Example: Kristina fails to disclose her condition

Kristina suffers from a relatively mild form of cystic fibrosis that, most of the time, has a minimal impact on her everyday life. Rather than go through the hassle of hunting around for travel insurance cover for her condition, she decides to keep her condition hidden from the insurance provider.

Unfortunately, while Kristina is in the French Alps, just 1 week into her 3-week European getaway, her cystic fibrosis flares up dramatically and she is hospitalised for almost a week. But because cover for cystic fibrosis is not included in her travel insurance, Kristina must cover thousands of dollars of medical bills herself. In addition, with her health so poor that she must abandon the rest of her holiday, her insurer refuses to cover her cancellation fees, lost pre-paid deposits or the additional travel expenses she incurs to return home.

At the end of the ordeal, Kristina is left more than $10,000 out of pocket, and all because she was worried about the annoyance of spending a little more time finding the right travel insurance policy.

* This is a fictional, but realistic, example.