Disclosing any medical conditions is essential because you could invalidate your travel insurance policy if you don’t. A medical issue can send quotes for cover soaring but it is not worth risking going abroad without a policy.
Real-Life Experiences with Rising Premiums
“I nearly fell over when I saw the travel insurance quote,” says retiree Bernie Lawrence. The 77-year-old from Fleet, Hampshire, explains that after developing heart problems, the cost of buying cover became “astronomical.” Lawrence, who usually travels with his wife Barbara, 79, had always been active before suffering chest pains while running in 2018. Nine days later, he underwent quadruple bypass surgery.
Before the surgery, the couple bought annual travel insurance policies for Europe for under £100. However, after the operation and as they aged, prices rose sharply. In 2022 they paid £302 for the same level of cover. After he suffered briefly from atrial fibrillation—a common heart rhythm disorder—and was placed on an NHS waiting list for an echocardiogram, they were quoted £1,200.
“I just couldn’t believe it,” he says. “All I was waiting for was for them to tell me something I already knew: that it had gone and probably wasn’t going to come back.” Unable to wait months for NHS confirmation, he paid privately for the scan. Once he had the all-clear, his travel insurance quote dropped to £584. The couple paid £805 in 2024 and then £1,009 this year for annual cover before a Mediterranean cruise.
While he believes insurance companies view older people as “a bit of a cash cow,” he adds: “You can’t really argue with them because they say: ‘Well, you’re 77 years old and you’ve had all these things in the past.’”
The Risks of Travelling Without Insurance
Despite never making a claim, Lawrence considers cover essential. However, millions of holidaymakers with pre-existing medical conditions plan to travel abroad this summer without insurance, according to a survey by specialist insurer AllClear, which suggests 18% of Britons will risk not buying cover. This leaves them vulnerable to large bills if anything goes wrong. Two years ago, insurers paid out £262 million for medical expenses for UK travellers who needed emergency care or treatment while on holiday.
Countries like the US and Canada charge hundreds of thousands of pounds for treatment if you fall ill, so finding the right cover is crucial, says James Daley, founder of Fairer Finance, a research and rating agency. “Travel insurance can get very expensive if you’ve got a pre-existing medical condition,” he says. “But it’s incredibly important that you take out insurance that covers you for your condition—particularly if you’re travelling to countries like the US where there’s no reciprocal health agreement with the UK. If you end up having a medical emergency in the US without insurance, the costs can run into the tens and even hundreds of thousands of pounds.”
How to Buy Cover
The cost of a policy depends on your age, the condition, your destination, and trip duration. Price comparison websites allow you to search for policies even with pre-existing conditions, but it’s vital to check the small print with the insurer before paying. Also, ensure that anything you declare on the comparison site is included in the policy details when you proceed to purchase.
If mainstream sites or traditional insurers can’t help, specialists like Medical Travel Compared, PayingTooMuch, or AllClear may offer solutions. You can also find a broker through the British Insurance Brokers’ Association (biba.org.uk). When applying, insurers typically ask about medical issues from the last five years, though this period can vary by provider and condition—sometimes covering two years, five years, or longer for serious illnesses like cancer or heart disease. If you’ve recovered and received no further treatment during that time, you don’t need to disclose it.
You might consider buying a separate policy for the person with pre-existing conditions rather than a couple’s or group policy. However, Tommy Lloyd, managing director of Medical Travel Compared, recommends insuring the entire travelling party under the same policy where possible. “This helps ensure that cancellation and curtailment cover applies consistently across the group,” he says. “For example, if a traveller’s medical condition unexpectedly worsens before departure and the holiday has to be cancelled, a joint policy is more likely to provide protection for all insured travellers who are unable to travel as a result.” He adds: “While cost is important, travellers should not focus solely on the cheapest premium. The scope of cover and how it responds when travelling companions are affected by a medical condition can be just as important as the price.”
Common Conditions and Costs
Some common conditions like anxiety, high blood pressure, arthritis, and asthma add only a few pounds to a typical policy. However, you may face high costs if you are still under investigation or waiting for treatment. Disclosing any medical conditions is essential, as failure to do so could invalidate your policy.
We sought quotes for a traveller with no pre-existing conditions and compared them with costs for the same traveller with one of several conditions. Declaring anxiety did not increase the premium in this example, but other conditions did bump up the price. Angina with a previous heart attack had the biggest impact, adding about 50% to the price. It may not always be easy to find cover, depending on your condition and how recent your diagnosis is.
In 2021, the Financial Conduct Authority introduced rules requiring insurers to help customers with pre-existing conditions. If an insurer cannot provide cover or the premium exceeds £200, it must signpost you to a specialist company. An Association of British Insurers spokesperson says: “When people are looking for travel insurance, we recommend shopping around for a policy that meets your needs, and comparing factors such as trip length, destination and policy excess. Improving access to insurance is a key priority for our industry, and we continue to engage with members and stakeholders on this issue.”
Price Check Example
We checked prices for a 57-year-old traveller taking a seven-night trip to Spain using Medical Travel Compared. The impact of pre-existing conditions varied: no condition declared (£12.43), diagnosed anxiety disorder not referred to psychiatrist (£12.43), diagnosed asthma taking up to two medicines (£14.65), angina with one previous heart attack and no new symptoms (£18.76), and breast cancer with last treatment three to five years ago and given all-clear (£13.94).
Case Study: Ian Wardle
Ian Wardle, 68, a part-time parish clerk from Hatfield Peverel, Essex, was quoted up to £6,000 for travel insurance after being diagnosed with non-Hodgkin lymphoma. Diagnosed in July 2020 during the pandemic, he had 26 cancerous lymph nodes and underwent chemotherapy until January 2021, followed by maintenance treatment until the end of 2022. He has since been given the all-clear. After recovering, he and his wife travelled to the Maldives with affordable cover. However, when he tried to arrange insurance for a solo motorbike road trip to visit his brother in South Carolina in 2024, comparison websites quoted £5,000 or £6,000 for a week. “I was just thinking: ‘No, I’m not paying that. It’s just ridiculous,’” he says. The high premiums almost stopped him travelling. He found affordable cover through AllClear Travel Insurance and appreciated being able to speak to someone rather than buying online. “There’s always a worry that if you don’t tick the right box or miss a detail, then they won’t pay,” he says. He now pays about £1,000 for an annual policy covering travel to the US.
An earlier version of this article said insurers paid out £262bn for medical expenses; the correct figure is £262m.
