Holidays & Travel Insurance

When, following encephalitis, people have problems with fatigue or need a structured environment in which to function, the holidays can be a difficult time. In most families, holidays and the holiday season are full of the added stress of travelling, new places, visiting relatives, additional entertaining, shopping, and extraordinary confusion. For people with low tolerance to noise and changes in their environment, they can become overloaded, and shut down cognitively. Therefore, it is wise to consider planning around problem areas for an enjoyable holiday time.

Insurance is an essential investment for anyone planning to travel or go on holiday, covering such things as illness, accident or loss of luggage. If you book a package or through a travel company, insurance is often included as part of the price. If you have epilepsy as a consequence of encephalitis, it is worth taking a closer look at the details of the policy, to see whether pre-existing medical conditions are covered. There are companies that specialise in providing cover for people that have a history of a pre - existing medical condition/s. What might be required by the insurer is a letter confirming that the individual is fit to travel.

The British Insurance Brokers Association (BIBA) are an independent service www.biba.org.uk

Under the Disability Discrimination Act, holiday insurance companies should not weight a premium simply because a person has a pre-existing medical condition. Each company should consider the person’s circumstances before giving a quote. Often this means speaking to someone in the medical department of the company, who will ask various questions about any pre-existing condition. A premium may then be added, based on the risk of any condition. It may be worth contacting a few insurance companies to see who can offer the best policy and cover.

The Doctor Babel website enables individuals to create a simple medical record online that can be translated accurately into many languages and printed www.doctorbabel.com .