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Travel insurance for high blood pressure

Travel should get your blood pumping, but not too much! Most travel insurance brands cover high blood pressure automatically at no extra cost.

Best Health Insurance Australia

Key takeaways

  • High blood pressure is considered a pre-existing condition for travel insurance.
  • Most travel insurance brands will still cover you with high blood pressure at no extra cost.
  • Even so, not declaring your condition could mean you are not covered for some expenses.

Compare travel insurance with high blood pressure cover

When you take out travel insurance, you'll need to declare any and all pre-existing conditions. Sometimes this will make your cover a bit more expensive, but sometimes the price won't change at all. for example, I went to Japan recently and declared my partner's asthma and the meds I was on, and the price didn't change at all. But if I had diabetes or a heart condition, it probably would have cost more.

The good news is that high blood pressure typically doesn't cost anything extra. But you do still need to declare it, which you'll do just before you pay for your cover. If that's all you need to know, use the tool below to compare live quotes from Aussie travel insurance providers. There's a filter on the results page for pre-existing conditions.

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How different brands cover high blood pressure

We've looked into the brands on our travel insurance comparison tool and checked which ones will cover you when you have high blood pressure, whether there's a maximum blood pressure that's covered by their policies and if there are any conditions attached.

ProviderConditions
Medibank Travel Insurance

Medibank

Covered as long as:
  • You don't have a known heart or cardiovascular condition or diabetes
  • Your Hypertension is stable and managed by your medical practitioner
  • Your prescribed blood pressure medication hasn't changed in the last 12 months
  • You aren't suffering symptoms of hypertension or having investigations related to blood pressure
Freely Travel Insurance

Freely

Covered as long as:
  • You don't have a known heart or cardiovascular condition or diabetes
  • Your Hypertension is stable and managed by your medical practitioner
  • Your prescribed blood pressure medication hasn't changed in the last 12 months
  • You aren't suffering symptoms of hypertension or having investigations related to blood pressure
Stella travel insurance logo

Stella

  • Covered as long as you don't don’t also suffer from a known cardiovascular disease and/or diabetes
Fast Cover Logo

Fast Cover

  • Covered as long as you don't suffer from a known cardiovascular disease or diabetes
World2Cover Logo

World2cover

  • Covered as long as you don't suffer from a known cardiovascular disease or diabetes
Covermore logo

Cover-More

Covered as long as:
  • You don't have a known heart or cardiovascular condition or diabetes
  • Your Hypertension is stable and managed by your medical practitioner
  • Your prescribed blood pressure medication hasn't changed in the last 12 months
  • You aren't suffering symptoms of hypertension or having investigations related to blood pressure
Australia Post

Australia Post

Covered as long as:
  • You don't have a known heart or cardiovascular condition or diabetes
  • Your Hypertension is stable and managed by your medical practitioner
  • In the last 12 months, Your prescribed blood pressure medication hasn’t changed.
  • You aren't suffering symptoms of hypertension or having investigations related to blood pressure
Travel Insurance Saver

Travel Insurance Saver

  • Covered as long as you have no known cardiovascular or coronary heart disease
Easy Travel Insurance

Easy

Covered as long as:
  • You don't have a known heart or cardiovascular condition or diabetes
  • Your Hypertension is stable and managed by your medical practitioner
  • Your prescribed blood pressure medication hasn't changed in the last 12 months
  • You aren't suffering symptoms of hypertension or having investigations related to blood pressure
Picture not described

1cover

Covered as long as:
  • You weren't hospitalised in the last 12 months
  • You don't have any form of cardiovascular condition

Note: This information was last updated March 2024

How do insurers define high blood pressure?

According to the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, high blood pressure is defined as systolic blood pressure greater than or equal to 140 mmHg or diastolic blood pressure greater than or equal to 90 mmHg.

However, different travel insurance companies may consider different readings as part of your policy wording.

Exclusions: When won't you be covered by travel insurance if you have high blood pressure?

Travel insurance will typically not provide cover if:

  • You are travelling to seek medical treatment or review
  • You are travelling against the advice of a medical practitioner
  • Your claim is for deep vein thrombosis, if you have been diagnosed with blood clots in the past and if you do not take preventative measures for your trip
  • Your claim is for any condition for which surgery or treatment is planned
  • Your claim is for any condition for which you have been hospitalised within a certain time period such as 24 months

Tips for travelling with high blood pressure

  • Don't let it hold you back. As long as your high blood pressure is well controlled, travelling the world is entirely possible. In fact, it could be argued that travel could be good for your health. With this in mind, don't let high blood pressure put you off pursuing your travel dreams.
  • Talk to your doctor. Before you book any travel plans, book in a visit to your doctor to discuss your high blood pressure. Your doctor will be able to tell you what is and isn't possible with your condition. Your doctor can also give you information about any extra medication or vaccinations you may need.
  • Have a pre-trip check-up. Just before you're due to depart, visit your doctor for another check-up to make sure your condition is still under control and it's safe for you to travel.
  • Pack enough medicine. It's vital that you make sure you have more than enough medication to last you not only for your trip but also for a little longer. If your return home is delayed by circumstances beyond your control, you don't want to run out of medication. Make sure to research which medications are safe to travel with.
  • Reduce stress. Checking in for your flight at an airport can be a very stressful time. There are queues to stand in, security checkpoints to clear, and you'll need to manage your fears that you haven't packed everything you need. To make the check-in process as stress-free as possible, make sure you arrive at the airport with plenty of time to spare.
  • Pack extra medication. Include extra medication in your hand luggage in case your checked luggage goes missing.
  • Sit in the emergency exit row. Request an emergency exit seat so that you have a little extra leg room. Make sure to keep flexing your feet, and stretch your muscles during the flight to keep the blood circulating and reduce the risk of deep vein thrombosis.
  • Take your own snacks. Salty airline snacks like peanuts and crackers won't help your blood pressure, so bring your own healthy snacks from home. Alcohol and sleeping pills should also be avoided, as they're more likely to see you staying in the same position for too long.
  • Avoid adventure activities. Activities like scuba diving and parachuting can be dangerous for people with high blood pressure, so don't participate in any activities you shouldn't.
  • Relax. Travel is meant to be fun and enjoyable, so don't let yourself get stressed out. Take a deep breath and relax.

Frequently asked questions

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To make sure you get accurate and helpful information, this guide has been reviewed by Jessica Prasida, a member of Finder's Editorial Review Board.
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Written by

Insurance expert

Tim Bennett is a Finder insurance & utilities expert. For over 10 years he's reported on news, politics, finance and other topics as a journalist and radio presenter. Tim's roles have included radio news reader and breakfast at the ABC, news producer for SBS and producer for Fairfax Media. Tim regularly appears as a health insurance expert on programs like Sunrise and SBS news, as well as in the Australian, The Daily Telegraph, The Courier Mail and more. See full bio

Tim's expertise
Tim has written 118 Finder guides across topics including:
  • Personal finance
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