Asthma

5.4 million people across the UK have asthma, meaning one in five households are affected. Standard travel insurance tends to exclude cover for respiratory conditions, which can include asthma. This doesn’t mean that you can’t travel, but means that if you have ever received a diagnosis of asthma (or any other type of respiratory condition), you should ensure that your travel insurance policy includes cover for pre-existing medical conditions. Including this cover protects you in the event that any respiratory related complications arise before, or during, your trip. For travel in Europe, you should also ensure that you have a valid European Health Insurance Card (EHIC).

What does travel insurance for asthma cover?

With a travel insurance policy covering asthma, if you were to have an asthma attack on holiday, or your inhalers were lost or stolen, you should be able to access a 24 hour emergency medical assistance line and make a claim for unplanned medical treatment and/or the cost of replacement medication. Cancellation cover would mean that if you were deemed unfit to travel before your holiday, for reasons relating to a respiratory condition, you would be entitled to make a claim. Please be aware that different insurers offer different levels of cover, and you may want to check the cover limits of the policy prior to purchase.

Travel insurance for children with asthma

One in 11 children in the UK has asthma, however, it can be hard to diagnose in children under the age of five. Undiagnosed conditions cannot be covered by travel insurance, and this can make it difficult to obtain travel insurance for young children without a confirmed diagnosis. If your child has not been diagnosed with asthma, but it is suspected, their medical records will state the exact medical term – usually either “Viral Induced Wheeze”, “RSV Bronchiolitis”, or “Respiratory Syncytial Viral Bronchiolitis” – and you can disclose this medical term to insurers in order to obtain cover.

How to obtain asthma travel insurance

Our online medical screening makes it easy to compare travel insurance that covers asthma and/or other respiratory conditions at MedicalTravelInsurance.co.uk. When entering your details you will be asked some questions relevant to your condition, and the answers you provide will allow us to quickly assess your current health situation. We will be able to list suitable holiday insurance options with asthma cover for you to review. If your asthma is mild and well controlled, usually you will not be charged extra for cover by the insurers on the MedicalTravelInsurance.co.uk comparison site!

For further information and advice on travelling with asthma, air travel and asthma triggers, try our Asthma advice guide. You may also find the links below helpful.

This page uses information from the following sources:

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