halifax travel insurance pre existing conditions

Does Travel Insurance Cover Pre-Existing Conditions? (2024)

If you have certain types of pre-existing medical conditions and need travel insurance, you may still be able to get coverage. but first, you’ll have to qualify for a waiver..

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Updated September 20, 2023

Table of contents

• What’s covered
• Eligibility for waiver
• Insurance companies
• How to buy insurance

If you’re planning to take a trip, you need to plan for every eventuality, especially because your health insurance likely won’t cover illness, injury, or emergency medical transport when you’re abroad. [1]

Fortunately, purchasing travel medical and medical evacuation insurance policies can help you (and your traveling companions) get the care you need if you get sick or hurt or experience other types of medical emergencies while traveling.

However, it’s important to note that if you have a pre-existing medical condition, you could be denied coverage unless you qualify for a pre-existing condition waiver. Here’s what you need to know about travel insurance with pre-existing conditions.

Does travel insurance cover pre-existing conditions?

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that people with pre-existing health conditions get travel medical insurance if they plan to travel abroad, live overseas for more than six months, or participate in dangerous activities, like scuba diving. [2]

However, getting travel medical insurance with a pre-existing medical condition can be tricky. Insurance companies may be more reluctant to offer you coverage since your risk of getting sick or having a flare-up overseas may be higher.

If you have a pre-existing condition and need travel insurance, it’s important to understand what types of coverage may be available and what special terms, if any, may apply. While some plans make exceptions for certain types of pre-existing conditions, you may have to first qualify for a special waiver.

Pre-existing conditions explained

When it comes to travel medical insurance, a pre-existing condition may be defined as an existing health issue or diagnosis, which can include a recent injury or illness or a long-term disease for which you’re receiving medical treatment. [3] It may also be defined as a long-term condition, such as high blood pressure, dementia, or even pregnancy.

In the U.S., under the Affordable Care Act, people with pre-existing conditions can’t be excluded from most types of standard health coverage. However, these same rules don’t apply to travel insurance. [4]

Factors that determine your eligibility for a pre-existing condition waiver

If you have a pre-existing condition, you can benefit from travel medical insurance in the event of an emergency, but you must obtain a pre-existing conditions medical waiver in advance. Without a waiver in place, any claim you file for medical coverage could be denied. This would put you on the hook for costly medical care, treatments, and expenses.

To get a waiver for a pre-existing condition, you’ll need to meet certain eligibility requirements, including:

Being medically cleared to travel

Most travel insurers that offer exclusion waivers require you to be physically able to travel, with no changes to your medical condition for a set amount of time (usually 60 to 180 days). Some travel insurance policies may require medical records, copies of your medical history, or a sign-off by a physician.

Buying your policy within a specific time frame

You must purchase a pre-existing condition waiver within a certain window (typically 14 to 21 days after you’ve made an initial trip deposit or first payment on your trip). Most waivers are good only for the first — and only for one — booking, meaning you can’t reschedule the trip.

Insuring the full cost of your trip

You’ll also likely need to purchase an amount of coverage that’s equivalent to 100% of the non-refundable cost of your trip, including airfare, hotels, and other travel arrangements.

Covered pre-existing conditions

Travel insurance doesn’t typically cover medical treatment for pre-existing conditions without a waiver. But if you qualify for a waiver, any illnesses or injuries that occur during your trip will likely be covered. However, since policies can vary on a case-by-case basis and between travel insurance companies, it’s a good idea to check the fine print of your plan before your trip.

Pre-existing conditions that aren’t typically covered

While many types of pre-existing conditions are eligible for a waiver, most travel insurance companies won’t cover certain medical conditions, including:

Alzheimer’s disease and dementia

Anxiety and depression

Normal pregnancy and childbirth

Conditions related to alcohol and drug abuse

In addition, other circumstances may not be covered, even if they’re medical in nature. For example, a pre-existing medical condition exclusion waiver may not cover a situation such as an accident or illness caused by risky activities, like extreme sports. You also may not be able to get a pre-existing exclusion waiver for trips that are deemed expensive.

Waivers are also only typically available as single-trip policies — meaning you can’t purchase annual travel insurance coverage or multi-trip plans. Your coverage may also have limits. When in doubt, be sure to check with your travel insurance company and review your trip insurance policy’s fine print.

Travel insurance companies that offer pre-existing medical condition waivers

If you have a pre-existing medical condition and need travel insurance, you may be able to qualify for a pre-existing waiver. When comparing options, check the fine print about each travel insurance plan’s waiver requirements, as they can vary widely between companies.

While not all travel insurance companies offer pre-existing medical condition waivers, here are a few to consider:

Seven Corners

Travel Guard by AIG

How to buy travel insurance with a pre-existing condition

If you have a pre-existing condition, here’s how to buy travel insurance:

Gather your options. Shopping around is important. You can check insurance companies’ websites directly or consider using an insurance comparison site to make searching easier.

Review your policy options. Compare each policy’s requirements for waiver eligibility information to find the best travel insurance plan for your needs.

Compare costs from top insurers. Costs can vary between travel insurance plans, so carefully consider the best plan for your budget.

Buy your coverage. Once you find a travel insurance policy that’s a good fit for your pre-existing condition, budget, and travel plans, you’ll need to buy your policy. Most waivers require plans to be purchased within a specific time frame to ensure coverage, so be sure to read the fine print.

Travel insurance pre-existing conditions FAQS

If you have a pre-existing condition, getting travel insurance is still possible. Here are answers to some of the most commonly asked questions that can help guide you in your search for the best travel policy when you have a pre-existing medical condition.

Can you get travel insurance with pre-existing conditions?

Yes. You can get travel insurance with pre-existing conditions. But you may be required to get a special waiver, and some exclusions and special conditions may apply. That’s why it’s important to check the fine print before purchasing a travel policy to ensure coverage.

What is a pre-existing look-back period for travel insurance?

Pre-existing look-back periods are the length of time a travel insurance company may require you to have your pre-existing condition treated or controlled before your travel medical insurance plan’s effective date. Look-back periods are typically about 60 to 180 days, depending on the travel insurance plan.

Does it cost more to purchase travel insurance with pre-existing coverage?

No. Generally, purchasing travel insurance with pre-existing coverage has no extra cost. But to get a pre-existing medical condition waiver, you may have to purchase insurance that covers 100% of your trip.

How do travel insurance companies determine what qualifies as a pre-existing condition?

Travel insurance companies may have different criteria for determining what qualifies as a pre-existing condition, and it’s generally tied to how long you’ve been sick or injured with a condition. But some conditions are generally never exempt, even with a waiver, such as depression or complication-free pregnancies.

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Sarah Archambault enjoys helping people figure out smarter ways to use their money. She covers auto financing, banking, credit cards, credit health, insurance, and personal loans. She’s created and edited content for Credit Karma, Experian and Sound Dollar, along with banks, financial institutions, and insurance companies.

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• How do travel insurance companies define a pre-existing condition?
• Where to find travel coverage for pre-existing conditions
• How to get a waiver for a pre-existing medical condition 

How to Get Travel Insurance with Preexisting Condition Coverage

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• Most travel insurance companies offer waivers for pre-existing stable medical conditions.
• To qualify for a pre-existing condition waiver, you must buy insurance within a certain timeframe.
• Keep in mind that not all policies cover pre-existing conditions, so always double-check your policy.

Medical travel insurance is a great way to protect your health and finances when traveling. If you have a pre-existing medical condition, you might assume you can't get coverage. Luckily, that's not usually the case. 

Here's everything you need to know about pre-existing conditions and travel insurance, including how to find coverage options if you have a pre-existing condition.

Understanding pre-existing conditions and travel insurance

Most travel insurance companies define pre-existing conditions as a change in your medical record that includes tests, examinations, treatment, or changes in medication. The changes in your medical record usually result in a diagnosis, which becomes a pre-existing condition. But you do not have to receive a formal diagnosis for it to be considered a pre-existing condition.

Travel insurance companies consider medical conditions within a specified look-back period, or length of time. The medical condition must be stable to qualify for a claim. Conditions are stable if you do not need additional treatment, medication, or diagnoses.

But even if your medical condition is stable, you likely need a pre-existing condition waiver to get coverage if it suddenly worsens while you're traveling. 

Travel insurance look-back periods for pre-existing conditions

If you file a claim, the insurance company has a right to review your medical record and ensure that you did not have a condition related to the claim. This process is known as a "look-back" period since the insurance looks back through your records. 

The look-back period usually includes 60 to 180 days before you buy the policy. Before approving your claim, the insurance company wants to determine if the condition already existed.

The insurance company may approve or deny your claim based on what it discovers. To avoid dealing with the risk of denial, you can qualify for a pre-existing condition waiver instead. 

Choosing the right insurance policy for pre-existing conditions

Various companies offer travel insurance for travelers with pre-existing conditions, including Allianz Travel Insurance , GoReady Travel Insurance , Nationwide Travel Insurance , and AIG Travel Insurance . 

You can contact individual companies for quotes or work with a travel insurance comparison site like TravelInsurance.com, SquareMouth, or InsureMyTrip . Comparison sites allow you to review multiple quotes at once. You can usually filter results based on companies that offer pre-existing medical condition waivers. 

Regardless of which company you choose, it's important to understand the policies regarding pre-existing conditions and adhere to the requirements.

Purchasing travel insurance with pre-existing conditions

With a pre-existing medical condition waiver, you disclose your medical conditions to your insurance provider and ensure that the condition does not impact your ability to file a claim. If you have a waiver, you can even bypass the look-back period.

The waivers are set up through the travel insurance company and should not impact the cost of your policy. 

You must meet the following criteria to qualify for a pre-existing medical condition waiver:

• Stable medical condition: Conditions are stable if you do not need additional treatment, medication, or diagnoses. You also need to be medically fit to travel on the day of your trip.
• Get coverage within a certain timeframe: You typically need to establish coverage shortly after you make your first payment towards the trip, but timelines vary by provider. 
• Coverage must equal nonrefundable costs: If there are nonrefundable parts of your trip, your travel insurance coverage must equal or exceed that amount. 

For example, if you were diagnosed with high blood pressure a few years ago, but the condition has been stable since — your medication manages the symptoms, and you have not needed additional medical support — then you likely qualify for a pre-existing condition waiver. 

Pre-existing conditions and travel insurance FAQ

Some companies do not provide coverage if you have certain health conditions, such as depression, dementia, or Alzheimer's disease, but it varies based on the provider. The coverage details of your policy depend on the plan you select. But comprehensive travel insurance usually covers baggage delays, trip cancellations, and emergency medical care. 

Allianz offers travel insurance that covers pre-existing conditions with a waiver. You are eligible as long as you establish coverage within 14 days of paying the first deposit for the trip. But Allianz does exclude certain conditions like bipolar disorder and Alzheimer's disease.

A company can deny your travel insurance claim based on what it discovers in the look-back period if you do not have a pre-existing condition waiver.

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Can I Get Travel Insurance for Pre-Existing Medical Conditions?

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Table of Contents

What is considered a pre-existing condition?

How to qualify for a pre-existing medical conditions waiver, where to find coverage for pre-existing conditions, travel insurance for pre-existing conditions, recapped.

Although trip delay and baggage loss insurance are good to have, purchasing a medical insurance policy before hitting the road can be the difference between an expensive vacation and a really expensive vacation. Those with pre-existing conditions may be wondering if they can still get travel insurance. Luckily, the answer is yes.

Here’s where to look for and how to get travel insurance for pre-existing medical conditions.

