How Pre‑Existing Health Conditions Are Driving Up Travel Insurance Costs

“I almost fell over when I saw the travel‑insurance quote,” says Bernie Lawrence, a 77‑year‑old retiree from Fleet, Hampshire. After heart problems forced him to have quadruple bypass surgery, the price of cover has become “astronomical”.

Lawrence, who normally travels with his 79‑year‑old wife Barbara, was active and fit until chest pains forced him to stop running in 2018. Nine days later he underwent the bypass operation.

Before the surgery the couple could buy annual European travel insurance for under £100. After the operation, and as they aged, premiums rose sharply.

In 2022 they paid £302 for the same level of cover. Following a bout of atrial fibrillation and a waiting‑list echocardiogram, the quote jumped to £1,200.

“I just couldn’t believe it,” Lawrence says. “All I was waiting for was for them to tell me something I already knew: that it had gone and probably wasn’t going to come back.”

Unable to wait months for NHS confirmation, he paid privately for the scan. Once cleared, his quote fell to £584. The couple paid £805 in 2024 and £1,009 this year for annual cover before a Mediterranean cruise.

Lawrence feels insurers see older travellers as “a cash cow”, but he adds, “You can’t argue with them because they say: ‘Well, you’re 77 and you’ve had all these things in the past.’”

Medical bills

Although Lawrence has never claimed, he stresses the importance of coverage. A survey by specialist insurer AllClear suggests 18 % of Britons plan to travel abroad this summer without insurance despite having pre‑existing conditions.

Travelers without cover face potentially huge bills if something goes wrong. Two years ago insurers paid out £262 bn for medical expenses incurred by UK travellers overseas.

Countries such as the US and Canada can charge hundreds of thousands of pounds for treatment, so securing appropriate cover is essential, says James Daley, founder of Fairer Finance.

“Travel insurance can be very expensive if you have a pre‑existing condition,” Daley notes. “But it’s crucial to have cover for your condition, especially when travelling to places like the US where no reciprocal health agreement exists.

“A medical emergency in the US without insurance can cost tens or even hundreds of thousands of pounds.”

Buying cover

Premiums depend on age, condition, destination and trip length.

Comparison sites allow searches for travellers with pre‑existing conditions, but it’s vital to read the fine print and verify that any disclosed condition is included in the final policy.

If mainstream sites or traditional insurers cannot provide cover, specialist brokers such as Medical Travel Compared, PayingTooMuch or AllClear may help. The British Insurance Brokers’ Association (biba.org.uk) also offers a broker directory.

Insurers typically ask about medical issues over the past five years, though some may look back two, five or more years for serious illnesses like cancer or heart disease.

If a condition has fully resolved and no further treatment is needed, disclosure may not be required.

Tommy Lloyd, managing director of Medical Travel Compared, suggests that, when possible, the whole party should be insured on a single policy. This ensures consistent cancellation and curtailment cover for all travellers.

“While cost is important, travellers should not focus solely on the cheapest premium. The breadth of cover and how it applies when a companion’s condition worsens can be just as vital as price,” Lloyd adds.

Common conditions

Conditions such as anxiety, hypertension, arthritis and asthma typically add only a few pounds to a standard policy.

Higher costs arise if the condition is still under investigation or awaiting treatment.

Full disclosure is essential; failing to declare a condition can invalidate the policy.

Our own quotes compared a healthy traveller with the same person diagnosed with various conditions.

Declaring anxiety did not raise the premium in our test, but other conditions did. Angina and a previous heart attack increased the price by roughly 50 %.

Finding suitable cover can be difficult depending on the condition and how recent the diagnosis is.

The FCA introduced rules in 2021 requiring insurers to refer customers with pre‑existing conditions to specialist providers when they cannot offer cover or when premiums exceed £200.

An Association of British Insurers spokesperson advises shoppers to compare policies based on trip length, destination and excess, adding that improving access to insurance remains a priority for the industry.

Our price check

We used the Medical Travel Compared calculator for a 57‑year‑old travelling to Spain for seven nights.

Premiums varied according to the declared condition:

• No condition declared: £12.43.

• Diagnosed anxiety disorder, no psychiatric referral: £12.43.

• Diagnosed asthma, using up to two medications: £14.65.

• Angina with one prior heart attack, currently fit: £18.76.

• Breast cancer, treatment completed three‑to‑five years ago: £13.94.

Case study: “It’s just ridiculous”

Ian Wardle, a 68‑year‑old part‑time parish clerk from Hatfield Peverel, Essex, was quoted up to £6,000 for travel insurance after a non‑Hodgkin lymphoma diagnosis, prompting concerns about affording a trip to his brother in the US.

Wardle discovered a golf‑ball‑sized lump in July 2020. Scans revealed 26 cancerous lymph nodes, some the size of an orange.

He underwent chemotherapy from September 2020 to January 2021, followed by maintenance treatment until the end of 2022, and is now cancer‑free.

After recovery he and his wife resumed traveling, including trips to the Maldives where cover was affordable.

When he tried to insure a solo motorbike road trip to South Carolina in 2024, comparison sites offered weekly quotes of £5,000‑£6,000.

“I couldn’t justify spending that much for a week’s trip,” he says. “It just put everything in perspective.”

Wardle eventually found more reasonable cover through AllClear Travel Insurance, preferring to speak with an adviser rather than buying online.

He now pays about £1,000 for an annual policy that includes travel to the US.

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