When Elle Dennis booked a family holiday to Majorca, she never imagined it would turn into a financial and emotional nightmare.
On the first day of her trip, she suffered a seizure, was placed in an induced coma, and spent a week in a private hospital. Doctors later discovered she had a grade three brain tumour. But while dealing with this devastating diagnosis, Elle and her husband faced another shock—her travel insurance provider refused to pay her €34,000 (£28,000) medical bill.
The reason? Elle had not declared that she was taking Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT). Even though her seizure was completely unrelated to HRT, her insurer, Inter Partner Assistance (part of the AXA group), used this as a loophole to deny coverage. Now, while undergoing cancer treatment, she is being chased by debt collectors.
Menopause Is Not a Medical Condition
Elle’s case raises a critical question: Why are insurers treating menopause like a disease?
Every woman will go through menopause—it is a natural stage of life, not an illness.
HRT is prescribed to manage symptoms like hot flashes, joint pain, and sleep disturbances, but it does not mean a woman is sick or high-risk.
Despite this, some insurers require women to declare HRT use, and failure to do so could invalidate a travel insurance policy. Yet, if Elle had disclosed it, her insurer admitted they would have covered her at no extra cost—just under a different policy type. This technicality allowed them to deny her claim, despite her condition having nothing to do with HRT.
How Insurers Are Failing Women
Elle’s story is not unique. More than two million women in the UK take HRT, and many are unaware that failing to declare it could leave them unprotected abroad. The consequences are severe:
Women may be paying for insurance that is worthless if they don’t disclose their HRT.
Many won’t think to declare it because menopause is a life stage, not a medical condition.
Those who do may face higher premiums or policy restrictions.
What Needs to Change?
1. Menopause and HRT should not be treated as pre-existing conditions.
2. Insurers must communicate clearer guidelines on what needs to be declared.
3. Women must be made aware of these policies to avoid financial risks.
No woman should face financial ruin for managing her health. It’s time for insurers to modernise their policies and stop penalising women for a natural life transition.
