I began taking Ozempic two months ago and the effects are already noticeable. I’ve lost two stone and feel better than ever. I’m planning on taking a trip to Italy to see Pompeii, but I was wondering whether I need to declare that I’m using Ozempic to my travel insurance company?
Fiona Croston, via email
Yes, you do. When buying travel insurance you need to disclose any prescribed medication or treatment you are taking – and weight-loss drugs are prescription medications.
Failure to do so would mean the insurer is within its rights to refuse a payout for a claim, even if the weight-loss prescription has no bearing on the trouble you had abroad.
Given the average medical claim abroad exceeds £1,700, according to travel insurance firm Forum Insurance, it is a serious risk to fail to make a declaration.
More than 1.5million people are now believed to take these drugs, known as GLP-1 receptor agonists, which include Wegovy, Ozempic, Mounjaro and Saxenda, so this is affecting huge numbers of holidaymakers. It does not matter if it is taken without approval from a doctor or without a prescription. It still must be declared.
The Association of British Insurers says: ‘If any prescription medicine is taken without approval from a doctor, especially if it may have side effects that could lead to illness or complications, this could void your cover and cause issues, should you need to make a claim. If you are unsure of what to declare, you should contact your insurer to check.’
The good news is that declaring you are on weight-loss jabs does not affect the cost of travel insurance by much.
With Aviva (aviva.co.uk) the cost of annual worldwide multi-trip travel cover is from £146.77 for a 50-year-old not taking Ozempic. The price for the same traveller using Ozempic is £149.71. The price for a multi-trip policy in Europe is £72.01 for someone not on Ozempic and £73.45 for users.
It is important you always carry a copy of your prescription when travelling abroad – for weight loss or any other medications.
You should also double-check the rules of what drugs are allowed into the country – possible via your destination’s travel advisory at gov.uk.
Niraj Mamtora, director at Forum Insurance, says failure to declare your weight-loss medications is ‘a serious breach of your travel insurance contract’.
I will be taking a cruise with Cunard in December, calling at Madeira, the Canaries and Lisbon, before returning to Southampton. I am anxious not to exceed my 90 days in 180 days within the EU as I have done a number of other trips recently. Can you confirm whether any or all of my days on the ship will count towards my 90-day entitlement?
Doug Weeks, via email
According to Cruise Lines International Association, which represents the cruise industry, on a Southampton-and-back cruise you would only accrue days spent in the EU if you disembarked in a Schengen Area port and had your passport checked by border officials before returning to the ship. Each time this happens you will have clocked up an extra day.
- We’re here to help. If you need advice the Holiday Guru is here to answer your questions. Email us at holidayplanner@dailymail.co.uk
