Travel insurance for pre-existing medical conditions
How to find affordable travel insurance for medical conditions
If you've had a serious medical condition, or are having treatment for one, getting travel insurance can feel daunting. Many people worry they won't be able to get cover, or will be charged sky-high premiums. This guide explains how travel insurers define pre-existing medical conditions, what you must tell them about, and how to find cheaper cover if you've had health issues.
MSE's Compare+ Travel Insurance tool
Travel insurance with a pre-existing condition covers medical conditions you already have or have had if you need to make a claim. Here's what you need to know:
You must declare all conditions. If you don’t, your policy can be invalid and claims refused.
Costs vary hugely. Premiums depend on your condition, age and trip details, so comparing prices is vital.
Specialist insurers may be best for serious conditions. Many minor issues won't affect the price at all, but mainstream providers can often hoick the cost or refuse cover for certain conditions.
Serious conditions can still be covered. Cancer, heart problems and diabetes can be included, but prices and exclusions vary.
Buy cover ASAB (As Soon As you Book). So you're protected if you need to cancel before you go.
Our brand-new Compare+ Travel Insurance tool gives you quotes from 40+ insurers and two comparison sites, plus expert MSE tips along the way to help you choose the right policy. The tool lets you:
Factor in age, medical conditions, destination and cover levels
See if single-trip or annual cover is likely to be cheaper
Choose cover levels using our MSE minimum criteria or your own filters
Get tailored savings tips – spot where tweaks (excess, destination or traveller mix) can cut the cost
Not only that, this guide also shares a not so well-known trick that a Packaged bank account might be the best way to get the right cover at the cheapest price.
How does travel insurance for pre-existing medical conditions work? What do policies usually cover?
Travel insurance for pre-existing medical conditions works just like standard travel insurance, but also covers medical expenses for conditions you currently have or have had in the past. Because of the extra risk, policies usually cost more, and cover may vary between insurers.
Typically, policies will cover illness, injury or theft while you're away – and also cancellations before you travel, which is why it's vital to buy ASAB (As Soon As you Book). In general, an insurer should cover you for:
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Cancellation – if you can't travel because of redundancy, jury service, serious illness, bereavement or a home emergency. More info in our Cancellation cover guide.
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Medical costs abroad – emergency treatment overseas plus travel costs if you need to be brought back to the UK.
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Cutting your trip short (curtailment) – having to return home early due to a serious incident, such as the death of a close relative.
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Baggage & belongings – if your stuff is lost, stolen or damaged (limits often apply).
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Personal liability – if you accidentally injure someone or damage their property.
Not all medical travel insurance is the same, so always check the small print before you buy.
You must declare ALL medical conditions upfront – if you don’t, your policy can be invalid and claims refused.
Insurance providers usually ask about medical conditions or treatments in the past three to five years, but some go even further back. Always answer carefully, as failing to declare could invalidate your policy.
Common issues you'll usually need to disclose include:
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Chronic conditions – asthma, diabetes, arthritis, gout or Crohn's.
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Cardiovascular conditions – high blood pressure, high cholesterol or heart conditions.
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Mental health conditions – depression, anxiety or eating disorders.
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Neurological conditions – epilepsy.
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Any type of surgery – including broken limbs treated.
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Ongoing treatment – even if you're waiting for an operation, investigation or test results.
Using weight-loss jabs? You must declare them
More than a million people in the UK now use drugs such as Ozempic, Wegovy or Mounjaro. If you do, you’ll need to tell your insurer when buying travel insurance as they usually treat them as prescribed medication. If you don’t declare them, your cover could be invalidated – even if your claim has nothing to do with the jab.
Declaring conditions doesn't always raise costs. Many minor or well-controlled conditions won't affect the price at all. But if you don't disclose them when asked, your policy could be invalidated and claims refused. If in doubt, always point it out. As an example of what the extra costs could be, here's what noh in the MSE Forum found...
My wife is taking three different medications for two conditions: high blood pressure and thyroid. The extra premium for that is £44 a year. I previously declared high blood pressure with one medication, for which there was no extra premium. Now I have had to add high cholesterol with one medication and type 2 diabetes controlled by exercise and diet. The extra premium for those three conditions is £60 a year.
How to buy travel insurance as cheaply as possible – if you've pre-existing medical conditions
Before we take you through our step-by-step process to find your cheapest policy, it's worth recapping our key general travel insurance need-to-knows first:
General travel insurance need-to-knows
Here are a few general pointers you need to know before you choose any travel insurance policy...
Buy cover ASAB (As Soon As you Book). Insurance doesn't just protect you while away – it also covers cancellations before you go.
Going to Europe? Get a free EHIC/GHIC card. It entitles you to state-run hospital treatment in the EU at the same cost as locals. If they pay nowt, you pay nowt. See our Free EHIC/GHIC guide.
Skiing? Add winter sports cover. This protects you if you're injured on the slopes and for loss/damage to ski kit.
Check whether you need to add cruise cover. Many standard policies don't cover missed excursions or cruise itinerary changes without it. More cruise insurance info in our guide.
Check country lists – not all policies include the USA or Spain. Insurers will classify your trip as 'European' or 'worldwide', but exactly which countries are automatically covered varies – so do check.
Watch for age limits. Some insurers impose them (especially on annual policies), but others don't. See our Over-65s' travel insurance guide for tips to cut costs.
Step 1: Use our Compare+ Travel Insurance tool
Your first step should be to use our brand-new Compare+ Travel Insurance tool – some with conditions deemed less serious by the insurers, such as mild asthma, may find you can get a standard policy, or only have the price marginally increased. If that's the case, you may not need to go any further.