» Learn more: What to know before buying travel insurance

A pre-existing condition is an illness, injury or medical concern that has included exams, treatments or a change in prescribed medication within 60 to 180 days of purchasing a travel insurance policy. The condition doesn’t have to be diagnosed formally to be considered a pre-existing condition.

For example, say you go on a bike tour of Amsterdam and suffer a mild heart attack. If a doctor had diagnosed hypertension (high blood pressure) a few weeks before your trip, this is considered a pre-existing condition.

So, what does a pre-existing medical condition mean for travel insurance? The good news is that having a pre-existing condition doesn’t preclude you from traveling or being eligible for medical coverage. Many comprehensive plans cover pre-existing conditions and can help you recoup your money if you require medical treatment during your trip or have to cancel a trip altogether because of a medical issue.

To avoid being on the hook for medical bills abroad or losing a deposit before you even pack your bags, look for a policy that includes a pre-existing condition waiver. Read the fine print on the insurance provider’s website; there shouldn’t be an age limit on most plans, and the premium shouldn’t cost more than it would for people without pre-existing medical conditions.

As long as you’re medically fit to travel, you can qualify for a pre-existing condition waiver if you meet the following criteria and apply within the eligible timeframe:

A pre-existing condition must be stable.

You must buy coverage at the time of your first trip deposit or shortly thereafter (time frame varies by company).

Amount of coverage must be equal to all pre-paid, non-refundable costs.

For example, if you put down a 50% deposit on a safari in South Africa, you must buy travel insurance within the time specified by the insurance provider to be eligible for a pre-existing medical conditions waiver. If you wait too long to purchase coverage, you'll have missed the coverage purchasing window and the waiver won’t be applicable to your trip.

We recommend purchasing a travel insurance policy as soon as you make the first deposit on a trip.

If you don’t qualify for a waiver, then a travel insurance company has a right to look back at the traveler’s medical records for the last 60 to 180 days (varies by plan), which is called a look-back period. This is done to determine whether you’re filing a claim for an incident related to a pre-existing condition, which then determines whether it’s going to be covered or not.

The pre-existing medical conditions waiver may also provide coverage in the case of a non-traveling family member having a medical problem mid-trip. This varies by plan.

» Learn more: The best travel insurance companies

With so many providers to choose from, it’s hard to make the right choice. So, which travel insurance for pre-existing medical conditions is best?

You can turn to travel insurance companies such as Allianz , Travel Guard by AIG or RoamRight to locate the right plan for your trip.

Instead of getting quotes from every travel insurance company under the sun, we recommend InsureMyTrip, which is a free comparison site that allows you to get quotes from multiple providers at once.

To start a quote, you must:

Select your travel destination.

Provide travel dates.

Disclose your citizenship and the state where you live.

Select the number of travelers and their ages.

The website will ask you additional questions, such as:

Whether you’re taking a flight, going on a cruise or renting a vacation home.

The total cost of nonrefundable expenses, such as flight costs, hotel bookings and tours.

The date you made the first payment toward the trip and viewed your coverage options.

You can sort and filter your results in multiple ways. Compare the plans offered and make a selection based on price, insurance provider reviews or the included coverage.

Keep in mind that it’s not possible to find annual travel insurance for pre-existing medical conditions. Comprehensive plans that include coverage for pre-existing conditions can only be purchased for every trip separately.

Yes, it is possible to find travel insurance coverage suitable for trip takers with qualifying pre-existing conditions.

The best travel insurance options for travelers with pre-existing medical conditions include Travel Guard by AIG and Allianz .

Unless you purchase a plan with explicit coverage for pre-existing medical conditions, you can generally expect that costs related to these conditions pre- or mid-trip are excluded from a travel insurance policy. For plans with the option to cover pre-existing medical conditions, qualified travelers can select a Waiver of Pre-Existing Medical Conditions.

Example eligible conditions include illnesses, injuries or medical concerns that have included exams, treatments or a change in prescribed medication within 2-6 months of purchasing a travel insurance policy (depending on the provider).

The best travel insurance options for travelers with pre-existing medical conditions include

Travel Guard by AIG

Optional travel insurance certainly can protect you from the unexpected. To obtain coverage for a pre-existing condition, make sure to follow all the rules of the policy you’re about to purchase. Buy a policy within the specified time frame and declare all nonrefundable expenses accurately.

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You want a travel credit card that prioritizes what’s important to you. Here are our picks for the best travel credit cards of 2024 , including those best for:

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Business travelers: Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card

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How To Get Pre-Existing Conditions Covered By Travel Insurance

Updated: Oct 4, 2023, 7:04am

Table of Contents

What is a pre-existing condition for travel insurance, how to get coverage for a pre-existing condition, which travel insurance companies offer coverage for pre-existing medical conditions, pre-existing conditions not eligible for a coverage.

You’re planning a once-in-a-lifetime trip to Europe with your parents to celebrate their 40th anniversary. You know that travel insurance is important in case of a medical emergency, but you’re worried about getting coverage for your father because of his diabetes. You’ve been told that most standard travel insurance policies won’t offer coverage for this and other pre-existing medical conditions unless he meets certain requirements.

While your father’s diabetes is controlled, you know it’s risky to purchase a policy knowing his diabetes might not be covered if he requires treatment while travelling and you need to file a claim.

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Rest assured, there are options for travellers with pre-existing conditions to ensure they are eligible for reimbursement if they encounter health issues during your trip.

In general, a pre-existing condition is defined as any sickness, injury or medical condition that existed before the start of your coverage, whether or not diagnosed by a physician, that you showed signs or symptoms of or received medical attention for.

Each insurance company will have its own requirements, typically of seven, 30, 80, 180 or 365 days, that your condition must remain “stable” or unchanged before your coverage takes effect. This is either the day you leave on your trip (for emergency medical or trip interruption) or the day your policy takes effect (for travel coverage, such as trip cancellation).

While each insurer has its own definition, essentially a medical condition or injury is considered “stable” when all of the following are true:

• There has been no deterioration of the medical condition.
• There have been no new symptoms or more frequent symptoms.
• There has been no change in treatment or alteration of medication.
• There has been no treatment received, prescribed or recommended by a physician or other registered medical practitioner.
• There is no pending lab results or diagnostics.
• There has been no hospitalization or referral to a specialist.

Travel insurance companies normally exclude pre-existing conditions from coverage, which ranks among the most frequent reasons for denial of travel insurance claims. What’s more, you don’t need an official diagnosis from a health care professional to have something designated a pre-existing condition for travel insurance purposes. If your medical record reveals you reported symptoms of a condition that was later diagnosed, that is enough to have that condition deemed ineligible for coverage.

To determine what qualifies as a pre-existing condition, a travel insurance company can review your medical records for the stipulated number of days before the day the policy was purchased. If you had any changes in your medical status during that period, such as a new diagnosis, a decline in health or the addition of new prescription medication, the condition will be considered pre-existing.

For example, say you were diagnosed with and prescribed medication for high blood pressure on January 15 and you plan to take a trip to Mexico on March 19, or 63 days later. Based on your age, your travel insurance provider requires a 30-day stability period before you leave on your trip for your condition to be covered for emergency medical insurance. As long as your symptoms and treatment of your high blood pressure do not change during that time, it should be covered by your medical insurance.

However, if, for example,  you receive a change of dosage of medication, either an increase or decrease, during those 30 days, your condition is now not considered stable and will be ineligible for reimbursement without additional coverage. Keep in mind that you are still eligible for medical treatment if something else happens on your trip even with a medical exclusion. For example, if you fall down some stairs and break your wrist, those medical expenses are covered.

Without pre-existing condition coverage, a travel insurance company won’t pay for medical bills or claims related to your recent medical history if you require emergency treatment due to that condition.

But don’t panic. If you’re looking for travel insurance that offers comprehensive coverage regardless of your medical history, there are several coverage options for travellers with a pre-existing conditions. Keep in mind that not all insurers offer these options.

Pre-existing medical condition waiver : If you purchase your policy within a set timeframe, you insure the full nonrefundable costs of the trip and you’re able to travel on the date of purchase, this waives any pre-existing condition exclusions. There is typically no extra cost for the waiver.

Individual underwriting: Some insurance companies offer a separate and personalized individual underwriting application option where you complete a more detailed medical questionnaire and then the medical underwriter reviews your responses and, if approved, you are provided with  customized travel insurance coverage.

Reduction of stability period: Typically sold as an add-on (also known as an endorsement or rider), this option reduces the amount of time that your pre-existing condition needs to be considered stable before being eligible for coverage. There is typically a maximum benefit amount that is lower than the emergency medical benefit payout. For example, AMA Travel Insurance offers $5 million in emergency medical, but a maximum of $200,000 in coverage for the pre-existing conditions rider.

Pre-existing condition exclusion: A pre-existing condition can push up the price of your insurance significantly. In addition to a reduction of stability period option, Tour+Med offers an innovative Optional Exclusion option where you can  exclude an organ or complete system that’s affected by the pre-existing condition in return for a lower premium. For example, if you have asthma that does not meet the “stable and controlled” conditions, you can choose to have your asthma excluded, which would also exclude the entire respiratory system. So if you were to get sick with bronchitis, that also would not be covered.

Personalized pre-existing conditions packages : Some insurers feature customized packages for travellers (often over a certain age) with coverage for pre-existing medical conditions. Rather than purchase this as an add-on to an existing insurance policy, this is a separate policy, such as Manulife’s TravelEase insurance coverage or RBC Insurance’s TravelCare package.

While pre-existing conditions are an exclusion for all standard travel insurance policies, these travel insurance companies offer the following coverage options:

• AMA Travel Insurance : Pre-Existing Condition Rider that offers up to $200,000 in emergency medical coverage and reduces the stability period to seven days.
• BCAA Travel Insurance : Optional Pre-Existing Condition coverage that offers up to $300,00 in emergency medical coverage and reduces the stability period to seven days.
• Pacific Blue Cross : Optional Pre-Existing Condition Benefit offers coverage for pre-existing conditions and reduces the stability period to seven days.
• CAA Travel Insurance: Pre-Existing Condition Rider that offers up to $200,000 in emergency medical coverage and reduces the stability period to seven days.
• Desjardins Travel Insurance : Stable for 3 Months add-on reduces your stability period from 182 days to 90 days.
• Goose Travel Insurance : Unstable Pre-Existing Medical Condition endorsement shortens your stability period to seven days.
• Manulife Financial: TravelEase insurance package covers many fully disclosed pre-existing medical conditions with up to $5 million in benefits.
• Medipac Travel Insurance : Individual Underwritten Application for travellers who do not otherwise qualify for standard coverage.
• RBC Travel Insurance : For travellers over age 75, the TravelCare package may cover pre-existing conditions, depending on your answers to a medical questionnaire.
• Scotiabank Travel Insurance : Individual Medical Underwriting Plan for travellers of any age who would like their pre-existing medical conditions covered with no stability requirements.
• Tour+Med : For travellers under 86 years old, a Reduced Stability Period option reduces the stability period from three months to 30 days before departure (for travellers under age 69) and from six months to 30 days (for travellers 70 to 85 years old). There’s also an Optional Exclusion option to remove an organ or complete system from coverage.
• Travel Guard : Pre-existing Medical Condition Exclusion Waiver that waives any pre-existing medical condition exclusion if the policy is purchased within 15 days of the initial trip payment, any additional payments are insured within 15 days of purchase and you are medically able to travel when you pay your premium.
• TravelSafe : Pre-existing Medical Condition Exclusion waiver that waives any pre-existing medical condition exclusion if the policy is purchased within 21 days of the initial trip payment, all prepaid costs are insured and any additional payments are insured within 21 days of purchase and you are medically able to travel when you pay your premium.
• TuGo : Unstable Pre-Existing Medical Condition add-on that can be purchased in addition to the emergency medical insurance plan that provides coverage for a pre-existing medical condition that was not stable up to seven days before your departure date.

