Travel Insurance for Colitis

What is colitis?

Colitis means inflammation of the colon, the large bowel. When people talk about it as a long-term condition they usually mean ulcerative colitis, a type of inflammatory bowel disease where the lining of the colon and rectum becomes inflamed and develops small ulcers. It’s one of the digestive conditions that can shape how people plan a holiday, mainly because of the need to be near a toilet.

Symptoms include diarrhoea, often with blood or mucus, tummy pain, needing to go urgently and tiredness. Like Crohn’s disease, it tends to come in flare-ups with calmer periods in between. Treatment ranges from tablets and suppositories to steroids, immunosuppressants, biologic medicines and sometimes surgery. The NHS ulcerative colitis page has much more on this.

Why do I need to declare colitis for travel insurance?

Ulcerative colitis is a long-term pre-existing medical condition, so it needs declaring even when it’s in remission. Your cover needs to reflect it because a flare can start quickly and, abroad, could mean urgent treatment or a hospital stay for dehydration or severe symptoms. Immunosuppressant medicines also make some infections more likely, and a flare in the run-up to departure might force a cancellation. If colitis isn’t on your policy, a related claim 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 with colitis?

Generally, yes. Whether colitis can be accepted comes down to your screening result. Things that tend to matter include how recent your last flare was, any hospital admissions or steroid courses in the past year, changes to your treatment, and whether you’re waiting for a colonoscopy or surgery.

What we’ll ask about your colitis

It only takes a few minutes to get through the online medical screening. The questions about your colitis may ask how your colitis is treated and when you last had a flare. 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 colitis 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

Flares can come at awkward times. If, before your trip, you have a flare that needs new treatment, you start a different medication, you’re admitted to hospital, or you’re booked in for tests, you must let us know. Your cover may need reviewing, we may need to refer your medical situation to the underwriters, and in some cases we may not be able to proceed with cover. If you don’t let us know of any changes in your medical, a future claim can be affected or denied.

What can colitis travel insurance cover?

With colitis accepted, a flare-up abroad that needs emergency treatment is treated like any other medical emergency. If you became dehydrated with severe diarrhoea in Morocco and needed hospital care with fluids through a drip, the treatment costs could be covered, as could repatriation if a doctor says you need help getting home. This is subject to the policy terms, exclusions, limits and excess.

If a flare before your holiday means your doctor advises you not to travel, cancellation cover may help you recover non-refundable costs.

There’s no cover for routine infusions or other treatment you planned to have abroad, or for undeclared conditions.

Will colitis affect the cost of travel insurance?

Colitis can raise the premium, but there’s no set amount. It comes from the outcome of online medical screening, which may ask how your colitis is treated and how well it has been controlled recently. Where you’re travelling, your age and the length of the trip are factored in as well. Before you pay, the full cost is there to check.

Single trip or annual cover with colitis

For one trip, a single trip policy is enough. If you travel more often, annual travel insurance may suit you better, and the screening result will show whether it’s available with your colitis.

Travelling with colitis: practical tips

The following advice is general. It doesn’t form part of your policy.

Toilet access is the thing most people plan around. Book an aisle seat near the toilets on the plane, and on a coach tour check how often it stops. A Can’t Wait Card from Crohn’s & Colitis UK can help you explain your situation in shops and restaurants, and some versions are translated into other languages.

Tummy bugs can trigger a flare, so take care with food and water. In places where tap water isn’t safe, use bottled or boiled water, including for brushing your teeth, and be careful with salads, ice and food that’s been left out. Pack oral rehydration sachets in case you get diarrhoea.

If you take immunosuppressants or biologics, some travel vaccines, especially live ones like yellow fever, may not be suitable. Ask your IBD team or a travel clinic well in advance, and check the TravelHealthPro country pages for your destination.

Plan your medication. Some biologic injections need to be kept cold, so you may need a cool bag and a fridge in your room. Time your infusions or injections around the trip with your clinic’s help, and keep your medicines in your hand luggage.

If you have a stoma, pack more supplies than you think you’ll need, split between bags. Heat can affect how well bags stick, so bring spares.

How to get a quote

Give us your trip details, answer the medical questions for colitis and any other conditions, and choose your cover. You’ll see the price before anything is paid.

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.