HelloSafe » Travel Insurance » What Are The Best Travel Insurances For Pre-Existing Medical Conditions?

What Are The Best Travel Insurances For Pre-Existing Medical Conditions?

Nishadh Mohammed updated on March 30, 2020

Do you have (or have you had) pre-existing medical conditions and would like to get travel insurance for your coming trip in case you face medical expenses abroad?

Travel insurance that covers pre-existing medical conditions can be hard to find or very expensive. But you’ve come to the right place.

In this guide, we will explain everything you need to know about pre-existing medical conditions travel insurance: is travel insurance compulsory if I have medical conditions? What specific medical cover should you get if you have or have had pre-existing medical-conditions? What are the best pre-existing medical conditions travel insurance companies and how much will you pay?

Let’s dive in!

Why do I need travel insurance if I have (or have had) medical conditions?

Travel insurance for pre-existing medical conditions patients is not compulsory.

However, you should know that your national healthcare cover, your European Health Insurance Card (if you are travelling in Europe), your credit card travel insurance or any other kind of assistance you would have as a country resident or citizen, may not be sufficient to cover any medical expenses you may have abroad.

Good to know

Some countries may ask for valid proof of travel insurance to deliver visas, whether you have pre-existing medical conditions or not.

Much more than a nice-to-have, travel insurance is one of the highest value-for-money insurance products, especially for people with pre-existing medical conditions.

A recent study from Which has shown that in around 10000 UK travellers in 2018, 64% of them have already had medical treatment while travelling abroad. The average spend of medical care abroad is around £1300. But it can be much more.

As someone suffering from pre-existing medical conditions, you may especially face expenses such as:

What if…	What you will pay without travel insurance (outside Europe)	What you will pay without travel insurance (in Europe with EHIC card)	What you will pay with travel insurance
My trip is cancelled due to an unexpected medical appointment due to my pre-existing medical conditions	£10000	£10000	£0 up to trip cancellation limit (minus excess)
I need specific medical treatment abroad	£30000	£0	£0 up to medical compensation limit (minus excess)
I need to be repatriated to the UK because of my pre-existing medical conditions	£100000	£30000	£0 up to repatriation compensation limit (minus excess)

What is covered by medical travel insurance

Travelling in Europe, what does my European Health Insurance Card cover?

If you have pre-existing medical conditions, always remember that while travelling in Europe, your first ally is your EHIC card.

Your EHIC card will cover for any treatment you may need abroad, including any treatment linked to a pre-existing medical condition (what may not be covered as standard in travel insurance).

What is covered by EHIC?	What is not covered by EHIC
Any treatment of a pre-existing or chronic medical condition abroad Any routine medical care for pre-existing medical condition if monitoring is needed Any maternity care	Any private treatment Any repatriation expense Any emergency rescue (air rescue from ski station, for instance) Any treatment on cruises Any specialist consultation

What exactly is covered by my EHIC

Watch out!

Remember that your EHIC will only cover you until 31/12/2020, the time of Brexit. Make sure you have both EHIC and travel insurance before travelling. Many insurers will ask you to get your EHIC if travelling in Europe, and would waive the excess if you have a valid card with you.

If you are going to Australia or New Zealand, the UK also has specific healthcare system cooperation programs.

For any specific information on the European Health Insurance Card, check out the NHS website.

Can I easily get travel insurance with pre-existing medical conditions?

If you have medical conditions, whether you are in remission or not, you may find it difficult to find cheap travel insurance that will cover you for your trip without major exclusions.

Getting travel insurance with pre-existing medical conditions can indeed be very time-consuming and you could end up paying three or four times the price people without a medical history would pay for a standard cover policy.

Unfortunately, insurers will see you as being at higher risk of making a claim such as:

Cancelling your trip for reasons because of your pre-existing medical conditions, such as an important medical appointment being postponed
Needing expensive medical treatment linked to your medical conditions while travelling abroad
Needing repatriation to the UK.

We all agree that this is unfair, especially, for example, if you are in a very stable condition. But don’t worry, some insurers – fortunately – have agreed to cover people at higher risk. You could get travel insurance with pre-existing medical conditions either through:

Companies that will provide you with standard cover as they would do for any other tourist, but may invalidate any claim due to your treated pre-existing medical condition (if you are sure about your recovery and only need cover for a few days trip, for example);
Or specialised travel insurance for pre-existing medical condition sufferers.

