Travel insurance: don’t let a health condition derail your holiday plans

“I nearly fell over when I saw the travel insurance quote,” says Bernie Lawrence, 77, who developed heart problems and had quadruple bypass surgery in 2018. The couple, who before the operation paid under £100 a year for European cover, saw prices rise: £302 in 2022, a quote of £1,200 while he waited for an echocardiogram, then £584 once he paid privately for the scan.

They paid £805 in 2024 and £1,009 this year before a Mediterranean cruise. Lawrence, who says he has never made a claim, adds: “You can’t really argue with them because they say: ‘Well, you’re 77 years old and you’ve had all these things in the past.’” Millions of holidaymakers with pre-existing medical conditions plan to travel abroad this summer without insurance, a survey by specialist insurer AllClear suggested, with 18% risking no cover.

That leaves travellers exposed to big bills: two years ago, insurers paid out £262bn for medical expenses for UK travellers who needed emergency care.

United Kingdom

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