Annual Travel Insurance for Pre-Existing Medical Conditions

Purchasing annual travel insurance can be time-consuming, expensive and even a bit mind-boggling for many travellers; the process is often even more daunting for those with a pre-existing medical condition. Here are some helpful hints to consider when choosing your annual-trip policy to include cover for a pre-existing health condition.

What is a pre-existing medical condition?

A pre-existing medical condition is any condition that exists before you take out an insurance policy. In general, a pre-existing medical condition refers to any current or recent medical problem, hospital treatment or psychological condition. It is, however, important to read the guidelines of your individual policy to ensure you have full cover for your particular condition.

Purchasing annual travel insurance with pre-existing medical conditions

When you come to purchase a policy, you will need to complete a ‘medical screening’ process where you answer questions about your health. It is highly important to disclose to your insurer any condition for which you take prescribed medication and any heart, circulatory, respiratory, stroke or cancerous condition that you have ever been diagnosed with - even if you are no longer affected by it, or if you feel it won’t cause any problems while you are away from home. If you don’t tell your insurer all the details of your condition, your policy won’t be valid and you won't be able to make a claim if anything does happen while you are away.

How much does annual travel insurance for pre-existing medical conditions cost?

The price of your policy will not necessarily be affected by how many medical conditions you have, but will be based on your current health status, age, length of time away and your destination. Some countries charge more for healthcare than others, so you may pay more based on the country you decide to visit.

Depending on the answers you give to the medical screening questions - which will determine the level of cover you need - some policies may require you to pay an additional premium. This will be based on your own individual circumstance and will be explained by the insurer. You will have the choice of whether to pay the premium or to purchase your policy with the medical conditions excluded from the cover. That means, if anything associated with that pre-existing condition affects you while you are away, an insurer will not pay for your healthcare.

Don’t Panic!

Good insurers believe that any traveller should be able to purchase the right level of cover for their trip and will cover as many medical conditions as possible. Unfortunately, in exceptional circumstances, some insurers may not be able to provide cover for you, however, more often than not, a good insurer will strive to provide an appropriate policy for you.

The most important thing to remember is to ask your insurer about anything you are unsure of relating to your annual travel insurance cover if you have pre-existing medical conditions. Once you have all the information at hand and can purchase an appropriate policy, you can go off and enjoy a happy, hassle-free holiday!