We are here to help you find the best and cheapest travel insurance depending on your current medical condition, your age, the length and destination of your trip, etc.

What are the best pre-existing medical conditions travel insurances?

You will find below a list of specialist travel insurance policies for people with pre-existing medical conditions – who will provide you with good cover and dedicated assistance.

Price	Features	Get quote
£13,18	Age limit - single trip: 100 / annual: 79 5 stars Defaqto rating 4,8/5 on TrustPilot Reimburse within 14 days UK-based customer service and claim team	Get quote
£14,24	Age limit - single trip: 100 / annual: 79 Specialist of medical travel insurance 24/7 UK based call assistance center 5 stars Defaqto rating and 4,8 on Trustpilot	Get quote
	Age limit – single trip : none / annual: 79 4,58/5 rate on Reviews Dedicated customer service according to reviews	Get quote
£15,56	No upper age limit	Get quote
£16,12	Age limit –- 85 years old for both policies Specialist of medical travel insurance	Get quote
£18,27	Age limit - single trip: none / annual: 79 No change in health clause after purchase Medical expenses limit up to £15M Covers terminal cancer	Get quote
£21,43	No upper age limit One of the leader in providing travel insurance in UK	Get quote
£25,99	No upper age limit Specialist of medical travel insurance Covers any condition Up to £15M medical expenses 5 stars rating on Defaqto	Get quote
£26,32	No upper age limit for both single and annual multi-trip Specialist of medical travel insurance Covers any condition	Get quote
£28,44	No upper age limit Specialist of medical travel insurance	Get quote
£29,18	No upper age limit Specialist of medical travel insurance Convalescence benefit covering 5 days after surgery abroad	Get quote
£33,27	No upper age limit Offers cashless medical expenses	Get quote
£39,18	Age limit – single trip: 85 / annual: 75 No health change disclosure	Get quote

Pre-existing medical condition travel insurances comparison

All the above insurers are specialists in covering pre-existing medical conditions. Unless it is clearly mentioned in the features, they all use the Verisk screening system and apply a change in health disclosure in their policy which will allow them to inflate premiums and change or cancel your travel insurance policy if an unexpected event related to your healthcare occurs before your trip.

Find out more cheap travel insurance for people with medical record with our 100% anonymous tool.

Do I need to declare pre-existing medical conditions for travel insurance?

You are required by law to declare any pre-existing medical condition when purchasing an insurance policy.

A pre-existing medical condition is typically one for which you have been diagnosed and have received treatment before you apply for any travel insurance policy, regardless of whether this is short- or long-term.

Watch out!

Not disclosing your medical condition could invalidate your claim as well as your entire travel insurance policy.

Check out our reviews by medical conditions.

How does medical condition screening for travel insurance work?

If you have pre-medical condition, you are more likely to be screened before applying for a policy.

On insurers’ websites, you’ll be asked to answer a set of questions administered most of the time by the Verisk medical screening system before getting quote results. Some insurers may have their own set of questions and may attribute their risk rating based on your answers.

Good to know

Those questions are the most common ones you may find on insurer’s websites. In the case that there is no screening system on an insurer’s website, you will need to disclose any health condition by contacting your insurer directly.

How much is pre-existing medical conditions travel insurance?

Here are some indicative quotes for single trip and annual travel insurance for patients with pre-existing medical conditions.

	7 days’ trip to Europe*
18-35 years old	£20,09
36-55 years old	£25,61
56+	£45,92

Medical condition travel insurance price

*Quotes above are only indicative and for patients pre-existing medical con with no recent complications.

It is quite difficult to give precise ranges of how much medical condition care travel insurance is. Prices are based on a wide range of criteria and will not only depend on your pre-existing medical condition, but also:

Your age and destination
If you’re going for a single or annual multi-trip, as mentioned above
If you’re subscribing to upgrades such as cruise, business or gadget cover
The length of your stay abroad
If you’re travelling alone, with your partner, a group or your family
The financial limits you’d like to get in case of a claim
The excess amount you’re willing to pay
What you will be doing abroad (e.g. winter or extreme sports).

What is usually covered by pre-existing medical condition travel insurance?

Insurers covering a pre-existing medical condition often provide a high compensation amount for medical expenses, trip cancellation and repatriation.

