Travel insurance for cancer patients
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Need a little extra care? We’ll help you find the right cover.
Health issues can make life more complicated, but they shouldn’t stop you from getting peace of mind when you travel.
Travel insurers will still cover you for most conditions. But your medical history may mean you’ll have fewer providers to choose from.
If you’ve had a health problem, you’re considered to be more likely to make a claim. So your premium will usually be more expensive than travelling without a medical condition.
As well as covering medical expenses, you’ll also need travel insurance to protect you against other things that can impact your trip - like having to cancel your holiday or losing your suitcase. So it’s important to find the right cover before you travel.
Standard travel insurance may only cover you for treatment and accidents that aren’t related to a pre-existing medical condition. And some won’t cover you at all.
But specialist medical travel insurance takes your health issues into account - it’s designed to cover any treatment you might need while you’re away.
Our panel includes travel insurers that provide cover for lots of different medical conditions - so you should still be able to compare quotes.
And if you have more complex medical issues, Money Helper has launched a directory of specialist insurance providers who may be able to give you a quote over the phone.
You can find the directory at Money Helper.
When you’re taking out travel insurance, you’ll need to let your insurer know about any medical conditions or illnesses you’ve been diagnosed with or treated for.
This typically applies to any condition, injury, or surgery that you, and anyone else covered under your policy, have had in the last five years.
Even if you’re cured and feeling fighting fit, you’ll still need to declare health issues if they fall into any of the categories listed by your insurer.
You should declare any of the following:
Insurers need to know about terminal illnesses, like motor neurone disease and Parkinson’s disease
Provide details about your heart condition and any medical kit you might need
Tell your insurer if you’re living with either type 1 or type 2 diabetes
Inform your insurer about any medical condition that affects your breathing
These are long-term illnesses that may not have a cure, like Crohn’s disease and multiple sclerosis
Declare any conditions that cause problems with your bones and movement, like arthritis
For example, problems with blood flow, including strokes, high blood pressure or high cholesterol
Insurers need to know if you have cancer, whatever stage it is or whether it’s in remission
For example, anxiety, depression, eating disorders and drug or alcohol abuse
Tell your insurer if you’re waiting for investigations or tests for something that hasn’t been diagnosed yet
You’ll need to answer all the questions relating to your medical conditions, but you won’t need to declare:
Tell us the type of cover you’d like, details about your trip, and your medical history
We’ll show you quotes from a range of providers to help you compare prices and cover
Choose the policy that’s right for you and your medical needs, and click to apply
Although you’ll usually need to pay more to cover existing health problems, there are things you can do to help reduce the cost:
Start early - The earlier you buy cover, the more protection you’ll have for cancellation and the less it’s likely to cost you
Consider annual cover - If you’ll be going away two or more times in 12 months, an annual policy usually works out cheaper than taking out cover each time
Pay a higher excess - If you choose to pay extra on top of the compulsory excess, you’ll usually get a better price. Just make sure you can afford it
Shop around - Compare quotes from several different insurers to help you find the best deal for you and the right cover
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Last reviewed: 10 May 2023
Reviewed by Jasmine Hembury
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