Who doesn’t love the chance to escape to somewhere different, whether it’s a fast-paced city break, long-haul adventure or relaxed beach holiday? For some

people with certain pre-existing health conditions, however, the climbing costs of travel insurance are now making them think twice about where – and even if – they travel.

Research conducted by Which? has found that some medical conditions can increase travel insurance premiums by more than 1,000 per cent. Perhaps it is unsurprising, then, that some holiday-makers are deciding to ‘chance it’, by travelling without insurance or by not declaring conditions that cause their coverage price to spike.

‘30% would choose to cut corners because of costs’

A 2025 report by found that 73% of people with medical conditions considered the USA to be the most expensive destination to fall ill in, yet 30% would choose to cut corners on their travel insurance because of costs. This can, however, be a highly dangerous strategy.

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‘Always disclose all of your medical conditions,’ says Graeme Trudgill, chief executive of the British Insurance Brokers’ Association (BIBA). ‘It’s really important for everyone – particularly if you have medical conditions – to be able to access the right travel insurance to protect you from costly emergency medical expenses abroad.’

GH travel director Emma Justice agrees that organising travel insurance is a must and, even if you have pre-existing medical conditions, it shouldn’t put you off travelling altogether. ‘It just means you’ll have to do your homework when it comes to getting the right level and amount of cover for your particular health needs,’ she says.

Here, we ask the experts to help you find out what you need to declare, how you might be able to reduce your costs and which providers you should be looking towards.

Which health conditions make travel insurance more expensive?

The cost of travel insurance depends on many factors, including your health, age, destination and how long your trip lasts. AllClear Travel Insurance adds that it’s also the severity and stability of a condition that matters: ‘For example, a customer with cancer that is well managed and not growing would have a smaller premium than one not responding to treatment and growing/spreading.’ When applying for insurance, you’ll be asked detailed questions about your conditions. These details will determine what your level of risk is to an insurer – the higher the risk, the more the policy will cost.

‘Standard travel insurance policies won’t generally cover you for pre-existing medical conditions such as cancer, epilepsy, asthma, arthritis and diabetes, even if you’re no longer getting treatment,’ says Emma. ‘Mental health issues should also be disclosed and if you don’t declare something – or even reveal conditions that you’ve not been diagnosed with yet but are waiting for results on – then any cover you buy could be invalid if you fall ill or require medical help overseas.’

‘Good news – there are providers who can help’

If any of these examples sound like you, the good news is that there are providers who can help. ‘There are specialist insurance brokers who are best placed to advise on cover. These companies work with specialist medical screening companies and can help find a suitable policy with a more considered premium that reflects the individual circumstances,’ says Graeme. BIBA has an online Find Insurance Service, or call 0370 950 1790.

All insurance providers do things slightly differently, so it may be that some only ask you to declare conditions within a certain time frame, for example, from the past two years. If you’re diagnosed with a condition after taking out insurance, however, you’ll need to disclose it before you go away.

Can I travel without health insurance?

‘It’s worth remembering that most travel insurance claims are made for emergency medical expenses or cancellation, and these can often run into thousands or even hundreds of thousands of pounds,’ says BIBA’s Graeme. AllClear gave us the example of an over-75-year-old who had a heart attack while in the USA. The cost of surgery and bringing them home was around £600,000. So, while paying for insurance upfront can seem pricey, the alternative cost if the worst does happen could be astronomical.

Do I need travel insurance if I have a GHIC card?

According to the NHS, ‘the UK Global Health Insurance Card (GHIC) lets you get necessary state healthcare in the European Economic Area (EEA) and some other countries, on the same basis as a resident of that country.’ However, while this could be free in some places, you would have to pay what a resident would in others. Each country will have its own rules and regulations about what it will cover (as the NHS does in the UK), so you’d need to carefully research where you’re going to know what support you’d be able to access, and at what cost.

If you need more complex treatment such as chemotherapy or dialysis, for example, you will need to try to pre-arrange it, but ‘it’s not guaranteed that local healthcare providers will always have the capacity to provide this care,’ says the NHS. You can find out more information about what’s covered by a GHIC card and how to apply here.

How can I reduce travel insurance costs?

‘It’s frustrating that many companies give stupidly high quotes for specialist medical cover, but there are comparison sites that can help you get better deals,’ says Emma. She recommends , Money Supermarket, Compare The Market and GoCompare. ‘To bring the premium down, you could also consider paying a higher excess or taking out an annual policy if you want to travel more frequently.’

We want to hear from you! Have you experienced high costs for travel insurance because of a medical condition or injury? Tell us your story at good.housekeeping@hearst.co.uk