Travel Insurance for an Enlarged Prostate

What is an enlarged prostate?

The prostate is a small gland below the bladder in men, and it tends to grow larger with age. When it presses on the tube that carries urine out of the body, it can cause a weak flow, a feeling that the bladder hasn’t emptied, needing to go urgently and getting up several times in the night. Doctors call it benign prostate enlargement, or BPH, and it sits with other urinary conditions on our site.

Benign means it isn’t cancer, and having an enlarged prostate doesn’t raise your risk of prostate cancer. Treatment ranges from lifestyle changes to tablets such as tamsulosin or finasteride, and sometimes surgery. The NHS enlarged prostate page explains the options.

Why do I need to declare an enlarged prostate for travel insurance?

An enlarged prostate counts as a pre-existing medical condition if the medical questions ask about it. We want to know because it can lead to urinary retention, where you suddenly can’t pass urine and need a catheter, or to infections. Either could mean emergency treatment abroad or cutting a trip short.

Declaring it means your policy takes that risk into account. If it isn’t on your policy, a claim connected to your prostate could be turned down 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 an enlarged prostate?

Most men with an enlarged prostate can get cover. It’s a common condition, especially later in life.

Mild symptoms controlled with one tablet are likely to be seen quite differently from repeated retention, a long-term catheter, recent urine infections or waiting for surgery. Those are the details that decide whether cover can be offered.

What we’ll ask about your enlarged prostate

It only takes a few minutes to get through the online medical screening. The questions about your enlarged prostate focus on the medication you take and whether you’ve been referred for surgery. 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 enlarged prostate 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

Prostate symptoms can change over time. If, before your trip, your tablets change, you have a hospital stay, you’re referred for tests or 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 enlarged prostate travel insurance cover?

When your enlarged prostate has been accepted, emergency medical treatment abroad can be covered. Suppose you suddenly can’t pass urine on a river cruise in France and have to go to hospital to be catheterised. The treatment, any follow-up care needed before you fly home and, if necessary, repatriation can be covered, subject to the policy terms, exclusions, limits and excess.

If you have a bad bout of symptoms just before you leave and your doctor advises against travel, cancellation cover may help with costs you’ve already paid.

Prostate surgery or check ups planned abroad aren’t covered, and nor are claims relating to anything undeclared.

Will an enlarged prostate affect the cost of travel insurance?

An enlarged prostate can have an effect on the cost of cover. How big an effect comes down to your screening result. If you go through our online medical screening, expect it to ask how the condition is treated and how well your symptoms are controlled. Your age, destination and trip length also help shape the quote, and the price is shown before you buy.

Single trip or annual cover with an enlarged prostate

A single trip policy is fine for one holiday. If you travel several times a year, annual cover may work out better, depending on your screening result.

Travelling with an enlarged prostate: practical tips

These are general pointers and not part of the insurance itself.

Choose your seat. An aisle seat on the plane, a seat near the toilet on a coach and a quick look at where the facilities are when you arrive can make long journeys much easier. Coach tours vary a lot in how often they stop, so it’s worth asking before you book.

Be careful with cold and allergy remedies. Some decongestants and antihistamines can make it harder to pass urine and may trigger retention in men with an enlarged prostate. Check with a pharmacist before buying anything for a cold or hay fever abroad, where brand names may be unfamiliar.

Pace your drinks. Stay well hydrated in the heat, but you might find it helps to cut down on fluids in the couple of hours before a long journey or bedtime, and to go easy on alcohol, fizzy drinks and caffeine. Don’t cut back so far that you become dehydrated, especially in hot countries.

If you use a catheter, take spare supplies in your hand luggage, along with a letter from your GP or nurse. Our guide to travelling abroad with medication has more on carrying medical items through airports.

Know the signs of retention. Severe lower tummy pain and being unable to pee despite feeling desperate to go need urgent treatment. Don’t wait it out until you get home.

How to get a quote

Give us your trip details, answer the questions about your prostate and any other health conditions, then choose your cover. You’ll see the full price first.

Get a Quote

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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.