Here is a typical list of what you should pay attention to while applying for pre-existing medical conditions travel insurance cover:

Compensation	Average	What you should pay attention to
Medical expenses compensation amount	From £5M to £10M depending on your medical situation and your destination	Are surgery and stays at private hospitals included? Will I need to pay for medical fees upfront? What kind of treatment is included? Is any kind of emergency treatment included? Will any ‘accompanying person’ fees be reimbursed (extra travel, accomodation, car rental)? What is the medical claim excess? Do you have the option to waive the excess?
Repatriation compensation amount	Real fees	Is any transportation mode included (by alternative schedule flight or by air ambulance)? Is repatriation under the supervision of a nurse or a doctor taken into account?
Trip cancellation	£5000 – £10000 depending on your destination	Is trip cancellation included as standard or as an option?**Which reasons exactly are included to get compensation for your trip cancellation (e.g. medical appointment postponed)?

Travel insurance cover

Besides compensation limits, you should also go for a company including specific healthcare upgrades as standard such as:

Bespoke medical screening before applying for travel insurance: the possibility to easily talk to someone and find the right cover for your needs (especially for terminal illness)
UK-based 24/7 assistance helpline while you’re abroad: dedicated free-of-charge landline to get healthcare advice and help in finding the right doctor or hospital abroad, reactive assistance, etc.

Watch out!

If you are about to make a medical claim while you are abroad, we advise you to get your insurer to accept it first and pay upfront. In the case you need to pay up front, always keep receipts and submit your claim as soon as possible.

What is not covered by pre-existing medical conditiond travel insurance?

That will vary from one insurer to another.

Besides the main exclusions usually found in insurers’ policy booklets (terrorism, strikes, natural disasters, claims related to drug, alcohol, etc.), regarding pre-existing travel insurance, your claim may be invalidated:

If you are travelling without your doctor’s consent
If you have been told you have a terminal illness and you have applied for travel insurance without saying so
If you are waiting for a diagnosis or medical treatment at the time of applying.

What if I am diagnosed with medical conditions after having applied for travel insurance?

When it comes to medical condition travel insurance, insurers often add an ‘ongoing duty of disclosure’.

It basically means that if any important change related to your healthcare occurs after you applied for travel insurance policy, they have the right to either:

Screen you again;
Raise your premiums;
Change your policy contract;
Cancel your policy.

Most of the time, if your health condition changes, insurers will either:

Provide you with new travel insurance for your new health condition with an additional fee;
Provide you the same insurance but the new condition will be excluded;
Or simply offer no cover, as they consider your condition too risky.

Good to know

Ask for a pro rata refund or full refund if they cancel or change your policy before you make any claim.

Can you travel abroad with pre-existing medical conditions?

The short answer is yes, of course.

However, here are some tips we would advise you to carefully read:

Get your doctor’s consent and advice before travelling with past or current medical condition.
Get any vaccinations needed.
Get the right medical condition travel insurance for your trip, covering treatment linked to your disease and any medical care you may need abroad, and carefully read your policy booklet (exclusions, limits and deductible amounts, etc.)
If you are not in remission, be sure that the trip will not be too much effort and not too tiring for your medical condition.
Remain prudent and take with you your doctor’s phone numbers and local emergency contact details. If possible, travel with someone.
Make a list of needed medication and keep them in their original packaging (for customs) and store them safely. Prepare back-up meds.

Top 5 tips to get cheaper travel insurance quotes for pre-existing medical conditions victims

If you have or ever had medical condition, here are some tips you may like to use to lower your insurance premiums:

Use our comparison table to find out which companies are the best and the cheapest for patients with pre-existing medical conditions.
Take your phone and try to speak to humans! If you have someone on the phone, they are more likely to understand your medical situation and find you the appropriate cover.
Go for single trip cover rather than annual multi-trip. You’ll be seen as a lower risk traveller as you will only need cover for a defined stay.
Change your destination and opt for European trip rather than a roadtrip across the USA’s legendary Route 66! You’ll be less likely to make a very high medical care claim, which could see your premium go down.
Benefit from a joint travel policy discount, insuring both your partner or family and yourself.

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Nishadh Mohammed

Nishadh Mohammed is a seasoned news editor and financial writer, working with HelloSafe since May 2023. Nishadh has developed expertise in financial markets, insurance, and investment products, with a deep understanding of the Canadian financial landscape. He has honed his SEO skills and content marketing strategies while writing for Canadian publishing houses. Armed with a master's in Business Analytics and extensive journalistic experience, Nishadh uniquely combines data proficiency and thorough research to deliver comprehensive and accessible information.