Does Travel Insurance Cover Existing Medical Conditions?

by | Last updated on January 24, 2024

, , , ,

First and foremost, you must insure your full nonrefundable trip costs. From there, if you insure the full cost of your trip within 14 days of paying your first trip deposit, and you're medically able to travel when you do so,

you can be covered for most existing medical conditions

.

Which circumstance are not covered in travel insurance?


Baggage delay, damage, and loss

policies don't cover everything in your bags. Common travel insurance exclusions include glasses, hearing aids, dental bridges, tickets, passports, keys, cash, and cell phones.

What is classed as a pre-existing medical condition?

Preexisting condition is a term that refers to

a known illness, injury, or health condition that existed before someone enrolls in or begins receiving health or life insurance

. This includes illnesses such as heart disease, diabetes, cancer, and asthma.

Does travel insurance cover medical issues?


Most travel insurance plans cover medical emergencies

, trip cancellation, trip interruption, delays, medical evacuation, and lost, damaged, or stolen luggage.

Which pre-existing conditions are not covered?

Health insurers can no longer charge more or deny coverage to you or your child because of a pre-existing health condition like

asthma, diabetes, or cancer, as well as pregnancy

. They cannot limit benefits for that condition either.

What medical conditions affect travel insurance?

  • Chronic illness, including cancer.
  • Crohn's disease.
  • Circulatory problems, including stroke and high blood pressure.
  • Heart conditions.
  • Respiratory issues, including asthma.
  • Diabetes.
  • Cystic fibrosis.
  • Back pain or joint problems.

Do travel insurance check medical records?

When you buy a travel insurance policy,

it's normal procedure for your insurance provider to ask you for medical information

. The information supplied by you will be used by underwriters to work out the level of risk.

What is excluded in travel insurance?


Travelling despite known events (e.g. natural disasters and pandemics)

Most travel insurance policies will only provide cover for events that were unforeseen. If there were any government warnings about an event, or a natural disaster has already taken place, your policy won't cover you.

What is covered under international travel insurance?

1)

Trip cancellation or delay due to sickness, injury or death in the family that result in a financial loss

is typically covered by this policy. 2) Travel insurance offers protection against financial risks and covers your medical expenses if you fall sick while travelling.

Is High Cholesterol a pre-existing medical condition?

The left-leaning Center for American Progress notes that

high blood pressure, behavioral health disorders, high cholesterol, asthma and chronic lung disease, and osteoarthritis and other joint disorders are the most common types of pre-existing conditions

.

Is high blood pressure considered a preexisting condition for travel insurance?

High Blood pressure And Travel Insurance.

High blood pressure (also called hypertension) is a common pre-existing medical condition, and can be covered by your policy

– but you need to meet the conditions below.

Is health insurance the same as travel insurance?

International Travel insurance Solely focused on health. Health is an add-on to cancellation and lost luggage insurance, and only covers emergencies.

Does travel insurance do anything?

Travel insurance is coverage designed to

protect against risks and financial losses that could happen while traveling

. The risks range from minor inconveniences such as missed airline connections and delayed luggage all the way to more serious issues including injuries or major illness.

What does a health insurance cover?

A health insurance plan offers comprehensive medical coverage against hospitalization charges, pre-hospitalization charges, post-hospitalization charges, ambulance expenses, etc. Additionally, it offers compensation in case of loss of income as a result of an accident.

What is acute onset of pre-existing conditions?

An acute onset of a pre-existing condition is defined as

a sudden and unexpected medical episode related to a pre-existing condition

. To be classified as acute onset, the medical event must occur spontaneously and without advance warning (either confirmed by a physician or by the obvious presence of symptoms).

Is back pain a pre-existing condition?

In essence, they're medical conditions that existed before your policy started. Some of the commonly understandable pre-existing conditions can be chronic illnesses like diabetes, high blood pressure, asthma etc.

The pre-existing conditions can include chronic injuries like back pain too.

Will my insurance cover an old medical bill?

Even if your insurance policy has been cancelled,

old bills can still be sent to your insurance

. The coverage still applies for care you received during the time the policy was in effect.

How far back do you have to declare medical conditions for travel insurance?

If you're currently being treated or taking medication for a condition, you'll always need to disclose it. A number of pre-existing medical conditions must also be revealed if they occurred within a certain time frame, normally

two years

.

Does travel insurance cover if you change your mind?

Losses due to a pre-existing medical condition (although you can purchase a waiver if you have a pre-existing condition and get coverage).

Changing your mind or deciding you can't afford to go

(although you can purchase ‘cancel for any reason' coverage and cancel a trip before it starts).

Does travel insurance cover cancellation due to war?

Insurance companies don't consider war or war-like situations a direct obstacle to travel, but

flight schedule changes or flight cancellations due to conflict escalation at the destination are covered as insured events

.

Emily Lee
Author
Emily Lee
Emily Lee is a freelance writer and artist based in New York City. She’s an accomplished writer with a deep passion for the arts, and brings a unique perspective to the world of entertainment. Emily has written about art, entertainment, and pop culture.