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Macmillan and Cancerbackup merged in 2008. Together we provide free, high quality information for people affected by cancer through our publications, website and phone service. Find out more|.
Find out how we produce our information|
This section will help if you need to buy travel insurance and you have cancer, or if you have had cancer in the past. It might also be useful if you need to help someone else in that situation.
The information below gives some suggestions about what to consider when looking for travel insurance. It also includes a list of insurance companies which have been recommended by people affected by cancer.
Getting travel insurance when you have or have had cancer can be more difficult, so it’s a good idea to start looking as soon as you can. Ideally, you should start looking for insurance before you have booked your holiday. It can be more difficult to get insurance for some countries, particularly the USA, or for certain types of holidays, such as a cruise.
Please note, Macmillan Cancer Support cannot guarantee that you will be able to obtain cover. We do not endorse any travel insurance product, offer travel insurance, recommend any broker or insurance company, or undertake searches to find companies or brokers. All companies and brokers listed in this section| are included following recommendations from people with cancer, or a member of their family.
Insurance is a way of protecting yourself and your belongings against the risk of unexpected events. Under the terms and conditions of your policy, an insurance company agrees to pay out if the event that you’re insuring against actually happens.
Getting travel insurance if you are going to travel overseas is important, but the decision to buy cover is a personal one. When you make your decision, you should think about all the risks associated with travelling, including cancellation of the holiday or loss of baggage, as well as health-related issues.
When a company considers whether or not it’s able to offer you a travel insurance policy and at what price, they assess what kind of risk you pose. They will ask you a set of questions to find out how likely it is that you will make a claim and the likely cost of that claim. For travel insurance, this is normally calculated using the following factors:
Once you have answered those questions, the company will decide how much risk they are prepared to take if they insure you. This is called the underwriting process.
The company will also look at how many claims they have received. These may not be related to cancer. For example, an event such as an earthquake may affect a company’s attitude to the types of insurance it provides.
The amount of money you need to pay for the travel insurance is called the premium. Any kind of insurance premium you pay forms a pool of money. The higher the risk you pose to the pool, the more you will be asked to contribute to it. The whole process may seem impersonal, but the company is assessing and pricing the possibility of you making a claim on any policy they may offer you.
If you have health problems, such as cancer, most insurers will regard this as a ‘pre-existing condition’. Each company will take a different view of the increased risk you represent.
If you’re having treatment, or if you’re terminally ill, you may find it difficult to get cover.
A major factor insurance companies consider when deciding whether they’ll cover you and the price they will quote is the likelihood of you cancelling your holiday because of illness. Another factor is the cost of treatment, especially in the USA.
For this reason, if you’ve been unwell recently, or if you’ve had to visit the hospital several times in the last year, you may wish to go direct to a specialist broker who will be prepared to look at your circumstances in more detail.
If you’re well and your cancer experience was several years ago, some insurance companies may choose to ignore your illness and give you a ‘standard’ price for your insurance cover. We have a list of travel insurance companies and brokers|, which may help you find travel insurance.
Even if you and your doctor think you are well enough to travel, an insurer may not be willing to take on the risk of you making a claim. However, it’s still important to consult your doctor to make sure you are medically fit to travel.
When you approach companies you may be presented with a number of options. Insurance companies may decide to:
Whatever your circumstances, it may be helpful to prepare for your search by having certain information to hand. The list (below and on the following pages) is not exhaustive, but it includes many of the things an insurance company will want to know.
You may be asked some difficult questions - for example, about prognosis - that can be very distressing, so you may want to only contact a couple at a time.
You may be asked these kinds of questions in order to help an insurance company decide whether it needs to ask you for more medical information.
Your answers will give an insurer the information they need to decide what cover they are prepared to offer you and the price they will charge. Your experience calling companies may help you decide whether a specialist or generalist company is a better option for you.
A company may ask if you have a pre-existing medical condition, such as cancer. If your answer is ‘yes’ you are likely to be asked more questions about this. Some companies call this their ‘medical screening process’. An insurance company may ask you the following:
The typical telephone medical screening process will take, on average, 5-10 minutes. If you have, or have had, other conditions as well as cancer, you may be asked similar questions about these.
