Compare quotes with us and then go to the insurer’s site directly to declare your pre-existing condition.
Travel insurance with pre existing medical conditions
Protect yourself from huge medical bills abroad by getting travel insurance for pre existing conditions.
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The good news is that you can get travel insurance that will provide you with cover for pre-existing conditions. In fact, many Australian travel insurers have a list of pre-existing conditions they cover automatically. And for conditions that aren’t automatically covered, it could be as simple as completing an online medical questionnaire and paying an additional premium.
To help you out we’ve broken down the conditions automatically covered by all the travel insurers you can access through finder, along with more information on how to get cover with a pre-existing condition, pre-existing conditions waivers and more.
Get your quotes for travel insurance that considers all pre-existing conditions
Which pre-existing conditions are automatically covered by the travel insurance brands on Finder?
Search for your condition to see which travel insurance brands will cover you.
Provider | Pre-existing condition | Get quote |
---|---|---|
![]() Columbus Direct | All conditions are considered. An online medical assessment is available. | |
![]() Insureandgo | Insureandgo consider all pre-existing conditions, but for an accurate assessment you're best to get a quote and do an online medical assessment. | |
![]() AllClear | All conditions are considered | |
![]() Budget Direct | ||
![]() 1cover | ||
![]() Travel With Jane | ||
![]() Fast Cover | ||
![]() World2cover | ||
![]() World Care | ||
![]() Medibank | ||
![]() Zoom | ||
![]() Travel Insurance Saver | ||
![]() Travel Insuranz | ||
![]() | ||
![]() American Express | ||
![]() Webjet | ||
![]() Virgin |
Is your condition not listed above? Check how you can get cover for these pre-existing conditions
How does travel insurance for pre-existing conditions work?
Pre-existing conditions usually won't stop you from buying travel insurance. Insurers will consider most medical conditions and even if they decide not to cover yours, you can still get insurance covering everything else. It simply means you won't be covered for claims related to or caused by your pre-existing condition.
What else is on this page?
Steps for getting travel insurance with a pre-existing medical condition
1. Be straight up with your insurer
If you suffer from a pre-existing medical condition and need travel insurance, you must let your travel insurance provider know of any pre-existing conditions you may have. If you don’t, you could be left out-of-pocket in the event where you need to make a claim.
2. Understand what is considered to be a pre-existing medical condition
The definition of a pre-existing medical condition varies slightly between insurers but the term is generally accepted to refer to:
- An ongoing medical or dental condition of which you are aware, or a related complication you have or the symptoms of which you are aware
- A medical or dental condition that is currently being treated or investigated by a health professional, or that has been treated or investigated by a health professional in the past
- Any condition for which you take prescribed medicine
- Any condition for which you have had surgery
- Any condition for which you see a medical specialist
- Pregnancy
Check your product disclosure statement (PDS) or contact the insurer directly to find out how your insurer defines a pre-existing condition.
3. Check to see if your condition is on the automatically covered list
While you’re looking at the PDS make sure you check to see if your condition is automatically covered or excluded by your insurer.
Check out which conditions are typically covered automatically
4. Complete the online questionnaire
If your condition is not mentioned on either list, you’ll need to complete your insurers medical screening process, which will most likely consist of you completing an online questionnaire. These questionnaire typically ask you about how long you’ve had your condition, the type of treatment you’ve undergone, whether or not you’re currently taking any medication and other relevant questions so that they may assess your risk level.
Typically you'll be asked:
- What is the name of your condition?
- What medications have been taken to treat the condition?
- If you have been treated for blood pressure or diabetes, what was the last reading?
- Have you changed your treatment medication recently? (generally in the last 3 months)
- Have you seen a medical practitioner recently? (generally in the last 3 months)
- Have you been admitted or undergone treatment in a hospital in the last 12 months?
- Are you currently awaiting a medical review or treatment?
If you don't declare your condition, you won't be covered for any claims for losses that have occurred as a result of your condition. In some cases, your insurance provider can also choose to cancel your policy if they feel you have purposely withheld information that may increase the likelihood of a claim occurring.
5. Approval of cover
Once you’ve completed the medical questionnaire you’ll either have your pre-existing condition approved, which will generally result in you paying a higher premiums, or you’ll be told that the insurer won’t provide you with cover for your pre-existing condition.
6. Why get cover if your condition is not approved?
If your condition isn’t approved it doesn’t mean you can’t get travel insurance, it just means that you won’t be covered for claims that are the result of your pre-existing condition; this is called a pre-existing condition waiver.
Even though you’re not able to take out cover for claims related to your existing condition, you’ll still be entitled to lodge claims for cancellation, lost luggage and even medical claims so long as they aren’t related to your condition.
How do I know if my condition is covered?
Insurers vary in how they cover pre-existing conditions, so never assume that you’ll be automatically covered when you buy a policy. Instead, take a look at the pre-existing medical conditions section in the PDS.
