Medical conditions 'shouldn't prevent travel'

Expatriate medical insurance policyholders should not baulk at travelling further afield simply because they have had health problems in the past, an industry expert has advised.

Emma Holyer, spokesperson for LV= Insurance, said getting expat health insurance cover depends on individual circumstances, but prospective expatriates should not be put off going abroad because they have had treatment for various conditions in the past.

"There's a little bit of a misconception amongst consumers that if you have had any kind of medical problems you are going to struggle. That isn't really the case" Ms Hoyler noted.

She added that expatriate medical insurance providers would use the advice of a policyholder's doctor, and if travellers are advised not to fly, "it will invalidate the insurance".

Her comments follow guidelines issued by the British Cardiovascular Society in its Fitness to Fly report, which suggested that there are very few heart conditions that would mean patients should not fly.