Staysure vs GoodToGo Travel Insurance 2026: Which Is Better for Pre-Existing Conditions?

Staysure vs GoodToGo is one of the most searched comparisons in the UK specialist travel insurance market for pre-existing medical conditions. Both providers serve travellers whose health history makes standard comparison-site policies inadequate. Both have no published upper age limit. Both offer emergency medical cover up to £10 million. This comparison uses FCA register data, Financial Ombudsman Service statistics and Association of British Insurers guidance to identify where the material differences lie in 2026.

Brand Positioning and History

Staysure was established in 2004 and has grown to become one of the most recognised specialist travel insurance brands in the UK. The business built its profile through television advertising and direct marketing campaigns specifically targeting travellers aged 50 and above with pre-existing conditions. The Staysure brand emphasises accessibility and reassurance for travellers who may feel that their medical history excludes them from the standard market.

GoodToGo Insurance is operated by Good To Go Insurance Ltd, which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. GoodToGo's positioning is more specific: it explicitly targets travellers who have been declined by other insurers or who have conditions that standard specialist providers find difficult to accommodate. The brand name itself carries a deliberate message of clearance for travel despite a complex medical history. This positions GoodToGo at the more complex end of the specialist spectrum, serving as a second or last resort after other providers have generated adverse terms.

Cover Levels Compared

Both Staysure and GoodToGo offer emergency medical cover up to £10 million on their higher tiers. The Association of British Insurers recommends a minimum of £5 million for long-haul travel and £2 million for European travel. Both providers satisfy the long-haul minimum on higher tiers. For travel to the United States, where private hospital costs can exceed £10,000 per day before surgical intervention, the £10 million limit provides meaningful headroom above the ABI recommendation.

Cancellation and curtailment limits vary by tier on both policies. Both providers offer a range of tiers with increasing cancellation limits. The ABI recommends that travellers ensure cancellation cover is sufficient to cover the full prepaid value of their trip, including flights, accommodation and pre-booked excursions. Underinsurance on cancellation is one of the most common causes of partial settlements in travel insurance claims.

Cruise cover is available as an add-on from both Staysure and GoodToGo. The cruise extension adds cabin confinement, missed port departure and itinerary amendment cover that standard land-based policies do not include. Winter sports extensions are also available from both providers.

Pre-Existing Medical Conditions Approach

Both Staysure and GoodToGo use a combination of online automated screening and telephone-based assessment for complex cases. The online systems work through structured questions about each declared condition, with telephone referral triggered when the automated system cannot produce a firm quotation. The breadth of conditions that each screening system can accommodate and the premium loadings applied to common condition profiles are the most significant practical differentiators between the two providers.

Staysure's scale as one of the UK's highest-volume specialist travel insurers means that its AWP underwriting data on common conditions such as type 2 diabetes, atrial fibrillation, hypertension and COPD is extensive. This typically translates into finely calibrated premium loadings for common conditions based on large actuarial datasets. GoodToGo's positioning for travellers who have been declined elsewhere suggests a particular focus on the higher-complexity end of the condition spectrum and a willingness to accept profiles that Staysure's automated system may not accommodate.

Neither provider guarantees acceptance for any specific condition. The Consumer Insurance (Disclosure and Representations) Act 2012 places the disclosure obligation on the policyholder for both providers equally. Accurate and complete disclosure at the screening stage is a legal requirement.

Age Limits

Neither Staysure nor GoodToGo publishes a fixed upper age limit. Both assess all travellers individually through screening regardless of age. This distinguishes both providers from others in the specialist segment such as InsureandGo, which applies an age limit of 79. For travellers aged 80 and above who have aged out of age-limited providers, both Staysure and GoodToGo are among the primary accessible options in the UK market. Premiums increase substantially with age on both platforms, reflecting the actuarial reality of increasing medical event probability with advancing years.

Underwriting and Financial Security

Staysure's underwriter, AWP P&C S.A., is part of the Allianz group. Allianz is one of the largest and highest-rated insurance groups globally, providing robust financial security backing for Staysure policyholders. The Allianz group also operates AWP Assistance, which provides Staysure's global emergency medical assistance infrastructure, creating a vertically integrated claim and assistance model.

GoodToGo's underwriting entity should be confirmed in the policy documentation and verified on the FCA register at the point of purchase. The identity of the underwriter and its financial strength rating are material considerations for any travel insurance purchase, particularly where the potential claim value for emergency medical repatriation from a long-haul destination can run to hundreds of thousands of pounds.

Emergency Assistance

Staysure's Allianz group connection provides access to AWP Assistance's global network, which operates direct billing arrangements with hospitals in many countries and multilingual 24-hour assistance desks. For travellers who place significant weight on the emergency assistance infrastructure behind their policy, the Allianz network provides a well-documented and financially strong foundation. GoodToGo's assistance infrastructure details should be confirmed in the policy documentation, including the identity of the assistance company and the scope of its international hospital network.

