A Romford-based travel insurance specialist in East London has warned that thousands of people with pre-existing medical conditions are planning to travel overseas this year with inadequate or no insurance cover, despite rising medical costs abroad.
New research from AllClear Travel Insurance suggests that attitudes to travel insurance for medical conditions remain misaligned with the risks involved. A poll of 2,000 adults found that only 28 percent of people with medical conditions say they would purchase top quality travel insurance before going abroad in 2026. A further 38 percent said they would opt for policies they consider to have good features, while 18 percent would choose the cheapest option available and 17 percent would travel without any cover at all.
The findings closely mirror attitudes across the wider UK population, something AllClear says is unexpected. The company had anticipated that people with medical conditions would be significantly more likely to prioritise comprehensive travel insurance for medical conditions over price.
This data emerges as overseas travel planning accelerates for the year ahead. According to the research, 85 percent of people with medical conditions expect to take an international holiday at some point during 2026. AllClear is urging travellers to reassess their approach to travel insurance for medical conditions before finalising bookings.
Medical costs overseas continue to escalate, yet understanding of those costs appears limited. Only 55 percent of respondents with medical conditions recognised that they would be unable to personally cover medical bills abroad without insurance. Around 45 percent named at least one country where they believed they could self-fund treatment if required, including destinations such as Spain, Italy, Germany and the USA. Of particular concern to AllClear is that the USA did not stand out clearly to respondents as a country where medical bills can be extreme, despite claims sometimes reaching £1 million.
Garry Nelson, Head of Corporate Affairs at AllClear Travel Insurance, said: “At AllClear, we’re committed to supporting our customers abroad, ensuring they get quick access to the emergency medical care they need if they face an emergency abroad.”
He added that disclosure remains a persistent issue. “Over the last few years, we’ve campaigned on the impact of medical non-disclosure and it’s of great concern that around 25% of UK holidaymakers admitted during 2025 that they didn’t declare all their medical conditions when buying travel insurance.”
According to AllClear, the consequences of non-disclosure or under-declaration can be severe. Policies may be invalidated entirely, or travellers may be left personally responsible for part of a medical bill. Nelson said: “Not all Travel Insurance is the same. If people with medical conditions are shopping around for cheap policies for 2026, they find their policy doesn’t meet their needs if they have a medical emergency and need looking after abroad. Non-declaration and under-declaration of medical conditions when buying travel cover is a huge issue that needs to be tackled urgently – and it starts with customers shopping for travel policies on quality of cover not the cheapest price.”
The Romford agency says that improving understanding of travel insurance for medical conditions is essential as more people resume regular overseas travel. Nelson concluded: “Failure to declare all relevant medical information when buying travel cover can invalidate a policy completely and – more commonly – under-declaration can leave people with a portion of the medical bill to pay themselves. We pay out on claims, but we need customers to help by fully declaring their medical conditions when buying a travel policy – and make sure you have comprehensive cover.
“Together, we must all change the industry agenda away from the allure of the headline rate for travel insurance and to make the case for quality and safety first.”
