completing your quote it’s important you declare your arthritis, whether it’s osteoarthritis or rheumatoid arthritis, so that you’re covered for any potential complications while you’re abroad.
As part of our quote process, you’ll be asked to provide information about your arthritis and any other medical conditions you may have. This may include:
- Have you had any joints replaced or resurfaced?
- Do you currently use any mobility aids because of your arthritis?
- Have you ever needed treatment for any back or neck problems?
You’ll also answer questions about your trip length, destination and personal details. This information will then be used to determine your premium. We then search our panel and list suitable quotes in price order for you to review.
Coronavirus Cover for Arthritis
When buying travel insurance for arthritis it’s important that you have a policy with enhanced COVID-19 cover included. That way, should you have a diagnosis or positive test result for Coronavirus COVID-19, you will be protected against any unexpected COVID-related medical expenses and cancellations. AllClear offers enhanced COVID-19 cover as standard with all of their policies – you can therefore enjoy a care-free trip, knowing AllClear COVID-19 Cover is rated Superior* by Which? magazine.
Benefits of an AllClear Policy
- Cancellation and Curtailment covered up to £25,000, including for Covid-19
- Up to £15 million emergency medical expenses cover, including for Covid-19
- Up to 30 days FREE extended cover (if due to unexpected circumstances beyond your control)
- Up to £2,000, if medically necessary, for a friend or relative to travel from your home area to stay with you if you fall ill with Covid-19 (costs for room and to accompany you home)
- Repatriation costs, when medically necessary, to bring you back to the UK where it is deemed to be in your best interests
- Following recovery from Coronavirus, costs for a continued recuperation stay, when medically necessary and under doctors advice
- Costs for your return flight following your enforced stay due to Coronavirus
- Personal Belongings covered up to £3,000
- All conditions. All ages.
Will you be covered if you’re travelling during the pandemic?
To make sure you're covered there are three things to check:
- You must be fit to travel
- The FCO must NOT have advised against travel to your destination
- You must follow the local government advice for your destination, checking and following their guidelines and entry requirements
You can then be covered for emergency medical expenses or cancellation relating to COVID-19, when you have travel insurance with enhanced Coronavirus cover. If you’re an existing policyholder, you can read our Frequently Asked Questions if your trip is affected by Covid-19.
AllClear Benefits Compared With Other Providers
| This table shows how AllClear Travel Insurance compares to other providers i | AllClear | Staysure | Avanti | Saga |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Trust | ||||
| 5-star Trustpilot reviews | 82% | 77% | 77% | 71% |
| TrustScore | 4.8 | 4.7 | 4.7 | 4.6 |
| 5-star Defaqto rated | ||||
| Good Housekeeping endorsement | ||||
| Established for 20+ years | ||||
| Product | ||||
| Maximum cancellation cover | £25k | £15k | £7.5k | £10k |
| Minimum standard excess | £0 | £65 | £0 | £70 |
| Baggage delay benefit after 12 hours i | £250 | £0 | £75 | £250 |
| Number of product choices | 4 | 2 | 3 | 1 |
| No age limits i | ||||
| Travel companion cover | ||||
| Terminal conditions cover | ||||
| Cancellations | ||||
| Admin fee for cancelling during the cooling off period | £0 | £25 | £25 | £0 |
| Refund provided outside of cooling off period | ||||
| Claims | ||||
| Claims paid within 5 working days i | 100% | 95% | N/A | N/A |
1. Call us or click a quote button on our site
Once you are ready to start the quote process, the first step is to provide your personal details and information about your holiday plans.2. Complete our simple medical screening process
You then declare the medical conditions for you (and any other travellers) and answer the specifically designed medical questions.3. Get your quotes
You will then get your quotes and can either proceed to buy, or save your quote, at this stage.
Travel Tips for Travelling with Arthritis
Planning your holiday
- Planning your trip in advance is a good way to ensure you’re organised and ready for your holiday
- Depending on the severity of your osteoarthritis, you may want to consider a holiday destination which doesn’t require lots of walking and isn’t located somewhere difficult to access
- Know what climates set off your osteoarthritis pain and avoid them to ensure you fully enjoy your holiday
Flying
- If your pain is brought on by sitting in one position for long periods of time, it might be best to avoid long haul flights
- Alternatively practice some gentle exercises for you to do throughout the flight to keep your joints moving and to avoid stiffness
- Buying priority boarding when you book your flights can mean you avoid the long queues to get on the plane and you’re able to board before the crowds get on
- If you struggle with walking, you could arrange to use a wheelchair while in the airport
Medication
- If you have specific medication for your osteoarthritis, make sure you see your doctor before you travel so they can prescribe you enough for your trip, plus some more supplies in case of any delays. If you just take painkillers to manage your pain, you’ll be able to pack them in your case for the hold
- Pack any creams or bandages you might need throughout your trip and if you use a cane, you can purchase a travel one which will fold up to go in your luggage
Why More Than 3 Million People Have Chosen AllClear
Read AllClear Trustpilot Reviews
Frequently Asked Questions Travel Insurance for Arthritis
Does declaring rheumatoid arthritis affect the travel insurance premium?
A number of factors are used to calculate the premiums we offer. These include destination, trip duration, and age, as well as pre-existing medical conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis.
Do you need to declare that you have arthritis?
Yes, it’s important to get comprehensive travel insurance for arthritis that will cover you if you get ill and need treatment while you’re abroad. It’s also important if you need to cancel your trip as a result of your arthritis.
Which types of arthritis do you cover?
There are over 100 different types of arthritis. However, whether you need travel insurance for psoriatic arthritis, travel insurance for rheumatoid arthritis, or travel insurance for osteoarthritis, we can provide you with a quote. In fact, we can provide a quote for any type of arthritis you may have.
The type of arthritis you have is not coming up as an option
During the quote process when you are asked to declare your medical conditions, you’ll need to select ‘add condition’. Then type ‘arthritis’ into the search bar and select ‘search’. You will then see ‘arthritis’, ‘septic arthritis’, ‘rheumatoid arthritis’, ‘juvenile arthritis’, ‘osteoarthritis’, and ‘psoriatic arthritis’ as options for you to select. Once you select one of these there will be some specific follow up questions.
If none of these match your type of arthritis we may still be able to offer you cover. Please contact our UK-based Customer Care Team via phone or online Live Chat and we can help you.
What happens if your medical situation changes after you get your travel insurance?
You must tell us at the earliest opportunity and, if possible before you book your holiday. To change your original medical declaration please call our Customer Care Team on 01708 339029; they will be happy to make the adjustments. In some instances, an additional premium may be required to maintain your cover.