The terms and conditions vary by company, so be sure to read your policy carefully. Most insurers offer a minimum 10-day right to examine period where you can review your policy to ensure it meets your needs and cancel for a full refund if you’re not completely happy.

Even with a waiver or optional endorsement, some conditions likely won’t be covered by travel insurance, such as:

• Alzheimer’s disease or dementia
• Anxiety, depression or other mental health disorders
• Complication-free pregnancy or childbirth
• Illness or injury related to alcohol or drug abuse
• Heart conditions treated with nitroglycerin
• Lung conditions treated with prednisone or prednisolone

In addition, some insurance companies have a list of medical conditions that make you ineligible for coverage, especially over a certain age. For example, travellers over age 55 hoping to get Blue Cross Travel Insurance are ineligible for coverage if they:

• Have received medical advice not to travel
• Suffer from a medical condition in a terminal stage
• Suffer from kidney failure treated with dialysis
• Have been diagnosed with or treated for metastatic cancer in the last five years
• Have been prescribed or treated with home oxygen in the past 12 months

The Bottom Line

Be sure to carefully read the fine print of your travel insurance policy (especially the exclusions section) to see what’s covered and what’s not when it comes to pre-existing conditions, or ask your travel insurance agent or broker for help. Also, be aware of the policy’s limits for travel medical insurance and medical evacuation coverage, to avoid any surprises.

Also, even if you’re worried about not being offered coverage due to a pre-existing condition, be sure to answer the medical or health questionnaire completely, honestly and accurately. Most travel insurance companies reserve the right to deny or limit your coverage reimbursement if you are found to have lied or omitted information on your questionnaire.

• Goose Travel Insurance Review
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• TuGo Travel Insurance Review
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• Manulife Financial CoverMe Travel Insurance
• World Nomads Travel Insurance
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• Johnson MEDOC Travel Insurance
• Allianz Global Assistance Travel Insurance
• TD Bank Travel Insurance
• CUMIS Travel Insurance Review
• AMA Travel Insurance
• GMS Travel Insurance Review
• CIBC Travel Insurance Review
• BMO Travel Insurance Review
• Desjardins Travel Insurance Review
• Travelance Travel Insurance
• Scotia Travel Insurance Review
• Should You Buy Travel Insurance And Is It Worth It?
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Fiona Campbell is a Staff Writer for Forbes Advisor Canada. She started her career on Bay Street, but followed her love for research, writing and a good story into journalism. She is the former editor of Bankrate Canada, and has over 20 years of experience writing for various publications, including the Globe and Mail, Financial Post Business, Advisor’s Edge, Mydoh.ca and more.

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When Does Travel Insurance Cover Existing Medical Conditions?

Travel insurance is more than a perk or a “nice to have.” A  travel insurance plan  can save your travel investment if you must cancel your trip for covered health reasons caused by pre-existing medical conditions. But in order for this to happen, you’ll need to select a plan that offers a Pre-Existing Medical Condition Exclusion Waiver, and also meet specified conditions. Additionally,  emergency medical coverage  can reimburse you for the costs of getting covered medical treatment domestically or overseas.

What is a Pre-Existing Condition?

We know this can seem complicated. We’re here to help. Before we jump into the details of how you can obtain a travel insurance plan that can cover a pre-existing condition, let’s define exactly what we’re talking about. Quite simply, a pre-existing condition is an injury, illness or medical condition that caused someone to seek treatment, presented symptoms, or required medication. This may have taken place anytime within 120 days prior to and including the plan’s purchase date. Note that you don’t even need an official medical diagnosis from a physician for something to be considered a pre-existing condition.

How to Meet Conditions for a Pre-Existing Condition Exclusion Waiver

We know that the term is a mouthful, but the conditions needed to qualify for a Pre-Existing Condition Exclusion Waiver are fairly straightforward.

First and foremost, you must insure your full nonrefundable trip costs. From there, if you insure the full cost of your trip within 14 days of paying your first trip deposit, and you're medically able to travel when you do so, you can be covered for most existing medical conditions. We’re going to cover each of these conditions a bit more in depth below.

Note that all travel insurance plans cover existing medical conditions. Certain travel insurance products from Allianz Global Assistance do — but specific requirements apply. Below are three hypothetical examples to help you understand how to make sure your existing medical condition is covered.

For travel insurance to cover your pre-existing condition, you must be medically able to travel on the day you purchase your plan.

After suffering debilitating pain in your left knee for three years, you've finally scheduled a total knee replacement. You get the procedure done and find that your recovery goes more swiftly than expected. After two weeks of physical therapy, your doctor says she's amazed at your progress. Heartened to hear this, you book a cycling trip through the French Alps for the fall and you purchase travel insurance to protect it. If you suffer knee problems and you have to cancel the trip, are you covered?

With a pre-existing medical condition, the safest course of action is to get your physician's certification that you're fine to travel before you book your trip. Allianz Global Assistance’s travel insurance requires you to be medically able to travel on the day you buy your  plan. It doesn't matter if you expect to be able to travel in the future, or if your doctor says you should be able to travel by the time you're scheduled to leave.

Let's say you book that cycling trip and your travel insurance 12 weeks after your surgery, when you're feeling pretty good and you can take long walks around the neighborhood. Don't assume you're medically able to travel. If you end up making a travel insurance claim related to your knee, Allianz Global Assistance may review your medical records and talk to your physician to determine your condition at the time you bought insurance.

One more important thing to understand: the "medically able to travel" only applies to the people named in the insuranceplan . If your mother has uncontrolled diabetes, for instance, you need existing medical condition coverage in case you need to cancel your trip because she's in the hospital. But your mother does not need to be medically able to travel in order for you to be covered.

For a pre-existing medical condition to be covered, you must insure your full nonrefundable trip costs.

You just booked the trip of a lifetime, a two-week European river cruise with your sister. You hold out on buying your plane ticket, however, because you're hoping airfares to Paris will drop. A few weeks later, you grab that cheap ticket — whew! — but you forget to update your plan by adding the airfare cost to your coverage. Then, a week before departure, your sister (who has long suffered from hypertension) has a major change in her medication and her doctor won’t let her travel. Will travel insurance cover your trip cancellation?

Your travel companion's condition would have been considered a covered reason for trip cancellation if you had insured your full trip costs. Because you didn't, your travel insurance plan would not cover cancellations caused by pre-existing medical conditions. If you had to cancel for another covered reason — because the covered cruise operator went out of business, for instance — your travel insurance would cover the trip cancellation.

Travel insurance only covers pre-existing medical conditions if you buy your plan within 14 days (depending on your plan) of making your first trip payment or deposit.

You and your husband are both nature lovers, and to celebrate your 25th anniversary you're planning a two-week stay at a luxury eco-resort in Costa Rica. You buy travel insurance to protect your trip investment, but not until  three weeks  after the trip purchase. Because you waited, pre-existing medical conditions aren't covered. No problem, you think. You're both fit and healthy. Except your husband has had some urinary problems over the past few months, so you make him go to the urologist before the trip. Bad news: he has a prostate condition that will keep him grounded. It's treatable, but you'll have to cancel the trip. Is this trip cancellation covered?

For Allianz Global Assistance travel insurance plans, an existing medical condition is defined as an illness or injury that exhibited symptoms or was treated any time 120 days prior to purchasing your plan. In this instance, your trip cancellation due to an existing medical condition would have been covered if you had bought travel insurance within  14 days  of paying your first trip deposit.

Three more things you need to know about travel insurance and existing medical conditions

• Certain pre-existing medical conditions are excluded from Allianz Global Assistance’s travel insurance coverage, such as mental and nervous health conditions, bipolar disorder, and Alzheimer's disease.
• There's a cap on trip costs when you're buying travel insurance with pre-existing medical condition coverage, so be sure to know the amounts.
• You must be a U.S. resident to buy travel insurance with existing medical condition coverage.

We encourage customers to contact our insurance advisers at 1-866-884-3556. They'll answer your questions and help you find the travel insurance plan that's best for your unique needs. Safe travels!

Related Articles

• Emergency Medical Insurance for Travel
• Medical Travel Insurance Benefits
• How to Use Your Trip Delay Benefit and When to Cancel

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Travel Insurance Guide For Pre-Existing Condition Medical Coverage (2024)

Planning to travel but have a pre-existing condition? Get travel medical coverage with a top provider below.

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Traveling with a pre-existing medical condition can add stress to the trip-planning process, especially if you suffer from a chronic condition that affects your daily life or have symptoms that can influence your plans. While most travel insurance policies exclude pre-existing conditions from medical expenses and evacuation coverage, you may be able to obtain coverage with a pre-existing conditions waiver.

A pre-existing conditions waiver extends your travel medical insurance to include conditions and illnesses present when you enrolled in coverage. This type of coverage is a bit more expensive but can provide you with peace of mind when traveling. Read on to learn more about pre-existing medical conditions travel insurance and which top providers offer coverage.

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What Is a Pre-Existing Condition for Travel Insurance?

Although each travel insurance company has its own definition, a pre-existing condition refers to a medical condition you have before leaving for a trip. Your malady may not have to be formally diagnosed to qualify as pre-existing. You may have a pre-existing condition if you’ve sought treatment, had symptoms or taken medication within a few months before your trip for an injury, illness or medical situation.

For example, say you see your doctor for an annual physical two months before your trip to Spain . At your appointment, the doctor checks your blood pressure and diagnoses you with hypertension. Your doctor prescribes medication to lower your blood pressure. Most travel medical insurance companies consider high blood pressure a pre-existing condition.

Other common pre-existing conditions include:

• Heart disease
• High blood pressure
• Chronic illnesses, such as lupus

Medical travel insurance can be an important protection if you or a loved one plan to travel with one of these conditions — or some other pre-existing medical condition. A pre-existing condition could put you at higher risk of other medical issues. For example, if you have an autoimmune disorder, you’re likely at higher risk of contracting diseases while traveling.

How To Get a Waiver for Pre-Existing Conditions

If you have a pre-existing medical condition, it’s important to purchase travel insurance shortly after making your initial trip payment. Based on our quote collection process, we found that you usually need to be within 10 to 21 days of your first trip payment to qualify for a pre-existing conditions waiver. If you buy your travel insurance after this point, you usually will not qualify for pre-existing conditions coverage.

Depending on the insurance provider, you may need to meet additional conditions beyond your purchase date for pre-existing medical conditions coverage. Additional stipulations you may need to meet include:

• Trip coverage: In most cases, you’ll need to insure 100% of your trip cost and add medical coverage to your policy to receive a pre-existing condition waiver. This means that policies that offer pre-existing conditions waivers are usually more expensive. However, these policies also include more extensive coverage, which can be helpful in the event of an emergency.
• Health status: While most travel insurance companies do not require you to undergo a medical exam before buying coverage like with life insurance, your health condition can still play a role in your ability to qualify for a waiver. You might need to answer a health questionnaire before purchasing coverage, or you may need to list any medical diagnoses within the previous 60 to 90 days. If you have a major medical condition with active symptoms, like cancer or Alzheimer’s disease, you may be denied coverage.

