Travel Insurance for Bunions

What are bunions?

A bunion is a bony lump on the side of the foot at the base of the big toe. It forms as the big toe gradually leans towards the other toes, pushing the joint outwards. Bunions are a common musculoskeletal condition, and they can make the area red, swollen and sore, especially in tight shoes. Hard skin and pain in the ball of the foot often come with them.

They tend to run in families and are more common in women. Wide, comfortable footwear, padding and painkillers help many people, while surgery is an option when the pain becomes hard to live with. The NHS bunions page describes the treatments available.

Why do I need to declare bunions for travel insurance?

Bunions you’ve had treatment for, or surgery on, count as a pre-existing medical condition. Most of the time they cause discomfort rather than emergencies, but after an operation there’s a risk of infection, wound problems or a blood clot, particularly if you fly soon afterwards. A planned operation can also clash with travel dates.

Declaring bunions lets these risks be assessed. If you don’t, a related claim could be declined 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 with bunions?

For most people, yes. Mild bunions you’ve never seen a doctor about may not come up in the screening at all. Where treatment or surgery is involved, your medical screening decides whether they can be included, and recent surgery or complications such as infection or wound problems may affect what’s offered.

What we’ll ask about your bunions

It only takes a few minutes to get through the online medical screening. The questions about your bunions focus on how they affect your walking and whether surgery is planned. Once that’s done, carry on declaring any other relevant pre-existing medical conditions.

Once everything is declared, you’ll reach the quote page. If cover is available for your bunions and your other conditions, you’ll see a choice of quotes, each with the cost of your medical cover included in the premium. Should we be unable to cover you, you’ll know before proceeding.

If your health changes before travelling

Bunions can go from a nuisance to needing an operation. If, before your trip, your treatment changes, you have a hospital stay, you’re given a date for surgery, or you receive a new diagnosis, you must let us know. We may have to review your cover and refer your medical details to the underwriters, and sometimes we may not be able to proceed with cover. If changes in your medical go unreported, a future claim can be affected or denied.

What can bunion travel insurance cover?

Once your bunions are accepted, emergency medical treatment for them abroad can be covered. Bunions themselves rarely cause emergencies, but an infection after recent surgery could. If a wound became infected in Cyprus and needed urgent hospital care, treatment and, if a doctor felt it necessary, repatriation could be included. All cover is subject to the policy terms, exclusions, limits and excess.

Should a complication before departure mean a doctor tells you not to travel, cancellation cover might help with costs you’ve already paid.

Having bunion surgery or podiatry abroad on purpose isn’t covered. Claims connected with conditions you haven’t declared aren’t covered either.

Will bunions affect the cost of travel insurance?

Bunions can have some bearing on price. Our online medical screening works out how much, and it may ask how they’ve been treated and how well any pain or swelling is controlled. Broader details, including your age, the destination and how long you plan to stay, feed into the price as well. You get to see the quote before deciding whether to go ahead.

Single trip or annual cover with bunions

Going away once? A single trip policy covers that holiday. Frequent travellers may find annual travel insurance more convenient. Annual cover is available depending on your screening result.

Travelling with bunions: practical tips

These tips are general and don’t form part of your cover.

Shoes make or break a holiday with bunions. Take footwear you’ve already worn in, with a wide, deep toe box and soft uppers. New sandals bought for the trip are a common cause of blisters over the joint. Pack bunion pads or gel spacers, and plasters for hot spots.

Feet swell on flights and in hot weather, which can make shoes that fit at home feel tight. Slip-on shoes for the plane and loosening laces later in the day both help. Raise your feet in the evening if you can.

Plan days with walking in mind. Old towns with cobbles and steep lanes are tough on painful feet, so mix walking tours with boat trips, buses or a rest by the pool.

If you’ve had surgery recently, check with your surgeon how soon you can travel and how long you need to wear a post-operative shoe. Keep the wound clean and dry, and be aware that sitting for long periods after foot surgery can increase the risk of a blood clot. Your GP or pharmacist can tell you about flight socks. If you also have heel pain, our page on plantar fasciitis may be helpful.

A small foot care kit is worth its space in the case: blister plasters, a nail file, moisturiser for hard skin and some antiseptic. Keep an eye on any broken skin over the bunion, particularly if you have diabetes or poor circulation.

Orthotic insoles prescribed by a podiatrist should come with you. They’re hard to replace abroad.

How to get a quote

Give us your trip details and declare your bunions, plus any other conditions, in the medical questions. Choose a level of cover and check the price before buying.

Get a Quote

Other Useful Musculoskeletal Pages

• Arthritis Travel Insurance
• Back and Neck Pain Travel Insurance
• Baker's Cyst Travel Insurance
• Broken Bones Travel Insurance
• Bunions Travel Insurance
• Bursitis Travel Insurance
• Fibromyalgia Travel Insurance
• Frozen Shoulder Travel Insurance
• Gout Travel Insurance
• Knee Pain Travel Insurance
• Osteophyte Travel Insurance
• Osteoporosis Travel Insurance
• Plantar Fasciitis Travel Insurance
• Repetitive Strain Injury Travel Insurance
• Sciatica Travel Insurance
• Slipped Disc Travel Insurance
• Tendonitis 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.