How to find travel insurance if you have a medical condition

Travel insurance can be significantly more expensive, or harder to obtain, if you have a pre-existing medical condition. Mainstream insurers price for typical risks, and conditions that fall outside their standard underwriting can result in high premiums, exclusions, or outright declines. To help people in this position find appropriate cover, the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA, the UK's financial services regulator) has introduced rules that require insurers to signpost customers to specialist providers in specific circumstances.

When insurers must signpost you

Under FCA rules, an insurer must point you towards a directory of specialist providers if any of the following apply:

• They add £200 or more to your premium because of a medical condition.
• They decline to cover you.
• They offer cover with an exclusion for your condition that they will not remove.

The £200 threshold came into force on 1 January 2026, replacing the previous £100 threshold. The intention behind the rule is to make sure that people whose conditions make standard cover unaffordable, unavailable, or incomplete know that specialist alternatives exist.

The two FCA-approved directories

There are two directories approved by the FCA for this purpose:

• The Money and Pensions Service (MoneyHelper) travel insurance directory, a government-backed service that lists insurers and brokers offering cover for people with serious medical conditions.
• The British Insurance Brokers' Association (BIBA) find-a-broker service, which connects you with specialist brokers who can search across multiple insurers on your behalf.

Both directories list providers that specifically underwrite policies for people with pre-existing conditions, including more serious or complex conditions that mainstream insurers may not cover well. Because these specialists assess medical risk in more detail, they can often offer cover that mainstream insurers cannot, and at prices that are competitive or substantially lower.

Why specialist providers are often cheaper

Mainstream insurers tend to load premiums heavily for conditions that fall outside their standard underwriting, partly because they lack the detailed medical questions and clinical underwriting expertise to assess the risk precisely. A specialist insurer, by contrast, will ask more detailed medical questions, sometimes including recent test results, medication, and treatment history, and price the risk more accurately. This often produces a lower premium for the same level of cover, particularly for conditions that are well-controlled or in remission.

What to do if you receive a high quote or a decline

If a quote includes a medical loading of £200 or more, you are declined, or you are offered cover with an exclusion that the insurer will not remove, the insurer should tell you about the directories. If they do not, you can use the directories directly. It is also worth declaring conditions in full when seeking specialist quotes, including any recent changes to medication or treatment, because under-declaration can lead to claims being rejected.

A note on getting help

This is general information about how the signposting rules work, not a personal recommendation. If you have a complex medical history, or you have been declined by multiple insurers, an FCA-authorised insurance broker who specialises in medical travel cover can help. The British Insurance Brokers' Association offers a free find-a-broker service on 0370 950 1790 or at biba.org.uk.