If you qualify for coverage, your insurance provider will include the waiver with your coverage at no additional cost. Be sure to review the details of your coverage after you’re approved so you fully understand the terms and conditions.

How To Qualify for a Pre-Existing Medical Condition Exclusion Waiver

To qualify to get a pre-existing conditions waiver, you’ll need to meet a few conditions related to the policy-buying process and determine the right coverage for your health.

You cannot purchase travel insurance that covers pre-existing conditions at any time — most policy providers require you to be within 14 to 21 days of your initial trip deposit to qualify. For this reason, we suggest you consider travel insurance as you’re comparing other travel bookings like hotels, airfare and event tickets. This will allow you to purchase insurance shortly after booking, giving you access to more policies with coverage for pre-existing conditions.

Choose the Right Plan

Next, compare the coverages included with each policy offered by your preferred travel insurance provider and identify those that include pre-existing conditions waivers. Most travel insurance companies limit waivers to policies with more inclusive coverage terms and 100% cancellation insurance. If a provider does not offer pre-existing conditions coverage, request quotes from a different company.

Review Coverage Limitations

If you qualify for a pre-existing conditions waiver, your insurance provider will include it under your coverage terms. Review your coverage and any excluded conditions. Contact a representative from the insurance company if you have questions about coverages and limitations.

Documentation Needed for a Pre-Existing Conditions Waiver

Depending on your coverage provider, you may need to submit a letter from your doctor confirming you’re medically fit to travel. This is especially true if you need coverage for a chronic condition under control by medication or if you’ve recently had corrective surgery. Documentation requirements vary by provider, so be sure to review your specific coverage terms to learn more.

Travel Insurance Companies That Cover Pre-Existing Medical Conditions

Not every travel insurance provider offers pre-existing conditions waivers and those that do have varying policies regarding the timeline for enrollment in order to qualify. The following are a few of our recommended travel insurance providers covering pre-existing conditions and how you can qualify for coverage.

• Nationwide: Nationwide offers customers an option to qualify for pre-existing conditions coverage across multiple plans. While many insurance providers limit pre-existing conditions waivers to only the most expensive policy, Nationwide allows you to qualify for pre-existing conditions coverage 10 days from your initial purchase with the Essential Policy. You may also qualify up to 21 days after your initial trip payment with the Prime Plan. Read our full review of Nationwide travel insurance .
• Trawick: Trawick offers six unique policies with the option to include coverage for pre-existing conditions, which is more than most other providers. This range of options can make Trawick a strong choice for customers looking to customize their coverage. You must add coverage no more than 14 to 21 days after your initial trip payment, depending on your selected plan. Read our full review of Trawick travel insurance. 
• Seven Corners: To qualify for pre-existing coverage with Seven Corners, you’ll need to opt for the Trip Protection Choice, which includes benefits like 150% trip interruption coverage and up to $2,000 in trip delay benefits. You must buy this coverage no less than 20 days after your initial trip payment. Read our full review of Seven Corners travel insurance .
• Generali Travel Insurance: While Generali does not offer the longest purchase period for pre-existing conditions, travelers looking for concierge-level benefits may want to consider the company. To qualify for a pre-existing condition waiver, you must be within 24 hours of your initial trip payment, which means most shoppers will need to consider insurance as they’re actively planning a vacation to qualify. Read our full review of Generali travel insurance .

Types of Travel Insurance for Pre-Existing Conditions

There are four main types of travel insurance:

• Trip cancellation
• Baggage coverage
• Medical travel insurance
• Cancel for any reason (CFAR) coverage

Trip Cancellation Insurance

Trip cancellation insurance is a type of travel insurance that helps cover nonrefundable costs if your trip gets canceled due to an unexpected or uncontrollable event. For example, a trip cancellation policy might cover nonrefundable costs if you find out right before your trip you’ve been summoned for jury duty. Or, say you have to cancel a trip due to an unexpected storm that interrupts your flight. Travel insurance will reimburse you for the flight and any corresponding lodging costs.

Trip cancellation insurance usually does not cover changes in pre-existing medical conditions. If your arthritic knees cause pain that makes you cancel your trip two weeks out, the insurance company may deny your claim. However, you may qualify for a pre-existing condition waiver to use for trip cancellation coverage.

Baggage Coverage

Baggage insurance generally covers the loss, theft, delay, or damage to baggage and personal belongings while traveling. For instance, your luggage is stolen from your hotel room while you’re at dinner. Depending on your policy, your baggage insurance could help pay to replace necessary items, like clothing and shoes. Other policies will ensure the full value of items in your bags, with certain restrictions.

Baggage insurance can offer peace of mind that you can replace your belongings if they’re lost, stolen, or damaged. Pre-existing conditions don’t affect baggage insurance coverage.

Medical Travel Insurance

Medical travel insurance is one of the most common types of travel insurance. A medical travel policy helps pay for emergency medical care when traveling. Say you fall ill with a fever and need to go to the emergency room while abroad. Your medical travel insurance generally covers the cost of treatment up to your plan’s limits.

If you’re considering travel health insurance plans and have a pre-existing condition, you’ll want to carefully read the fine print of your policy. In most cases, you’ll need to obtain a pre-existing conditions waiver before traveling. Without a waiver, your policy may not cover medical expenses you incur while traveling.

Cancel for Any Reason Insurance (CFAR) Coverage

With a few exceptions, CFAR travel insurance lets you cancel a trip for a partial refund of prepaid, nonrefundable expenses outside the reasons listed in your policy. Common reasons to use a CFAR policy include a family member getting sick, fear of illness at your destination or your new passport doesn’t arrive in time to travel. Unlike regular trip cancellation or medical travel insurance, CFAR coverage does not require a pre-existing conditions waiver for coverage. That means if your chronic condition flares up before your trip and you decide to cancel within the effective date of coverage, you could get a partial refund (typically between 50%-75%) of your nonrefundable trip expenses.

Although CFAR coverage is a good way to secure pre-existing medical insurance for travel cancellation or interruption, it’s not usually offered as a stand-alone policy. You typically have to add CFAR coverage to your standard travel insurance policy for an extra cost.

How Much Does Travel Insurance for Pre-Existing Conditions Cost?

Generally, adding pre-existing conditions coverage will not increase your policy cost if you qualify for a waiver. Based on our research, a travel insurance policy costs between $160 to $300 , depending on your chosen coverage and provider. In our review, we found that the average couple will pay about $221 for a travel insurance policy from one of our recommended travel insurance providers.

How To File a Pre-Existing Medical Condition Travel Insurance Claim

If you have to file a travel insurance claim for a pre-existing condition that your policy covers, you can improve your chances for reimbursement with strong documentation. Whether you must cancel your trip at the last minute or you need coverage for an emergency room visit while on vacation, the process of filing a travel insurance claim is generally the same. The claims process typically looks like this:

• File your claims form, which will commonly ask for your name, policy number, the reason for the claim and other important details.
• Submit your claims form with all necessary documentation, such as a doctor’s note, flight delay or baggage notices, police reports, and any other related documents.
• Your travel insurance company reviews your claim and supporting documentation. The insurance company may request more details or documents supporting your claim.
• If the company approves your claim, you’ll receive reimbursement, up to your policy limits.

The claims process is straightforward, but missing documents or lack of evidence could lead to the insurer denying your claim. Having the right documentation is more important if you’re filing a medical claim and have a pre-existing condition. The insurance company will want to confirm you have a pre-existing condition waiver on file before approving a claim. The company likely will ask for specific written documentation relating to your claim from a doctor.

For example, say you have a respiratory disorder managed by daily medication and receive a pre-existing condition waiver for a trip. While traveling, you get into an accident requiring emergency medical care. When you file a claim for medical travel insurance, you’ll want to make sure you have the right documents, including:

• Proof of your trip and insurance
• Written documentation from your attending physician
• Copies of your medical file and bill from the emergency care

Frequently Asked Questions About Travel Insurance for Pre-Existing Conditions

Can you get travel insurance with pre-existing conditions.

Yes, you can get travel insurance with pre-existing conditions. The key to getting travel insurance coverage with a pre-existing condition is to apply for a pre-existing conditions waiver or exclusion waiver. This waiver includes notice from your doctor that you’re fit to travel and prevents the travel insurance company from using your pre-existing condition to exclude you from coverage.

What is a waiver of lookback in travel insurance?

A waiver of lookback is another name for a pre-existing conditions waiver for travel insurance. The lookback period of a travel insurance policy refers to the time before the trip in which the insurance company might look back at your medical history if you file a claim.

For example, say you have an unexpected medical condition that forces you to cancel your trip. You file a claim for trip cancellation insurance and your insurance company can review your past medical records (usually up to 60 to 180 days, depending on the policy). If the company finds a record of your pre-existing condition, such as a doctor’s visit to change medications, it could deny your claim. A waiver of lookback prevents the insurance company from doing this.

What counts as a pre-existing condition?

Every travel insurance company defines pre-existing conditions differently, but there are a few common factors. A pre-existing condition for travel insurance usually refers to any medical condition, illness or injury that you have before your trip. You may not have to be diagnosed for the condition for it to be considered pre-existing. But if you seek treatment for a condition, take medications or suffer symptoms, then it’s usually considered pre-existing.

What is the difference between a pre-existing condition and a chronic condition?

Pre-existing conditions are any injury, illness, or medical condition that existed before you sought insurance. A chronic condition is different. Chronic conditions are ongoing health conditions or illnesses that are long-term. Doctors manage chronic conditions with medication or regular treatments, but these conditions aren’t curable. For travel insurance, almost all chronic conditions are considered pre-existing conditions.

More Resources:

Does Halifax Ultimate Reward Travel Insurance Cover?

• Coverage for you, your living spouse, and any children under the age of 18 (or 24 if they’re in full-time education).

Does Halifax travel insurance cover cancellation?

There is now coverage if you are overseas and are ordered to return home or prefer to leave early to avoid having to quarantine when you return due to an epidemic or pandemic declared by the World Health Organization (WHO) or a government body. The UK government or the government of the nation you’re visiting could issue the order to come home.

If you or someone you’re traveling with has scheduled to fly and the carrier or a government body refuses to allow you go because you or they are showing symptoms of a contagious sickness at the time of boarding, you or they are entitled for additional cancellation coverage.

If anyone traveling with the insurance holder has been advised to quarantine owing to a potential exposure to COVID-19, cancellation coverage will now be offered for those protected under the policy. Local lockdowns and a broader quarantine order are not included in this.

If you become unwell while traveling, you are still insured for emergency medical care. Anyone planned to go and protected under the policy will still have cancellation and medical coverage if they are required to quarantine on an individual basis.

On December 1, 2021, NHS Test and Trace / NHS Test and Protect (Scotland) contacts a friend you’re traveling with and informs them that they need to self-isolate and will be unable to accompany you. You will be insured for travel cancellation in this case.

You are scheduled to depart on December 1, 2021. There were no restrictions on traveling to your destination at the time you booked. The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office’s travel advice to that place changes two days before your journey begins, and now advises against all but essential travel. As a result, you must reschedule your vacation. You would not be protected for any cancellation expenses in this case, and you would need to seek compensation from the travel provider or another source, such as your credit card issuer.

It is critical that you study the terms and conditions of travel insurance to verify that the coverage matches your requirements.

What is covered by Halifax Ultimate Reward account?

The family travel insurance policy covers you, your spouse or partner (if you live together), and any children under the age of 18, or 24 if they’re in full-time education. Personal goods, specific sports and hobbies, and golf excursions are all covered.

