Medical travel insurance

When buying travel insurance, it’s important to tell your insurer if you have a pre-existing medical condition. 

Depending on what the condition is, you may get a specialist policy that covers you for any related treatment while you’re on holiday.

You can find a policy that offers suitable cover by declaring your condition when you get a quote.

Some common conditions include:

• Respiratory conditions
• Heart, kidney, liver, circulatory or cerebral conditions
• Stroke or central nervous system disorders
• Cancerous conditions
• Terminal conditions
• Psychological conditions (diagnosed or treated)

Meanwhile, if you’re prescribed certain medication, you’ve recently received treatment, or had a consultation, then you may also have to declare this too.

If you choose to take out a standard policy without telling the insurer about an existing condition, and then go on to make a claim relating to this, your claim may be refused and the policy could become invalid.

• Medical expenses could be covered if you get ill or injured abroad
• Repatriation could also be covered if you are unable to travel on your pre-arranged transport, so you could be closer to your friends and family back in the UK
• With cancellation cover you could claim back your hotel and transportation costs if you are forced to cancel your trip
• Your luggage, personal possessions and money could also be covered if they are lost, stolen or damaged
• Most travel insurance policies offer a 24 hour helpline providing advice and support in an emergency

• We aim to get you our best deal on travel insurance
• Compare popular brands like Saga or Admiral
• We offer a wide range of travel insurance guides to help you on your journey

• Get travel insurance in advance, as you might not be able to get the full benefit of cancellation cover. In 2019, 26% of people bought travel insurance less than a week before going away and 32% bought it on the same day! (Confused.com data)
• It’s important that you declare any pre-existing or medical conditions that you or your travel party have or might have developed during the term of policy
• Read the terms and conditions of your policy in advance and take a look at the excess and policy exclusions to make sure you’re covered (most policies exclude alcohol and drug related incidents)

If you have a pre-existing medical condition, you can still get a quote through Confused.com. These conditions could include cancer, stroke, serious heart, respiratory and terminal conditions.

Some insurers might not cover you if you already have a serious medical condition, or if you have a number of conditions. Others might only offer insurance at a much higher price. If you're unable to find suitable cover, the Money and Pension Service (MaPS) has also set up a directory of insurers willing to cover customers with pre-existing medical conditions.

You can contact the Money and Pensions Service (MaPS) or you can telephone 0800 138 7777.