Coronary Heart Disease Travel Insurance

What is coronary heart disease?

Coronary heart disease (CHD) happens when the arteries supplying the heart muscle become narrowed by fatty deposits. Less blood gets through, which can cause chest pain known as angina, and if an artery becomes completely blocked it can lead to a heart attack. It’s one of the most common heart conditions in the UK.

Plenty of people live with it for years, managing it with tablets, lifestyle changes and sometimes a stent or bypass surgery. The NHS coronary heart disease page covers the causes and the treatments on offer.

Why do I need to declare coronary heart disease for travel insurance?

Coronary heart disease is a pre-existing medical condition, and we need to know about it because narrowed arteries raise the chance of angina, a heart attack or an urgent stent while you’re away. Heart treatment overseas can be extremely expensive, especially if you need specialist care and a medical escort home.

If it’s missing from your policy and you need treatment for your heart, the claim could be declined or paid only in part.

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 coronary heart disease?

In most cases, you will. With coronary heart disease, the screening will ask more detailed questions about any treatment you've had, smoking habits, whether you've had a heart attack, and if you've had high blood pressure or raised cholesterol. Stable CHD managed with tablets tends to be easier to cover than a recent event or ongoing symptoms.

What we’ll ask about your coronary heart disease

Our online screening is easy to follow. It asks a few questions about your coronary heart disease, including the medication you take and any procedures you’ve had, such as stents. When you’ve declared this condition, carry on with any other relevant pre-existing medical conditions.

Finishing the medical declaration takes you through to the quote page. Provided your coronary heart disease and your other declared conditions can be covered, you’ll be presented with a list of quotes. The premium you see already includes cover for your medical, and if we cannot provide cover, you’ll know before going ahead.

If your health changes before travelling

Heart health can change between booking and setting off. If your angina worsens, you’re started on new tablets, you have a hospital admission, or you’re referred for an angiogram between now and departure, 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 coronary heart disease travel insurance cover?

With the condition accepted, chest pain abroad is handled like any other medical emergency. If you’re taken to hospital in Portugal with suspected heart problems, emergency treatment there can be covered, as can bringing you home with medical support if needed. Subject to the policy terms, exclusions, limits, and excess.

And if your heart plays up shortly before you go, so that a doctor advises against travel, cancellation cover may help you get back the money you can’t recover elsewhere.

Planned procedures abroad aren’t covered. Nor is anything linked to a condition you didn’t tell us about.

Will coronary heart disease affect the cost of travel insurance?

It’s possible coronary heart disease will raise the cost, though only the screening result can determine by how much. Our online medical screening asks about how your heart condition is treated and how well it’s controlled, alongside your other health details. Age, destination, and trip length are part of the picture as well. You’ll be shown the price before any decision to buy.

Single trip or annual cover with coronary heart disease

If it’s just the one trip, look at single trip travel insurance. Regular travellers may prefer annual travel insurance, though whether that’s available depends on the screening.

Travelling with coronary heart disease: practical tips

What follows is general advice. None of it forms part of your policy.

Keep your GTN spray or tablets with you, not in the hold. Pack them in your hand luggage along with the rest of your medication and a few days of spare. A copy of your prescription is useful if you need more while you’re away.

Think about how much carrying and walking the trip involves. Heavy cases, long airport corridors and steep streets can bring on angina. Booking assistance at the airport is free, and a hotel with a lift or a ground floor room takes a lot of the effort out.

Cold weather can trigger chest pain as well as heat, so pack for both if you’re heading to the mountains or a winter city break. In hot places, drink plenty and keep out of the midday sun.

Long flights mean sitting still for hours. Move around the cabin when you can, and ask your GP about compression stockings if you’re at risk of blood clots.

Before you go, find the nearest hospital with a cardiac unit and save the local emergency number in your phone. If you’re unsure about strenuous activities such as diving or high altitude trekking, discuss them with your cardiologist first.

Holidays tend to mean richer food, more alcohol and less routine. Keep taking your statins and other tablets at the usual times, and if you smoke, a trip can be a good moment to keep cutting down rather than picking it back up.

How to get a quote

Start with a few trip details, then answer the medical questions about your heart and anything else that needs declaring. You’ll see what it costs before deciding.

Get a Quote

Other Useful Heart Pages

• Angina Travel Insurance
• Aortic Valve Disease Travel Insurance
• Arrhythmia Travel Insurance
• Atrial Fibrillation Travel Insurance
• Cardiomyopathy Travel Insurance
• Congenital Heart Disease Travel Insurance
• Coronary Heart Disease Travel Insurance
• Endocarditis Travel Insurance
• Heart Attack Travel Insurance
• Heart Conditions Travel Insurance
• Heart Failure Travel Insurance
• Heart Valve Disease Travel Insurance
• Pericarditis Travel Insurance
• Supraventricular Tachycardia 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.