In short
- Standard travel insurance does not normally cover you if you travelled for planned treatment.
- Your EHIC or GHIC does not cover planned treatment, and your health system at home rarely pays for private care abroad.
- Look for cover that includes complications, the extra days, getting home and a companion, and tell the insurer about the procedure.
- Read the exclusions before you pay, keep every receipt, and complain to the insurer first if a claim is refused.
If you travel for treatment, the usual holiday policy is unlikely to protect you. This guide sets out what official sources say about insurance for planned treatment abroad, and what to check before you buy. Each point links to the official page it comes from. It is not medical advice, and it is not advice on a particular policy: the wording of your own policy is what counts.
1. Standard travel insurance usually excludes planned treatment
Standard travel insurance does not normally cover you if you travelled abroad for elective surgery (GOV.UK). The NHS says most travel insurance policies will not cover planned treatment abroad, and you may need specialist cover (NHS). For cosmetic surgery, it adds that travel insurance does not normally cover you if things go wrong in surgery (NHS). New Zealand's travel advice service says basic policies rarely cover medical tourism, so get a specialised policy for your procedure (SafeTravel).
2. What your health system at home covers
- EHIC and GHIC. The European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) and the UK Global Health Insurance Card (GHIC) do not cover going abroad for elective surgery or any planned treatment (GOV.UK). They do not cover private healthcare or rescue and repatriation either (Your Europe).
- The S2 route. Planned treatment in the state system of another country can be funded through an S2 form, but only with prior authorisation before treatment (NHS). Travel and accommodation are usually yours to pay (Your Europe).
- Ireland. Under the Cross Border Directive you pay the provider yourself and ask the HSE for a contribution afterwards; travel, accommodation and translation are not covered (HSE).
- United States. Medicare usually does not cover health care outside the United States, with some exceptions (Medicare.gov). Check what your own plan covers abroad (CDC).
- Canada. Provincial and territorial health plans rarely cover any costs of medical care outside Canada (Government of Canada).
For all 19 home countries, see If something goes wrong.
3. What specialist cover should include
- Complications. Get medical insurance that covers all potential complications (TravelHealthPro).
- Getting home. Make sure it includes medical evacuation back home (TravelHealthPro). Your insurer should arrange repatriation; if it does not cover it, you arrange and pay for it yourself (GOV.UK).
- Extra days. A complication can mean a longer stay. The clinic's written contract should say who pays for an extended stay, extra treatment, medicines and local follow-up (TravelHealthPro).
- A companion. Check whether the policy pays reasonable costs for a family member or friend to stay with you, or to travel out and accompany you home (GOV.UK).
- Follow-up at home. Cover for care abroad should include the necessary follow-up care once you are back (CDC).
- Cancellation. Ask what happens to the clinic deposit and your flights if you cannot travel, and check the clinic's cancellation terms (see Before you book).
The true cost tool helps you count the extra nights and flights, and the recovery planner shows how long you may need to stay before flying.
4. Tell the insurer everything
Tell your travel insurer about your plans to have a procedure abroad (SafeTravel). Declare your medical conditions (TravelHealthPro): failing to declare something may invalidate your travel insurance (GOV.UK).
5. Questions to ask the insurer, in writing
- Does the policy cover the procedure I am travelling for, and its complications?
- Does it pay for extra nights abroad if I am not fit to fly on the planned date?
- Does it cover medical evacuation home, and who decides when and how?
- Does it pay for a companion to stay or to bring me home?
- Does it cover follow-up care or a correction once I am home?
- Do I have to call you before I get medical help? Is there a 24-hour helpline?
6. What to read in the policy wording
Read the small print and the exclusion clauses (GOV.UK). Check that the policy covers both state and private hospitals, and that the insurer has a 24-hour assistance helpline (GOV.UK). Most travel policies ask you to contact the insurer before you get medical help (Financial Ombudsman Service). Ask the clinic or surgeon what insurance they have and whether it covers you (NHS).
7. Keep every receipt
You will often have to pay upfront for medical care abroad, even if you are fully insured; keep any receipts or doctors' notes, as your insurance company will need them (GOV.UK). Foreign hospitals may ask for cash in advance (Government of Canada). Keep your medical records too, in a language your doctor at home reads (see If something goes wrong).
8. If a claim is refused
In the UK, make a formal complaint to the insurer first. If it does not send a final response within eight weeks, you can take the complaint to the Financial Ombudsman Service, which weighs up the facts against the policy (Financial Ombudsman Service). Elsewhere, ask your insurer which complaints body applies before you buy.
See also Before you book: the checklist.