Four types of health conditions could invalidate travel insurance

Travel insurance complaints are at their highest since the pandemic, according to the Financial Ombudsman Service. The dispute resolution service recorded more than 4,400 complaints in 2023/2024 – and disgruntled holidaymakers shared their concerns about delayed flights, missing luggage and the levels of emergency assistance after falling ill abroad.

Not disclosing your medical history when filling out the insurance form could lead to astronomical medical bills and a lot of stress, so here is everything you need to know about health insurance abroad so you can enjoy your holiday without any stress…

Is it worth paying for travel insurance?

Paying a little extra for travel insurance when booking your next holiday could save you from being sent a whopping medical bill worth tens of thousands of pounds in the post.

“A tailored travel insurance policy should be one of your holiday essentials, no matter where you’re going, or for how long,” says Simon McCulloch, chief commercial officer at Staysure Insurance. “It provides cover for unexpected events such as medical emergencies, cancellations, lost luggage and more.

“The main two areas you need cover for is for cancellation and medical emergencies,” explains McCulloch. “The cost of a medical emergency abroad and repatriation to the UK can be substantial, so travel insurance is there to offer travellers peace of mind and protection against financial loss for unforeseen situations.”

Alice Lawson, associate director for insurance at Holiday Extras agrees and adds: “In the rare circumstances where something goes wrong, it can be either dangerous or expensive not to have the right travel insurance.

“The largest costs holidaymakers face if something goes wrong overseas are often