Can I get travel insurance while waiting for treatment?
Written by Dr Ellen Welch
NHS GP and resident medical expert
Reviewed by Tracey Culwick
Travel Insurance Expert
Published
Updated
Short answer: you can often get travel insurance while you're waiting for treatment – but what you're covered for depends on where you are in your medical journey. If you already have a diagnosis and are waiting for treatment or surgery, many insurers can cover you, including for that condition. If you're still waiting for tests or a diagnosis, it's harder. Some insurers may offer a policy that excludes claims linked to those symptoms; others may not offer cover until a diagnosis is confirmed.
Whatever stage you're at, you must tell your insurer. Research found that around 30% of UK adults – roughly 16 million people – don't realise that failing to declare an undiagnosed condition could invalidate their travel insurance.
Key takeaways
Always declare that you're waiting for tests, results, a diagnosis, treatment or surgery – even if you feel well.
If you have a diagnosed condition and are waiting for treatment, cover may be available. Check whether it includes emergency medical care and cancellation relating to that condition.
If you’re awaiting a diagnosis, insurers may exclude claims linked to your symptoms or decline to offer cover.
If your tests come back clear, you may still need to declare the symptoms or investigations, depending on the insurer’s questions and the period they cover. Answer these questions accurately even if no further treatment is planned.
If your health changes after you buy your policy, including being referred for tests, you must tell your insurer straight away.
Standard holiday insurance excludes travel against medical advice or trips taken to obtain medical treatment.
Why does waiting for treatment affect travel insurance?
Travel insurers assess the likelihood of you needing to claim. When you’re waiting for tests or treatment, there may be more uncertainty: your condition could worsen while you’re away, or an appointment or procedure could affect your travel plans.
If your symptoms haven’t been diagnosed, it can be harder for an insurer to assess the likelihood and potential cost of medical care abroad. This can affect whether it offers cover, how much it costs and which claims are excluded.
Waiting for a diagnosis, results or treatment: what's the difference?
Insurers may assess these situations differently. Explain what you’re waiting for and whether it relates to unexplained symptoms or an established condition.
| Your situation | Example | What insurers typically do |
| Waiting for tests or a diagnosis (undiagnosed symptoms) | Referred for a scan to investigate unexplained symptoms; on a waiting list | Cover can be harder to arrange. Some insurers may exclude claims linked to the symptoms or assessment; others may decline cover until a diagnosis is confirmed. |
| Awaiting biopsy results or blood tests | Awaiting biopsy results or blood tests | This depends on why the tests were done. Investigations into unexplained symptoms may be treated as awaiting a diagnosis; monitoring an established condition may be assessed differently. |
| Diagnosed, waiting for treatment or surgery | Diagnosed with gallstones, on the waiting list for surgery; waiting for a hip replacement | Cover may be available for the declared and accepted condition. Check cancellation and curtailment cover: an appointment clashing with your trip may be excluded unless specific waiting-list cover is included. |
| Waiting for routine monitoring or a check-up | Annual review for a stable, diagnosed condition | Usually straightforward – declare the condition as normal |
| Tests came back clear | Scan found nothing; no further tests or treatment planned | You may still need to declare the symptoms or investigations, depending on the insurer’s questions and the period they cover. Clear results do not automatically mean there is nothing to declare. |
Every insurer's rules are different, so always check the medical questions carefully or call the insurer if you're not sure which category you fit.
Do I need to declare that I'm waiting for treatment or tests?
Yes. When your insurer asks about outstanding tests, investigations, results, treatment or surgery, you must answer fully and accurately. This includes situations where:
- you don't have a diagnosis yet
- you feel well, or your symptoms are mild
- the referral is routine, or the waiting list is long
- you think the condition is unlikely to affect your trip
If you’re unsure whether a question applies to your circumstances, contact the insurer before buying.
Incorrect or incomplete answers could lead to a claim being reduced or refused, or your policy being treated as invalid. In some circumstances, unrelated claims can also be affected—for example, if the insurer would not have offered the policy had it received accurate information.
What about long NHS waiting lists?
