Mental Health travel insurance: Why do you need one?

Issues relating to mental health are very delicate ones and over the years, have had more light shed on them.

There are many who have questions regarding travel insurance and if it has any limitations on people with mental health challenges. 

In this article, we will discuss some of the frequently asked questions relating to travel insurance and the limitations the various companies may or may not have on people with mental health conditions.

We will also look at what happens if a client forgets to mention their history of mental health issues to the insurer, among others. Keep reading to learn all the answers. 

Can you get travel insurance if you have anxiety? 

One downside about the standard travel insurance companies is that they don’t offer policies that cover health issues that already exist prior to your departure for the trip.

And since anxiety is considered a health-related complication, travelers with the disorder will not be able to claim their insurance in case there’s a related emergency during the trip. 

All hope is not lost, you can consider other travel insurance companies that sell policies that cover pre-existing medical conditions or specialist anxiety travel insurance to get yourself covered. 

Can you get a passport with a mental illness? 

There are two grounds of inadmissibility when it comes to mental illness, that is the current physical or mental disorders associated with harmful behavior. 

This is to say that people with mild mental conditions that don’t have the tendency to attack others are not restricted from acquiring passports. 

On the other hand, people whose mental disorders tend to make them violent or harmful to others are not eligible for passport acquisition. 

Can you travel abroad with bipolar? 

With bipolar patients, the only time you will be legally restricted from traveling is if your condition intensifies or if you recently had a depressive episode. 

If you’ve not had an episode within a particular time frame before your departure date, you won’t be prohibited from making the trip. 

Does travel insurance cover you if you change your mind?

One of the coverages travel insurance gives you is a refund of your total trip’s cost should you cancel. There are, however, some terms and conditions that apply to this. 

Your travel insurance company will only cover your canceled trip under two main circumstances. First is if it was due to a severe medical emergency where you or your travel companion are declared unfit to travel by a licensed physician.

The second is if you, your travel companion, or any close relative at home happens to die and you have no choice but to stay behind. 

Any other reasons besides these two are pretty difficult to claim. 

What can affect mental health insurance coverage? 

The process of getting travel health insurance coverage for people with mental health disorders is slightly more complicated than for those opting for regular coverage policies. 

To acquire insurance, travelers may sometimes be required to take online tests to provide the insurance company with all the important details regarding their condition and related travel history.

You will be asked questions about your condition like when you were last hospitalized, whether or not you’re on medication or seeing a psychologist, and if your condition has caused you to cancel flights in the past. 

What if I forgot to tell my insurer about my mental health conditions? 

If you forgot to inform your insurance company about your mental health condition, the best way to remedy that is to immediately call them to discuss updating your pre-existing medical conditions record. 

If you don’t do this, you won’t be able to get coverage in case of emergencies pertaining 

Conclusion 

Having a mental health condition or history does not limit you from attaining travel insurance, there are several companies that provide insurance policies to suit your needs.

Just be sure to make it a point to mention all your mental health complications to the insurer to enable them to find you a policy well-tailored to your condition and to prevent any cases of policy claim rejections in the future.