Travel insurance
Already have travel insurance in place? It’s important that you tell your insurer of your diagnosis. Don’t wait until the policy expires and you come to renew – if you need to claim while you’re away from home your insurer may not pay out if you haven’t made them aware of your diagnosis.
Check the policy wording to see what you need to do. And don’t wait until it’s close to your travel date – some insurers may ask you to complete a medical screening and might want to check with your doctor that you’re not travelling against medical advice. These things take time which could jeopardise your trip if you leave it to the last minute.
Looking for travel insurance? If you’re looking for cover, you might find it a bit harder. Expect to have to pay more – and do some research as not all companies will insure for dementia. Many will insure for one specific trip but won’t offer an annual multi-trip option.
The Alzheimer’s Society recommends trying Tourism For All and you could also try price comparison websites or using a broker – they know which insurers to approach who are likely to cover you.
If you’re travelling in Europe, Switzerland (and a few other destinations) apply for a UK Global Health Insurance Card (GHIC) which will cover you for emergency treatment while you’re away. Find out more about the GHIC here
Health insurance
If you have health or medical cover check the wording on the policy to see what you’re covered for and let your insurer know that you’re now living with dementia. You might have a policy that includes ‘later life and dementia’ cover – a few insurers offer this – but either way the company will need to know about your new diagnosis.
Income protection and critical illness insurance
Both critical illness cover (usually paid as a lump sum) and income protection (paid as a percentage of your usual salary if you are no longer able to work) should pay out if you took policies out prior to your diagnosis. Contact your provider to talk this through.
Home insurance
In terms of whether you need to let your home insurance provider know about your diagnosis or not, there is no definitive answer. Look at the terms and conditions of your policy for guidance and if in doubt, contact your provider. As your dementia progresses your circumstances may change – your loved ones should keep in contact with your insurer – especially if your home is left unoccupied for long periods, i.e. if you move to respite care.
Vehicle insurance
If you drive you must let the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) and your vehicle insurer know about your dementia diagnosis immediately or risk a fine of up to £1,000. You can notify DVLA Medical Enquiries on 0300 790 6806 and if you want to continue to drive there is a process to follow. You can read more about it on the Dementia UK website here includes tips on how to make driving with dementia easier.
If you are deemed fit to drive you must keep your insurer informed of what’s going on. Remember, it’s illegal to drive without at least third-party insurance.
Life insurance
It’s unlikely that your life insurance policy will be affected by your dementia diagnosis because these policies are designed to cover you for all eventualities.
Chat with others about their experiences with insurance providers here