Don’t Get a Letter from Your Doctor if You Have to Cancel Your Trip
I don’t know where people get the idea that they need a letter from their doctor if they get sick or injured and have to cancel their trip.
But I see it all the time.
People get sick or injured, visit their doctor, and ask for a letter saying they shouldn’t travel. They assume that’s what the travel insurance company needs to pay their Trip Cancellation claim.
Unfortunately, that letter can create more problems than it solves.
Deanna, Kim and I have seen doctors’ letters that contain incomplete information, contradict the travel insurance policy’s requirements, or describe medical conditions that might not even qualify for coverage.
And the worst part? The traveler often has no idea there’s a problem.
What Does Your Travel Insurance Policy Actually Require?
If you have to cancel your trip because of your own Sickness or Injury, this is what our policies typically state, with minor wording variations that convey the same information:
Your Sickness or Injury, that:
a. occurs before departure on Your Trip;
b. requires the in-person Medical treatment by a Physician prior to cancellation; and
c. as certified by a Physician prior to cancellation, results in medical restrictions so disabling as to cause You to cancel Your Trip.
Read that carefully.
Nowhere does it say you must get a separate letter from your doctor.
What it does say is that you must receive the required medical treatment before canceling your trip and that your physician must certify, before cancellation, that your medical restrictions are so disabling that you have to cancel.
Those are important requirements.
Your insurance company will also require documentation supporting your claim. This commonly includes an Attending Physician’s Statement or another medical certification form that your doctor completes as part of the claims process.
That’s different from asking your doctor to write an unsolicited letter saying you shouldn’t travel.
Why I Tell People Not to Get a Doctor’s Letter
When customers call me and read their doctor’s letter, I often tell them:
“Tear up that letter and throw it away. Don’t send it to the insurance company.”
Why?
Because many of these letters don’t establish what the insurance company actually needs to know.
Sometimes they’re vague. Sometimes they’re incomplete. And sometimes they contain statements that could undermine an otherwise legitimate claim.
Unfortunately, not everyone takes my advice.
Here are three examples of actual doctors’ letters customers have shared with us when they were considering canceling their trips.
Doctor’s Letter #1: A Medical Condition Doesn’t Automatically Justify Canceling Your Trip
Please excuse my patient ____ from flying and traveling via ship because of her lumbar spine stenosis. She suffers from intermittent back pain radiating to the leg.
What’s wrong with this letter?
First, the doctor identifies a medical condition, but that doesn’t necessarily establish a covered reason for Trip Cancellation.
Second, the letter doesn’t explain whether the patient received the required medical treatment before canceling.
Third, it doesn’t explain what medical restrictions were so disabling that the patient couldn’t take the trip.
The doctor simply says the patient should be excused from traveling.
Having a medical condition isn’t the same as having a covered medical reason to cancel your trip.
For example, someone might have lived with back pain for years and still be able to travel. If the condition suddenly becomes significantly worse, that’s a different situation that needs to be evaluated under the policy’s terms.
The insurance company needs to understand what happened medically, when it happened, and why the condition required cancellation
A short letter like this doesn’t establish those facts.
Doctor’s Letter #2: A Difficult Trip Isn’t Necessarily a Medical Emergency
______ is a patient of mine. He has a trip to Europe scheduled for September 16 – 30, 2026. The trip will be harder than he expected, so I don’t think it’s a good idea he take the trip.
This is another example of a letter that could cause problems.
The doctor doesn’t identify an illness or injury.
There’s no mention of medical treatment.
There’s no explanation of disabling medical restrictions
Instead, the doctor says the trip will be harder than expected and doesn’t think the patient should go.
Travel insurance generally doesn’t cover canceling a trip simply because the trip might be too difficult.
That’s not the same as having a sickness or injury that satisfies the policy’s requirements for Trip Cancellation.
There may be additional medical circumstances that could support this customer’s claim, but the letter doesn’t explain them.
And that’s precisely the problem.