Existing medical issues are not covered unless they are initially agreed upon with the insurer, in which case an additional premium may be required.

• Multi-trip travel around the world, including specific winter sports and golf excursions. There’s also coverage for UK excursions that include at least two nights of pre-booked lodging.
• Your children – any of your children who are 18 years old or younger, or who are 24 years old if they are in full-time education. When traveling with the account holder or a responsible adult, you are covered.
• As long as they reside with you, your partner can be a spouse, civil partner, or partner.
• If your personal baggage is lost, damaged, or stolen, you may be entitled to compensation of up to £2,500. This includes assets worth up to £500 and a single article, pair, or set of articles worth up to £500.
• Personal money is covered up to £750 in the event of loss or theft. This includes up to £300 in cash coverage. For those under the age of 16, the amount is limited to £50.
• Pre-existing medical issues are not covered unless the insurer has agreed to cover them.
• The excursion with the longest duration is 31 days. A maximum of 31 days of coverage in a calendar year for winter sports.
• Children are only protected if they are accompanied by you, the account holder, or another responsible adult.
• If you go against the recommendation of the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) or any regulatory authority, you are not covered.
• If you are unable to travel or prefer not to go because the FCDO or another equivalent government organization in another nation advises against travel due to a pandemic, you are not covered.
• When the account holder reaches the age of 71, all coverage terminates. As long as the account holder is under the age of 71, their spouse, partner, or civil partner (with whom they live) is insured until they become 71. Eligible children can also be covered if they are traveling with the policyholder’s spouse, partner, or civil partner.

If you need support when traveling abroad, dial +44 (0)208 239 3931 for Allianz Assistance’s 24-hour assistance line. Call Allianz Assistance at +44 (0)345 124 1400 if you need to lodge a claim or want additional information. You can also submit your claim online through the Allianz Assistance Hub, which is accessible via your banking app or Online Banking.

AWP Assistance UK Ltd (business as Allianz Assistance) administers the policy, which is underwritten by AWP P&C SA.

Please note that these are only a few of the key issues; the policy document included in the Ultimate Reward Current Account Getting Started Guide has complete details of the limitations and exclusions (PDF 1.3MB).

As part of the account application procedure, we will also send you the Insurance Product Information Booklet (PDF 2.4MB).

If your travel has been disrupted, you may also use our helpful travel disruption tool.

Do the Halifax do travel insurance?

Overview of Halifax travel insurance. Halifax’s Ultimate Reward Current Account package account includes travel insurance. For a monthly charge of £17, the account also includes AA breakdown cover, mobile phone insurance, and home emergency cover. AXA Insurance UK plc underwrites its insurance.

What is not covered in travel insurance?

Baggage delay, damage, and loss plans do not cover all of your belongings. Glasses, hearing aids, dental bridges, tickets, passports, keys, cash, and cell phones are all common travel insurance exclusions. These things are sometimes covered, but only up to a particular cost limit, so if you have several expensive electronic items (such as a laptop, tablet, and mobile phone), you may not have enough coverage to cover the loss of all of them.

Is Halifax Ultimate Reward account changing?

If we don’t hear from you by May 15, 2020, your account will be converted to a current account, and you won’t be eligible for monthly Reward Extras. You can upgrade to a Reward Current Account at any time after your account has been converted to a Current Account if you believe it is the ideal account for you.

We’re also adding a £3 monthly account maintenance fee on June 1, 2020, although this won’t apply if you deposit at least £1,500 into your account each month.

Between June and August, we won’t charge the £3 monthly account maintenance cost to help you get acclimated to your new account.

However, you must still pay £1,500 each month to be eligible for your reward.

To help you decide if this account is perfect for you, we’ve highlighted everything you’ll need to do to obtain Reward Extras.

Can I downgrade my Halifax Ultimate Reward account?

It’s good news for existing Halifax customers since if you haven’t received a switching bonus from Halifax since April 2020, you can still claim the bonus.

However, unlike Natwest, Halifax would not allow you to switch into an existing account and receive a bonus. You will need to create a new account.

If you have a Halifax “Current Account”

The Current Account from Halifax is a no-frills ordinary account. If you have this, all you need to do now is create a Reward or UItimate Reward account.

If you have a Halifax Reward account

Many of you, I’m sure, already have this account thanks to the generous £5 per month offer. As a result, you’ll need to create an Ultimate Reward account. You can downgrade the account once you’ve switched and received the money if you don’t want to maintain it (details below).

If you have both the Reward and Ultimate Reward accounts

If you already have both of these accounts, that shouldn’t be a problem.

Simply downgrade one of your existing Halifax accounts to a different type of Halifax account. After that, reapply for the same account. Then switch back to normal mode! Halifax has confirmed that this is acceptable.

Of course, there may be some differences in your insurance policies if you do this with the Ultimate Rewards account, so compare them before deciding to downgrade the old account.

How do I claim on my Halifax phone insurance?

If you haven’t already done so, you can register your mobile phone number with the insurer via online banking or by dialing 0345 124 1400.

Raising a claim

You must notify the authorities and your airtime supplier as quickly as possible if your phone is lost or stolen. If you do not do these steps, your claim may be denied.

• Your phone’s make and model. Check your instruction manual for this information, or remove the back cover and battery to find a label with this information.
• Your network/service provider. Tip: Your service provider’s information is frequently displayed on your phone’s screen or on your contract or monthly statement.
• The IMEI (International Mobile Equipment Identity) number is a unique identifier for mobile devices. Tip: Dial *#06# on your phone’s keypad to get this information shown on your phone’s screen.
• Click on your Ultimate Reward Current Account once you’ve enrolled into Online Banking.
• Then, under the ‘Account information and benefits menu,’ select ‘View account benefits.’
• Your policy information will be automatically loaded if you’ve already entered your mobile phone insurance data.
• If you want to file a claim, go to ‘View and update details’, then ‘Make a claim,’ and follow the onscreen instructions.

What is Halifax Reward net?

The Halifax Incentive account is now fee-free and offers a £2 monthly reward provided you deposit at least £750, pay out two or more direct debits, and keep your account in good standing. You have until June 12 to determine whether or not to opt-in if you opened your Rewards account after March 13th.

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Travel Insurance

Medical travel insurance, seniors travel insurance, europe travel insurance, worldwide travel insurance, coronavirus travel insurance, travel insurance for medical conditions.

• Unlimited medical emergency expenses¹
• Up to £10K cancellation cover
• 24/7 emergency medical helpline

Covered 27 million+ travellers

Trusted for 20+ years

24/7 emergency helpline

Travel insurance for medical conditions provides specific cover when you’re living with  pre-existing health conditions. That’s one less thing to think about when planning your next holiday!

What is medical travel insurance and do you need it?

Medical travel insurance is a specific type of travel insurance that covers your pre-existing health condition while you’re abroad.

If you’re travelling without insurance, or haven’t declared all your pre-existing conditions, you might find that you’re out of pocket should anything happen while you’re away.

• The UK Government estimates 10 Brits are hospitalised abroad every day . While medical travel insurance is something we all hope we won’t need to use, it’s there for us in an emergency.
• Travelling to the US? Medical cover is extremely expensive there. In the US, the a night in a hospital can cost $10K dollars!
• Pre-existing conditions are more common than you think. If you have conditions like asthma , diabetes or a heart condition , you’ll need travel insurance that covers these conditions.

While all travel insurance should cover medical emergencies, medical travel insurance specifically covers you if you have a medical emergency related to your pre-existing health conditions. 

Pre-existing medical conditions describe any illness or condition that has occurred before you take out an insurance policy, ranging from asthma to cancer. Your policy won’t always cover you for existing medical conditions as standard, however, and you’ll need to declare them when you buy your policy. 

At InsureandGo, we’ll consider all existing health conditions and offer a medical travel insurance policy that suits you.

Get a quote today:

What does InsureandGo’s medical travel insurance cover?

Our medical travel insurance typically includes cover for:

• Emergency medical expenses: This covers the costs of medical treatment and hospitalisation in the event of illness or injury during the trip.
• Emergency evacuation: covers you if a medical emergency requires the insured person to be transported to the nearest adequate medical facility or even repatriated to their home country.
• Trip interruption or cancellation: In some cases, medical travel insurance may also cover trip interruptions or cancellations due to unexpected medical reasons.
• Accidental death and dismemberment: Provides cover in the event of accidental death or serious injury during the trip.

Make sure to check the details in your specific policy, as each policy is different.

What’s covered

All our medical travel insurance policies include:

• Emergency medical expenses cover
• Our 24-hour emergency assistance team , available to call, day or night
• Cover for cancellation of your trip
• Over 100 sports and activities covered (see your policy wording for a full list of activities)
• Personal belongings and baggage cover
• Personal money, passports and travel documents cover
• Legal expenses cover
• Delayed departure cover
• Personal accident cover

Find out about our optional add ons for activities like extreme sports , winter sports , hiking , cruises and golf . The excess and amount of cover available varies depending on the level of medical travel insurance you buy. Look at our policy wording to see the full terms and conditions.

What’s not covered

There are some situations travel insurance cannot cover. For example:

• Events or reasons to claim which took place before you booked the trip or the insurance was bought cannot be covered. Insurance exists to cover unexpected events outside of the insured’s control.
• Claims which are less than the excess for that section of cover. For example, you cannot claim a £40 lost item if your baggage excess is £60.
• All of our travel insurance policies include cover for cancellation of your trip, but there may be some exclusions. For example, you won’t be covered to cancel if you simply decide not to go. 

Which pre-existing medical conditions are covered?

Examples of the types of health conditions travel insurance can cover include:

• Heart condition
• High blood pressure

The best pre-existing medical condition travel insurance for your trip

Don’t let a pre-existing condition get in the way of your perfect holiday. You can cover your pre-existing medical conditions with a travel insurance policy that suits the needs of your holiday.

• Annual travel insurance : Perfect for those who take more than one holiday a year. 
• Winter sports insurance : Whether you’re hitting the slopes, bobsleighing or just having an alpine adventure, we’ve got you covered. We also have traditional skiing holiday insurance too. 
• Cruise insurance : A must-have for anyone who is heading off on a cruise, as it covers cruise-specific problems, like a missed departure or cabin confinement. 
• Activities and sports travel insurance : You can tailor this to a specific hobby, such as golf or hiking , or even get travel insurance for extreme sports .

How to book medical travel insurance for pre-existing conditions

There’s plenty to do when booking a holiday, so we make getting medical travel insurance policy as easy as possible.

1 . Let us know about your trip

We need to know a bit about your trip, who you want to cover and when you want the policy to start. We will also ask you about any pre-existing medical conditions so we can provide you with the right level of cover. 

It’s quick and easy to give us this information, either online or by calling our team:

2 . Get your quote

Once we have all the details we need, we will send you your quote. At this stage, you can go ahead and buy your policy, or save the quote for the future.

“Getting travel insurance which covers your pre-existing medical conditions lets you focus on enjoying your holiday. If anything goes wrong, you’ll have access to a 24/7 medical assistance helpline and cover for your medical costs, including repatriation. You’ll even have cover if you need to cancel your holiday due to your medical conditions.” Letitia Smith – Travel insurance expert

Frequently asked questions on medical travel insurance

How much medical cover do i need for travel insurance.

The amount of cover you will need depends on where you are going and a number of other factors. Medical costs overseas can often reach tens of thousands of pounds, even for relatively simple procedures. With this in mind, you should always look for travel insurance with as much medical cover as you can find.

