Travel Insurance for Appendicitis

What is appendicitis?

Appendicitis is when the appendix, a small pouch attached to the large bowel, becomes swollen and painful. It’s listed under gastrointestinal and digestive conditions and is one of the most common reasons for emergency surgery in the UK. Pain usually starts around the belly button and moves to the lower right side of the tummy, getting steadily worse. You might also feel sick, lose your appetite or have a temperature.

It needs treating quickly, because an inflamed appendix can burst. Most people have it removed in an operation, usually by keyhole surgery, and recover within a few weeks. The NHS appendicitis page explains the symptoms and treatment.

Why do I need to declare appendicitis for travel insurance?

Recent appendicitis is treated as a pre-existing medical condition, particularly while you’re still recovering from the operation. We ask about it because the weeks after surgery carry a risk of wound infection, an abscess or other complications, and that could mean treatment abroad or calling off the trip if you’re not well enough to go. A burst appendix usually means a longer recovery. If a recent episode isn’t declared, a claim linked to it could be refused or reduced.

You won’t need to declare every medical condition you’ve ever had or been diagnosed with, only those that fall into the initial set of medical questions.

Can I get travel insurance after appendicitis?

Yes, in most cases. Appendicitis is a one-off emergency rather than a long-term condition, so what matters is how recently it happened and how well you’ve recovered. Someone who had their appendix out years ago and has been well since is in a very different position from someone who left hospital last week. If you get appendicitis for the first time while you’re on holiday, it would normally be treated as a new illness rather than a pre-existing one.

What we’ll ask about your appendicitis

The medical screening is online and simple to complete. For your appendicitis, it asks about when you had it and whether you needed surgery. When you’ve finished with this condition, carry on declaring any other relevant pre-existing medical conditions.

With the medical declaration complete, you’ll go through to the quote page. A list of quotes is shown if your appendicitis and any other conditions are coverable, and the premium quoted includes the cost of covering your medical. If we can’t offer cover, you’ll find that out before going any further.

If your health changes before travelling

Recovery doesn’t always go to plan. If you develop a wound infection, you need more treatment, you go back into hospital, or you get another diagnosis before you travel, you must let us know. It may mean reviewing your cover or referring your medical situation to the underwriters, and in some cases we may not be able to proceed with cover. Not telling us about a change in your medical can lead to a future claim being affected or denied.

What can appendicitis travel insurance cover?

Once accepted, complications from your appendicitis that need emergency care abroad can be covered. For example, if your wound became infected while you were in Italy and you needed hospital treatment, those costs could be met, and so could repatriation if a doctor decided you needed help getting home. All cover is subject to the policy terms, exclusions, limits and excess.

Timing is a common worry. If appendicitis strikes before you leave and you have to have surgery, you may be able to claim for non-refundable costs under cancellation cover, provided your policy was in place when it happened.

Follow-up appointments or planned operations abroad aren’t covered, and nor is anything to do with a condition you didn’t declare.

Will appendicitis affect the cost of travel insurance?

It could, especially if the operation was fairly recent. Your answers to our online medical screening decide whether the premium changes and by how much. There may be questions about how the appendicitis was treated and whether any lingering problems are well controlled. As with any trip, age, destination and length of stay also come into it. The price shows up before you pay.

Single trip or annual cover after appendicitis

Single trip cover works for a single holiday. For more than one trip a year, annual cover can be simpler, and your screening result shows whether it’s an option.

Travelling after appendicitis: practical tips

These are general tips to help you plan. They aren’t part of your insurance.

Time is the main thing. Keyhole surgery usually means a quicker recovery, but most people still need a couple of weeks before they feel like themselves, and longer after open surgery or a burst appendix. Ask your surgeon or GP when you can travel and when you can fly, as there’s a small risk of blood clots after any operation.

Don’t lift heavy bags too soon. Lifting puts strain on the wound and can increase the chance of a hernia. Pack light, use a suitcase with wheels, and let someone else load it into the car or the overhead locker.

Swimming should wait until your wounds have fully healed, which your GP or practice nurse can confirm. Chlorinated pools, the sea and hot tubs can all bring a risk of infection while a wound is still open.

On a long flight, get up and walk when you can, drink plenty of water and move your ankles while seated.

Keep an eye on your wound while you’re away. Redness spreading from the cut, pus, a fever or pain that’s getting worse rather than better all need checking by a doctor.

How to get a quote

Enter your trip details, declare your appendicitis if the medical questions ask about it, and choose the cover you want. You’ll see the full cost before you pay.

Get a Quote

Other Useful Gastrointestinal Pages

• Acute Pancreatitis Travel Insurance
• Appendicitis Travel Insurance
• Chronic Pancreatitis Travel Insurance
• Coeliac Disease Travel Insurance
• Crohn's Disease Travel Insurance
• Cyclical Vomiting Syndrome Travel Insurance
• Diverticular Diseases Travel Insurance
• Gallstones Travel Insurance
• Gastritis Travel Insurance
• Heartburn and Acid Reflux Travel Insurance
• Hernia Travel Insurance
• Irritable Bowel Syndrome Travel Insurance
• Stomach Ulcer Travel Insurance
• Ulcerative Colitis Travel Insurance

Don't worry if your condition is not listed above - we cover plenty more medical conditions.
* Please note that cover will vary depending on individual medical screenings.