Travel Insurance for Peripheral Vascular Disease

What is peripheral vascular disease?

Peripheral vascular disease (PVD) is a problem with the blood vessels away from the heart and brain, most often the arteries supplying the legs. Fatty deposits build up in the artery walls, the vessels narrow, and less blood reaches the muscles. It’s one of a group of circulatory conditions linked to the same process, known as atherosclerosis.

The classic symptom is a cramping pain in the calves or thighs when you walk, which eases after a short rest. Some people have no symptoms at all. Smoking, diabetes, high blood pressure and high cholesterol all raise the risk. The NHS uses the term peripheral arterial disease, and its peripheral arterial disease page covers symptoms and treatment in more depth.

Why do I need to declare peripheral vascular disease for travel insurance?

Peripheral vascular disease is a pre-existing medical condition, and we ask about it because narrowed arteries in the legs can lead to problems that need urgent care. A wound that won’t heal, a sudden blockage or chest pain from linked heart disease could all mean treatment abroad, and long periods sitting still on a flight don’t help circulation.

If PVD is left off and you need to claim for something connected to it, the claim could be refused or the payout reduced.

Can I get travel insurance with peripheral vascular disease?

In many cases, yes. What affects whether cover is offered is mostly how active the disease is. A recent angioplasty or bypass, ulcers or wounds that haven’t healed, pain at rest or an upcoming procedure will be looked at more closely, and so will other heart and circulation conditions that often go hand in hand with PVD.

What we’ll ask about your PVD

The online medical screening for PVD is short and straightforward. You answer a few relevant questions about your circulation as part of the quote, then the outcome is shown to you there and then.

Your screening result

There’s no waiting around for an answer. When you reach the end, your quote shows whether PVD has been accepted, and an accepted condition is already built into the premium on screen. If PVD can’t be included, you’ll find out before going any further.

When something changes before departure

Between buying cover and travelling, let us know about any new diagnosis, a change of tablets, a stay in hospital or being put on a waiting list. Your cover may need another look. Leaving a change unreported could cause problems with a related claim.

What PVD travel insurance can cover

Once your PVD is accepted, a sudden problem linked to it while you’re away is treated as a medical emergency. If a blocked artery in your leg needs urgent treatment in a hospital in Florida, the medical bills can be covered, along with getting you home with medical help if needed. All of that is subject to the policy terms, exclusions, limits and excess.

If your condition worsens before you go and your doctor says you shouldn’t travel, cancellation cover may let you claim back non-refundable costs.

The policy won’t cover planned procedures abroad, routine wound care you’d normally get at home, or claims linked to anything you didn’t declare.

Single trip or annual cover with PVD

Single trip cover suits a one-off break. If you travel more often, annual multi-trip cover may make sense, though it depends on what your screening shows.

Will PVD affect the cost of travel insurance?

Declaring PVD can change what you pay, and the screening decides by how much. When you go through online medical screening, you may be asked how the condition is being treated and how well it’s kept under control. Beyond that, the price reflects the same things it would for any traveller: how old you are, where you’re heading and how many days you’ll be gone.

Travelling with peripheral vascular disease: practical tips

These are general suggestions to help you travel comfortably. They don’t form part of your insurance.

Walking is often a big part of a holiday, and with PVD that can mean stopping regularly with leg pain. Pick a base where cafés and benches are close together, and don’t plan a day that depends on long uphill walks. Many airports and stations offer free assistance if you book ahead, which saves a long walk to the gate.

Look after your feet. Reduced blood flow means cuts and blisters heal slowly and can become infected. Take shoes you’ve already broken in, avoid walking barefoot on hot sand or around the pool, and check your feet each evening. If you also have diabetes, this matters even more.

On long flights or coach trips, move your legs often and stay hydrated. Avoid tight socks unless your doctor has recommended a specific type, as compression is not suitable for everyone with arterial disease.

Keep taking your usual medicines at the usual times, and pack extra in your hand luggage. If you’ve recently given up smoking, a holiday can be a tempting time to slip, so it’s worth planning how you’ll handle that.

How to get a quote

Fill in your travel dates and destination, complete the medical questions for PVD and any other conditions, and choose your cover. The price is shown before you buy.

Get a Quote

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Don't worry if your condition is not listed above - we cover plenty more medical conditions.
* Please note that cover will vary depending on individual medical screenings.

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