Do I have to declare medical conditions for travel insurance?

Yes, you will need to declare any pre-existing medical conditions that fit into your medical warranty when you take out a travel insurance policy. 

When you get a quote for your travel insurance, we’ll ask you about your previous and current state of health. There are a few easy-to-answer questions that lead to a medical screening process where you’ll need to declare pre-existing medical conditions. This includes recurring illnesses or injuries, ongoing or lifelong conditions, previous surgeries and any conditions you are living with.

We’ll then use this information to work out the cost of your insurance.

You must declare all pre-existing medical conditions before you buy your policy.

View our policy documents for more information

Does travel insurance for medical conditions cost more?

It can do. If you have a pre-existing condition, we’ll need to ask you a few questions about it to make sure we offer you a quote that covers all your medical conditions.

What happens if my medical situation changes after I get my travel insurance?

Changes in your medical condition could affect your policy. For example, if you have a new health concern after taking out insurance, you’ll need to tell us about this change. In many circumstances, you may find this won’t affect your insurance, but you must check with us first.

While no policy can cover every eventuality, we’ll still often provide cover for issues relating to or arising from a declared condition.  If you’ve got insurance with InsureandGo and your situation changes, you should contact us as soon as possible.

Is pregnancy a medical condition for travel insurance?

We do not consider pregnancy or childbirth to be an illness or injury.

Cover is automatically provided under section 1 (Cancellation), section 2 (Curtailment) and section 6 (Medical emergency expenses) for complications of pregnancy and childbirth which existed at the time of taking out this policy or developed at a later stage, provided your doctor and midwife are aware of your travel plans and that you are not travelling against medical advice. Childbirth in or after the 32nd week for a single pregnancy (or 24th week for a multiple pregnancy) is not a complication and is not covered under any section of this policy.

See your policy wording for full details.

Do I need medical condition travel insurance if I have a GHIC?

A GHIC , formerly known as the EHIC or E111, is a medical card that can be used in most of the EU. It entitles you to free or reduced-cost medical treatment while in Europe.

However, the EHIC/GHIC card does not entitle you to free private healthcare. It’s not an alternative to medical travel insurance and does not cover the cost of travel if you need to return home because of an accident or illness.

Frequently asked questions

If you’ve got more questions about how our medical travel insurance works, or more general travel insurance queries, have a read through our FAQs .

Travel advice

Our travel advice section offers handy tips and guides to specific countries, from what documents you need to what you might visit while you’re there.

Travel insurance reviews

If you want to know what our customers think of us, and why they rate us so highly, have a read through some of the reviews they’ve left us.

Who can buy an InsureandGo pre-existing medical conditions insurance policy?

All our medical travel insurance policies are available to UK residents. This means:

• Someone who has been living in the UK or the Channel Islands for at least six of the last 12 months
• They must be in the UK at the time of buying
• All trips must start and end in the UK

Get a quote online or browse our policy documents for more information.

• Unlimited emergency medical expenses available on Black level policies.
• Based on 2,050 responses, correct as of 22/01/2024

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The three best bank accounts with travel insurance bolted on: We pick our favourites and whether they're worth paying for

• Some bank accounts include annual worldwide travel insurance
• They often also include car breakdown cover and mobile phone insurance 
• Although there is a monthly cost, having such an account may make sense

By Ed Magnus For Thisismoney.co.uk

Updated: 03:28 EDT, 9 August 2022

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Many Britons will feel a bank account isn't something they're prepared to pay for - after all, most current accounts are 'free'.

However, some packaged bank accounts offer a host of benefits that added together could justify their monthly cost.

The typical perks include free annual worldwide travel insurance, car breakdown cover and mobile phone insurance, often with family members included. 

There is also the convenience factor of having three insurance policies taken care of saving both time and effort in having to organise it separately. 

Some bank accounts charge a monthly fee, but throw in perks such as annual worldwide travel insurance.

Michelle Stevens, banking expert at comparison site Finder, says: 'If you and your family are frequent travellers, then a current account with packaged travel insurance could be well worth the monthly fee, especially given the rising cost of travel insurance premiums in the last two years. 

'But before signing up to any premium current account, it’s important you check that the terms of the travel insurance policy - as well as the other account features and perks - suit your needs.' 

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She adds: 'Another benefit of getting free travel insurance with a current account is that a lot of people usually forgo it - up to 8.6million in 2019 - which is not an advisable move. 

'If you get seriously injured abroad then the bill can reach hundreds of thousands of pounds, so having travel insurance included with a current account may result in a lot of people getting covered who may not have done so otherwise.'

We pick our three favourite current account deals for travel insurance, taking into account the monthly cost and the additional perks on offer.

1.  Nationwide Flex Plus  

This account offers worldwide travel insurance as well as mobile phone and European breakdown cover.

It does come with a £13 monthly charge, which, compared to other packaged bank accounts looks relatively cheap.

Its worldwide family travel insurance, includes winter sports, golf, weddings and business cover.

Nationwide offers worldwide travel, mobile phone and European breakdown cover and charges £13 a month for maintaining the account.

Cover for travel essentials includes luggage, documents and cash as well as protecting against travel-specific problems like delays, cancellations and medical expenses.

Then cancellation cover is up to £5,000, the medical expenses cover up to £10 million, whilst cover for travel disruption will be eligible when caused by natural disasters, or airline or travel end supplier failure.

The policy doesn't cover medical conditions unless they have been declared to Nationwide and accepted. In some instances, you can pay for a medical upgrade to your insurance policy.

Two other clauses to be aware of is that the longest trip length allowed is 31 consecutive days. 

For any person to be insured who is aged 70 or over, they must buy an age upgrade to cover them.

Although the monthly cost will add up to £156 a year, it's possible to offset much of this during the the first year, thanks to Nationwide's current account switching incentive.

Non-Nationwide members can currently get £100 for switching, whilst members who switch to the Flex Plus account could get £125.  

Saves the extra admin: Nationwide's annual travel insurance policy is worldwide, and covers a whole family for multiple trips, not just the individual account holder.

On top of travel insurance, account holders get vehicle breakdown cover both in the UK and the rest of Europe and mobile phone insurance for the whole family.

The car insurance is valid whether someone is a driver or a passenger in a vehicle, and comes with no excess to pay and unlimited callouts.

The mobile insurance covers mobiles belonging to the account holder and those belonging to their partner and dependent children. It covers for loss, theft, damage and faults.

2.  Virgin Money's Club M Account

Virgin's Club M Account comes with a £14.50 monthly charge.

Similar to Nationwide, it offers 31 days' worldwide cover per trip. It will cover the account holder and a partner living with them if there're both under 75, so it's a little more generous on that front.

Virgin's worldwide family multi-trip travel insurance - includes winter sports, golf and weddings. Plus, 24 hour access to a doctor at home or abroad.

There's also cover for up to four dependents under 18 - either in full time education or living with the account holder.

Emergency medical treatment, includes falling ill with coronavirus while away, and cover for the journey home, if it's medically necessary.

It also covers lost, damaged or stolen items, and if the baggage is delayed, any essentials will be paid for in the interim period. It also includes cover for delays or missed departures and winter sports as standard.

Account holders are also covered when cancelling or cutting short a trip if they fall ill with coronavirus as long as they didn't know they had it and weren't being tested for it when they booked their trip. 

The cover includes emergency medical, surgical, hospital, treatment and ambulance costs, as well as any additional accommodation and travel expenses if someone cannot return to the United Kingdom.

There is a maximum allowance of 31 days of worldwide cover per trip.

It covers the account holder and their partner living with them if they're both under 75. There's also cover for up to four dependents under 18. 

A claim will be void if it relates to any medical treatment received because of a medical condition or an illness related to a medical condition which a person knew about at the time of opening the account. 

What else? 

On top of the travel insurance it also offers UK breakdown cover with no call out charges, whether as the driver or the passenger and offers help at the roadside and at home.

It also offers worldwide mobile phone and gadget insurance covering against loss theft, damage, and breakdown

Just make sure you've declared any pre-existing medical conditions and don't leave your valuables unattended to be fully covered.

Its Worldwide family multi-trip travel insurance - including winter sports, golf and weddings. Plus, 24 hour access to a doctor at home or abroad.

Virgin current account holders also benefit from various other perks.

It offers access to an easy-access linked savings account paying 1.71 per cent on balances up to £25,000. C ustomers can also benefit from 2.02 per cent on balances up to £1,000 in their bank account.

New customers switching to the Virgin Money Club M Account can also receive a bonus of 20,000 Virgin Points to spend with Virgin Red, thanks to Virgin Money's latest current account switching offer.

Virgin Red is a rewards club that turns everyday spending into points. Once you are a member, you can earn and spend Virgin Points across almost 200 different rewards.

The 20,000 Virgin Points boost means travellers could get a return flight to Barbados, the Bahamas or St Lucia, while bakery enthusiasts could turn their points into 100 sausage or vegan sausage rolls, 61 coffees or teas or 100 doughnuts or muffins.

3.  Halifax Ultimate Reward Current Account  

Halifax Ultimate Reward current account costs £17 per month, the equivalent of £204 per year. However, there are ways to dramatically reduce this via its cashback and switching offers.

The account includes a family travel insurance policy for the account holder, their spouse or partner and children aged 18 or under, or up to 24 if they're in full time education. 

It includes cover for personal belongings, certain sports and activities such as winter sports golf trips.

At £17 a month Halifax is the most expensive of our three top picks. However, its £150 cash incentive and £5 monthly cashback could help account holders to significantly reduce the cost.

Its cover includes, up to £10million for hospital fees, repatriation, medical confinement, funeral and dental costs incurred if taken ill or injured on your trip. 

Up to £5,000 in total for loss of pre-paid travel and accommodation expenses in the case of cancellation or curtailment. 

It covers personal baggage up to £2,500 if it is lost, damaged or stolen. This includes up to £500 for valuables, and up to £500 for a single item or pair or set of items.

It also covers personal money up to £750 for loss, or theft. This includes up to £300 cover for cash. This is limited to £50 for under 16s.

Watch out: 

Existing medical conditions are not covered, unless these are agreed with the insurer first, and an additional premium may be payable.

The longest trip length is 31 consecutive days. For winter sports, a maximum of 31 days cover in a calendar year.

Halifax's travel insurance covers personal Baggage up to £2,500 if it is lost, damaged or stolen.

It's also worth noting that a £75 excess per adult per incident may apply and to be covered trips must start and end in the UK.

All cover ends when the account holder turns 71. As long as the account holder is less than 71, their spouse or partner will also be covered until they reach 71. 

Eligible children can also be covered so long as they are travelling with the spouse, partner or civil partner of the policyholder. 

What else: 

It also offers car breakdown cover with the AA. This covers any vehicle the account holder is travelling in, at the roadside or at home. But only in the UK. 

For mobile insurance, it covers breakdown, accidental damage, loss and theft up to £2,000. 

However, it only Covers one phone per account holder or two in the case of a joint account. An excess of £100 is payable on all successful claims.

The £17 fee makes it a little more expensive than a few others but there are ways to reduce the cost.

Halifax is currently offering a £150 switching incentive for those who switch from another current account.

On top of the £150 bribe there are other perks to take advantage of. There is a choice of £5 a month paid into the account, two film rentals or three magazine rentals, or a free cinema ticket each month.

In order to benefit from this account holders must choose to either Spend £500 on their debit card each month or Keep at least £5,000 in the account at all times.

