You can take that hol, and be covered too

Bishopscourt Group Insurance Services has launched a travel insurance package for holidaymakers with pre-existing medical conditions.

Bishopscourt head Laurence Law said Allclear Plus did not have an age limit and, in most cases, did not require a doctor's certificate.

“Allclear Plus can insure most applicants – a recent heart attack, cancer, HIV and many other serious conditions are all considered – in some cases even if a terminal prognosis has been made,” he said.

Allclear Plus covers the usual lost baggage, money, missed departure and delay, plus up to £5m medical and hospital expenses, repatriation, cancellation and curtailment. Special cover is available for a full medical examination on return to the UK, carers' benefits and items such as mobility aids, medication and spectacles. It can also be extended to cover kennel or cattery costs.

Law said about 1.5 million travellers went on holiday with inadequate travel insurance every year, mostly due to pre-existing medical conditions.

“They either take standard cover, chancing that any claim will be disputed, or they take no cover at all, which is highly dangerous, in terms of the financial risk taken on,” he said.

Bishopscourt has offered premium examples, such as £20 for a 40-year-old wheelchair-bound holidaymaker who wanted to spend two weeks in Portugal and £183 for a 45-year-old who had had three heart attacks and was unable to walk far without chest pains but wanted to holiday in France for 14 days.