HRT and Travel Insurance: Do you need to Declare it?

If you’re about to set off on your holiday, it’s important to have travel insurance in place in case anything goes wrong while you’re away. If you’ve recently started hormone replacement therapy (HRT), you might be wondering whether it needs to be declared. The answer is yes, it does. Insurers require you to declare all of your medical conditions before any trip.

In this article, we explain why it’s so important to be honest and upfront about any medications or treatments you are taking, including HRT.

Real life case study: Undeclared HRT leads to a denied travel insurance claim

In 2024, a woman on holiday in Majorca suffered a seizure, resulting in a hospital stay costing €34,000 (£28,000) as she needed to be put in an induced coma. However, her insurer refused to pay out the claim as she had not declared that she had started taking HRT in the weeks leading up to her holiday. The seizure was in no way related to the menopause medication, but because she had not declared the HRT when renewing her policy, her insurer had grounds to deny her claim. She had not declared her HRT because she did not believe it was a proper medical condition, and so the woman and her husband complained to the Ombudsman, who ruled in favour of the insurance company.

The above case study shows exactly why it’s so important to declare any medical conditions you have and treatment you may be undergoing. Even if you end up in hospital for something entirely unrelated to your pre-existing conditions, your insurer may deny your claim if you have not declared them. It’s crucial to read the terms and conditions of your insurance policy so you understand what’s considered a medical condition and what’s covered.

The risks of not declaring pre-existing conditions

It may be tempting to conceal any pre-existing conditions when booking your insurance policy, because you may find that premiums go up when they are declared. But it’s important to think about it this way - anything can happen while you’re on holiday, and if you do end up in hospital, it’s not worth the thousands of pounds in medical bills you may accrue if you don’t declare all your pre-existing conditions.

How to update your policy if your health changes

Declaring all your medical conditions before going away can give you the peace of mind that should something go wrong, you’ll be covered. If anything changes in the lead-up to your holiday, let your insurer know immediately so your policy can be amended to cover you.

Other common reasons travel insurance claims are denied

It's not just pre-existing illnesses that could void your policy - if you're under the influence or if you partake in excluded high risk activities and something goes wrong, you could find that your insurer denies your claim. Again, make sure that you’ve carefully read the terms and conditions of your policy, so you know exactly what’s included and what’s not.

Specialist travel insurance for pre-existing medical conditions from Towergate

We know how difficult it can be to choose the right travel insurance policy for you, especially if you have specialist requirements. For example, you may have a pre-existing illness, or be an older or high-risk traveller. At Towergate, everything you tell our team is treated with the utmost confidentiality, and we’ll do our best to find the best policy for you. If you’d like to know more, visit our dedicated pre existing medical conditions page.

Travel insurance from Towergate

Towergate offers a range of different travel insurance policies to suit your requirements, from long stay travel insurance to pre-existing medical conditions and business travel policies. For more information visit our holiday insurance section.

Consistent with our policy when giving comments and advice on a non-specific basis, we cannot assume legal responsibility for the accuracy of any particular statement. In the case of specific problems, we recommend that professional advice be sought.