Medical Travel Insurance

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

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 and help you ensure you’re covered if you need treatment abroad.

Some of the most common conditions we cover include:

• Diabetes: More than 4 million people in the UK are living with diabetes, which 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 such as 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 cover a wide range of  other conditions, including mental health issues, after-surgery, undiagnosed conditions, gallstones

As part of the quote process, we ask you to declare all of your conditions as 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.

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 £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

What’s not covered?

Travel insurance looks after you when abroad (and before you go) 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.

How to get Travel Insurance for pre-existing medical conditions

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.

1. Call us or go online for a quote. As a specialist, AllClear can cover all pre-existing conditions.

2. Tell us about your condition. As part of the quote process, we’ll run through a medical screening, and ask you some questions about your 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.