Going on holiday is something that many people are desperate to do after a serious illness but finding affordable travel insurance after cancer can be tricky, as I found. Having been diagnosed with breast cancer in 2018, I initially struggled to find cover when I needed a break during treatment, but having worked in travel insurance I luckily knew where to look. I wrote about my experience in The Times and wanted to share all my tips here too, so that more people who have been affected can go away and have the fun they deserve!
This article includes lots of useful information for booking travel insurance after cancer including :
– where to buy travel insurance during cancer treatment
– which medical conditions you should disclose for holiday cover
– how much cancellation cover you should take out
– how to reduce the excess for travel insurance
– how I can help find cover if you still struggle to find an insurer
This post contains affiliate links for which I may receive a small commission if you make a purchase at no extra cost to you.
Travel insurance during cancer treatment
Many travel insurance providers won’t cover you during cancer treatment, including banks where it’s a bundled benefit with a premium account. You must always declare conditions to your bank or other bundled provider as you may need to pay an extra premium, or in my case be refused cover. Depending where you are in your treatment, and what stage your cancer is, you many need to be individually underwritten. Many providers won’t cover those who have received a terminal prognosis either.
InsuranceWith
The first company I tried were InsuranceWith.com who were really helpful and are specialists in finding cover for people with really serious conditions, including those with a terminal prognosis. Each person is underwritten individually which means that they assign a person to go over your medical history and then they create a bespoke quote for you. Unfortunately at the time I tried they couldn’t cover me though as surgery was pending. However, they have since been super helpful and saved a friend with terminal cancer £1500 compared with another insurer! If you do try them then use this link or referral code ‘Alisentme’ to get a 5% discount. I’m keen help those who are struggling to get cover so please do get in touch if you have any issues.
Allclear Travel Insurance
Another affordable option for most people is AllClear who can provide cover during treatment. They are a broker who have access to many different insurers, all specialists for people with medical conditions. They are the travel insurance partner of the Daily Mirror which is where I saw their advert. I did an online quote which was very reasonable, less than £100 for my trip. I gave them a call just to check that I was covered despite still having surgery and radiotherapy treatments in the near future. They assured me I would be, so I bought a policy for the cruise we had booked for Easter.
PayingTooMuch
I used to work for PayingTooMuch and have used them again recently for a couple of trips I’m planning. I actually needed to claim in 2022 and their team were very helpful in assisting me to get a refund.
The medical questions are really easy to answer and you should make sure you disclose conditions for all members of the family. I was really happy with my quote and it was actually cheaper to get an annual worldwide policy than a single trip to the USA, so do look at all options.
Their results list shows what your cover levels are and whether covid cover is included, which was really important to me as I was worried one of my family could test positive just before we go away.
As I mention below, check the excess level – I paid a little more to get a £75 excess rather than £150, which could make a big difference should I need to claim.
When should you buy travel insurance?
The best advice is to book travel insurance as soon as you book your holiday, and include cancellation cover. That way you can claim if anything happens before you’re due to travel. The downside to doing this is that it is more expensive than buying it at the last minute, but the reason for that is that you’re covered for a longer period of time, when something could potentially go wrong, including FCO advice as a result of the Corona Virus (Covid-19).
I’ve had to cancel a holiday because my mum fell ill, so cancellation cover is important to me, but for others it may not be.
The most important thing if you arrange insurance when book your holiday is that you must let the insurer know if your health situation changes; whether you are diagnosed for a new condition or start taking new tablets. They may charge you a little extra but you will be covered for the new condition.
Which medical conditions should you disclose?
A lot of people ask me which medical conditions they need to disclose. My answer is always that if in doubt to disclose everything. If you have ever had a respiratory condition, even childhood asthma, then disclose it. If you’re taking blood pressure tablets, have arthritis, had a minor operation recently – let them know. Illnesses from many years ago are unlikely to affect the premium but you have the reassurance that you’ll be covered. Here’s the guidance from AllClear’s website.
