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Do I need to declare my high cholesterol?

Making sure you've got everything in order before you set off on holiday can feel a bit overwhelming — and it really shouldn't be.

If you're living with high cholesterol, or even if you're all clear but have previosuly suffered from it, all insurance providers class it as a pre-existing medical condition. It is crucial that you declare when booking your holiday cover so you know that whatever happens, your health is completely taken care of with a trustworthy insurance policy.

Before you buy one of our policies you will go through a straightforward process where you are asked a number of routine questions regarding your medical history. Our screening process considers the sensitivity of your condition and is administered under complete discretion. It is a very straightforward process and we ask you a number of questions to fully determine the best type of cover for you. Below is just a sample of what you can expect:

Holiday Extras' Travel Insurance policies

Before you head off into the sun (or snow!) you might start wondering about worse-case scenarios: will you be covered "if this happens...", or "what about that..." We think that whatever the health concern is, it should never dominate or overrule your holiday. All you need to do is that extra bit of planning to ensure everything runs smoothly!

How to book online

How will having high cholesterol affect my insurance policy?

Your insurance policy we will base upon a few straightforward and simple questions to evaluate your condition. Giving us the most information about your condition is imperative in order for us to provide you with the best, individually tailored policy for you. Broadly speaking, the more manageable and stable your condition is, the less it will affect the cost of your insurance policy. We would like to state that this will naturally vary from person to person.

To give you an accurate and fair price for your policy, our team of insurance experts take into account a number of factors before giving you a quote:

  • Level of risk - Our insurers assess the severity of your condition, doing so based on the answers you provide during your screening.
  • Age - The likelihood of having to make a claim tends to increase according to the age of the traveller, so this is taken into account when we draw up your policy.
  • Destination - With some locations, the only suitable healthcare facilities available are privately run, and so cost more. In this case, you may find that the price of your policy is slightly higher to reflect this.

    • If you have a pre-existing medical condition we always recommend that you speak to your GP for any medical advice around travelling with high cholesterol, or how much medication to bring with you. In addition to this, it might be useful to browse the NHS website for more information on travelling with a heart condition.

    Advice for travelling with high cholesterol:

    If you do have any questions about travelling, here are a few things we'd suggest you consider:

    1. Keeping active!

      2. The best thing for reducing your cholesterol is exercise, so whenever you get the chance:

      • Stretch your legs and take a short walk if you can. If you're on a plane, maybe book an aisle seat — that you have the freedom to have a walk up and down the plane.
      • Near the beach or a pool? Have a quick swim every day to get your blood pumping!

    2. Diet

      3. What you eat and drink plays a huge part in your cholesterol levels, so try ensuring you have the healthiest intake. Trying to incorporate low-cholesterol foods into your diet is an amazing way to keep on top of things. Below are a list of "super-foods" that are great at lowering your cholesterol:

      • Soya products, nuts, oats and barley, fruit and vegetables
      • Foods with added sterols and stanols (i.e. Benecol drinks)

      Try to pick something from these groups when ordering in restaurants, or cooking for yourself to incorportate these super foods!

    3. Smoking

      4. Giving up smoking is another fantastic way to reduce your cholesterol and prevent heart disease. According to the website of Heart UK, cutting down and eventually quitting smoking will demonstrate a notable difference: "Within days your health will begin to improve and within a year your risk of heart disease will be halved".

    4. Medication:

      5. The British Heart Foundation has a very thorough and helpful guide to travelling abroad with high cholesterol and keeping it in check. They suggest to:

      • Keep any medication you need in your hand luggage, in it's original packaging and in a clear see-through bag to be extra safe when going through security.
      • If you have needles or syringes as part of your medication we would advise you ask your doctor for a note explaining that they are necessary for your condition, since airport security is rather vigilant.
      • You might need to alter your medication routine slightly if you're travelling across different time zones.

      For more information regarding high cholesterol or for support, please take a look at the websites of the British Heart Foundation, the NHS and Heart UK, all of which offer incredible insight and suggestions to managing your life around high cholesterol.

    Holiday Extras Travel Insurance is sold and administered by Holiday Extras Cover Limited who are authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority under registration number 828848.

    Holiday Extras™ is a Trading Name of Holiday Extras Cover Limited

    Holiday Extras Travel Insurance is provided by Taurus Insurance Services, an insurance intermediary licenced and authorised in Gibraltar by the Financial Services Commission under Permission Number 5566 and authorised to passport general insurance intermediary services into the UK and registered with the Financial Conduct Authority in the UK under registration number 444830.

    The insurance is underwritten by Great Lakes Insurance UK Limited. Great Lakes Insurance UK Limited is a company incorporated in England and Wales with company number 13436330 and whose registered office address is 10 Fenchurch Avenue, London, United Kingdom, EC3M 5BN. Great Lakes Insurance UK Limited is authorised by the Prudential Regulation Authority and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority and the Prudential Regulation Authority. Firm Reference Number 955859. You can check this on the Financial Services Register by visiting; register.fca.org.uk or by contacting the Financial Conduct Authority on 0800 111 6768.