Doctor’s Letter #3: “Could Potentially Prevent Travel” Isn’t the Same as Being Unable to Travel
_____ is under my medical care for treatment of a serious illness. During our office visit on August 10th, 2026, patient was diagnosed and informed of the need for monthly treatments which could potentially prevent him from traveling over the next several months.
This letter is especially interesting.
Unlike the first two examples, it identifies a serious illness, refers to an actual office visit, and describes ongoing medical treatment.
That’s useful information.
But look at the last part:
“Could potentially prevent him from traveling.”
Those four words create uncertainty.
The doctor isn’t saying the patient was medically unable to travel. The doctor is saying the treatments might prevent travel.
There’s a big difference.
Under the policy language quoted earlier, the physician must certify before cancellation that the medical restrictions are so disabling that the traveler has to cancel the trip.
The possibility that treatment might interfere with travel doesn’t necessarily satisfy that requirement.
A properly completed medical certification would need to establish whether the patient actually had disabling medical restrictions requiring cancellation, rather than merely anticipating a possible scheduling conflict.
What Should You Do Instead of Getting a Doctor’s Letter?
If you become sick or injured and think you might have to cancel your trip, here’s what I recommend.
1. Get the medical treatment you need before canceling your trip.
Don’t wait until after you’ve canceled to see your doctor.
If your policy requires in-person medical treatment before cancellation, a telephone conversation or an email to your doctor might not satisfy that requirement.
2. Make sure your doctor understands your travel plans.
Tell your doctor when you’re scheduled to leave, where you’re going, and what your trip involves.
More importantly, make sure your doctor evaluates whether your illness or injury creates medical restrictions that actually prevent you from taking the trip.
3. Make sure your medical restrictions are documented before cancellation.
If your physician determines that your condition requires you to cancel, that determination needs to satisfy the requirements of your particular policy.
Don’t assume that simply being diagnosed with an illness automatically qualifies you for Trip Cancellation benefits.
4. Contact us before canceling your trip.
If you bought your travel insurance through TripInsuranceStore.com, call us before canceling whenever possible.
We can help you understand the applicable policy language and the claims process so you don’t make an avoidable mistake.
We can’t guarantee that your claim will be paid, but we can help you understand what the insurance company requires.
If you have a medical emergency, get the necessary care first. And don’t delay notifying your travel suppliers once cancellation becomes necessary, because your policy requires prompt cancellation to limit your financial loss.
5. Have your doctor complete the insurance company’s required medical forms.
When you file your claim, the insurance company will require an Attending Physician’s Statement, a Medical Certificate, medical records, or other supporting documentation.
These documents are designed to establish the medical facts relevant to your claim.
Have your doctor complete the required forms accurately and thoroughly.
And remember: Your doctor should document the actual medical findings and restrictions, not simply write whatever might help get your claim paid.
The Bottom Line: Get Medical Treatment, Not an Unnecessary Letter
If you have to cancel your trip because you’re sick or injured, don’t automatically ask your doctor to write a letter saying you shouldn’t travel.
A doctor’s letter doesn’t make your Trip Cancellation claim valid. The medical facts and your policy’s coverage requirements determine whether your cancellation is covered.
Get the required medical treatment before canceling. Make sure your physician documents the medical restrictions that require cancellation. And submit the medical documentation your insurance company actually requests.
A vague or poorly worded doctor’s letter isn’t a substitute for satisfying your policy’s requirements.
If you bought your travel insurance through TripInsuranceStore.com and think you might have to cancel your trip, call us before you cancel.
We’d rather help you avoid a claims problem than try to fix one after it happens.
Important: Travel insurance policies differ. The specific terms, conditions, exclusions, medical certification requirements, and claims procedures in your policy determine your coverage.
Finally, if you potentially would want to cancel your trip because you might not feel good, some of our plans offer the 75% Trip Cancellation for Any Reason as an optional upgrade.
I hope this makes sense. If you want the right travel insurance advice, call us at 1-888-407-3854 and we'll help you figure it all out.
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