Can I Get Travel Insurance if I Have Cancer?
One in three New Zealanders will be diagnosed with cancer during their lifetime. For many of us, a cancer diagnosis changes life — but it doesn't have to stop travel. The question we hear most often is: can I actually get travel insurance?
The answer, for the majority of people, is yes.
The Three Possible Outcomes
When you apply for travel insurance as a cancer patient, there are typically three possible outcomes:
1. Cover approved with additional premium Your cancer is assessed, accepted, and covered under your policy. An additional premium applies — the amount depends on your cancer type, stage, treatment history, and destination. This is the most comprehensive outcome and the one most people achieve with careful application.
2. Cancer excluded, other cover approved Your insurer cannot cover cancer-related complications but will still issue a policy covering all other travel risks: trip cancellation, lost baggage, other medical emergencies, and travel disruption. This is still valuable, particularly if your cancer is stable and you're travelling to a destination where cancer complications are unlikely.
3. Unable to issue a policy In some cases — typically terminal diagnosis, or a very recent diagnosis with staging incomplete — the insurer cannot issue any policy at all. This is the least common outcome for most cancer patients who have an established diagnosis and treatment history.
When you apply for travel insurance with cancer, the insurer's medical assessment considers:
- Cancer type: Some cancers carry higher recurrence risk and therefore higher insurance risk. Thyroid cancer and non-melanoma skin cancer carry lower additional cost; pancreatic or lung cancer with active metastasis carries more.
- Stage at diagnosis: The original stage matters — a Stage 1 breast cancer patient has a very different risk profile from a Stage 3 patient.
- Current treatment status: Are you in remission, on maintenance therapy, or receiving active chemotherapy? Each has different implications.
- Time since treatment: The longer since active treatment was completed, generally the lower the risk and premium.
- Destination: A medical complication in the USA can cost hundreds of thousands of dollars; Australia is significantly lower.
Terminal Diagnosis: The Exception
There is one universal rule in NZ travel insurance: if your cancer diagnosis is terminal — meaning your oncologist has assessed that your cancer cannot be cured — no NZ travel insurer can issue a new policy. This applies to all seven major providers. If you received a terminal diagnosis after purchasing an existing policy, contact your insurer immediately — your existing policy may still provide some benefits.
The Online Medical Assessment
Most NZ travel insurers use an online medical questionnaire to assess cancer cases. You typically:
1. Start a standard quote online 2. Declare your pre-existing cancer condition 3. Complete the medical questionnaire (takes 5–15 minutes) 4. Receive an outcome: cover approved with price, cover with exclusions, or unable to cover
The questionnaire asks about your diagnosis, treatments, current status, and specialist care. Have your medical history to hand when completing it — accuracy here protects you at claims time.
- Your cancer type and original stage
- All treatment received (surgery, chemotherapy, radiotherapy, targeted therapy, immunotherapy)
- Any recurrence since original diagnosis
- Current medications
- Current monitoring frequency (how often you see your specialist)
- Any complications (lymphoedema, peripheral neuropathy, etc.)
Important: Even cancer in long-term remission — even 10+ years ago — must be declared. This is one of the most common misconceptions. Failing to declare historical cancer can void your entire policy.
Additional Premium: What to Expect
The additional premium for cancer cover varies enormously — from a modest 20–30% surcharge for a long-term thyroid cancer survivor to 200%+ for a recent high-stage cancer. As rough benchmarks:
- Thyroid cancer, 3+ years post-treatment, no recurrence: +20–50%
- Breast cancer Stage 2, 2 years post-treatment, on tamoxifen: +50–100%
- Prostate cancer on active surveillance: +30–60%
- Melanoma Stage 3, 1 year post-surgery: +100–200%
These are indicative only — actual premiums depend on age, destination, trip duration, and the specific insurer.
Which Insurer Should I Choose?
All seven major NZ travel insurance providers can assess cancer cases. Cover-More and AA Travel Insurance use the same system and are known for speed and transparency. 1Cover has a particularly clear three-outcome process. SCTI's 3-year lookback period can benefit those whose cancer was treated more than 3 years ago.
Compare at least two providers before purchasing — the premium and cover terms can differ significantly.
Key Takeaways
- Most cancer patients can get travel insurance — but must declare and complete a medical assessment
- Three possible outcomes: full cover, cover with cancer exclusion, or no policy possible
- Terminal diagnosis = no new policy possible from any NZ provider
- Always declare — even historical cancer from 10+ years ago
- Shop around — premiums and outcomes vary between providers
