Medical Travel Insurance

You can get Travel Insurance with medical conditions if you buy cover from a specialist Travel Insurance provider like AllClear. Some providers will only cover you for medical emergencies that are unrelated to any pre-existing conditions. So if you’ve had a hospital appointment, visited a GP or taken any medication for a medical condition in the last two years, you’ll need specialist Travel Insurance for your medical conditions.

Emergency medical treatment abroad can cost more than you think. That’s why medical cover should be your number one priority when looking for Travel Insurance.

It covers emergency medical costs including hospital charges and ambulance fees. It also covers repatriation (medical transport back home) if needed.

Medical Travel Insurance gives you four key benefits in addition to those provided by standard Travel Insurance:

• Cover for your pre-existing conditions while abroad. AllClear cover up to unlimited costs for emergency treatment, including treatment for ongoing medical issues.
• Cover for cancellation due to a pre-existing medical condition. You can also be covered for up to £25K if you need to cancel your holiday because of your medical condition, or a complication related to it.
• Repatriation costs. According to FCDO figures, if you were to fall over in Spain and need treatment for a broken leg, you would be looking at costs of around £15,000. Even minor ailments such as an infection or stomach bug in the USA could cost you £100, 000 if you need flights home.
• Peace of mind. While you’re away, you’ll have access to 24-hour medical emergency assistance, so you can travel with confidence, knowing we’ll be there just in case.

With a standard policy, you would need to pay for costs incurred due to your pre-existing conditions, which can easily reach thousands of pounds very quickly.

According to FCDO figures, if you were to fall over in Spain and require treatment for a broken leg, you would be looking at costs of around £15,000. Even minor ailments such as an infection or stomach bug in the USA could cost you £100, 000 if you require flights home. Real customer claims we’ve paid out include; £21,587 for a fractured femur in Italy and £179,391 for pneumonia in Spain.

Clinical Nurse Specialist, Kay Greveson explains more: “People often do not realise the cost of medical emergencies abroad. It’s natural that people believe it won’t happen to them, but even the most well-managed conditions need to be covered, in case the unexpected happens.”

A pre-existing medical condition is any illness or injury you have before you buy your Travel Insurance. It could be an ongoing condition, or one you have been treated for in the past. As part of the quote process, we’ll guide you through any relevant questions that may apply. We can then make sure you’re covered if you have a medical emergency abroad.

Some of the most common conditions we cover include:

• Diabetes: More than 4 million people in the UK are living with diabetes. This  can mean some extra consideration is needed when planning your trip.
• Heart conditions: Such as heart disease, heart attack and atrial fibrillation are common and vary in severity, which can impact on how you travel with the condition.
• Circulatory conditions: Issues with blood flow such as stroke, high blood pressure which are still important to declare when quoting for your Travel Insurance.  Even a well-managed condition at home can affect you differently when abroad. 
• Respiratory conditions: Conditions which impact breathing such as asthma, or COPD can mean travelling with specific medication.
• Chronic conditions: There are conditions which can have long-term health impacts on health. These include issues like cancer, epilepsy, multiple sclerosis, disability, Crohn’s disease
• Bone and joint conditions: Issues affecting your bones or joints like arthritis, back problems or osteoporosis can affect how you plan your holiday.
• Other conditions: AllClear covers a wide range of other conditions. These include mental health issues, after-surgery, undiagnosed conditions and gallstones.

As part of the quote process, we ask you to declare any conditions that fall within the medical warranty. This is an important part of our medical screening for Travel Insurance. But you may wonder if there are any conditions you don’t need to declare.

If you’ve had a cold or flu, but didn’t need to see a doctor or take any prescribed medication, then you don’t need to tell us about it. We also don’t need to know about a complication-free pregnancy or any contraception prescriptions.

Travel Insurance offers financial protection for specific problems you might face on holiday. The medical section of your policy covers the cost of medical care if you become ill or have an accident.

Without Medical Travel Insurance, you’d be liable for any expenses resulting from an unexpected medical emergency when travelling. This means the cost of the ambulance, any doctor’s appointments and any surgeries you might need. Also, the cost of any medication that’s needed to treat you. These expenses can quickly build up and be in the thousands, if not tens of thousands, of pounds.

Here we explain how you would make a claim.

