Tommy has over 15 years experience within the insurance industry, and his primary focus is helping travellers find the right cover for their medical conditions.
Why do you need travel insurance for pre-existing conditions?
Going on holiday can be a costly expense, which is why it’s important to get covered for your pre-existing medical conditions before traveling.
If anything happens as a result of your condition while travelling, this type of travel insurance enables you to claim - providing you with the peace of mind to enjoy your holiday knowing you’re protected.
Despite the fact that many standard policies will include medical coverage, more often than not - this won’t extend to claims relating to undisclosed medical conditions. In fact, a recent study found that only 1 in 5 people understood the need to disclose a pre-existing condition.
Depending on the type of medical condition you have, finding specialist providers to cover you can be challenging and expensive. This is where Medical Travel Compared can help.
Our experienced team is on hand to help you compare cover across a wide range of pre-existing conditions in one place.
Our simple online comparison tool helps you find affordable quotes in minutes, so why not give it a try today?
Get a quoteCOVID-19 Medical Cover
We’ll only show you quotes from providers who cover emergency medical expenses (including repatriation to the UK) if you catch the virus whilst travelling abroad.
Enhanced COVID Cover
Extra cover that'll give you & your holiday even more protection against COVID-19. Compare quotes from leading providers with this additional cover today.
Medical screening for pre-existing conditions
With Medical Travel Compared, the process of disclosing your pre-existing conditions is very straightforward.
You’ll be able to declare your conditions once you’ve entered a number of details regarding your trip - as well as selecting the type of policy you need, whether that’s for a single trip, or an annual multi-trip policy.
It’s likely that you might be asked a few questions in relation to your condition before you proceed. This stage is called medical screening - and it enables travel insurance providers to get a better understanding of your medical background, so that they can offer you the right type of cover.
What are pre-existing medical conditions?
This refers to any condition that existed before, or at the time you take out travel insurance. Essentially, you need to notify insurance providers about any conditions you’ve been previously diagnosed with in order to get the most suitable level of cover - and, that’s where we come in!
You can declare your pre-existing conditions with us - and we’ll help you compare quotes for policies providing specialist cover in that area. Just bear in mind that insurance providers cannot provide cover for undiagnosed conditions.
There are over 2,000 conditions that can be covered. Here are some of the more common:
- Allergies
- Anxiety
- Asthma
- Atrial Fibrillation
- Back Problems
- Breast Cancer
- Cancer
- COPD
- Crohn’s Disease
- Depression
- Diabetes
- Epilepsy
- Gallstones
- Heart Conditions
- Hernias
- High Blood Pressure
- HIV
- Lupus
- Multiple Sclerosis (MS)
- Prostate Cancer
- Skin Cancer
- Stroke
If any of the above applies to you - then you may need to declare them to compare the right travel insurance cover for you.
This especially applies if you have recently been diagnosed with the condition and are receiving treatment for it right now. That being said - not all conditions necessarily need to be declared. It often depends on what they are and when they occurred.
It’s also worth bearing in mind that we are unable to provide a quote for an undiagnosed medical condition that’s currently under investigation.
Dr Sarah answers your questions
Sarah is the Clinical Director of the Patient Platform, an active medical writer, broadcaster, and is the resident doctor for BBC Radio 2.
Question: Is it safe to travel alone when I have a pre-existing medical condition?
That very much depends on what medical condition you have. For instance, if you have epilepsy or insulin-treated diabetes, you may have a seizure or become severely unwell in a very short space of time.
If you have COPD or arthritis, your mobility may be limited. In this case, it could be difficult for you to carry your luggage, board transfers, or get around.
In any of these situations, it may not be advisable for you to travel alone. You should certainly take all the precautions you would take at home and more to ensure you remain safe.
What does a pre-existing medical policy typically cover?
Pre-existing medical holiday insurance could offer coverage for a variety of different things, including:
- Lost, Stolen or Damaged Personal Belongings - this could include any medication you take abroad with you - so it’s an important benefit.
- Emergency Medical Expenses and Repatriation - if you need emergency medical treatment abroad, the chances are you’ll end up paying a hefty price for it. The cost of repatriation (emergency return back to the UK) is also high.
- Cancellation and Curtailment - the insurance provider will cover you in the event of needing to cancel your holiday or cut it short for a certain reason (usually medical).
- Travel Delay - this won’t always be included, check with your provider.
- Personal Liability - if you cause accidental damage to another person or someone else’s property - cover is provided.
We work with over 30 leading providers to help you compare cover for over 2,000 medical conditions - so you can count on us to help you find what you need in no time.
Get a quoteCompare quotes and find the best cover for your condition
Why waste time and effort searching the internet for specialist cover when you can come straight to us?
We enable you to compare competitive quotes from leading insurance providers all in one place. This includes providers such as Admiral, Legal & General, More Than and Virgin Money to name but a few.
The process couldn’t be any easier - and you’ll be able to start comparing cover in minutes.
Then, it’s time to get back to the exciting stuff… like planning your holiday!
Get a quoteFrequently Asked Questions
We’ll only show you quotes from providers who are able to cover emergency medical expenses (including repatriation to the UK) if you catch the virus whilst travelling abroad.
Some of our providers are able to offer additional cover, such as cancellation cover should you catch COVID-19 or have to self-isolate because of suspected symptoms before departure. We’ll make it clear who these providers are when you’re comparing quotes so you can choose the policy that is right for you.
This doesn’t apply to all insurance providers, so unless otherwise stated, for all other sections of cover, you wouldn’t be covered if making a claim as a result of COVID-19.
For more information, we recommend reading our full guide here.
If the FCDO are advising against all, or all but essential travel to your destination at the time of your trip, there will be no, or extremely limited cover provided by your policy.
You can still choose to take out a policy now for a future holiday, but it is very important to note that if the FCDO are still advising against all but essential travel to your destination at the time of your trip, your cover will not be valid.
For more information, we recommend reading our full guide here.
* Price is based on 1 traveller aged 61, who has declared high blood pressure and is travelling to Spain for 7 nights. Price is correct as of December 2019. Prices may vary according to your individual requirements.
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Don't just take our word for it...
If we're unable to help you find cover for a pre-existing medical condition, the Money and Pensions Service (MaPs) have launched a new directory listing companies that may be able to assist you. You can find out more information on their website.