Arranging travel insurance
For more information, visit the Parkinson’s UK website (last updated November 2022).
It’s important to have a valid travel insurance policy before you go on holiday.
If you have Parkinson’s, make sure the policy covers pre-existing medical conditions. If you don’t declare a medical condition and need to make a claim, your policy may be invalid.
Think about buying travel insurance as soon as you’ve booked your holiday. You’ll then be covered between booking and the date you travel. Good travel insurance policies will cover the cost of cancelling your trip if you’re unwell and can’t go, for example.
If you’re planning on taking any equipment or mobility aids with you, make sure they’re insured for loss or damage. Standard travel insurance policies don’t always cover these items.
Your rights
Under the Equality Act 2010, companies and service providers, including insurance and travel companies, must not, without reason, refuse to provide a service to a disabled person that they offer other members of the public.
However, the law allows insurers to apply special conditions or premiums to disabled people if they can show there’s a greater risk in insuring them. People with Parkinson’s have told us that they have found the price of these premiums reasonable in many cases.
The Association of British Insurers has consumer information relating to all types of insurance, including travel insurance, and what to do if things go wrong.
Association of British Insurers
The Money and Pensions Service offers a travel insurance directory for people with a serious medical condition. The directory also features an FAQ section on finding and arranging a suitable travel insurance policy.