New research from AllClear Travel Insurance has found that 40% of people with pre-existing medical conditions did not know that failing to disclose their medical history could invalidate their travel insurance policy. This lack of awareness could leave UK holidaymakers facing hefty medical bills abroad.
Misunderstandings about non-disclosure consequences
Of those surveyed, 35% thought they would just be reprimanded with no further consequences, while 55% thought they may have to pay costs upfront and get reimbursed by their insurer at a later date. Additionally, 68% thought there may be limits on how much of the medical costs the insurer would cover, and 25% believed their insurer might lend them the money to be repaid later.
Beyond this, 25% of respondents believed that as long as they had a policy document, their insurer would pay. However, failing to declare a medical condition on travel insurance can completely invalidate the policy, leaving the traveller to pay thousands of pounds out of pocket for medical treatment, medication, or emergency repatriation.
Knowledge gap among British travellers
The findings highlight a significant knowledge gap among British travellers, with some choosing cheaper cover, others risking holidays without insurance, and many unsure about which medical conditions they need to declare. The findings come from a new AllClear annual travel report, which will be released in November and looks back on 2026 travel trends and explores attitudes to risk, insurance, and medical costs during a turbulent year.
The 2026 research was carried out among a nationally representative sample of 2,000 adults online by UK Omnibus Group. Among respondents, medical conditions people didn't think they needed to declare included depression or anxiety (18%), flu (17%), irritable bowel syndrome (14%), food allergies (13%), diabetes (12%), sexually transmitted diseases (12%), asthma (11%), and surgery carried out more than a year ago (11%).
Declining awareness of medical costs abroad
The annual tracking data from AllClear reveals a gradual but steady decline in the percentage of UK holidaymakers who appreciate they would be unable to afford medical costs abroad if they did not have appropriate medical cover in place. This suggests that many people underestimate medical costs abroad at a time when they are rising in many countries.
AllClear also asked survey respondents with medical conditions about their general approach to buying travel insurance, specifically whether they would be happy to pay more for a policy with quality medical cover or look to pay less. For long-haul destinations such as Mexico (72%), Australia (70%), and Canada (69%), at least two thirds said they would be inclined to pay more for comprehensive medical cover. However, for short-haul destinations such as Germany, Spain, and Italy, there was an even split between paying for comprehensive or cheap cover.
Short-haul risks and growing trend
AllClear said this is a concern given people with medical conditions are more likely to have short-haul holidays (48%), thus risking not having the right medical cover when they need it most. Many people with medical conditions (54%) said they would be prepared to travel to one or more European countries with no cover at all, on the basis it would be a relatively quick trip home if they fell ill or had an accident while away. This represents a growing trend, up from 46% in 2023 according to AllClear.
AllClear previously highlighted that a visit to a Spanish emergency room, including a consultation, CT scan, and medication, can cost around €729 (about £610) if uninsured. If further treatment or hospitalisation is needed, the costs can rise rapidly, particularly for those using private healthcare or without access to the GHIC scheme. In the United States, an ambulance alone could incur hefty costs of around $1,300 (roughly £980), according to the travel insurance company.
Garry Nelson, head of corporate affairs at AllClear Travel Insurance, said: "Our research goes beyond quantifying the scale and impact of medical non-disclosure to explore the underlying reasons why people fail to disclose their medical conditions, providing deeper insight into the behaviours, barriers and motivations driving the issue.
"From the data it is clear that there is a range of factors at play and a seismic knowledge gap that needs to be tackled. For several years, we've been campaigning to highlight the very real human cost of medical non-disclosure when buying travel insurance.
"It remains deeply concerning that so many holidaymakers do not fully disclose their medical conditions, potentially putting their financial security and access to vital support at risk when they need it most. This may reflect a lack of understanding of the serious consequences of non-disclosure, reinforcing the need for greater awareness, clearer communication and stronger action across the industry."
