Are you planning on taking a holiday this year? Perhaps you're looking for a little extra summer sun? Or maybe a winter escape for when the weather turns chilly? Whatever you're planning, there are some travel essentials that no holidaymaker should leave home without.
Packing the right travel documents, currency, and clothing for your trip is very important. But what about your insurance? Have you checked your travel insurance plan covers your specific holiday itinerary? Does it cover your specific health needs? If you or someone you're traveling with has a cancer diagnosis, it is vital you have the insurance cover to match.
This is Fiona. She loves to travel. Fiona has first-hand experience of what it's like to be impacted by a cancer diagnosis. She also happens to be a travel insurance expert at Lighthouse Travel Insurance. You can read more about Macmillan's partnership with Lighthouse over on our corporate partnership page.
A few months ago, we asked members of the Travel insurance forum what questions they thought were the most frequently asked on their forum. Using their responses, plus some of the most popular questions found throughout the forum's recent history, the Online Community Team have gathered up the most common queries, and handed them to Fiona.
Fiona has very kindly agreed to answer a selection of those questions, which you can now find in the section below. Thanks, Fiona!
Please note: Travel insurance for people affected by cancer is assessed on an individual basis. Completing a medical screening questionnaire does not guarantee that cover will be available. If cover is offered, it may be subject to policy terms, conditions, exclusions or an additional premium. It is important that you answer all medical questions honestly and accurately so that the policy reflects your circumstances.
Are there any providers who specialise in providing travel insurance for people with cancer?
FIONA: "The Government-backed MoneyHelper website includes a Travel Insurance Directory, which lists specialist travel insurance providers that may be able to help people with pre-existing medical conditions, including cancer."
I’m planning to travel a number of times this year. Are yearly travel insurance plans available for people with cancer?
FIONA: "Yes — annual multi-trip travel insurance policies may be available for people affected by cancer, depending on your individual circumstances and the outcome of the medical screening assessment. These policies may provide cover for multiple trips throughout the year, subject to the policy terms, conditions and exclusions. Annual multi-trip policies also have maximum trip duration limits, so it's important to check these meet your travel plans.
When you apply, insurers will ask about your cancer history and treatment plan so they can assess the right level of cover for you. As always, the most important thing is that you answer the medical questions honestly and accurately — this helps them make sure you get the right policy for your needs. Like all annual multi-trip travel policies, insurers will ask that you keep them informed of any changes to the health of anyone covered under the policy. This allows them to confirm that they can continue to provide cover following any changes in health and helps prevent any issues should you need to make a claim."
Is there a policy that covers possible travel changes/cancellations because of a sudden cancer-related emergency with a loved one back home?
FIONA: "Yes — some policies may provide cover if you need to cancel or cut short your trip due to the poor health of a non-travelling immediate relative, travelling companion, or someone you are planning to stay with, subject to the policy terms and conditions. To qualify for cover, insurers usually require that a medical practitioner confirms in writing that, at the time you purchased your policy or booked the trip, the non-insured person was not seriously ill in hospital or receiving palliative care, and there was no reason to expect their health to deteriorate so much that you would need to cancel or cut short your trip. This ensures that the cover applies to unexpected emergencies rather than situations that were foreseeable when you arranged your travel or insurance."
Is there an easy way to compare quotes, instead of contacting each insurer and explaining my situation each time?
FIONA: "Yes — Comparison websites allow you to enter your details once and receive quotations from a range of insurers. However, not every insurer or specialist provider is included on every comparison website. Some comparison websites include specialist travel insurance providers who may be able to consider cover for people affected by cancer.
Specialist travel insurance providers such as Lighthouse Travel Insurance may consider cover for you by using a single medical screening process to assess your circumstances and provide quotations from a range of available travel insurance products where appropriate.
Comparison sites and Lighthouse Travel Insurance use different medical screening tools, so the outcome from each system may be different."
What counts as ‘cancer-related’? How specific do I have to be about declaring existing conditions? What if they’re not even related to my cancer diagnosis?
FIONA: "The medical questions are designed to help insurers understand your medical history so they can assess whether cover can be offered and, if so, on what terms. The questions they ask are designed to guide you. Insurers should clearly set out what they mean by “cancer-related” within the question sets themselves, so you should only need to tell them what they specifically ask you for. You don’t need to volunteer extra information unless a question directly applies to you. For example, in the breast cancer section, insurers may ask the usual questions you’d expect about surgery, procedures and treatments. They may also ask about certain conditions that can sometimes be linked to cancer or treatments, such as lymphoedema. If something is relevant, it will be clearly asked about.
