advice please. Insurance won’t pay out for gallstones.

Check the small print first silverlining (I'd hate to recommend something that had a loophole which you missed). However, the link did specify that they would cover for gallstones I think.

I didn't have to claim but I would use them again. However, they do (as do all companies, I think) use 'zones' and, if I had wanted to just go out of the airport into Singapore for just a few hours, that would have been an extra £50 insurance.

silverlining take care! I had to be hospitalised due to a gall bladder infection & I had not been diagnosed with any gall stones before! I was on holiday but only at Camber Sands with the DGC.

PECS....ouch! And a timely reminder that we should all have travel insurance even if not actually leaving the country. If you have to cancel a trip due to poor health its still pretty expensive. Its not all about loosing your suitcase abroad or needing health care whilst actually on holiday. Also if you do some activities that you would not normally do....that could nullify your policy. Always best to specify everything and then read policy twice!

I’m still confused - is anyone else? My understanding is- I take out holiday insurance and declare all the conditions I have at the time. The insurance company agree to cover the conditions or not. If not I decide whether to take the chance or not. Then just before going some condition emerges. I ring them to tell them and they will agree to cover me or not ( maybe for an extra premium). If they won’t cover me, will they allow me to cancel and pay up for that? Or only if it’s reasonable to cancel in the circumstances? And if it’s not reasonable to cancel then why would not they cover me. Am I missing something?

They are sneaky! I have CLL which is currently is not manifesting itself in any way other than in my blood count. I have insurance citing CLL as an exception, i.e. if I became ill with CLL related issue I have to pay! Very few travel insurance will cover cancer illness.
I do not understand how updating information on your health means that a new condition is not insurable!

I can understand that a new condition before you go won’t be covered if you go but can’t believe that in that case they won’t pay out for cancellation costs - surely not

If you seek insurance elsewhere, I think it is important that you do mention this recent attack. If you became ill with this condition while you were away they can access your records and will note that you have not mentioned this. Thus will they wriggle out of payment!

I went to Switzerland last year with an uninsured condition - I just took my chance as no-one would cover it. EHIC is of course a factor when it comes to treatment; it is if you need to be flown home, or relatives need to stay on to be with you that the problems arise.

[email protected] insured me when I added gall stones on to my worldwide travel insurance. They wanted to know if my gallbladder was damaged during my attack and I had to get in touch with my GP who said the gallbladder wasn’t damaged. I wasn’t asked to pay any more premium. However with my medical history I pay £108 annually which I think is fair. If you want to know more please PM me.

The bank has me insured for little things but won’t consider me for any pre existing conditions.

Ask around different insurance companies and see if you would insure you . No problem in having more than one insurance as long as you do not claim from both. Get some strong painkillers form GP if he is willing to give you them just in case.
I had gall stones ( undiagnosed ) for 20 years . After they found them ( Very small but painful ) and took them out my daughter told her GP I still had them . She was shocked until DD explained they were in a jar at home .

What happened in the end Silverlining?

such a pity when people post for advice then just disappear. The answer would be useful for many.

Hello Jura. I saw the post and as i read it thought, oh someone else is in exactly the same position as me until I noticed it was my post from January.
You ask what happened, sorry I never came back but it was a bit full on at the time.
As you know staysure refused to cover me so I took out another single trip policy with another company.
I had hoped the operation would be done before the holiday but complications meant it was delayed til our return.
Was warned not to eat spicy or hot food....but a bit hard to avoid in India. Curry for breakfast lunch and dinner!
I feel fine now and have had no problems since.
I won’t be using stay sure again and now need to look round fir another insurer. It’s a minefield.
Thanks to all fir the comments, perhaps I should have taken it again up with them but didn’t, and now it’s probably too late. Annoying having to pay twice for the same trip.
Oh and as a ps our airline went out of business during our holiday which made things super awkward on our return.
It’s certainly one to remember.

ah thanks for getting back. Did you single trip policy cover you for gallstones, in case. Was it hugely expensive?

It is very difficult, and often impossible to get cover beyond a certain age for some pre-existing conditions.