They must also pay in £1,500 or more into your account each month and stay in credit - keeping your balance at £0 or above.

THIS IS MONEY'S FIVE OF THE BEST CURRENT ACCOUNTS

Chase Bank will pay £1% cashback on spending for the first 12 months . Customers also get access to an easy-access linked savings account paying 3.8% on balances up to £250,000. The account is completely free to set up and is entirely app based. Also no charges when using the card abroad.

Nationwide's FlexDirect Account offers 5% in-credit interest to new joiners when they switch on balances up to £1,500. This rate only lasts for one year. The account is fee free.

Halifax Reward Account pays £150 when you switch. Also earn up to an extra £75 cashback when you spend £750 each month for 3 months. There is a £3 monthly account fee, but that’s stopped by paying in at least £1,500 each month.

First Direct will give newcomers £175 when they switch their account . It also offers a £250 interest-free overdraft. Customers must pay in at least £1,000 within three months of opening the account.

NatWest's Select Account account pays £200 when you switch. The account has no monthly charges, but to be elligible for the £200, you'll need to deposit £1,250 into the account and log into mobile banking app within 60 days.

Share or comment on this article: Best bank accounts with travel insurance included

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Why Travel Insurance is a Must

Do you have house or apartment insurance or car insurance, dental insurance or private medical insurance? Ask yourself “why?”

If it’s not because the banker requires that it be covered (car loan or mortgage), it is because you have decided that the risk of something bad happening is too great not to be covered.

I have owned cars for more than 40 years. During that time, I have had one claim — for a cracked windshield — yet I have paid, I estimate, about $30,000 in premiums. House insurance, likewise:   no claims and about $25,000 in premiums. Why do I continue to pay these premiums?

Because I get peace of mind.

That is what insurance is all about for most people. I know that if I have a serious problem, I am covered and that helps me to sleep better.

The same is true for travel insurance. Will one get a return on “investment”? Probably not, and truth be told, the traveler probably doesn’t WANT a return — it means sickness during travel or an accident or missed connection or vacation ruined in some other way. But isn’t it reassuring that one has this protection in case it is needed?

Travelers often have concerns and questions about paying extra for travel insurance. After all, they have just spent a lot of time trying to ensure they get the lowest price for the trip they are taking. They often ask “why add to that cost”?

There are some options to purchasing separate coverage for travel insurance.

Some credit cards offer insurance. But who does it cover and what are the limitations?

Some work places have travel insurance for the travel done by their employees. Again, what coverage does it offer?

Be sure to find out the right answers. Call the credit card company, who will probably give their insurance company’s phone number. Get all responses in writing (very difficult to prove a phone conversation) and be sure to understand the limitations.

Be sure to ask if the coverage is Primary or Secondary. Secondary usually means that one pays up front for services and gets reimbursed upon filling out a form when back home. That’s OK if costs are up to $1000 to have a broken arm set in the Caribbean but NOT OK if one is hospitalized with a heart attack, especially in the United States, where the disbursement of a single pill in a hospital can cost $100 and treatment for a heart attack can cost several hundred thousand dollars!

Same thing for work travel insurance: be sure to understand the coverage. Most work travel insurance coverage has significant limitations. Away in a foreign country and experiencing a problem is not the place to discover that one’s insurance is insufficient.

There are various options available through private companies that offer coverage for trip cancellation alone to full — or Deluxe — packages that have a range of features, including of course, full medical, but also offering flight and accident insurance, baggage loss and delay, just to mention a few. Be sure to talk with a travel agent to get the proper coverage needed: one may have medical coverage already but can opt to purchase trip Interruption and Cancellation separately to top up coverage. Note that separating travel insurance into its individual component parts often results in a higher cost per section. Full coverage packages tend to be more economical.

And travel agents can advise of the proper procedure to initiate a claim.

At-destination-car-insurance is another concern — personally I have found it to be better to look at CDW (Collision Damage Waiver) coverage under my credit card and then either pay the liability insurance at the rental counter or ensure that my present car insurance policy is “transportable” — in other words, my provincial car insurance covers me while I am away. However, keep in mind that, in this case, any accident while away can affect one’s driving record in your own province AND can cause significant time loss to your vacation while the matter is settled. Be sure to discuss this with a travel agent and your present car insurance agent.

Another factor to consider is that in the event of an accident, insurance purchased at the car rental desk allows the traveler to drop the keys off (assuming there is no criminal liability) and be done with it, whereas your personal car insurance from home may require you to lose as much as a day — or more — of your travel time to sort things out.

Finally, keep in mind that though the decision to purchase travel insurance is the individual’s to make, this decision can affect others close to you. If, for example, hospitalization is needed in the US and incurs a bill of $200,000, who is going to pay that bill? Are family members going to have to come up with the money to help out?  Sometimes the risk the traveler is prepared to take can have far-reaching consequences for loved ones back home!

When the travel agent offers to discuss travel insurance, take the time to listen. Make an informed decision, not one based on adding $120 – $150—usually less than 10% of the cost of your trip – to the cost of a bargain basement trip, which has just been negotiated

Travel Insurance - Are You at a Risk?

Most of us travel, whether it be for business or for vacation.

While some prefer to take their chances regarding travel insurance, many people, with a variety of credit cards available, think that the travel insurance that is included with a credit card will cover all their insurance needs while away.  They might be surprised to find that they are not….

It is very difficult for anyone to do an in-depth comparison of coverage among the different credit cards, considering that even one bank might offer several categories of credit card, with different insurance coverages for each, and options for coverage constantly changing.

You may recall some time ago, when a volcano erupted in Iceland, it interrupted flights across the Atlantic for weeks. Many travelers made the very costly misinterpretation that they were covered by their credit card insurance, but they were not. How do you find out if you are covered for what you think you are covered?

Some points to discuss with your credit card company (I suggest getting responses in writing)…

1.  Your tour operator cancels your trip. In most cases, the tour operator will refund you your money, but what about airfare and other related expenses? 2.  Acts of war or local protests. Terrorism may be covered by your policy but acts of war or civil unrest are often excluded. 3.  Pre-existing medical conditions. This applies not only to yourself and traveling companion, but also any close relative, for example. If a medical condition exists prior to travel, you may not be covered. 4.  Baggage delay. Check to see what the delay of time requirement is. If it is 24 hours or longer, and you arrived at 6:00 PM the night before your cruise which departs at 4:00 PM the next day, you may not be covered. 5.  Illness or death of a pet. Pets are increasingly being considered as members of the family. Does your insurance cover for the cancellation of a trip if your pet is very sick or dies? 6.  Loss or damage to keys, money, documents, tickets or credit cards. These are often excluded under insurance policies. 7.  Sports injuries: many hard adventure sports are excluded from coverage — bungee jumping, paragliding, mountain climbing or white water rafting are likely to be excluded. 8.  Pregnancy and childbirth. When vacations are often booked a year or more in advance, a pregnancy can create major problems for a planned vacation. Be sure you understand the tour operators’ rules for travel while pregnant because that is usually not covered under travel insurance. 9.  Self-inflicted injury or psychological illness. Coverage for these problems is often excluded. 10. Divorce. If one of you files for divorce from the other, that is usually excluded from coverage. 11. If you do not leave an appropriate amount of time between connections, a weather delay that breaks the connection may not be covered.

Check with your travel agent to see if the insurance that is offered covers these situations – often, booking through a travel agent who represents a full-fledged travel insurance company, you may find that coverage is available.

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Florida Theme Park vacations to rail/coach tours to ocean cruises to river cruises (a particular specialty!) all over the world.

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Travel Insurance

Cheapest travel insurance of April 2024

Mandy Sleight

Heidi Gollub

“Verified by an expert” means that this article has been thoroughly reviewed and evaluated for accuracy.

Published 5:00 a.m. UTC April 11, 2024

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Editorial Note: Blueprint may earn a commission from affiliate partner links featured here on our site. This commission does not influence our editors' opinions or evaluations. Please view our full advertiser disclosure policy .

WorldTrips is the best cheap travel insurance company of 2024 based on our in-depth analysis of the cheapest travel insurance plans. Its Atlas Journey Preferred and Atlas Journey Premier plans offer affordable travel insurance with high limits for emergency medical and evacuation benefits bundled with good coverage for trip delays, travel inconvenience and missed connections.

Cheapest travel insurance of 2024

Why trust our travel insurance experts

Our team of travel insurance experts analyzes hundreds of insurance products and thousands of data points to help you find the best travel insurance for your next trip. We use a data-driven methodology to determine each rating. Advertisers do not influence our editorial content . You can read more about our methodology below.

• 1,855 coverage details evaluated.
• 567 rates reviewed.
• 5 levels of fact-checking.

Best cheap travel insurance

Top-scoring plans

Average cost, medical limit per person, medical evacuation limit per person, why it’s the best.

WorldTrips tops our rating of the cheapest travel insurance with two plans:

• Atlas Journey Preferred is the cheaper travel insurance plan of the two, with $100,000 per person in emergency medical benefits as secondary coverage and an optional upgrade to primary coverage. It’s also our pick for the best travel insurance for cruises .
• Atlas Journey Premier costs a little more but gives you $150,000 in travel medical insurance with primary coverage . This is a good option if health insurance for international travel is a priority.

Pros and cons

• Atlas Journey Preferred is the cheapest of our 5-star travel insurance plans.
• Atlas Journey Premier offers $150,000 in primary medical coverage.
• Both plans have top-notch $1 million per person in medical evacuation coverage.
• Each plan offers travel inconvenience coverage of $750 per person.
• 12 optional upgrades, including destination wedding and rental car damage and theft.
• No non-medical evacuation coverage.

Cheap travel insurance for cruises

Travel insured.

Top-scoring plan

Travel Insured offers cheap travel insurance for cruises and its Worldwide Trip Protector plan gets 4 stars in our rating of the best cruise travel insurance .

• Worldwide Trip Protector offers $1 million in emergency evacuation coverage per person and a rare $150,000 in non-medical evacuation per person. It also has primary coverage for travel medical insurance benefits, which means you won’t have to file medical claims with your health insurance first.
• Cheap trip insurance for cruises.
• Offers a rare $150,000 for non-medical evacuation.
• $500 per person baggage delay benefit only requires a 3-hour delay.
• Optional rental car damage benefit up to $50,000.
• Missed connection benefit of $500 per person only available for cruises and tours.

Best cheap travel insurance for families

Travelex has the best cheap travel insurance for families because kids age 17 are covered by your policy for free when they’re traveling with you.

• Free coverage for children 17 and under on the same policy.
• $2,000 travel delay coverage per person ($250 per day) after 5 hours.
• Hurricane and weather coverage after a common carrier delay of any amount of time.
• Only $50,000 per person emergency medical coverage.
• Baggage delay coverage is only $200 and requires a 12-hour delay.

Best cheap travel insurance for seniors

Evacuation limit per person

Nationwide has the best cheap travel insurance for seniors — its Prime plan gets 4 stars in our best senior travel insurance rating. However, Nationwide’s Cruise Choice plan ranks higher in our best cheap travel insurance rating.

• Cruise Choice has a $500 per person benefit if a cruise itinerary change causes you to miss a prepaid excursion. It also has a missed connections benefit of $1,500 per person after only a 3-hour delay, for cruises or tours. But note that this coverage is secondary coverage to any compensation provided by a common carrier.
• Coverage for cruise itinerary changes, ship-based mechanical breakdowns and covered shipboard service disruptions.
• Non-medical evacuation benefit of $25,000 per person.
• Baggage loss benefits of $2,500 per person.
• Travel medical coverage is secondary.
• Trip cancellation benefit for losing your job requires three years of continuous employment.
• No “cancel for any reason” (CFAR) upgrade available.
• Missed connection coverage of $1,500 per person is only for tours and cruises, after a 3-hour delay.