As long as you answer the questions honestly, to the best of your knowledge, and with good intentions, you’ve done the right thing. If you’re unsure about anything, you can always take your medical form with you to an appointment or speak to your medical professional to help sense-check your answers."
My cancer diagnosis is complicated and varied. I’m worried the options in my application form don’t cover my diagnosis fully. Can I get help filling out my application accurately?
FIONA: "Macmillan advisers cannot complete travel insurance quotes or medical screening questions on your behalf. However most of the specialist travel insurance providers will have a telephone number you can call to speak to one of their team, and they can go through the quote with you."
What counts as a change in my condition? Is there a change small enough that it wouldn’t affect my cover? Do I have to declare feeling different/having a temporary new symptom, even if I’ve not had a change confirmed by a medical professional?
FIONA: "A change in health refers to any new medical conditions, symptoms, treatments, or changes in medication that have occurred since you purchased your policy. This includes new diagnoses or any deterioration in an already disclosed condition. If you're unsure whether a change in your health should be reported, you should contact the insurer before travelling.
It’s important to report any significant changes to ensure your insurance coverage remains accurate and valid. Doing so helps protect you if you need to make a claim and ensures your policy reflects your current health. If you’re unsure whether something counts as a change, you should contact your insurer directly so they can help. The key is to be honest and answer to the best of your knowledge."
Are there moments in a cancer diagnosis journey where I would simply be ineligible for travel insurance cover? For example, if I’m not due to start treatment until after my planned holiday ends. What about travel insurance when I’m between planned treatments? How about if I receive an incurable diagnosis?
FIONA: "Yes, there can be certain points during a cancer diagnosis or treatment journey when travel insurance may not be available, but this depends on your individual circumstances and where you are in your treatment plan. If you’ve been diagnosed with cancer but are not due to start treatment until after your planned trip ends, cover may be available following assessment through the medical screening process. An insurer would look at whether your condition is stable and whether there’s any planned medical intervention during your travel dates. Similarly, if you’re between planned treatments, this doesn’t automatically mean you can’t get travel insurance. What matters most is that your condition is considered stable at the time of travel and that there are no immediate investigations, treatment changes, or hospital admissions expected while you’re away.
If you have received an incurable or advanced diagnosis, cover may still be available. An insurer would assess factors such as whether your condition is being managed, whether there are ongoing or planned treatments, and whether you are fit to travel/fly. Where cover is available, it may be offered subject to an additional premium, policy conditions or exclusions.
The key thing to remember is that each application is assessed individually. Answering the medical questions honestly and accurately gives you the best chance of obtaining suitable cover. If you’re unsure, it can help to speak with your insurer’s customer support team to check your Q&A application to confirm your treatment plans and stability before applying, so you can travel with confidence and peace of mind."
What documents should I make sure I take on holiday with me?
FIONA: "It is always advisable to have a copy of your travel insurance documents with you, either in paper form or an electronic copy. Make a note of the emergency contact number for your travel insurance provider, and also save it into your phone, so it is easy to find if you have an emergency. If you're travelling to a country where it is accepted, you should also take your valid GHIC (or EHIC if applicable). A GHIC or EHIC is not a substitute for travel insurance."
Any advice/tips about things you often see that are overlooked by travellers?
FIONA: "Not having all the travelling party on the same policy. You may have bought a specialist travel insurance policy and fully declared your cancer, but the rest of your travelling party might be on another policy, say cover through a Bank Account. Then should you need to cancel the holiday due to your cancer, the rest of the party may not be able to claim on the travel insurance provided through their bank account for the cancelation of their portion of the holiday. Even if you are the person who has fully paid for the holiday, you would only be able to claim for your portion of the holiday, not the costs of the whole holiday."
Where can I get help if things go wrong?
"Your travel insurance provider will have a 24/7 emergency medical help line that you can call in a medical emergency. Make sure you take a note of this number and store it somewhere easily accessible before you travel. Ensure you contact the emergency medical assistance team as soon as reasonably possible if you require emergency medical treatment while abroad."
We'd like to thank Fiona for taking the time to answer the Online Community's most commonly-asked travel insurance questions. A video version of this question-and-answer session is planned for release later in the month. Check our Community News section regularly for future updates!
If you have any questions or feedback about anything mentioned in this blog, please contact the Online Community Team directly by sending an email to community@macmillan.org.uk.
