A complete guide to high cholesterol and travel insurance (2024)

FAQs

Do I need to declare high cholesterol on travel insurance? ›

If you're about to sign up for travel insurance, make it clear that you have this condition when you register. If you don't tell your insurer about a pre-existing medical condition (including high cholesterol), you may not be able to claim if something happens as a result of your condition on holiday.

In many cases, particularly if your cholesterol is well controlled by medication, adding this to the policy should not impact the price of your insurance.

During the flight

Sitting still for long periods – such as during long flights – can cause changes in blood circulation and can increase the risk of a clot. Particularly if you have a circulatory condition such as high cholesterol. You may want to consider buying an aisle seat and 'flight socks'.

In Life Insurance, It's All About the Ratio

Doctors usually consider total cholesterol over 200 to be high or elevated. Meanwhile, insurance companies will often accept applicants with total cholesterol of 275 or 300 at Preferred Best rates—the highest rate class available (say what?!).

Typically, cholesterol over 200 is considered borderline high from a medical perspective. However, insurance companies may still offer preferred best rates for people with cholesterol of 275 or 300.

In the health insurance world, a pre-existing condition is any injury, sickness or condition that exists before the date an insurance policy takes effect. Examples include asthma, diabetes, anxiety, depression, high blood pressure, high cholesterol and so on.

Too much bad cholesterol in your blood can increase your chance of getting heart disease, stroke, and other problems. Common medical terms for high blood cholesterol are lipid disorder, hyperlipidemia, or hypercholesterolemia, with the last being the most precise.

While statins are generally safe, well-tolerated, and effective for most people, they can rarely cause side effects such as muscle pain, liver inflammation, and an increased risk of diabetes.

Conditions which may not be covered

Conditions like terminal illness, the need for oxygen, pending surgery, chronic lung disease, cardiovascular disease, specific types of cancer, congestive heart failure, and recurring pain are generally excluded from coverage.

Patients with a baseline oxygen saturation of 90% or those with moderate HF may require an on-board medical oxygen supply. Those with severe or decompensated congestive heart failure should avoid flying commercially. Patients with implantable cardiac devices may need special attention when flying long distances.

What is classed as high cholesterol? ›

If total cholesterol levels are 240 mg/dl or above, a doctor will consider this very high, while 200–239 mg/dl is borderline high. Very high levels of LDL are 190 mg/dl and above. HDL cholesterol levels of 40 mg/dl or less are very low and a major risk factor for heart disease.

As long as their medications are carried in hand luggage, the majority of patients with cardiac conditions, such as CAD, can travel safely. Passengers who have unstable or unclear cardiovascular symptoms, on the other hand, should avoid traveling long distances.

Adults should keep their total cholesterol levels below 200 mg/dL and their LDL levels below 100 mg/dL.

It's unlikely that you'll be declined life insurance due to having high cholesterol, however if you have other medical conditions, smoke or are overweight (when combined with high cholesterol) then this could affect your eligibility.

Here are the ranges for total cholesterol in adults: Normal: Less than 200 mg/dL. Borderline high: 200 to 239 mg/dL. High: At or above 240 mg/dL.

Most cholesterol medications work pretty well in lowering cholesterol. Lower cholesterol means a lower risk of heart attack or stroke, which means you are a lower overall risk to the insurance company, which means the insurance company can offer you a better rate on life insurance.

Travel and holiday insurance for people with heart conditions. Heart conditions - it's a vague term and could be anything from heart arrhythmia to heart failure, disease, angina or heart attacks.