Travel insurance for pre-existing medical conditions

Be straight up

Know your medical history

• That you are aware of
• For which you are having or have had treatment in the past
• You are treating with prescribed medication
• You previously had surgery for

How do I know if my condition is covered?

• Conditions that are generally automatically covered
• Conditions generally excluded from cover
• Conditions you must declare

What questions will I be asked when I declare my condition?

Typically you'll be asked:

• What is name of your condition?
• What medications have been taken in treatment of the condition?
• If you are 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 three 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?
• Have you smoked in the last 12 months?

If you don't declare your condition you will not 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.

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 a diabetic, can I get cover?

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.

Some final questions you might have