More travellers with medical conditions not declaring them when buying travel insurance

A third of travellers with pre-existing medical conditions admitted they will not declare all of them when buying travel insurance this summer, up from a quarter in the spring, according to research from travel insurer AllClear¹. The findings were reported by Which? on 21 August 2024¹.

The research is based on surveys of travellers carried out every three months since 2021, and also identified large numbers of customers "cutting corners" in other ways to save money¹. Half of those with conditions said they would not bother getting insurance at all for short-haul holidays, such as to France, Spain, Ireland or Italy¹. AllClear says this forms part of a larger trend in which travellers are placing less emphasis on safety abroad and more on cutting costs, as the cost of living crisis replaced the pandemic in shaping priorities¹.

Separate survey research commissioned by Multitrip.com found that 22% of holidaymakers have had to see a doctor while travelling and 15% have had to go to the hospital¹. Where a medical condition is not declared, this can potentially invalidate any claim connected to that condition¹.

Which? sets out eight points for buying travel insurance with medical conditions¹. It says that if a condition is not stated explicitly as included in the policy documentation, it is typically excluded by default, and that where an insurer has not asked about medical history during the purchase, the customer will generally need to contact it separately to have conditions added¹. It adds that most insurers require customers to report changes in health since taking out cover or booking the holiday, including new diagnoses, changes in medication, medical investigations or tests, and new symptoms; the insurer will then re-evaluate the cover, which can mean a changed premium, added exclusions or a decision to decline cover, and a failure to disclose a change may invalidate the cover¹.

On finding cover, Which? says comparison websites do not give the full picture because not all insurers, including many medical specialists, are listed on them¹. It names two accredited directories:

The British Insurance Brokers' Association also runs a "Find Insurance" service to help customers find brokers with expertise to track down suitable cover¹.

Why it matters for households

Travellers who buy travel insurance with pre-existing medical conditions and leave a condition off the application risk having a related claim refused, which can mean meeting medical bills or cancellation costs themselves¹. The same applies where a condition is not explicitly included in the policy wording, since it is typically excluded by default¹.

The change in declared behaviour is measured between spring and summer 2024, so it describes intentions for this summer's trips rather than completed purchases¹. The share saying they would not declare all conditions rose from a quarter to a third over that period¹.

The rules on giving wrong information to an insurer and on answering an insurer's questions honestly cover non-disclosure and its effect on claims. For people who find cover hard to obtain, the two directories and the brokers' finder service are routes to specialist providers that do not appear on comparison sites¹.

What happens next

No further dates have been reported. AllClear's surveys are conducted every three months, so a further set of findings would be expected after the summer¹.