The tool includes 40+ insurers and two comparison sites, which includes Medical Travel Compared, plus gives expert MSE tips to help you choose the right policy. The tool lets you:
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Factor in age, medical conditions, destination and cover levels.
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See if single-trip or annual cover is likely to be cheaper.
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Choose cover levels using our MSE minimum levels of cover or your own filters.
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Get tailored savings tips – for example, if tweaking excess, destination or traveller mix will cut costs.
Step 2: Check if a packaged bank account will cover you – many could save £100s or even £1,000s
Packaged bank accounts are bank accounts that charge a monthly fee in exchange for various insurance benefits, including travel cover. They can be particularly useful for those with pre-existing medical conditions, often saving £100s compared to buying direct from an insurer, so they're seriously worth considering.
And if your issues are mild, for example, you've got controlled asthma, you will probably be covered without paying anything. However, if your conditions are severe, you may have to pay an additional fee or you may be declined cover entirely, but always check as insurers have different rules.
It worked for MoneySaver Kevin...
Lloyds Bank Club account includes travel insurance as part of the package as standard. If you’ve got a pre-existing condition, I had an Aneurysm on the brain in 2016, I notified them of this and they charge a nominal £30 per year to cover this.
And MoneySaver Mari, aged 70...
I was diagnosed with breast cancer and insurers said I couldn't get cover. I nearly fell off the chair when Nationwide, with the FlexPlus account, quoted £85 for myself and my husband despite my medical history – we've already been to California and are off to South America in November.
And MoneySaver Alyson...
Below are our top picks ranked by travel insurance. Many of these accounts often give free cash for switching to them too – we call out if this is the case.
Step 3: If you still can't get cover or it's eye-wateringly expensive, contact a broker
Specialist travel insurance brokers can help you find firms that cover non-standard medical conditions, or non-standard trips. To find one, see the British Insurance Brokers' Association website. Always double-check the level of cover offered before taking out a policy, and ask the broker to explain if you're not sure about anything.
How to claim on your travel insurance
Claiming on your travel insurance shouldn't be daunting and – if you understand the terms and excesses on your policy – you shouldn't be in for any nasty shocks. But be aware of the following in the event you need to claim...
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Submit your claim as soon as possible. Contact your insurer as soon as you can. When making certain claims you may have a time limit to submit the claim or report the loss, and it may take a while to be processed.
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Get insurer approval before you get treatment. If you need to make a medical claim – and it's not an emergency – get your insurer to accept the claim over the phone first. For example, if you sprained your ankle, call your insurer – if it accepts the claim then, you're less likely to be faced with a rejected claim later down the line. For obvious reasons, don't delay treatment if it's an emergency.
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Notify the police if it's a theft or loss. If something goes missing or is stolen when you are abroad you may need to get the overseas equivalent of a crime reference number to make a successful claim. Report the incident to the police as soon as you can – you often have to do so within 24 hours – to make sure your claim doesn't hit the skids.
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Keep receipts. If you are claiming for lost luggage or delay, remember to keep receipts of essential items you have bought while waiting, such as food and drink. Many insurers allow you to add these expenses to a claim and may ask for receipts as proof.
Travel insurance FAQs for those with pre-existing conditions
Will declaring my condition always make travel insurance more expensive?
Not always. Each insurer will have its own criteria by which it sets prices and will look at conditions differently. We've heard from users in the MSE Forum who have declared high blood pressure or other small issues and have seen no price increases at all.
The most important thing is you do let the insurer know about your medical history, or you risk invalidating your policy should you need to claim.
What happens if I don't declare a condition?
It's important to give a full and frank rundown of all your past health issues, so you don't find any claim being rejected at a later date. If your insurer doesn't know about your medical history, any pre-existing conditions – however minor – will likely be excluded and you could face a massive bill if you become unwell.
Insurers also need to know about medication, conditions or illnesses that can be linked to your pre-existing condition.
For example, an asthmatic who develops a chest infection (connected to being asthmatic) while on holiday will only be insured if they've told the provider about their asthma upfront.
Can I exclude my condition to get cheaper cover?
Some insurers may let you exclude a pre-existing health issue, but be aware this means you'll need to pay out yourself if that medical conditions triggers medical costs or results in you needing to cancel your trip.
Do I need to update my insurer if my health changes during the policy?
If you develop a new condition or you're referred for tests after you've bought your policy, you need to tell your insurer – even if your doctor says you're fit to travel.
If you don't and you later need to claim, the insurer could void your policy altogether – not just for that condition, but everything – meaning it could leave you thousands out of pocket.
The Financial Conduct Authority says it's common for insurers to require you to declare any changes in health but it says it "wouldn't normally consider it fair if the insurer changed or cancelled cover due to a minor or short-term condition".
What is a fit-to-travel certificate?
This is a letter from a medical professional, such as your GP or consultant, simply confirming your condition is stable and you are fit to fly and travel.
It's especially important to get one if you have a serious condition or are recovering from one, where flying or travelling could negatively affect your health.
If you're not declared fit to travel and need to cancel your holiday, you can usually claim on your travel insurance, provided you've answered all medical questions accurately and disclosed all relevant conditions to your insurer.
Can I get covered for cancer?
Yes, you usually can get travel insurance if you have cancer, but it depends on several factors, such as the type of cancer, how it's being treated, and how long it has been monitored.
The more serious it is, the harder it is to get cover. Firstly, try our new Compare+ Travel Insurance tool for a quote. If you are unable to get cover or the price is too high, contact a specialist travel insurance broker who can help you find firms that cover non-standard medical conditions. The British Insurance Brokers' Association website has a list of brokers to try.
Always double-check the level of cover offered before taking out a policy, and ask the broker to explain if you're not sure about anything.
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