This will contain the following information:
- A list of pre-existing conditions automatically covered by the policy, usually without requiring you to pay an additional premium
- Information on how you can apply to have any pre-existing condition not included in that list covered by your policy
If your condition is not automatically covered, you’ll need to declare it to the insurer when you apply for cover. This can be done by filling out an online health questionnaire or answering some questions about your condition over the phone. Your insurer will then assess whether or not it will cover claims arising due to your pre-existing condition, and you will typically need to pay an additional premium for cover to apply.
Check the list below for details of conditions which are usually automatically covered, conditions which you must declare, and conditions which are usually excluded.
If your condition is not listed in the policy, you must declare it to your insurance company. The company will assess the condition and decide whether or not cover can be provided. There are some general rules around coverage of certain conditions.
- Allergies
- Asthma
- Bell’s Palsy
- Bunions
- Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
- Cataracts
- Coeliac Disease
- Congenital Blindness
- Congenital Deafness
- Diabetes Mellitus (Type I and II)
- Dry Eye Syndrome
- Epilepsy
- Folate Deficiency
- Gastric Reflux
- Goitre
- Glaucoma
- Graves’ Disease
- Hiatus Hernia
- High Cholesterol
- High Blood Lipids
- Hypertension
- Impaired Glucose Tolerance
- Insulin Resistance
- Iron Deficiency Anaemia
- Macular Degeneration
- Meniere’s Disease
- Migraine
- Osteopenia
- Osteoporosis
- Pernicious Anaemia
- Plantar Fasciitis
- Raynaud’s Disease
- Sleep Apnoea
- Solar Keratosis
- Trigeminal Neuralgia
- Trigger Finger
- Vitamin B12 Deficiency.
- Conditions where you have been given a terminal or palliative prognosis with a shortened life expectancy
- If you require oxygen therapy or home oxygen for the journey
- Aids defining illness
- If you have had or are having an organ transplant in the future
- Cardiac or heart conditions
- Respiratory or lung conditions
- Metastatic or secondary cancer
- Dementia or memory loss
- If you require the accompaniment of a full-time minder
- Deep Vein Thrombosis
- Heart problems (e.g. coronary angiography, pacemakers, etc)
- Any conditions requiring surgery in the last two years
- Certain kinds of diabetes
- Epilepsy
Whether your insurer covers your condition will depend on its severity, how recent it is and the extent to which it is being controlled by medication.
How to find the best travel insurance for pre-existing conditions
If you’re looking for travel insurance to cover a pre-existing condition, we can’t tell you which policy is the best choice for you. This is because the right policy depends on your cover needs, your budget and your personal situation, so the best cover for one person may be insufficient for the next traveller.
However, there are a few simple tips you can keep in mind to help you find the right policy:
- Consider your cover needs. First and foremost, think about what you want in a policy – what are the risks you want cover for and how much protection do you want? How much are you willing to pay for cover?
- Compare suitable policies. Once you know the type of cover you want, you can compare a range of policies from different insurers. What benefits do they offer and how high are the cover limits? What exclusions and restrictions apply?
- Treatment of pre-existing conditions. Check the PDS of each policy you’re considering to see how the insurer treats pre-existing condition. Is your condition automatically covered? If not, what do you have to do to apply to have it covered?
- Compare quotes. Compare quotes across the best policies to see which one offers the best value for money. Does it cost extra to have your pre-existing condition covered?
The key when buying travel insurance for pre-existing conditions is to shop around. Don’t just settle for the first policy you find; compare benefits and limits across several policies to find the cover that best suits your needs.
How is pregnancy assessed as a pre-existing condition?
Most travel insurers will cover pregnancy, providing it satisfies the following criteria:
- Your trip ends on or before your 26th week of pregnancy
- Claims are for unexpected complications only (not expenses related to childbirth)
- It does not involve IVF treatment
- It will not be a multiple birth (i.e. twins)
- Your trip is not for fertility treatment
- You have not experienced pregnancy complications in the past
- You are not travelling against your doctor’s advice
As pregnancy is classed by insurers as a pre-existing condition, you will need to declare it when applying for insurance, be medically assessed and pay a higher premium, due to the higher risk you represent to the insurer.
I’m diabetic... can I get covered?
The majority of travel insurers will automatically cover diabetes, but the devil is in the detail, as each may require certain conditions to be met. For instance;
- Even though Type 2 diabetes is a less serious form, if you have also had hypertension in the last 12 months, some insurers may exclude you from cover altogether
- Because Type 1 diabetes requires stricter management, some insurers apply stricter cover conditions such as age limits.
The golden rule with diabetes, as with any pre-existing medical condition, is if you are unsure whether you are covered, declare it to your insurer at the time of applying. You may have to answer a few more questions and pay a higher premium, but it’s a small price to pay compared with receiving overseas medical bills that aren’t covered by your insurance.
Head here to learn more about getting cover if you're diabetic.
