The 8 dos and don'ts of buying travel insurance with medical conditions

A third of travellers with pre-existing medical conditions admitted they won't declare all of them when buying travel insurance this summer – up from a quarter in the spring, according to new research from travel insurer AllClear.

The research – based on surveys of travellers every three months since 2021 – also identified large numbers of customers 'cutting corners' in other ways to save money. For example, half of those with conditions wouldn't bother getting insurance at all for short-haul holidays – such as to France, Spain, Ireland or Italy. 

AllClear says this is part of a larger trend in which travellers are placing less emphasis on safety abroad, and more on cutting costs, as the cost of living crisis replaced the pandemic in shaping priorities. But failing to get the right cover is a false economy and will end up costing you more if you need to make a claim.

For many with medical conditions, finding adequate cover that's also affordable can be a challenge, to put it mildly. Here, Which? goes through the eight dos and don'ts to help lead you to insurance that's up to the task – and won't bankrupt you in the process.

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1. Don't assume things can't go wrong

22% of holidaymakers have had to see a doctor while travelling and 15% have had to go to the hospital, according to recent survey research commissioned by Multitrip.com. 

The odds are your holiday will go without a snag. But no matter how meticulously you've planned, there's always a risk of things going wrong – and the downside of not being adequately covered can be substantial. 

If you have a medical condition and it isn't declared, this can potentially invalidate any claim you make that's connected to the condition.

2. Do consider how much cover you need

Travel insurance providers can differ significantly in what they offer – and many will offer different levels of cover and add-ons to cater to individual needs and budgets. This can make buying insurance confusing. Do you need bells-and-whistles cover for your weekend away in France? Or will a standard policy be enough for your expensive cruise? 

We think the best starting point is to make a list of what you consider to be essential and what you expect in your policy – taking into account the costs of your trip, the type of holiday it is, and your circumstances. Then check these are present in the policy wording of a decent deal before committing to your purchase.

For some pointers on working out how much travel cover you need, check our packed travel insurance cover guide.

3. Don't assume automatic cover for pre-existing medical conditions 

You can buy some policies without your medical history entering the conversation. For example, this can be the case with cover that comes supplied with other products, such as a bank account. 

However, if it isn't stated explicitly in your policy documentation that your conditions are included, typically this means they're excluded by default. 

Generally speaking, if the insurer hasn't asked about your medical history as part of the purchase, you'll need to contact it separately to have your conditions added. If the status of your cover is unclear when it comes to your conditions, contact it anyway to make sure they are covered.

4. Do shop around and check the specialists

Whether you have a medical condition or not, shop around as widely as possible to find out what prices are available for you.  

Price comparison websites are a great place to start as they let you check the scores of mainstream insurers without having to visit each one. But, keep in mind they don't give you the full picture as not all insurers – including many medical specialists – are listed on them.

It used to be the case that, if you struggled to get affordable mainstream quotes because of a medical condition, you were largely reliant on personal recommendations or googling to track down a 'specialist'. These specialise in covering customers with medical conditions – and so may be able to cover you where a mainstream provider won't, and at a more reasonable price. 

Fortunately, there are now two accredited directories to help you track these companies down. These are:

• The Moneyhelper travel insurance directory
• The British Insurance Brokers' Association travel medical directory.

If you want to see how we've rated policies from over 40 providers, check our detailed reviews and tables. Also, see our unique guide where we've singled out and compared providers listed in the specialist directories.

5. Do be truthful when applying (and phone up if questions are unclear)

If you have a medical condition – and it's not explicitly said to be covered – then the odds are it probably isn't. Consequently, any saving you make through not declaring a condition could be repaid many times over if you end up with medical bills or cancellation costs related to the condition.  

It's therefore crucial to be upfront about your conditions, and to be truthful in answering questions put to you about them. If any of the questions are unclear or tricky to apply to your specific circumstances – as is sometimes the case – then call the insurer to discuss and to confirm that you're covered.  

6. Do keep the insurer up to speed

As well as declaring conditions, most insurers require customers to tell them about changes in their health that have occurred since taking out the cover or booking the holiday. By 'change in health', as well as new diagnoses, insurers will often mean changes in medication, medical investigations or tests, or new symptoms. 

If you've had a change in health, the insurer will re-evaluate your cover – which can mean it will change your premium, add exclusions or decline to continue covering you (allowing you to make a cancellation claim if this means you need to cancel a trip). If you don't disclose a change in your health, this may invalidate your cover. For this reason, it's important to let the insurer know so you can know where you stand.   

7. Don't shortchange yourself on cover

Few of us can ignore cost when it comes to shopping for insurance – and this becomes especially pressing for those with medical conditions that are expensive to insure. However, if you only pay attention to the premium, you're probably short-changing yourself should you later need to claim on the cover. 

Check the policy wording to make sure the cover matches your needs. Also be sure to check the policy excesses – which can take a sizeable chunk out of how much you can claim. And importantly, check the 'policy exclusions' section of the policy wording. These place limits on many other sections of the policy – for example, in some cases ruling out claims related to war, civil unrest or pandemics. 

8. Don't despair

Most of us with medical conditions to declare won't have much of a problem finding affordable travel insurance – but a substantial minority find searching the market a demoralising experience, with some getting the impression that they're 'uninsurable'.

Often, this isn't true – but it can mean that you'd benefit from some expert help. The British Insurance Brokers' Association runs a 'Find Insurance' service to help customers find brokers with expertise to track down cover that's suitable for their needs – options that won't necessarily be available to customers shopping around independently.

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