Best cheap travel insurance for add-on options

AIG offers the best cheap travel insurance for add-on options because the Travel Guard Preferred plan allows you to customize your policy with a host of optional upgrades.

• Travel Guard Preferred upgrades include “cancel for any reason” (CFAR) coverage , rental vehicle damage coverage and bundles that offer additional benefits for adventure sports, travel inconvenience, quarantine, pets, security and weddings. There’s also a medical bundle that increases the travel medical benefit to $100,000 and emergency evacuation to $1 million.
• Bundle upgrades allow you to customize your affordable travel insurance policy.
• Emergency medical and evacuation limits can be doubled with optional upgrade.
• Base travel insurance policy has relatively low medical limits.
• $300 baggage delay benefit requires a 12-hour delay.
• Optional CFAR upgrade only reimburses up to 50% of trip cost.

Best cheap travel insurance for missed connections

TravelSafe has the best cheap travel insurance for missed connections because coverage is not limited to cruises and tours, as it is with many policies.

• Best-in-class $2,500 per person in missed connection coverage.
• $1 million per person in medical evacuation and $25,000 in non-medical evacuation coverage.
• Generous $2,500 per person baggage and personal items loss benefit.
• Most expensive of the best cheap travel insurance plans.
• No “interruption for any reason” coverage available.
• Weak baggage delay coverage of $250 per person after 12 hours.

Cheapest travel insurance comparison

How much does the cheapest travel insurance cost.

The cheapest travel insurance in our rating is $334. This is for a WorldTrips Atlas Journey Preferred travel insurance plan, based on the average of seven quotes for travelers of various ages to international destinations with a range of trip values.  

Factors that determine travel insurance cost

There are several factors that determine the cost of travel insurance, including:

• Age and number of travelers being insured.
• Trip length.
• Total trip cost.
• The travel insurance plan you choose.
• The travel insurance company.
• Any add-ons, features or upgraded benefits you include in the travel insurance plan.

Expert tip: “In general, travelers can expect to pay anywhere from 4% to 10% of their total prepaid, non-refundable trip costs,” said Suzanne Morrow, CEO of InsureMyTrip.

Is buying the cheapest travel insurance a good idea?

Choosing cheaper travel insurance without paying attention to what a plan covers and excludes could leave you underinsured for your trip. Comparing travel insurance plans side-by-side can help ensure you get enough coverage to protect yourself financially in an emergency for the best price. 

For example, compare these two Travelex travel insurance plans:

• Travel Basic is cheaper but it only provides up to $15,000 for emergency medical expense coverage. You’ll also have to pay extra for coverage for children.
• Travel Select will cost you a bit more but it covers up to $50,000 in medical expenses and includes coverage for kids aged 17 and younger traveling with you. It also offers upgrades such additional medical coverage, “cancel for any reason” (CFAR) coverage and an adventure sports rider that may be a good fit for your trip.

Reasons to consider paying more for travel insurance 

Make sure you understand what you’re giving up if you buy the cheapest travel insurance. Here are a few reasons you may consider paying a little extra for better coverage. 

• Emergency medical. The best travel medical insurance offers primary coverage for emergency medical benefits. Travel insurance with primary coverage can cost more than secondary coverage but will save you from having to file a claim with your health insurance company before filing a travel insurance claim.
• Emergency evacuation. If you’re traveling to a remote location or planning a boat excursion on your trip, look at travel insurance with a high medical evacuation insurance limit. If you are injured while traveling, transportation to the nearest adequate medical facility could cost in the tens to hundreds of thousands. It may make sense to pay more for travel insurance with robust emergency evacuation coverage. 
• Flexibility. To maximize your trip flexibility, you might consider upgrading your travel insurance to “ cancel for any reason” (CFAR) coverage . This will increase the cost of your travel insurance but allow you to cancel your trip for any reason — not just those listed in your policy. The catch is that you’ll need to cancel at least 48 hours before your trip and will only be reimbursed 50% or 75% of your trip expenses, depending on the plan. 
• Upgrades. Many travel insurance plans have optional extras like car rental collision and adventure sports (which may otherwise be excluded from coverage). These will cost you extra but may give you the coverage you need. 

How to find the cheapest travel insurance

The best way to find the cheapest travel insurance is to determine what you’re looking for in a travel insurance policy and compare plans that meet your needs.

 “Travel insurance isn’t one-size-fits-all. Every trip is different, and every traveler has different needs, wants and concerns. This is why comparison is key,” said Morrow.

Consider the following factors when comparing cheap travel insurance plans.

• How often you’re traveling. A single-trip policy may be the most cost-effective if you’re only going on a single trip this year. But a multi-trip travel insurance plan may be cheaper if you’re going on multiple international trips throughout the year. Annual travel insurance policies cover you for a whole year as long as each trip doesn’t exceed a certain number of days, usually 30 to 90 days. 
• Credit card has travel insurance benefits. The best credit cards offer perks and benefits, and many offer travel insurance-specific benefits. The coverage types and benefit limits can vary, and you must put the entire trip cost on the credit card to use the coverage. If your trip costs more than the coverage limit on your card, you can supplement the rest with a cheaper travel insurance plan.
• The coverage you need. When looking for the best travel insurance option at the most affordable price, only buy extras and upgrades you really need. A basic plan may only provide up to $500 in baggage insurance, but if you only plan to take $300 worth of clothes and accessories, you don’t need to pay more for higher coverage limits.

Is cheap travel insurance worth it?

Cheap travel insurance can be worth it, as long as you understand the plan limitations and exclusions. Taking the time to read your policy, especially the fine print, well before your trip can ensure there won’t be any surprises about what’s covered once your journey begins.

“If a traveler is looking for coverage for travel delays, cancellations, interruptions, medical and baggage — a comprehensive travel insurance policy will provide the most bang for their buck,” said Morrow. But if you’re on a tight budget and are only worried about emergency medical care and evacuation coverage while traveling abroad, stand-alone options are cheaper.

Before buying travel insurance, you should also consider what your health insurance will cover. 

“Most domestic health insurance plans, including Medicare, will not cover medical bills abroad,” said Morrow. Even if you’re staying stateside, you may find value in an affordable travel insurance plan with medical coverage if you have a high-deductible health plan (HDHP). 

A cheap travel insurance plan is better than none at all if you end up in a situation that would have covered some or all of your prepaid, nonrefundable trip expenses.

Methodology

Our insurance experts reviewed 1,855 coverage details and 567 rates to determine the best travel insurance . From those top-scoring travel insurance plans, we chose the most affordable for our rating of the cheapest travel insurance.

Insurers could score up to 100 points based on the following factors:

• Cost: 40 points. We scored the average cost of each travel insurance policy for a variety of trips and traveler profiles.
• Medical expenses: 10 points. We scored travel medical insurance by the coverage amount available. Travel insurance policies with emergency medical expense benefits of $250,000 or more per person were given the highest score of 10 points.
• Medical evacuation: 10 points. We scored each plan’s emergency medical evacuation coverage by coverage amount. Travel insurance policies with medical evacuation expense benefits of $500,000 or more per person were given the highest score of 10 points.
• Pre-existing medical condition exclusion waiver: 10 points. We gave full points to travel insurance policies that cover pre-existing medical conditions if certain conditions are met.
• Missed connection: 10 points. Travel insurance plans with missed connection benefits of $1,000 per person or more received full points.
• “Cancel for any reason” upgrade: 5 points. We gave points to travel insurance plans with optional “cancel for any reason” coverage that reimburses up to 75%.
• Travel delay required waiting time: 5 points. We gave 5 points to travel insurance policies with travel delay benefits that kick in after a delay of 6 hours or less.
• Cancel for work reasons: 5 points. If a travel insurance plan allows you to cancel your trip for work reasons, such as your boss requiring you to stay and work, we gave it 5 points.
• Hurricane and severe weather: 5 points. Travel insurance plans that have a required waiting period for hurricane and weather coverage of 12 hours or less received 5 points.

Some travel insurance companies may offer plans with additional benefits or lower prices than the plans that scored the highest, so make sure to compare travel insurance quotes to see your full range of options.

Cheapest travel insurance FAQs

When buying travel insurance, cheapest is not always the best. The most affordable travel insurance plans typically offer fewer coverages with lower policy limits and few or no optional upgrades. Add up your total nonrefundable trip costs and compare travel insurance plans and available features that cover your travel expenses. This strategy can help you find the cheapest travel insurance policy that best protects you from financial loss if an unforeseen circumstance arises.

Get the coverage you need: Best travel insurance of 2024

According to our analysis, WorldTrips , Travel Insured International and Travelex offer the best cheap travel insurance. Policy coverage types and limits can vary by each travel insurance provider, so the best way to get the cheapest travel insurance plan is to compare several policies and companies to find the right fit for your budget.

A good rate for travel insurance depends on your budget and coverage needs. The most comprehensive travel insurance plan is usually not the cheapest. But cheap trip insurance may not have enough coverage or the types of coverage you want. Comparing different levels of coverage and how much they cost can help you find the best cheap insurance for travel. 

The average cost of travel insurance is between 5% to 6% of your total travel expenses for one trip. However, the plan costs will vary depending on how many travelers are covered, their ages, how long the trip is, the travel insurance company and plan you choose, plus any upgrades you include.

Travel insurance covers nonrefundable, prepaid trip costs — up to the policy coverage limits — when your trip is interrupted or canceled for a covered reason outlined in your plan documents. Even the cheapest travel insurance policies usually provide coverage for:

• Medical emergencies.
• Trip delays.
• Trip interruption.
• Trip cancellation.
• Lost, stolen or damaged luggage.

However, if you’re looking to save on travel insurance, you can shop for a policy that only has travel medical insurance and does not include benefits for trip cancellation .

Even when you buy cheap travel insurance, you can often use upgrade options to customize your policy to meet your specific needs. 

Some common travel insurance add-ons you may want to consider include:

• Rental car damage coverage. 
• Medical bundle.
• Security bundle.
• Accidental death and dismemberment coverage.
• Adventure sports bundle.
• Pet bundle.
• Wedding bundle.
• “Cancel for work reasons” coverage.
• “Interruption for any reason” (IFAR) coverage.
• “Cancel for any reason” (CFAR) coverage .

Blueprint is an independent publisher and comparison service, not an investment advisor. The information provided is for educational purposes only and we encourage you to seek personalized advice from qualified professionals regarding specific financial decisions. Past performance is not indicative of future results.

Blueprint has an advertiser disclosure policy . The opinions, analyses, reviews or recommendations expressed in this article are those of the Blueprint editorial staff alone. Blueprint adheres to strict editorial integrity standards. The information is accurate as of the publish date, but always check the provider’s website for the most current information.

Mandy is an insurance writer who has been creating online content since 2018. Before becoming a full-time freelance writer, Mandy spent 15 years working as an insurance agent. Her work has been published in Bankrate, MoneyGeek, The Insurance Bulletin, U.S. News and more.

Heidi Gollub is the USA TODAY Blueprint managing editor of insurance. She was previously lead editor of insurance at Forbes Advisor and led the insurance team at U.S. News & World Report as assistant managing editor of 360 Reviews. Heidi has an MBA from Emporia State University and is a licensed property and casualty insurance expert.

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