If  you need emergency medical care while abroad:

1. 1. Notify us as soon as possible. We’re here to help, so just let us know what’s happened. Ideally, you’ll notify us while you’re still away. In some emergency cases our assistance team may arrange payment directly to the treating hospital or clinic.
   2. Keep all documentation: Make sure to keep any medical reports, booking forms, receipts, hospital certificates or invoices. These will be needed for your claim. 
   3. Fill out a claims form when back in the UK.  If you’ve paid any medical costs yourself, you’ll have up to 30 days from the end of your holiday to make a claim. Please be as accurate as possible in your information. This is where you’ll need to provide your receipts, certificates and booking forms. 
   4. Send it to us. Remember to keep a copy of all the documents you’ve sent us, just in case.
   5. We’ll do the rest. Our team will get to work and keep you posted with any updates.

For full instructions on how to claim, please read our How To Claim page.

Travel insurance covers  you when abroad (and before you go) and provides assistance in case of unforeseen emergencies. However, certain types of claims may not be covered. You should review your policy document carefully before you travel. This will help you to know what benefits you have, and what exclusions apply.

Examples of situations where you may not be covered:

• Travelling against the advice of a medical professional
• If you choose not to travel
• If you have not declared a pre-existing medical condition
• If you are travelling specifically to receive medical treatment abroad

Limitations of GHIC: what they don’t cover

The GHIC has replaced the European Health Insurance Card (EHIC). This card means you’ll receive emergency and necessary state healthcare in EU countries as though you were a local citizen.

However, the GHIC isn’t a substitute for Travel Insurance. It doesn’t cover you for:
the costs of rescue and repatriation (an air ambulance from Spain back to the UK costs the costs of rescue and repatriation (an air ambulance from Spain back to the UK costs £10,000 or more)

• lost or stolen property such as passports, baggage or precious items
• losses from trip cancellation, curtailment and interruption
• extra travel and accommodation costs due to illness
• any medical treatment needed outside of the EU

Insurance for medical conditions doesn’t have to be hard to buy. If you have serious health conditions you can get specialist insurance from AllClear.

Our 3-step quote process is quick and simple and designed to provide you with comprehensive worldwide cover.

Here’s how it works.

1 . Get a quote online or by phone

Once you’re ready to start the quote process, the first step is to provide your personal details and information about your holiday and travel plans. This can be completed over the phone with one of our team members or online. 

2. Tell us about your conditions 

As part of the quote process, we’ll run through a medical screening, and ask you some questions about your conditions. This way, we can provide the cover that best suits your needs. As a specialist, AllClear can cover all pre-existing conditions. 

3. Select your level of cover 

Once you’ve completed the medical screening process, you’ll be able to choose the level of cover which best suits your needs. 

The cost of Medical Travel Insurance will differ based on a number of factors

• Your medical history: For example, the severity of your condition, whether it is medicated. The medical screening process will answer these questions and determine the level of risk. 
• Your destination: Some places carry a greater risk as they have a more expensive health care system. For example, Travel Insurance for the US will have a higher premium than Travel Insurance in Europe.
• Your age: Travel Insurance has a higher premium as we get older. However, our policies have no upper age limit, and we specialise in Travel Insurance for those in their 60s, 70s and 80s.
• Activities: While we cover some activities as standard, you’ll need to pay an additional premium to take part in others.
• Valuables: If you’re taking a lot of expensive items abroad, such as laptops, tablets, phones or cameras, you might want to add gadget cover to your policy.
• Additional cover: You may want to include extra cover for a special type of holiday, such as a cruise or golfing holiday.

If you’re concerned about the cost, there are some steps you can take to get cheaper Travel Insurance.

• Consider arranging a shorter trip. Shorter trips mean you’re less likely to claim, as you’ll be travelling for less time. This means a cheaper policy. 
• Consider choosing a destination with lower medical costs. Cover tends to be pricier when travelling to countries with high private healthcare expenses. The US famously has an expensive healthcare system, so Travel Insurance for the US will be more expensive than Travel Insurance for Europe.
• Consider one policy for the whole year. If you plan to travel two or more times within a year, an Annual Multi-Trip Travel Insurance policy is typically more cost-effective than securing cover for every single trip.

The length of your trip and the cost of medical treatment in the country you plan to visit can affect the costs of medical cover. For example, a week’s trip to Milan will be cheaper to cover than a two-week holiday in New York City.

You should never knowingly declare your medical conditions inaccurately.. Doing so may reduce the policy premium, but you would invalidate your cover and leave yourself responsible for all the costs incurred in the event of a claim.

2 Based on over 100,000 Trustpilot responses, correct as of March 2024