Our dream trip to Disney after daughter, 7, suffered brain tumour was nearly ruined by insurance nightmare
MILLIONS of holidaymakers with serious health conditions face paying sky-high travel insurance costs this summer.
Many may risk taking trips without vital cover due to soaring charges, leaving them exposed to eye-watering medical costs if they need help while away.
Harriet Meyer takes a look at the cover crisis — and how you can avoid it.
SKY-HIGH COST
BILLS for holidaymakers with illnesses are up to 20 times more than for those who have none.
Research for The Sun by specialist comparison site medicaltravelcompared.co.uk shows the cheapest travel insurance policy for a 32-year-old woman travelling to Spain for a week with breast cancer costs about £145.
A traveller with coronary heart disease would pay a minimum of £121, or around 17 times more than the cheapest policy for someone without pre-existing conditions.
Fiona MacRae, founder of specialist insurer Insurancewith, says: “I live with incurable breast cancer and I couldn’t get cover initially because the underwriters were looking at the life risk rather than the holiday risk.
“Comparison sites and specialist providers all use the same screening system, so the outcome is often the same — which can mean refusal or sky-high prices.
“It makes people wonder if they’ll ever get covered.”
LESS CHOICE
OPTIONS are limited if you have a serious illness, particularly if you are still getting treatment.
It is best to be honest, though, as failing to disclose a pre-existing condition could result in your insurer rejecting a claim.
If firms cannot offer cover to a customer with a pre-existing medical condition, they must direct them to a list of insurers that can, under regulations set by The Financial Conduct Authority in 2021.
In April, the FCA published its review of the rules which showed a boost of around 21,000 extra policy sales since its publication.
Around one in five travellers have medical conditions, according to the FCA — yet around 100,000 are declined cover each year, with many more having to take out inadequate partial policies.
MEDICAL COSTS WARNING
NOT taking cover can have huge consequences.
Medical treatment costs abroad can be eye-watering.
ABTA, the association of travel agents and tour operators, is warning of the rising charges of medical bills abroad in recent years.
In 2023, an air ambulance to the UK from countries in the EU averaged between £22,000 and £26,000 — compared to between £13,000 and £17,000 in 2019.
HOW TO GET COVERED
HAVING a pre-existing medical condition doesn’t mean you can’t get affordable travel insurance.
For minor conditions such as mild asthma, you may be able to buy a standard policy and pay a small additional premium.
Search moneysupermarket.com, gocompare.com, confused.com or other comparison sites.
If a regular insurer refuses cover or only offers a sky-high premium, try a specialist provider that offers cover for pre-existing conditions.
More serious ailments such as cancer or heart issues are likely to need specialist insurance.
You can find a list of ones to switch to at MoneyHelper and the British Insurance Brokers’ Association.
According to the FCA, switching to a specialist can save travellers with more serious illnesses around 40 per cent on their premiums.
Companies such as AllClear Travel cover holidaymakers with pre-existing conditions.
Try getting insurer recommendations from charity websites related to a specific medical problems.
You could also try Medicaltravelcompared which only works with specialist providers to compare quotes.
Get several quotes and be prepared to answer personal questions and fill out lengthy forms.
If you still can’t get cover, there are specific insurers that deal with particularly complex cases, such as Insurancewith.
You may have to buy single-trip cover for a medical condition if you usually buy an annual travel insurance policy.
Some insurers will offer single-trip insurance to customers they wouldn’t offer annual policies to.
- Before you travel, get a Global Health Insurance Card which covers medical treatment in EU countries.
- Brits can no longer use European Health Insurance Cards due to Brexit.
- A GHIC doesn’t replace the need for travel insurance, but it’s free.
- Go to nhs.uk/using-the-nhs/ and look under the healthcare abroad section.
Specialist firm’s £780 policy saved our trip
BRAVE Kara McInally was desperate to go on a dream trip to Disney World with her family after battling a 4cm brain tumour – but the seven-year-old’s magical holiday was nearly ruined when insurers refused to cover her.
Mum Laura, 36, a council administrator, dad Kevin, 47, a draftsman, and sister Khloe, three, from Motherwell, North Lanarks, planned their trip to Florida for May 2023.
But Laura hit a brick wall after her eldest child had her final surgery in the January.
Kara had endured three operations, four months of chemo and seven weeks of radiotherapy since being diagnosed with brain cancer in December 2021.
Laura says: “The consultant signed her off and said he was happy for us to take her on holiday. But it was a firm no from all the major insurers we tried.”
Eventually, Laura came across specialist insurer Insurancewith and the firm agreed to cover her for £780.
Laura said: “I could have cried when Insurancewith said yes. The premium was a drop in the ocean compared to making Kara’s dream come true.”
The magical Disney trip cost around £10,000 and was a big success.
Kara was finally given the all-clear in June 2023.
She’s since been in remission and enjoying life back at school full-time.