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A travel ban is in place for all Australians effective 25 March 2020. Most travel insurance brands will not cover you if you travel against a government warning. If you already have a policy, please contact your insurer directly for more information. We are currently updating our site to reflect the Australian government’s advice. Some travel insurance policies will be temporarily unavailable. A stroke is a medical emergency that occurs when the blood supply to part of your brain is reduced. As stroke is a serious condition, most travel insurance brands won't automatically cover stroke.
If you’ve previously suffered a stroke and any resulting complications, this will have an effect on your ability to qualify for travel insurance cover. A stroke is considered to be a pre-existing medical condition, so you’ll need to:
While many insurers will offer you cover when you declare, if the stroke occurred (or you received treatment for it) within a specified time frame prior to you taking out travel insurance, any claims relating to stroke may be excluded from cover.
| Brand | No cover if the stroke has occurred in this period | Condition details | Apply |
|---|---|---|---|
 | Past 5 years | No cover if the stroke occurred or any if you have received treatment, medication or medical advice for stroke in the past five years. | |
 | Past 5 years | No cover if the stroke occurred or any if you have received treatment, medication or medical advice for stroke in the past five years. | |
 | Past 5 years | No cover if the stroke occurred or if medication has been taken for stroke in the past five years. | |
 | No period stated | You can declare your condition with a medical assessment. | |
 | Past 12 months | No cover if stroke occurred or medication required within past 12 months. | |
 | No period stated | Your specific condition and medication must be assessed by Virgin. | |
 | No period stated | An assessment for any stroke that has occurred is required. If you're taking any medication that reduces immunity and travelling to the Americas or Africa then an assessment is also required. |
Stroke is classed as a high-risk existing medical condition by travel insurers, which means it will need to be assessed before an insurer will offer you cover. Some insurers refer to stroke as a cerebrovascular accident (CVA) or transient ischaemic attack (TIA).How do insurers define stroke?
It’s vital that you tell your insurer of any pre-existing medical conditions, including stroke, when you apply for cover. Each insurer will provide its own definition of what is considered to be a pre-existing condition, and stroke always fits the bill.
Insurance providers need to know about your medical history so that they can decide whether or not to offer you cover and then set your premiums at an appropriate level. If you fail to disclose any health condition to your insurer, any claims that result from that condition could be refused and your policy may be cancelled.
Each insurer has its own process for when you want to declare a pre-existing medical condition. This may include:
One of the most common medications prescribed to stroke sufferers is blood thinning medication. This includes
Many travel insurance policies will exclude Warfarin and blood-thinners users from cover, as it has a complex range of serious side effects. This usually means that any claims arising directly from your medical condition won’t be covered if you are currently on stroke medication.
A timeframe exclusion may also apply to pre-existing medical conditions and their treatment. For example, if you’ve taken a prescription blood-thinning medication such as Warfarin at any time in the past 12 months, you might not be eligible for cover.
Some travel insurers such will still offer you cover for medications such as Warfarin, but you’ll need to declare your medication use when you apply for cover. Check your insurer’s list of general exclusions for more details.
If it’s been two years since you suffered a stroke, it may be possible for you to take out travel insurance. You’ll need to declare your pre-existing medical condition and any treatment or medication you’ve received and wait for the insurer to approve your application for cover.
Some policies will require you to have not received any treatment or rehabilitation for the stroke in the past two years. If you have, any claims that arise from the stroke may be excluded from cover.
Even if your medical history means you can’t qualify for medical cover under a travel insurance policy, travel insurance still offers a wide range of benefits. Many Australian insurance companies offer non-medical travel insurance policies that provide a financial safeguard in a wide range of situations. These policies cover:
There are several general exclusions on travel insurance policies that could affect people who have suffered a stroke or resulting complications, including:
Check with your insurer to make sure you’re aware of when cover is and isn’t available. You can also read more on travel insurance exclusions here.
The best priced travel insurance for my husband is YOUGO,
I couldn’t find any reviews and I want to be certain that they are reputable and easy to deal with. Anybody have any feedback?
Hi Jenny,
Thank you for leaving a question.
Yes we do have a review page for Yougo. Kindly click here to be routed to that page. Hope this helps!
Cheers,
Reggie