If you use the AllClear website to do a quote then there’s a search box where you type in the condition – you can use that to see if anything you’ve suffered from is listed.
Compare benefits
When you get a quote for travel insurance there are a few limits which you need to be aware of.
Cancellation cover
The first is the cancellation cover and you must ensure this covers the cost of your holiday per person. This must include your flights, hotel, car hire, theme park tickets – everything you are spending money on.
Excess
Next is the excess. This is the first part of any claim that you must pay, and it is per person. The excess is often £50-150, and the premium will vary accordingly. My tip is, if you can afford it, to look for a premium with £0 excess. That way, you will receive the total claim amount should the worst happen. I’ve had situations where I’ve had to cancel a relatively cheap holiday, but it was almost not worth the hassle of claiming due to a high excess. For this reason, I prefer to pay a slightly higher premium for no excess.
Medical and repatriation cover
Medical limits also vary, from £5million upwards. For trips to America, where medical bills can be extortionate, a higher level of benefit would be sensible, whereas for elsewhere £5million should be enough. This also covers repatriation costs should you need to be flown home, potentially accompanied by a doctor or nurse.
Baggage cover
Baggage cover levels usually start at around £300. You should consider any high value items you are taking with you, such as cameras, laptops and other devices. It’s hard to buy an iPhone for less than £300 so if you carry lots of tech with you then a higher cover level would be necessary.
Travel Insurance Tips
Here are my top tips for buying travel insurance.
1. Make sure all medical conditions are declared including minor conditions such as high blood pressure and cholesterol, as well as any tablets you are taking.
2. Ensure the cancellation benefit level covers the cost of the holiday. The benefit is per person.
3. Compare excesses as it could be worth paying a little bit more to have no excess.
4. Bank accounts with bundled holiday insurance usually expire at a specified age, which can be as young as 70, so check the small print to ensure you are still covered when you pass a milestone birthday.
5. EHIC cards are no longer valid for UK citizens now that we have left the European Union. If you are eligible for one (e.g. you live in Ireland) then they provide the same medical care as a citizen in the country you are visiting but it may not be free. Always take out travel insurance to avoid excessive medical bills.
6. If you are taking a cruise then check that your travel insurance includes options such as missed port, cabin confinement and unused excursion cover if you’re taken ill on board.
7. Consider an annual policy if you are taking multiple trips to the same location. However, one US trip and one European holiday may be cheaper if purchased separately. If you perform separate quotes for each trip you can compare prices with annual cover.
8. If your health changes after you have bought your policy you must tell the insurer to ensure you are still covered when you travel.
9. Make a note of the claims helpline telephone number and your policy reference in case you need to speak to the insurer while you’re away. A simple way to do this is to add a note in your phone, or take a photo of the policy document with your phone camera so it’s easy to access in an emergency.
Always compare different providers for travel insurance after cancer. I would always check with Allclear, InsuranceWith, PayingTooMuch.com and Good To Go.
Click this link or the advert above to get a quote from Allclear.
Don’t forget the 5% discount with InsuranceWith if you use this link or use referral code ‘Alisentme’.
What to do if you can’t find travel insurance
I’m keen to find cover for people who are struggling to find travel insurance after cancer (or during treatment). If you have tried AllClear , InsuranceWith or other brokers and they can’t cover you please get in touch (here are my contact details). I have lots of contacts in the industry and will try and find cover for you. I feel strongly that people who have been through a serious illness should be able to go away and relax on holiday knowing that they have cover in place should the worst happen.
Once you know you can get travel insurance for your medical conditions then the fun part starts – you can plan your holiday! I use Booking.com for hotels as I tend to buy flights and accommodation separately for my big adventures.
If you need inspiration then here are some of my travel posts!
– How to make the most of a trip to Niagara Falls
– Our California road trip
– Three days in Toronto
– The best New York landmarks
– Fun things to do in Los Angeles