FOS Complaint Data

The Financial Ombudsman Service publishes biannual complaint data covering complaint volumes and uphold rates for named FCA-regulated entities. Staysure appears in FOS published data as a named firm. GoodToGo's complaint data may appear under the parent entity name. Current FOS data should be consulted directly at financial-ombudsman.org.uk rather than relying on any published snapshot, as the data is updated every six months and historical figures may not reflect current performance.

Which Should Travellers Choose?

Travellers with common, well-managed pre-existing conditions who prioritise Allianz group underwriting backing and a high-volume specialist brand with an extensive global assistance network should lean toward Staysure. Travellers with complex, recent or multiple conditions who have already received adverse terms from Staysure or other mainstream specialist providers, or who have been outright declined elsewhere, should assess GoodToGo as the relevant alternative. In all cases, completing the online screening on both platforms and comparing the specific cover terms offered for the declared conditions is more reliable than any general recommendation.

The UK Regulatory Framework for Travel Insurance

All UK travel insurance policies sold to UK residents are subject to the Financial Conduct Authority regulatory framework. The Insurance Conduct of Business sourcebook, known as ICOBS, sets out requirements for product disclosure, fair treatment of customers and the handling of claims and complaints. Any insurer or distributor that breaches ICOBS rules is subject to FCA enforcement action. The Consumer Duty, which came into force on 31 July 2023 under Policy Statement PS22/9, adds a cross-cutting standard requiring all FCA-regulated firms to deliver good outcomes for retail customers. For travel insurance, this includes a specific obligation to ensure that products are accessible and fair for customers with characteristics of vulnerability, including older travellers and those with pre-existing medical conditions who may face systematic disadvantage in the standard market.

The Consumer Insurance (Disclosure and Representations) Act 2012 governs the disclosure obligations of all UK travel insurance policyholders. Under this Act, policyholders must take reasonable care not to make misrepresentations when answering screening questions. A deliberate or reckless misrepresentation entitles the insurer to avoid the policy and decline all claims. An inadvertent misrepresentation may result in a reduced claim payment proportionate to the premium difference between what was charged and what would have been charged had the information been correctly disclosed. This applies to every UK travel insurer and every policyholder equally regardless of which provider is chosen.

The Financial Ombudsman Service is the statutory alternative dispute resolution body for UK travel insurance complaints. The FOS can award compensation of up to £430,000 per complaint and its decisions are binding on all FCA-regulated firms. Travellers who disagree with a claim decision from any FCA-regulated travel insurer have the right to refer their complaint to the FOS free of charge after the insurer has had eight weeks to respond formally to the complaint. The FOS publishes biannual complaint data covering volumes and uphold rates for named firms, providing an external benchmark for claims handling quality that is independent of any provider's own marketing claims.

The Association of British Insurers publishes guidance on travel insurance best practice, including recommended minimum emergency medical cover limits. The ABI recommends a minimum of £2 million for European travel and at least £5 million for long-haul destinations. For travel to the United States, the ABI guidance notes that private hospital costs frequently exceed £5,000 per day before any surgical intervention, making higher cover limits of £10 million or more relevant for extended stays in North America. The ABI also recommends that travellers ensure their cancellation cover is sufficient to cover the full prepaid cost of the trip to avoid the underinsurance that is one of the most common causes of partial claim settlements in the travel insurance market.

The Global Health Insurance Card, the GHIC, replaced the European Health Insurance Card for UK travellers after the Brexit transition period ended. The GHIC provides access to state healthcare in participating European Economic Area countries on the same terms as local residents. It does not cover private treatment, emergency repatriation, trip cancellation, baggage loss, personal liability or any of the other components included in a comprehensive travel insurance policy. The FCA and the ABI both recommend that UK travellers carry both a valid GHIC and a comprehensive travel insurance policy when travelling in Europe, as the two instruments are complementary rather than interchangeable.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Staysure or GoodToGo better for pre-existing conditions?

Neither is universally better. The right choice depends on the specific conditions declared and the premium and terms generated by each provider's individual screening process. Travellers should complete screening on both platforms and compare the results for their individual profile before making a decision.

Do Staysure and GoodToGo have age limits?

Neither Staysure nor GoodToGo publishes a fixed upper age limit. Both assess travellers of all ages individually through screening, making both relevant for travellers aged 80 and above who have aged out of providers with fixed age caps such as InsureandGo.

Who underwrites Staysure travel insurance?

Staysure policies are underwritten by AWP P&C S.A., which is part of the Allianz group. AWP P&C is authorised by the French regulatory authority ACPR and is deemed authorised in the UK. The Allianz group provides high-rated financial security backing for Staysure policyholders.

What is GoodToGo's main speciality?

GoodToGo specialises in travel insurance for travellers with pre-existing medical conditions, with particular emphasis on complex and high-risk profiles including travellers who have been declined by other specialist insurers. Telephone screening for complex cases is central to the GoodToGo model.

Can travellers obtain quotes from both Staysure and GoodToGo?

Yes. Both providers offer online screening tools that generate individual quotes based on declared conditions. Completing screening on both and comparing the specific cover terms and premiums is the recommended approach for travellers who want to identify the best option for their specific medical profile.