When should you get pre-existing condition coverage in your Travel Insurance?
Your travel insurance policy covers losses from sudden medical emergencies, flight delays, and legal issues. But if you have an existing health condition, will you receive any benefits? Keep reading to find out if your pre-existing conditions are covered by travel health insurance.
What are Pre-Existing Conditions?
How do travel insurance companies define pre-existing medical conditions? It means that your insurer will not cover any claims related to symptoms or conditions that were treated or diagnosed before your trip started or before the policy took effect.
In most cases, any health condition diagnosed within the last 48 months is considered a pre-existing disease. Whether travel insurance covers pre-existing conditions, however, varies depending on the plan and provider.
Is it necessary to declare pre-existing conditions to your insurer?
Imagine your parents are traveling from India to visit you in the US. You weren’t aware that your father was treated for high cholesterol a few months ago. Although he wasn’t at risk of a heart attack, he stopped his medication before the trip.
During the trip, your father was diagnosed with heart problems, but your travel health insurance claim was denied. The insurer reviewed his pre-existing conditions and determined that the medical emergency was linked to the cholesterol-related heart symptoms he experienced before the trip.
Many families make the mistake of assuming that nothing will go wrong during a short visit. They don’t consider that their health conditions might worsen or recur while traveling.
This is why declaring your pre-existing conditions is crucial. If you have a chronic condition, it’s essential to find travel insurance that covers pre-existing conditions, and making a declaration is necessary for that coverage.
Insurers are cautious about pre-existing conditions due to the higher financial risk, which is why they often hesitate to cover them. But does this mean your insurance won’t cover these conditions? Will you have to cancel your plans or travel abroad with the risk of falling ill because of your condition?
Does Travel Insurance cover pre-existing diseases?
Most travel insurance policies exclude coverage for pre-existing illnesses or conditions that could disrupt your trip. However, this doesn’t mean you can’t find insurance to cover those conditions. Nowadays, many travel insurance options are available that include coverage for pre-existing conditions for international travel.
However, you need to either notify the insurer in advance or review the policy documents to determine if it can be added as an add-on to your current travel insurance policy. This applies to both domestic and international travel insurance policies.
Travel insurance companies deny claims if the insured cancels the trip or seeks medical treatment during the journey due to any pre-existing medical conditions or complications. Coverage for pre-existing conditions under travel health insurance is only available as optional coverage or through specific plans to include these conditions.
How can you determine if you need coverage for pre-existing diseases on your Travel Insurance Policy?
You are responsible for monitoring your health to ensure a fulfilling and stress-free life. To do this, confirm whether you have had any medical tests or made any changes to your medication before your trip.
Before purchasing travel insurance that covers pre-existing diseases, you must first understand what pre-existing conditions are. They can include:
- Any condition for which you have received treatment or are currently undergoing treatment.
- Any condition for which you are taking medication.
- Any health condition that you already know about.
If you identify any condition that could pose a risk while traveling, you will need to purchase a pre-existing condition add-on for your travel insurance policy. To do this, you must find a policy that specifically covers your pre-existing condition.
If you have more than one pre-existing condition, choose a policy with no restrictions or caps, as many insurers tend to limit coverage to just one pre-existing condition.
Is Travelling Without a Pre-existing Diseases Cover Worth It?
A traveller’s wife experienced minor chest pains and was taken to the hospital. She was on medication when she received an invitation to a conference abroad.
Before traveling abroad, she purchased an international travel plan that included coverage for her pre-existing condition. Unfortunately, she fell ill while there, but because her travel insurance company was aware of her pre-existing medical condition, she was able to file a claim.
If she hadn’t purchased international travel insurance with pre-existing condition coverage, her claim would have been denied during her emergency abroad. Therefore, it is crucial to travel with adequate coverage, especially if you already have a pre-existing condition.
Conclusion
You shouldn’t rely on luck for your underlying conditions, as your insurer will not honor any claims related to them. Travel insurance and pre-existing conditions can work well together if you choose the right plan for yourself.
Your travel insurer will review your medical history during verification to identify any previous or related health conditions.
If the insurer discovers a link between your previous medical conditions and the claim you filed, and you did not declare it, your claim will be denied. However, you can avoid significant disappointment and costs by purchasing international travel insurance that includes coverage for pre-existing conditions.