Travelling with a pre-existing medical condition like epilepsy requires planning, especially with regards to medication. It's crucial to be adequately prepared in the event that you have a seizure overseas and this includes having the right travel insurance in place.
How do I get cover?
Most travel insurance policies provide automatic cover for certain pre-existing medical conditions like epilepsy but will usually carry requirements such as:
No change in your medication regime over a certain period of time e.g. the last 12 months
No hospitalisation for your condition over a certain period e.g. the last two years
If you have been hospitalised recently
You will need to:
Apply for special cover if the policy allows it
Pay an extra premium
Which Australian travel insurance brands cover Epilepsy?
Brand
Details
Apply
You are automatically covered if:
You have not been hospitalised or required treatment by a medical practitioner in the last 12 months for any of the listed conditions.
You don't have an underlying medical condition (e.g. previous head trauma, Brain Tumour or Stroke).
Zoom Travel Insurance will not pay any claims relating to any pre-existing medical condition unless you completed the medical screening process, paid any relevant additional premium and received written confirmation from Zoom Travel Insurance confirming that cover has been accepted for these conditions.
The policy doesn't automatically cover your pre-existing medical conditions. However, if you complete a medical assessment, we may be able to offer you cover for your pre-existing medical conditions.
Note: This information was last updated August 2022
How do insurers define Epilepsy?
If you suffer from epilepsy and you’re considering applying for travel insurance, it’s important to be aware of the way in which your condition is assessed by the insurance provider. The type and gravity of your condition will influence your premium. Categories include:
Idiopathic Epilepsy. This is a form of epilepsy that occurs for no obvious reasons. It is recognised by the occurrence of major convulsions and a minor short blackout. The insurer will make an assessment based on lifestyle and the course of treatment.
Symptomatic Epilepsy. Symptomatic epilepsy is usually a result of brain damage and, depending on the case, can result in a higher premium for your policy.
Focal Epilepsy. This variation causes complex motor seizures which would result in a higher premium.
Finder survey: Which pre-existing medical conditions do Australians from different states have?
Response
WA
VIC
SA
QLD
NSW
None
61.98%
62.71%
58.06%
58.53%
65.14%
Heart condition
10.74%
4.95%
10.75%
4.61%
4.89%
Mental health conditions
10.74%
14.19%
10.75%
14.75%
10.4%
Chronic pain
9.92%
6.27%
9.68%
8.76%
7.65%
Asthma
7.44%
10.23%
11.83%
8.29%
9.17%
Diabetes
7.44%
6.93%
10.75%
8.76%
7.03%
Cancer
4.96%
4.29%
3.23%
4.61%
2.45%
Other
4.13%
6.6%
5.38%
9.22%
5.2%
Physical disability
4.13%
3.96%
5.38%
2.76%
3.06%
Kidney disease
0.99%
1.08%
2.3%
0.92%
Source: Finder survey by Pure Profile of 1112 Australians, December 2023 Data for ACT, NT, TAS not shown due to insufficient sample size. Some other states may also be excluded for this reason.
Do I need to declare my condition?
The onus is on you to disclose your condition to the insurer, especially if it’s not automatically covered as a pre-existing medical condition. If you develop the condition after purchasing travel insurance, it’s imperative to inform your insurer so that the contract can be modified accordingly. You will most likely be charged an additional premium for the modification.
How do I disclose Epilepsy?
When you apply for insurance and disclose a pre-existing medical condition like Epilepsy, you will typically go through the these steps:
Check if Epilepsy is completely excluded from your policy.
This will mean the you cannot get cover with the policy.
Check if Epilepsy is automatically included and under what conditions.
Automatically included Epilepsy cover will typically have a condition such as requiring not hospitalisations in the past 2 years. If you meet the conditions then you will be automatically covered.
If you do not meet the requirements, apply for special cover.
Some policies will let you apply using a declaration form.
What do I need to provide in a declaration form?
You will be typically need to provide information regarding:
The name of your condition
What medications and treatments have been taken for the condition
Details of any recent changes your treatment medication
Whether or not you have seen medical practitioner recently
If you've undergone treatment in a hospital recently
If you're currently on a waiting list for medical review or treatment
Do I need to declare if I have taken medication for Epilepsy?
Yes, you must declare what type of medication you are using or when the last you used it was. Most travel insurance brands will cover epilepsy if your condition hasn’t changed within 12 months, or if you’re on only one course of anti-seizure medication. Depending on the variation and the kind of medication you’ve been prescribed, you might have to pay an additional premium.
Tips for travelling with Epilepsy
Here are a few tips to facilitate travelling with epilepsy.
Be prepared. Have all your travel and personal documentation on hand in case of a medical emergency. Do research to find out about standard medical care procedure if you suffer seizures at your destination.
Check your medication. Besides making sure that your medication is clearly marked with your name and the necessary dosage, it’s a good idea to store two or three sets of medication in different places (hand luggage, cabin bag, main luggage) in case you lose one.
Get enough rest. Fatigue can be a trigger for seizures, so make sure you get enough rest on the flight or on the road. Split long journeys into smaller parts so that you can rest.
When won’t you be covered?
Most travel insurance policies will cover epilepsy as a pre-existing medical condition, but not if:
You are on two or more anti-seizure medications, or
Your medication regime remains unchanged for 12 months
In these cases, the terms of your travel insurance policy won’t cover the costs of medical assistance or hospitalisation.
Living with epilepsy doesn’t mean you can’t travel. Depending on the seriousness of your condition, most travel insurance policies will cover epilepsy as long as you show you can manage it responsibly.
Jessica Prasida is a travel insurance expert for Finder. She lives and breathes travel, having worked as a travel agent and branch manager at STA Travel for over 4 years, then writing about travel insurance with Finder for another 5 years. Jess has a Bachelor of Business from the University of Technology, Sydney and a Tier 1 General Insurance qualification. See full bio
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