Brain tumour travel insurance

Travel insurance can be expensive or hard to get if you have, or have had, a brain tumour. Here we’ll cover brain tumour travel insurance and what you might expect if you’re trying to get it.

On this page:

About brain tumour travel insurance

Conditions of brain tumour travel insurance

Does it matter where I’m travelling to?

Full disclosure for brain tumour travel insurance

Can I get state healthcare when travelling?

About brain tumour travel insurance

If you are without cover and you travel to a country with high medical costs, or if you need to be flown back home in an emergency, the possible cost to you could be very high.

It can be costly to get travel insurance if you have, or had, a brain tumour. This is because travel insurers weigh up the likelihood of an individual making a claim and consider many factors.

These include:

• the chances of you cancelling your trip due to ill health
• the likelihood of you having to seek medical assistance while away.

Conditions of brain tumour travel insurance

If you’ve been affected by a high grade brain tumour, sometimes called malignant or cancerous tumours, some travel insurance companies will only give you medical insurance if you have a certificate from your doctor saying you’re fit enough to travel.

If you’ve had treatment for a high grade tumour during the 12 months before your trip, some companies may only insure you for treatment or emergencies unrelated to your tumour. 

This means you may be able to get travel insurance, but if you need treatment abroad as a result of your brain tumour, you’ll have to pay for it yourself.

Many companies won’t cover you if you’re having or waiting for medical tests or treatment or have not yet received a definite diagnosis. They also won’t cover you if you’re travelling against the advice of your doctor or if you’re travelling for treatment abroad. It’s important that you’re aware of what you are and aren’t covered for when taking out travel insurance.

Join our online support groups

Our online support groups are a great place to connect with other people affected by a brain tumour and share your experiences.

Online brain tumour support groups

Does it matter where I’m travelling to?

Whether you’ve had a brain tumour or not, travel insurance costs vary depending on where you want to go. For example, as medical costs in the USA are very high, it may be harder or more expensive to get cover for travel there. Additionally, there may be individual factors, specific to you, that can influence whether or not you can get travel insurance. You may have to try many companies before you can get travel insurance. 

Full disclosure for brain tumour travel insurance

When taking out travel insurance, it’s vital that you fully disclose any information about existing or pre-existing medical conditions. Even if you had a brain tumour a long time ago, you’ll still need to disclose it.

If you don’t make a full disclosure, the insurance company can rightly claim that it was misinformed and may not pay out if you need to make a claim. If you have an annual or multi-trip policy, you may also need to provide an updated confirmation certificate from your GP each time you travel. 

If you have a terminal illness, or have been told you’re unfit to travel, then travel insurance companies may not provide you with cover.

Insurers will need to know detailed information about you, your diagnosis and your planned trip when deciding whether to give you brain tumour travel insurance. It can feel emotionally difficult to talk about some of this, so you may find it helpful to prepare yourself for the conversation. Perhaps note down answers on the areas you’re most likely to be asked about.

Common questions asked may include:

• date of diagnosis
• details of prognosis
• details of any treatment 
• fitness to travel, including the best time to travel (according to your consultant)
• epilepsy details/treatment (if relevant)
• details of destination 
• length of planned trip.

Can I get state healthcare when travelling?

The UK Global Health Insurance Card (GHIC) is replacing the UK European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) to let you get state healthcare in some European countries at a reduced cost or sometimes for free. If you have a UK European Health Insurance Card (EHIC), it will be valid until the expiry date on the card. Once it expires, you’ll need to apply for a GHIC to replace it.

You can use a GHIC or EHIC if travelling to an EU country and Switzerland in some cases.

You’ll need to take your GHIC or EHIC card with you when you travel if you want to benefit from these reciprocal health service agreements and you may be asked to show it. In addition to this, you may have to pay for some treatments at the time you receive them and then claim your money back later.

This healthcare isn’t necessarily the same entitlement that you’d have on the NHS – it depends on the particular country’s provisions. These do not cover the costs of any pre-planned medical treatment abroad in EU countries. It’ll only cover you for unforeseen medical needs.

GHIC and EHIC do not replace travel insurance. You should always apply for GHIC and EHIC in addition to, rather than instead of, travel insurance. This is because the GHIC and EHIC will not cover all costs you may incur, such as private treatment (if you can only get to a private clinic in an emergency). Nor will it cover extra accommodation costs or repatriation, whereas travel insurance would usually cover this.

If you have travel insurance, you still need a GHIC or EHIC because your insurance company may not cover the cost of treatment that the GHIC or EHIC covers. If you try to claim in full and don’t have a card they may not cover all your costs.

You can apply for a GHIC for free on the NHS website

---

Download our travel insurance Q&A – PDF

For more information on travelling with a brain tumour, download our travel insurance Q&A with Free Spirit Travel Insurance.

---