Insurance With a Stoma

What you need to know about Insurance with a stoma

If you would like more information about travel insurance or any other Ostomy Lifestyle subject, call our Helpline on 0800 731 4264 you can also e-mail advice@ostomylifestyle.org. The following information can be downloaded as a pdf file.

For anyone who has had any sort of surgery or long term illness, insurance can be a worrying subject. All insurance premiums are affected by many factors including your age, lifestyle and general health.

Pre existing conditions

Your insurance company will require detailed information about your medical history and current treatment. You must declare any pre-existing conditions when requested by the insurance company.

As standard, most policies will exclude cover for any pre-existing conditions. This usually means anything that you have received medical treatment for within the last 2 – 5 years. If you would like any pre-existing condition to be included in your policy, it is likely that the insurance provider will charge a further premium depending on the on the extra risk involved (based on the illness, how recent the last treatment etc). In some circumstances insurers may be unable to provide cover for pre-existing medical conditions.

Travel

General advice on travelling with a stoma can be found here. If travelling you should also carry a European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) as well as applying for travel insurance. This entitles you to reduced-cost, sometimes free, medical treatment that becomes necessary while you're in a European Economic Area (EEA) country or Switzerland. This replaces the form E111.

Quotes

The difference in price and cover between insurers can be remarkable. Ostomy Lifestyle does not give details of any insurance companies, as it is impossible to predict the company that will give the best quote for your individual circumstances. Therefore we recommend you contact a wide range of companies to compare quotes. Details of insurers can be found in the phone book or on the internet. An insurance broker may be useful to assist you with this.

This information was produced with guidance from professional insurance providers.