Group travel insurance for pre-existing medical conditions
It's quite common for people to take out group travel insurance policies to provide cover for up to 10 or more friends, co-workers or teammates. While there is only one certificate of insurance for group policies, cover is still provided to each member of the group as if they were to have their own policy.
When taking out cover, the applicant that is applying for the cover for the group will be asked if any member of the group has any pre-existing medical conditions. In the event that one member does have a pre-existing condition that is not automatically covered under the policy, they may be required to take out their own separate policy. It may be possible to still purchase group cover if the condition is not listed though an additional premium may be incurred.
Learn more about group travel insurance policies
Are other people on my travel insurance policy covered for pre-existing medical conditions?
Generally, the insurance company will not provide a benefit payment for claims arising from pre-existing medical conditions that are automatically covered other than for those that are named on the insurance policy. Cover for pre-existing conditions can be provided to your spouse and/or dependent children/grandchildren.
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Ask an Expert
By the time I travel, I’ll have had my new knees for over 10 years. Can I still be covered for these?
Hello Sue,
Thank you for your comment.
Please note that there’s a possibility you might not be covered for hip & knee replacement, but they will tell you this after you have disclosed your condition and they have made an assessment.
Travel insurance provides coverage for a wide range of scenarios. While travel insurance might not always be able to cover your hip & knee replacement, they could still offer cover for other unforeseen injuries or illnesses, such as luggage & personal effects, cancellation fees & lost deposits, and family emergency.
If you don’t take out travel insurance you will be liable to pay all expenses that you incur when the unforeseen happens.
It’s best that you discuss your options to the travel insurance company first before taking out one. Know your benefits.
Regards,
Jhezelyn
Hi I have just found out my father in law is dying from cancer can I get cancellation insurance in case something happens before we go on our cruise
Hi Christine,
Thanks for getting in touch! Sorry to hear about your father, this is a very difficult time. You can get a cruise travel insurance that includes cancellation.
As it says on the page, like any insurance, cruise travel insurance will take care of you if you need to cancel because of a serious, unexpected event including if:
Even if your cruise insurance doesn’t cover your cancelled trip, you may be able to scrape back some of the cost of the cruise itself. Many cruise companies will allow you to cancel ahead of time and only pay a cancellation fee rather than the full cost of the cruise. This fee varies based on how far out you cancel.
Cancellation policies vary between cruise lines. As a friendly reminder, carefully review the Product Disclosure Statement of the product before applying. You may also contact the insurance provider should you have any questions about their policy.
Hope this was helpful. Don’t hesitate to message us back if you have more questions.
Best,
Nikki
Is there travel insurance for adrenal gland insufficiency, my husband had adrenal cancer 4 years ago but is on daily medication for cortisol (hormone replacement) and a tablet chemotherapy, but has no tumours.
Hi Vanessa,
Thanks for getting in touch! Your husband may view and apply travel insurance for pre-existing medical conditions and you can find this information above. To find out if a provider will insure your husband for adrenal gland insufficiency, you must get in touch with the insurer. You’ll also find the steps as stated above helpful in finding one.
Hope this was helpful. Don’t hesitate to message us back if you have more questions.
Best,
Nikki
Is there an insurance that covers heart and double lungs transplant?
Hello Jose,
Thank you for your comment.
Although we have no specific page for insurance providers that cover both heart and lung conditions, you can check our guide above for the brands covering pre-existing medical conditions. Basically, an organ transplant is not covered so best to discuss with your preferred brand about the cover for a lung transplant.
Meanwhile, you may also want to check our guide on travel insurance for heart conditions. You can get quotes from the insurers listed on the table or contact them if you like to discuss your options.
You can get a quote directly from the list of insurers that we have on the table by clicking the Get Quote button. Please make sure to read the eligibility criteria, features, and details of the policy, as well as the relevant Product Disclosure Statement PDS/T&C’s of the policy before making a decision and consider whether the product is right for you. If necessary, speak to the insurance brand to verify any details.
Should you wish to have real-time answers to your questions, try our chatbox on the lower right corner of our page.
Regards,
Jhezelyn
Is there a travel insurance policy that covers pulmonary fibrosis for a person who is 74 years old?
Hi Rajg,
Thank you for getting in touch with Finder.
Currently we have a page that explains more on travel insurance for Cystic Fibrosis. Our page can help in finding an insurer to cover someone traveling with pulmonary fibrosis.
You can also enter your travel details from our senior travel insurance form since you mentioned that the person travelling is 74 years old. Basically, the traveller needs to answer the insurer’s online/phone medical questionnaire to know whether the pre-existing condition will be covered or not. Please note that getting cover will depend on person’s age, the type of travel insurance, and the nature and severity of their pre-existing medical condition.
I hope this helps.
Please feel free to reach out to us if you have any other enquiries.
Thank you and have a wonderful day!
Cheers,
Jeni