Waiting months, or even years for an assessment or treatment does not necessarily mean you cannot travel or get travel insurance. However, a long wait does not change the need to answer the insurer’s medical questions accurately, including questions about outstanding referrals or assessments.
Some insurers may offer cover while you wait, but exclude claims connected to the symptoms being investigated. Others may require a confirmed diagnosis before offering a policy. It’s worth comparing providers and checking exactly what each policy would cover.
What will I be covered for while waiting for treatment?
If an insurer offers you a policy, it may cover unrelated events, such as an accident, lost luggage or certain travel delays. Cover will still depend on the benefits, limits, excesses and exclusions in your chosen policy.
Cover for the condition itself varies:
- If you have a diagnosis and are waiting for treatment, some insurers can cover emergency medical treatment for that condition abroad, provided you have declared it and it has been accepted for cover. An additional premium may apply.
- Cancellation and curtailment cover need checking separately. Cover for becoming unexpectedly unwell does not necessarily include cancelling or cutting short a trip because a treatment appointment comes through. Specific waiting-list cover may be available.
- If you’re awaiting a diagnosis, an insurer may exclude claims linked to your unexplained symptoms, including emergency treatment, repatriation and cancellation. Some insurers may not offer a policy until your diagnosis is confirmed.
Read your policy documents and any medical exclusions before buying, and ask the insurer to explain anything unclear.
What isn't covered? Exclusions vary, but standard holiday policies generally exclude:
Check your policy’s requirements for reporting changes in health, and contact your insurer promptly if a change could affect your cover. Before travelling, this may include:
- Being referred for tests or investigations
- Being put on a waiting list for treatment or surgery
- Receiving a new diagnosis
- A change in medication or worsening of an existing condition Goodtogo requires you to report changes in your health or medication before travelling and have them accepted in writing. If you’re unsure whether something needs reporting, contact the insurer.
These requirements can apply to annual policies too. Check whether you need to update your medical information before booking another trip as well as before departure.
Once you report a change, your insurer may continue cover unchanged, charge an additional premium, apply an exclusion or withdraw cover. Ask for written confirmation of what this means for any trips you have already booked.
If cover is withdrawn entirely because of a change in health, the Financial Ombudsman Service generally expects the insurer to offer to cover cancellation costs for holidays due to take place during the policy year, even if cancellation is not medically necessary. If you arrange comparable cover elsewhere instead, it may consider it fair for the original insurer to pay the additional premium, up to the amount it would have paid for cancellation. Discuss these options with your insurer before cancelling or buying replacement cover.
Should I book a trip while waiting for treatment?
You can, but think about the timing. If there's a chance your treatment or surgery date could come through around your trip, check whether you'd be covered for cancelling – many policies won't pay out in this situation. Your consultant or GP may also advise against travelling soon after certain procedures. Booking flexible or refundable travel can reduce the risk.
Tips for getting travel insurance while waiting for treatment
Find out exactly what you're waiting for – a test, results, a diagnosis or treatment – and whether it relates to new symptoms or an established condition, so you can answer the medical questions accurately
Have your referral letter, appointment details and repeat prescription to hand when you get a quote
Declare every condition, not just the one you're waiting on
Call the insurer if you're unsure how to declare something, rather than guessing
Check medical exclusions and cancellation cover separately, including what happens if a treatment appointment clashes with your trip.
Ask your treating team whether your condition or planned treatment affects when you can travel.
Tell your insurer straight away if anything changes before you travel
Once you get a diagnosis, contact your insurer – you may be able to add cover for the condition
Can I get travel insurance if I've been refused?
You may still be able to find cover elsewhere. Insurers assess medical conditions differently, so being declined by one provider does not mean every insurer will refuse you.
If you’re refused cover because of a medical condition, or offered a policy with a medical exclusion that cannot be removed, FCA rules generally require the provider to direct you to a specialist travel insurance directory. . Goodtogo are members of the Money Helper Travel Insurance Directory, which exists specifically to help people with health needs find appropriate cover. (will hyperlink)
How Good To Go can help
Goodtogo generally excludes conditions awaiting diagnosis or investigation, including pending test results. Cover for diagnosed conditions awaiting treatment or surgery may be available, but cancellation cover may require optional Waiting List Cover, subject to policy terms.