Travel insurance for mental health conditions

Are you planning your next adventure? While it's easy to focus on the excitement of planning your trip, it's essential to consider the unexpected, including potential health issues, both physical and mental.

When you purchase travel insurance from Good to Go, one of the first steps is to declare any pre-existing conditions you have, including those related to mental health. This step is vital, as failing to disclose any condition could invalidate your policy.

During the application process, you'll be asked about any history of stress, anxiety, depression, or other psychiatric conditions you've experienced. This includes conditions such as eating disorders, substance abuse, or other mental illnesses for which you've sought treatment or received a diagnosis. Depending on your specific mental health condition, you may need to answer medical screening questions to ensure that your coverage is tailored to your needs.

It's important to note that our coverage extends to prescription medication. If you're required to take medications with you, rest assured that they are covered by our policy. We recommend always carrying your medications in your hand luggage.

What am I allowed to take?¶

Ensure you take any medication in the original packaging. Make sure you have an up to date copy of your prescription, and a letter from your doctor if you are travelling to a country with restrictions on that drug. Take enough medication for a few days in your hand luggage, with the remainder for your trip in your hold baggage. If you have liquid medication, take care to make sure you only carry the permitted volume in your hand baggage.

Take enough to cover the duration of your trip and 48 hours spare. Do not take a lot of excess with you – just enough to allow for any delays in your return travel.

If you need to travel with prescribed oxygen, please make sure you check with your airline about how to organise this. Also, medication which requires injecting (such as insulin) will require a confirmatory letter from your doctor, so check with your airline. Only carry the needles needed for the journey with you in your hand baggage.

Some medications may also need to be kept at a particular temperature. Insulation and refrigerating travel storage bags are available from larger chemists to help do this effectively when travelling, and are well worth the small investment.

Travelling for a long period of time 

If you are travelling for a long period of time, usually 3 months or more, you may need a special licence to travel with certain medications (known as ‘controlled drugs’ – for example, codeine, diazepam, morphine and temazepam). Check with the country you are visiting via their embassy. This licence can be obtained by a simple application form on the gov.uk website.

Replacing lost medication 

If you do need to access medication to replace any you may have lost whilst you are away, do so with caution. Make sure you obtain medication via a doctor, rather than a chemist. The sale of counterfeit medication is a real problem in some countries.

Border control 

Make sure you have your medication in its original packaging, along with a copy of your prescription and a letter of authorisation from your GP. There is likely to be a small cost from your GP to provide this, but it can save a lot of difficult issues at customs.

Travelling across timezones 

Bear in mind that you may be travelling across time zones, and this can be tricky to manage with medications that are required on a regular basis. Keep a notebook with details of the time you have taken medication, and consider keeping a watch on ‘home’ time to help regulate your dosing if it is too tricky to change it to your destination timezone.
Otherwise a timer on your smartphone, or a simple alarm, can help to trigger you to take medication when it is due.

If you are only crossing a one or two hour timezone, don’t worry too much about altering the time you take medications – a small shift of one or two hours sooner or later will not affect most medications effectiveness.

Keeping medication cool 

Some medication, such as insulin in particular, needs to be kept cool, preferably in the fridge. Use a medication cool box to transport your insulin, and make sure your destination accommodation has a fridge you can use and access easily. It is recommended that all medication is stored at room temperature – ie from 68-77 degrees. It may be significantly hotter, or colder, than this depending on your destination, so make sure to keep your medication packets in a cool, dark place on arrival. Bear in mind that if you are travelling by car, medication left in the vehicle on a hot day will also be getting too hot! Consider using a cool box to keep it at a steady temperature.

People travel with their medication all the time, and usually without any issue or inconvenience. There is no need to change or avoid a trip due to medication, just make some simple preparations to avoid inconvenience later on, then you can enjoy your holiday, use your medication as needed, and not give it another thought!

Always consult your own doctor before travelling 

These travel tips are intended to provide general information to those taking prescription medication. They do not replace a visit to your doctor . If you are planning a holiday you should consult your doctor to ensure that you are fit to travel and discuss any specific health requirements you may have.

For those seeking additional benefits, our Gold and Platinum policies offer enhanced coverage, including cancellation cover. These options provide additional levels of cover and give you the option to purchase any optional cover you may require like waiting list cover or hazardous sports cover.

We understand that mental health is diverse, and we cover a wide range of conditions, so long as you have a diagnosis. We can cover conditions up to a high level of severity. We can provide cover for all types of mental health conditions such as anxiety, depression, stress, eating disorders. Quotes are based on destination and duration as well as age & medical history.

If you're unsure about whether your specific mental health condition is covered, or if you have any questions about our cover options, do give us a call us. Our experienced team can provide guidance and assistance tailored to your needs. If you require emergency treatment abroad for any reason, our emergency assistance line is available 24/7.

Don’t let your age or medical conditions hold you back! For travel insurance you’re good to go!