You should be aware that if you don’t disclose information that you could reasonably be expected to know when you buy a policy, any subsequent claim that you make could be refused.
Different companies assess the results in different ways, and they will probably vary in the level of cover they are willing to provide. For this reason, it can be worth shopping around for travel insurance or getting advice from an insurance broker.
Brokers don’t supply insurance directly, but they can look around on your behalf.
Some companies and brokers specialise in providing insurance for people with medical problems. Their prices vary - some may be very expensive (even thousands of pounds), but others are much cheaper.
Some companies will ask for a letter from your doctor that says you are well enough to travel. They may charge you if the company contacts your doctor, so it’s often best if you ask your doctor for the letter yourself. It may save time if you get the letter before contacting insurance companies|.
If you need to take any special medical equipment with you on holiday, make sure that your insurance will cover this.
If you have an existing policy, for example, a policy attached to your bank account, you may be required to tell the company if you have a long-term health condition, including a cancer diagnosis. The company may decide not to insure you on this basis. If you have such a policy, it’s important to read the terms and conditions carefully.
The European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) entitles UK residents to free or reduced cost emergency treatment when temporarily visiting the European Union (EU) and certain other European countries.
You get the same care as the people who live in that country, which may not be the same as you would expect on the NHS here. You may need to pay and claim back the money in the country you visit. It doesn’t cover travelling to a country for health treatment, medical evacuation or help getting back to the UK.
You can apply for an EHIC:
It should take 7-10 days for your card to arrive if you apply online or by phone, or about 21 days if you apply by post. It may take longer for the card to get to you during peak holiday times, when many people are likely to be applying. The EHIC is free and renewals are also free, so you should avoid any websites that charge to apply for an EHIC or renew it on your behalf.
More information about the EHIC and health advice for travellers can be found on the NHS Choices website|. The website lists the countries covered by the EHIC, as well as non-EU countries that have mutual agreements to provide health services to visitors from the UK.
Sometimes things don’t go as planned. Your travel plans might go wrong or you may become ill. Make sure you take the insurance policy document and helpline number with you. If you become sick or injured while you are abroad you should:
If you have taken out a policy and are unhappy with the way you have been treated or with the way your claim has been handled, you should contact your insurer.
All insurers have a complaints procedure and will explain what happens next. The following steps can help get problems sorted out more quickly:
If you still think you’re being treated unfairly, you can have your case referred to the Financial Ombudsman Service. This is a free independent service for consumers and an informal alternative to going to court.
The ombudsman will decide if your complaint is valid by looking at the facts of the case and insurers must obey their decisions. Any complaints must be submitted in writing and by post.
You can also find impartial information and guidance about financial services from the Money Advice Service, which is provided by the Consumer Financial Education Body.
Consumer Helpline 0800 0234 567 (for landlines) or 0300 123 9 123 (for mobile phones) (Mon–Fri, 8am–6pm, they will call back if you're concerned about the cost of the call.)
Email complaint.info@financial-ombudsman.org.uk|
www.financial-ombudsman.org.uk|
You can also find impartial information and guidance about financial services from Moneymadeclear, which is provided by the Consumer Financial Education Body.
Consumer Helpline 0300 500 5000 (Mon–Fri, 8am–8pm)
Typetalk 18001 0300 500 5000
Email from the website
www.moneymadeclear.org.uk|
You may want to discuss the information in this section with one of our cancer support specialists|. Call the Macmillan Support Line free on 0808 808 00 00 (Mon–Fri, 9am–8pm).
We have an interpretation service in over 200 languages. Just state, in English, the language you wish to use when you call. If you are deaf or hard of hearing, you can use textphone 0808 808 0121, or Text Relay.
If you would like to share details about your experience of buying travel insurance with other people affected by cancer, please visit our online community|.
You might like to find out more about our travel insurance campaign|.
This section has been compiled using information from a number of reliable resources, including:
For answers, support or just a chat, call the Macmillan Support Line free (Monday to Friday, 9am-8pm)
If you have any questions about cancer, need support or just want someone to talk to, ask Macmillan.
We're campaigning to make it easier for people affected by cancer to get travel insurance.