Choose your destination
If you have a significant medical condition, before you book your trip find out how much the travel insurance will set you back.
Even for a short visit, the cost of getting covered can run to hundreds of pounds in countries where the medical care is private and expensive, notably the USA, and where there are potentially hefty emergency travel and repatriation costs, such as the Caribbean.
Generally, cover is much cheaper in Europe. However, premiums can be dearer for trips to Spain, Malta and Cyprus, which have higher levels of privatised health care than some other European countries.
Use the EHIC
One advantage of holidaying in Europe is the European Health Insurance Card (ehic.org.uk). Though not a substitute for travel insurance, it entitles UK residents to free or reduced-cost state healthcare when in another EU country – and Iceland, Norway and Switzerland – including pre-existing medical conditions, as long as you’re not travelling intending to obtain treatment.
Consider a single-trip policy
If you go abroad several times a year, normally annual, multi-trip policies are the best value. However, for those with serious pre-existing medical conditions, annual cover can be prohibitively expensive, and single-trip policies may cost less. Insurers can quantify the risk more easily with a single-trip policy covering a specific destination for a set duration.
Get joint cover
It’s best to have all the people travelling together – family, partner, friends – on the same policy. This means everyone should be covered if, for example, one person became ill and you all need to cancel or cut short the trip.
Book then take out cover
Cancellation cover is a key element of most travel insurance policies – it accounts for about a third of claims. So if you don’t buy your insurance as soon as you’ve fixed your holiday, you’re not getting the full benefit.